NBA Trade Talk: San Antonio Spurs Trade George Hill, What's Next?

I guess it was inevitable that the Spurs would have to part ways with a real asset in order to surround their aging core with youth and athleticism on the wing. For days, I dreaded the thought of Tony Parker playing in another uniform next season, as rumors swirled of his departure to such cities as Portland, Sacramento or Toronto.

I resigned myself to the cold, hard fact that if the Spurs were to win another championship during the Tim Duncan era, Parker had to go in order to bring back real talent at their most vulnerable position—small forward.

After every selection of the NBA draft and no mention of a trade involving the San Antonio Spurs, I breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe the Spurs were going to give it a go next season with the same core that reeled off 61 wins last season.

Then, like Biz Markie “my heart went down south” when news broke of the George Hill trade to Indiana for the 15th overall pick. I have to be honest; my first reaction was one of shock and disgust. Why Georgy Porgy, why Indiana George?

Why not?

Take a look at the Spurs' roster. If the Spurs had traded Parker, their hopes of extending their league-leading 14 straight seasons of postseason play would have been in serious jeopardy. With the decline of Duncan as a true offensive threat, Parker is critical to the Spurs' overall success.   

Also consider the surprise emergence of Gary Neal as an offensive weapon off the bench. He averaged 9.8 points, just short of Hill’s 11-point average. It becomes pretty obvious which player was expendable.

Hill will be missed by the Spurs' faithful, but when the dust settles might we come to the conclusion that San Antonio pulled off another coupe, reminiscent of their 2009 heist of DeJuan Blair? The Spurs were able to turn a really good role player into possibly three really good role players, who happened to fill a more pressing need in their front court.

Kawhi Leonard, the 15th overall pick, has the ability to do for the Spurs what Bruce Bowen did on their championship teams. He is extremely long, with an over 7-foot wingspan. He is a high energy, defensive-minded youngster who knows how to rebound. In short, he is everything Richard Jefferson is not.

In addition to Leonard, the Spurs also acquired the rights to the Pacers' 2005 draft pick Erazem Lorbek. Lorbek is a 6’11" center currently playing in the Euroleague. The third component of the Hill trade turned into Davis Bertans, Indiana’s 42nd pick in the 2011 draft. Bertans will most likely remain oversees, but keep an eye on him as he possesses Dirk-like size at 6’10" and a smooth shooting stroke at only 18 years of age.

Fans should feel good about the Spurs chances to remain competitive in the West. Should Antonio McDyess follow through with his in-season proclamation of retiring, the Spurs will have nine players under contract entering training camp: Duncan, Ginobili, Parker, Jefferson, Splitter, Blair, Bonner, Neal and Anderson.

They will also bring to camp Austin Toros' standouts Danny Green and Da’Sean Butler. This could also be the season they bring in the 7-foot Ryan Richards of England, who they drafted in 2009.

Don’t forget about their 2011 first-round pick, Cory Joseph, who will get plenty of opportunities to prove he is capable of filling Hill’s shoes as the Spurs' backup point guard during camp.

Now that draft season has come to a close, the free agency frenzy is just a few days away. While there are no real marquee players on the market this year, there are a good number of solid veterans that could be a key contributor for the Spurs. Here are the names of a few unrestricted free agents that could fill a need on the San Antonio roster: TJ. Ford, Ronnie Price, Tayshaun Prince, Andrei Kirilenko and Samuel Dalembert.

Who knows for certain what the 2011-12 season will hold for the San Antonio Spurs? While the owners and the players' union negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement, the Spurs will go about business as usual, sifting through their draft-night haul and scouring the ends of the earth for another Neal.

In the end they might even add another veteran or two to play alongside their core of Duncan, Ginobili and Parker. Perhaps they'll surprise fans with another winning season that goes well beyond the first round of the playoffs.