SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Spurs needed to find a trade partner for Thad Young by the Thursday trade deadline, and they did just that by sending him to Toronto for Goran Dragic and a protected first-round pick.
Shams Charania first reported the trade and the Spurs later confirmed it. The full terms of the deal include San Antonio sending Young, Drew Eubanks, and Detroit's 2022 second-round pick in exchange for Dragic and a future first-round pick from Toronto that could come through as early as this season.
The Raptors will keep the pick this year if it's in the top 14, but they currently have a record of 30-23. If that holds the Spurs would snag another pick in a loaded class, another valuable asset that provides flexibility. If not, the pick has a top-13 protection in 2023 before turning into two second rounders.
Detroit's 2022 second-rounder was valuable, but moving up about 10 spots into the first is even more so.
Originally drafted by the Spurs in the second round in 2008, the 35-year-old Dragic played just five games for the Raptors this season and has been away from the team for months. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Spurs are expected to buy out Dragic and clear the path for him to sign with a team of his choosing.
Both Young and Dragic are on expiring contracts, but Dragic's is worth about $19.5 million to Young's $14.2. San Antonio will have to pay him some of that, but it won't impact their considerable cap space for the upcoming summer.
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Essentially, the Spurs were ably to sign and trade DeMar DeRozan for two first-round picks while maximizing financial flexibility. San Antonio has now made three in-season trades, and there could still be more with a few hours until the deadline.