It came down to the wire before the San Antonio Spurs decided to trade George Hill for Kawhi Leonard on the night of the 2011 NBA Draft. Literally.

Reportedly, Gregg Popovich's love of George Hill — who the Spurs sent to the Indiana Pacers for Leonard — nearly prevented the trade from ever happening.

There's no doubt Hill was a very productive player for the Spurs before being traded so it's not a huge surprise that Popovich was a big fan of his. You can also see Pop as someone who would be hesitant to get rid of a proven asset such as Hill at that time.

Clearly, the Spurs made out the best in that trade. Leonard has blossomed into an NBA Finals MVP, two-time Defensive Player of the Year and now a legitimate MVP candidate. Hill is still a solid point guard, but not that.