Forget Gasol, Shaq, & Kidd, San Antonio Spurs Quietly Acquire ’Vet’ Kurt Thomas

The Associated Press is reporting the following: 

The San Antonio Spurs acquired veteran forward Kurt Thomas from the Seattle SuperSonics on Wednesday night for guard Brent Barry, center Francisco Elson and a 2009 first-round draft pick.

My Quick Take: Nothing flashy. No bells and whistles. Just a smart trade by the defending champs.

On Wednesday, the San Antonio Spurs ignored the recent blockbusters consummated by their Western Conference rivals and opted to tweak their rotation by acquiring rugged post Kurt Thomas from the Seattle SuperSonics.

Thomas, a fierce defender, provides much-needed size. Come playoff time, he’ll defend opposing power players. The veteran’s contract expires in July, so there’s little impact on the salary cap for the cost-conscious Spurs.

Also, there’s a preventive element to this deal. Contenders like Phoenix, Dallas, and Houston were looking at bringing-in Thomas to defend Tim Duncan over a seven game series. This option is now off-the-table.

This transaction makes sense for the rebuilding Sonics. Barry and Elson’s salaries come off the books in the summer; draft picks are always helpful for rebuilding squads.

Winner: tie. Both teams filled a need. Thomas will help San Antonio’s second-season run, while a future first rounder will add to Seattle’s emerging nucleus.

Will Thomas help the Spurs? Get at Oly in the comment box below with your thoughts and come back to HoopsVibe’s NBA blog for more deadline day coverage.