20 best NBA Draft trades ever
By John Buhler
6. Kawhi Leonard from Indiana Pacers to San Antonio Spurs.
Just when it seemed like the Spurs were going to finally fade away into irrelevancy in the early 2010s after a decade of Western Conference dominance, the Spurs front office pulled off one of the most dynamic draft day trades of the modern era.
In the 2011 NBA Draft, the Spurs traded for San Diego State small forward Kawhi Leonard who went No. 15 to the Indiana Pacers for point guard George Hill. While Hill starts for the Pacers, he’s still very turnover prone and has never been a top 15 point guard in the NBA.
Leonard has since been groomed to be the next face of the franchise in San Antonio once their famous big three of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili ultimately call it a career. Leonard won the 2014 NBA Finals MVP with his great performance over the reigning champion Heat.
Leonard is only 24 years old and is widely considered the most athletically gifted defensive player in the NBA today. With LaMarcus Aldridge coming over from Portland in 2015 NBA free agency, the Spurs seem well equipped to usher in another era of dominance on the hardwood with Leonard as the centerpiece in San Antonio.
Next: 5. Dirk Nowitzki from Milwaukee Bucks to Dallas Mavericks.