Spurs continue to capitalize on DeMar DeRozan transactions

It's the second time in the offseason that the Spurs have gotten involved in a deal with the Kings. In July, the Kings sent forward Harrison Barnes and an unprotected 2031 first-round pick swap to the Spurs to facilitate their sign-and-trade with the Chicago Bulls for DeMar DeRozan. Now, they're adding Sacramento's 2031 second-rounder for taking, and waiving, McDaniels.

It's the third time San Antonio has added draft assets in trades that facilitate a DeRozan move. When DeRozan first went to the Bulls, the Spurs got two second-rounders and a protected 2025 first-round pick for facilitating the deal and taking back matching salaries. One of those players, Thaddeus Young, later helped the Spurs land a 2022 first-rounder when they sent him to Toronto for the unhappy Goran Dragic.

The Kings had McDaniels because of a trade with the Toronto Raptors that cut their payroll by sending Davion Mitchell and Sasha Vezenkov up north along with two second-round picks. That opened up room for the DeRozan deal. Sunday, the Spurs cleaned up the final remnant of the trade, taking on the unwanted McDaniels, along with cash from the Kings to cover at least part of his salary.

So for brokering three different DeRozan-related moves, the Spurs have amassed a first-round pick, a pick swap, and three second-round picks, while parlaying another into a pick they used to draft guard Malaki Branham. All it cost them was salary cap space, which they weren't planning to use anyway.

Clearly the Kings have plans for McDaniels' roster spot, but whatever those plans are, the Spurs only care about building up their horde of future picks.