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2011 NBA Mock Draft Has the San Antonio Spurs Trading Into the Top 10 Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs are looking to trade into the top 10 of this year’s NBA draft after being excused in the first round of the playoffs by the upstart Memphis Grizzlies. Now, it seems one of the cogs of the Spurs’ aging ‘big three’ could be on the move on draft day. “The San Antonio Spurs are engaged in discussions about trading point guard Tony Parker to secure a high pick in Thursday’s draft, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. The Spurs have talked to teams in the lottery, including the Toronto Raptors and Sacramento Kings, who hold the fifth and seventh picks, respectively,” according to Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Spurs would be smart to ship off the oft-injured point guard they just signed to an extension. The team can start George Hill, though the team would take a hit by losing Parker’s experience and leadership. The question remains though, who are the Spurs targeting? Clearly they believe a player will be there at five or seven, so who is the link Coach Pop feels is missing? Tim Duncan, Richard Jefferson and Manu Ginobili are on their last legs. They won’t land Derrick Williams, Brandon Knight or Enes Kanter, so who could it possibly be? San Diego State forward Kawhi Leonard appears destined to be there at five and seven. He is a man who plays much bigger than his height would suggest, especially with his build. MUST READ: NBA Draft 2011: Positions Each Team Desperately Needs To Shore Up Through Draft
He has incredibly large and strong hands, which allow him to be an excellent defender as he averaged 1.4 steals each of the past two seasons. He also averaged a double-double with 15.5 points and 10.6 rebounders per contest in 2010. Leonard is one of my safest players in the entire draft and would be a rock for the Spurs at the forward position. He would come off the bench as a spark plug offensively and defensively. The other option would be Texas’ Tristan Thompson, another player I’ve deemed one of the safest in this perceived ‘weak’ draft. The Spurs could not find an answer to stop Memphis’ Zach Randolph in the playoffs. Thompson is easily the best defender in the top 10 with his amazing length and athleticism. His shot-blocking prowess is top notch as he averaged 2.4 swats per contest as a freshman. He is a versatile scorer and could be the long-term option in San Antonio with Duncan surely retiring sooner than later. Both of these young studs would benefit greatly from Duncan’s experience and guidance. Two versatile scorers with excellent defensive prowess, Duncan could accelerate their progression in the Association before he bows to Father Time. The Spurs have solid guard play with Hill and Gary Neal. With Randolph, Kevin Durant, Dirk Nowitzki and an influx of other great forwards, the Spurs need to add a defensive forward this offseason to counter if they hope to make a legitimate Championship run in 2011. -Brandon Galvin
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