NBA Rumors: Spurs Could Acquire Mike Conley For Trade Package Centered On Lonnie Walker IV, Per ‘SB Nation’

The San Antonio Spurs entered the 2018-19 NBA season without a starting caliber point guard on their roster. The Spurs lost Tony Parker in the recent free agency, while Dejounte Murray, whom they considered as their point guard of the future, suffered a torn ACL in a preseason game. Despite being undermanned, the Spurs still managed to remain competitive in the deep Western Conference and are currently sitting in the No. 6 spot with a 27-21 record.

However, in order to have a real chance of beating Western Conference powerhouse teams like the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets in a best-of-seven series, the Spurs should upgrade their roster before the February NBA trade deadline. According to Kristian Winfield of SB Nation, the Spurs may consider trading for Mike Conley of the Memphis Grizzlies to address their backcourt problem.

“First, it was Tony Parker, who left San Antonio for Charlotte over the summer. Then it was Lonnie Walker IV, the explosive rookie point guard who tore his meniscus in the preseason. To add insult to injury, Dejounte Murray tore his ACL in the very next preseason game. With all three out, the Spurs have started Derrick White and Bryn Forbes at the point and have given Patty Mills minutes as their backups. They’re all decent basketball players, but the Spurs are missing a true floor general on the court.”

After realizing that they don’t have the capability to contend for the NBA championship title, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN revealed that the Grizzlies have started listening to trade offers to Mike Conley and Marc Gasol. Winfield believes Conley would be a perfect fit in San Antonio. He could ease the load on DeMar DeRozan’s shoulders on the offensive end of the floor and play “cat-and-mouse” with LaMarcus Aldridge.

Crazy to think that about two months ago, Mike Conley was excited about possibly breaking through as an All-Star & finally being in a position to lead the Grizzlies without looking up to a more established vet. Now, he could be traded https://t.co/sFNbWr0EAm

— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) January 23, 2019

Acquiring Mike Conley will not only solve the Spurs’ major backcourt issue, but he will also give them a very reliable scoring option. This season, the 31-year-old point guard is averaging 19.8 points, 6.1 assists, and 1.3 steals on 42.2 percent shooting from the field and 35.4 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

In a proposed trade deal by SB Nation, the Spurs will be sending Loonie Walker IV, Rudy Gay, Patty Mills, Dante Cunningham, and a future first-round pick to the Grizzlies for Mike Conley and Omri Casspi. The deal works on ESPN‘s NBA Trade Machine. The Spurs’ suggested offer is exactly what the Grizzlies are looking for in any deal involving their superstars – a young player, draft pick, and salary cap relief.

However, as of now, it remains unknown if there is an ongoing negotiation between the Spurs and the Grizzlies centered on Mike Conley. Expect more rumors to circulate before the February NBA trade deadline.