The San Antonio Spurs concluded their 2026 season with a five-game loss to the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals. This outcome has intensified the Spurs’ focus on offseason roster improvements. Bleacher Report has identified Knicks forward OG Anunoby as a primary trade target for San Antonio. Anunoby, a significant contributor to New York’s championship, holds three years remaining on his current contract, making any trade proposition complex due to its high cost and the Knicks’ recent success.
Acquiring Anunoby would significantly bolster the Spurs’ defensive capabilities and offensive spacing. His ability to switch across multiple positions and provide corner three efficiency would be a substantial upgrade. However, the probability of the Knicks trading a key player to a recent Finals opponent remains low. Bleacher Report’s Hughes acknowledged this challenge, stating: “Were the Spurs to aim higher, OG Anunoby would improve the roster even more. He’d come at an extremely high cost and might not be attainable from a Knicks team that wouldn’t want to improve the squad it just beat in the Finals, which is why he slots behind [Trey] Murphy. Anunoby is the superior player, but would be a highly implausible get.”
Consequently, the Spurs are exploring more realistic options to address their need for wing defense. Matisse Thybulle has emerged as a viable free-agent target this offseason. Thybulle, a versatile wing defender, offers a high steal rate and disruptive perimeter defense, fitting San Antonio’s system. He averaged 5.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals over 30 appearances for the Trail Blazers last season. Hughes further elaborated on Thybulle’s fit, noting: “Lastly, we’re going deeper down the free-agent rankings by listing Matisse Thybulle, Hughes wrote. Availability has been an issue over the last two seasons, but the disruptive forward was mostly healthy prior to 2024 and would bring one of the highest steal rates in modern NBA history to a defense whose back line () encourages maximum perimeter risk-taking.” Thybulle’s status as a free agent offers the Spurs a more direct path to acquiring defensive talent without navigating complex trade scenarios and luxury tax implications.
