3 reasons why Spurs including Stephon Castle or No. 2 pick in Kevin Durant trade would be a huge mistake

The San Antonio Spurs have had the last two Rookie of the Year winners. They hope to make it three in a row with Dylan Harper, who most scouts and experts believe will be selected with the No. 2 pick.

Harper will go toe-to-toe with Duke star Cooper Flagg, one of the most hyped prospects. Then again, as much as people rave about Flagg and rightfully so, Harper might not be that far behind him in terms of talent and upside.

That’s also why the Phoenix Suns demand that the Spurs include that selection in any potential offer involving Kevin Durant, who reportedly wants to play in San Antonio. If not, perhaps they could sweeten the deal with Stephon Castle.

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However, that's the last thing Gregg Popovich should consider in his first year away from the bench. Here, we will give you the three reasons why the Spurs shouldn't even think about giving up Castle or Harper in any trade for Durant.

3 reasons why the Spurs can't trade Stephon Castle or the No. 2 pick for Kevin Durant

1) Castle and/or Harper fit Victor Wembanyama's timeline

Victor Wembanyama is 21, Stephon Castle is 20 and Dylan Harper is 19. We're talking about a core that could potentially dominate the league for a decade straight.

Even if there are some questions about Harper's fit next to Castle and De'Aaron Fox, we've seen three-guard lineups fare well. The OKC Thunder once broke up their three-headed monster and it took them more than a decade to return to the NBA Finals. Will the Spurs want to risk making the same mistake?

2) Durability

As great a player as Durant is, he's had a tough time staying on the court over the years. He hasn't played all 82 games since his third season in the league, and he's dealt with several ailments since his age-30 season.

He missed 20 games last season, and while he played 75 games the prior year, he played only 47 games the year before. He's 36, so chances are he's going to miss more games as the years go by.

3) History isn't on Durant's side

Last but not least, one has to consider Durant's lack of postseason success since he left the Bay Area. It's not just that he hasn't been back to the NBA Finals; he hasn't even been to the conference finals after leaving the Golden State Warriors.

However, he's not to blame for his team's shortcomings, but the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns put together championship-caliber teams around him in hopes of winning a ring, but his teams have either fallen short in the playoffs or not even made the playoffs at all.

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About the author

Ernesto Cova

Ernesto Cova is a journalist at Sportskeeda with a PhD in Sports Psychology. His education helped him develop a clearer understanding of the sports world as a whole, including basketball. Ernesto has over eight years of experience in the field, working for Fadeaway World, The Inquisitr, NBA Blast, The Cold Wire and Bolavip, among others.

His favorite team is the Chicago Bulls because of the Michael Jordan era. Jordan is Ernesto's all-time favorite, as he changed the game forever. Ernesto's second favorite was Kobe Bryant because he embodied that same competitive fire and Ernesto watched him play throughout his entire career. Nowadays, Ernesto really likes Stephen Curry, who he believes to be the most influential player of the past 15 years or so.

Ernesto's favorite basketball moment was when Venezuela -- his country -- took down Canada to take home the 2015 FIBA Americas Cup.

When not watching or writing about basketball, Ernesto likes to read and is interested in photography.

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