The NBA's San Antonio Spurs franchise has existed for quite some time now. Its first season in the NBA came all the way back in the 1976-77 season, as the Spurs were one of several ABA teams to join the NBA in the NBA-ABA merger.
During their four-plus-decades of existence in the NBA, the Spurs have accomplished a whole lot as a franchise. They have won five titles — in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014 — and made it all the way to the NBA Finals six times. The only NBA teams that have won more titles than the Spurs are the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, and Chicago Bulls.
Considering all the success that the Spurs have enjoyed, it should come as no surprise that they have made plenty of great trades over the years. Some of the best players in Spurs franchise history were acquired via trade, such as Dennis Rodman, Kawhi Leonard, and DeMar DeRozan, just to name a few.
With all of that said, let's rank the five best trades in the history of the storied San Antonio Spurs franchise:
5. Spurs trade for Artis Gilmore
In the summer of 1982, the San Antonio Spurs received Chicago Bulls center Artis Gilmore in exchange for Dave Corzine, Mark Olberding, and cash considerations.
Gilmore was a bit long in the tooth when the Spurs acquired him, as he was 33 years at the start of his first season in San Antonio. But while Gilmore wasn't quite the same caliber player he was earlier in his career with the ABA's Kentucky Colonels, he was still a very productive player during his five-year stint with the Spurs.
Gilmore made two All-Star teams as a member of the Spurs and averaged 16.1 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game across 380 total regular-season appearances with the franchise (367 starts).
He led the entire NBA in field-goal percentage during his first two seasons in San Antonio, as Gilmore shot 62.6% from the field in the 1982-83 regular season and 63.1% in the 1983-84 regular season.
4. Spurs trade for Terry Cummings
In the summer of 1989, the Spurs traded Alvin Robertson and Greg Anderson to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for forward Terry Cummings.
During the first three seasons of his stint with the Spurs, Cummings was arguably the second-best player on the team, behind only David Robinson. He averaged 17-plus points and seven-plus rebounds per game in each of his first three seasons with San Antonio. And the Spurs enjoyed success as a team during this time, too, as they won 55-plus games in two of Cummings' first three seasons with the franchise.
For the final three seasons of Cummings' Spurs stint, though, he was no longer a star and functioned as an effective role player. Cummings averaged 6.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game across 143 regular-season games played in his last three seasons in San Antonio (49 starts).
After his stint with the Spurs came to an end following the 1994-95 season, Cummings played for five teams during his final five years in the pros. He retired after playing 22 games for the Golden State Warriors during the 1999-00 regular season.
3. Spurs trade for Dennis Rodman
In October 1993, the San Antonio Spurs traded Sean Elliott, David Wood, and a 1996 first-round pick to the Detroit Pistons for Dennis Rodman, Isaiah Morris, a 1996 first-round pick, and a 1994 second-round pick. Rodman had requested a trade from the Pistons.
Rodman spent just two seasons in San Antonio before he was dealt to the Chicago Bulls, but Rodman was very productive during his short stint with the Spurs. He was the best rebounder in the game with the Spurs, as he led the league in rebounding in both of his seasons in San Antonio and averaged 17.1 rebounds per game across 128 total regular-season games with the franchise. And along with being an elite rebounder, Rodman was also a fantastic defender with the Spurs.
The best Spurs team Rodman was a part of was the 1994-95 iteration of San Antonio. This Spurs team finished with a fantastic 62-20 record during the regular season, the best record in the NBA. And San Antonio swept the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs and beat the Los Angeles Lakers in six games in the Western Conference Semifinals to set up a Western Conference Finals matchup against Hakeem Olajuwon and the defending-champion Houston Rockets.
Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, Robert Horry, and the Houston Rockets proved to be the better team, though, as they won the Western Conference Finals series against the Spurs in six games. Houston then went on to sweep Shaquille O'Neal and the Orlando Magic in the NBA Finals to win the 1995 NBA title.
2. Spurs trade Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors
In July of 2018, the Spurs dealt star wing Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for DeMar DeRozan, a 2019 first-round pick, and Jakob Poeltl. This trade is a rare example of a trade that worked out for both sides. Leonard led the Raptors to a title in 2019, and the Spurs received quite the trade package in return for a player who didn't want to be in San Antonio.
DeMar DeRozan was the best player the Spurs received in the Leonard deal by a wide margin. DeRozan spent three seasons with the Spurs and averaged 21.6 points, 6.2 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game across 206 total regular-season games with the franchise (all starts).
But while DeRozan stands out as the best player the Spurs received in the Leonard trade, Poeltl was a very productive center during his five-year stint in San Antonio. Poeltl averaged 8.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game in 306 regular-season games as a Spur (206 starts).
And the Spurs used the 2019 first-round pick in the Leonard trade on Keldon Johnson, who is arguably the best player on the team's current roster. He put together a career year during the 2022-23 regular season, as he averaged 22.0 points per game while shooting 45.2% from the field.
1. Spurs trade for Kawhi Leonard
The San Antonio Spurs traded point guard George Hill to the Indiana Pacers on the night of the 2011 NBA Draft in exchange for the draft rights to wing Kawhi Leonard. This trade would go down as the best in the history of the storied Spurs franchise.
Leonard accomplished so much both individually and collectively during his seven-season stint with the Spurs. He was named to two All-Star teams, earned two All-NBA nods, and led the entire league in steals during the 2014-15 regular season when he averaged 2.3 per game.
But most importantly, Kawhi Leonard won the 2014 NBA title as a member of the Spurs and was an invaluable part of that team. Leonard was particularly fantastic during the 2014 NBA Finals against LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and the Miami Heat. He averaged 17.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game during the five-game series. And Leonard shot the ball with great accuracy during the championship series, as he shot 61.2% from the field and 57.9% from behind the three-point arc.
George Hill carved out a long and successful career in the NBA, but there's no denying that the Spurs made the right decision by dealing him for Kawhi Leonard. If the 2014 Spurs didn't have Leonard on their roster, it's very possible that they wouldn't have ended up winning the NBA championship that year. Because of this, Spurs fans should remember Leonard's time with the team in a positive light, despite the way in which his stint in San Antonio came to an end. He'll forever be a Spurs legend thanks to his contributions to the 2014 team that went on to win the NBA title.
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