20 worst NBA Draft trades ever
By John Buhler
7. Kawhi Leonard from Indiana Pacers to San Antonio Spurs
In 2011, the San Antonio Spurs pulled off their greatest draft day trade in franchise history. San Antonio was able to trade point guard George Hill to the Indiana Pacers for San Diego State swingman in No. 15 overall pick Kawhi Leonard.
Leonard is one of the most gifted defensive players of the last 25 years and is star player on a new era of Spurs basketball. He is only 24 years old and has made a decade of prime basketball for the Spurs to stay relevant and build another championship caliber team around.
While technically Leonard and Pacers star forward Paul George play the same position, the idea of George playing stretch four with Leonard able to play and guard both twos and threes would make the Pacers arguably the best team in the Eastern Conference. That tandem would annihilate great NBA teams for years.
Though it could have been the culture in place in San Antonio that could have made Leonard’s ascendance to superstardom possible, George is arguably just as good as is in Indiana. That pairing could have made former Pacers head coach Frank Vogel an all-time great coach and team president Larry Bird a Hall of Fame executive. Instead, Vogel is now in Orlando and the Pacers still haven’t won an NBA Championship.
Next: 6. Dirk Nowitzki from Milwaukee Bucks to Dallas Mavericks.