As free agents choose their destinations for next season, many teams are scrambling to make trades to clear out cap space. The Golden State Warriors quickly traded Andrew Bogut to the Dallas Mavericks after agreeing to terms with Kevin Durant. The San Antonio Spurs just made a similar move.
Yesterday, free agent Pau Gasol agreed to a two-year, $30 million deal with the Spurs. Immediately, Boris Diaw was identified as a possible trade target to open the necessary space.
Now, he's a member of the Utah Jazz:
San Antonio has traded forward Boris Diaw to the Utah Jazz, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) July 5, 2016
In return, San Antonio has received the rights to Olivier Hanlan:
Jazz sending rights to 2015 second-round pick Olivier Hanlan, who played overseas last year. Deal allows the Spurs space to sign Pau Gasol.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) July 5, 2016
Diaw is owed $7 million in the final year of his contract, the final hurdle San Antonio needed to get over before landing Pau.
The 34-year old Diaw was a key contributor to the Spurs' title run in 2014, and while his minutes diminished last season (thanks to the addition of LaMarcus Aldridge), Diaw still made a big impact during his time on the court, averaging 12.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per 36 minutes.
He got along very well with head coach Gregg Popovich, and his presence will be a huge boost in Utah's locker room as they attempt to get back to the playoffs.
[button width=”full” button size=”bigger” color=”custom” align=”center” textcolor=”#ffffff” texthcolor=”#ffffff” bgcolor=”#8b0000″ link=”https://clutchpoints.com/stat-shows-that-the-spurs-had-one-of-the-most-disappointing-postseasons-in-nba-history/”]NEXT: Stat shows that the Spurs had one of the most disappointing postseasons in NBA history[/button]
Follow Us
Subscribe