2014 San Antonio Spurs
Let’s get this out of the way. There will never be another dynasty in the NBA like the Spurs. Practically everything went right for San Antonio in establishing what is arguably today’s model franchise. In 1997 David Robinson, the Spurs best player, played only six games due to multiple injuries. As a result, the team that was 59-23 the season before, finished 20-62, the second worst record in the NBA. Because of draft lottery luck, the Spurs got the first overall pick and selected Tim Duncan. Combine that with late draft pick gems such as Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, and the rest is history; five championships in 16 seasons.
The Spurs are still going strong today, but for a while, it appeared as if things were going to fall apart. In 2011, the Spurs lost in the first round of the NBA playoffs to the Memphis Grizzlies as the number one seed in the West. Duncan and Ginobili were entering their mid-thirties, so there was doubt on how much the mighty Spurs had left.
One key move that helped get the Spurs back on track was taking a chance on Danny Green. The 46th overall pick on the 2009 NBA draft, Green was waived by the Cleveland Cavaliers after one season. After being cut by the Spurs and signed again, Green established himself during the 2012 season, averaging nearly 10 points in 66 games, hitting 43 percent of his three pointers. Green eventually became the team’s starting shooting guard, moving Ginobili back to the bench. The shooting guard has continued to get better and has become the prototypical “3 and D” player NBA teams are looking for in today’s league.
Like many Spurs before him, Green has also repaid the Spurs in the form of a “hometown discount”. In the Summer of 2015, Green re-signed with the Spurs on a four-year 40 million dollar deal, a contract worth way less than his value. This has allowed the Spurs to sign players like LaMarcus Aldridge and help the organization move forward.
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While Green was a nice acquisition, it was the 2011 NBA draft that ultimately saved the Spurs. This draft not only kept San Antonio’s run going, it also helped them eventually transition into a new era of Spurs basketball. Spurs backup point guard George Hill was for a time, head coach Gregg Popovich’s favorite player. Nonetheless, the Spurs put their love for Hill aside and traded him to Indiana for the 15th pick in that draft, Kawhi Leonard. The Spurs and Leonard became a match made in heaven.
Leonard’s lack of personality and desire to be nothing more than a basketball player helped the Spurs develop him into the superstar he is today. Leonard became a key factor in shutting down LeBron James during the 2014 Finals en route to a finals MVP and Spurs NBA championship. The Spurs showed that giving up core pieces to trade for a high-ceiling prospect can pay off in a great way.