- The San Antonio Spurs dealt George Hill to the Indiana Pacers for Kawhi Leonard in 2011.
- Leonard was traded to the Toronto Raptors for DeMar DeRozan in 2018.
- San Antonio acquired Dennis Rodman from the Detroit Pistons in 1993.
The San Antonio Spurs have regularly boasted short championship basketball odds for the greater part of the last three decades.
San Antonio won five championships from 1999-2014, as several moves helped them capitalize on their short championship NBA odds.
With that in mind, what are the seven biggest trades in Spurs history? Let’s find out.
7 Biggest San Antonio Spurs Trades in Team History
1. George Hill for First-Round Pick
George Hill was dealt to his hometown Indiana Pacers for the No. 15 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, but that pick turned into Kawhi Leonard.
Leonard proved to be the two-way wing the Spurs desperately needed alongside Tim Duncan, Manu Ginóbili, and Tony Parker, as he won the 2014 NBA Finals MVP after averaging 23.7 points on 68.6% shooting, 9.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, two steals, and two blocks in Games 3-5 to take down the two-time defending champion Miami Heat in five games. His defence against LeBron James also made life difficult for Miami’s offence.
2. Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, First-Round Pick
Leonard was expected to be the face of San Antonio’s franchise after the Duncan era. However, he sought an exit from the franchise, preferably to his hometown Los Angeles Lakers or Clippers, but was dealt to the Toronto Raptors in 2018.
The Klaw only spent one season north of the border before leaving for the Clippers, but it was a memorable one, as he helped the Raptors win their first NBA championship in 2019.
3. George Gervin for Dave Greenwood
George Gervin finished with MVP votes in seven different seasons and averaged over 30 points per game twice.
After a fantastic run in San Antonio, the Spurs traded Gervin to the Bulls in 1985, spending just one season in Chicago before retiring.
Gervin was best known for his signature finger roll.
4. Sean Elliott, David Wood, and First-Round Pick for Dennis Rodman, Isaiah Morris, First-Round Pick, and Second-Round Pick
Dennis Rodman is best known for his runs with the “Bad Boy” Pistons and Bulls, but he was shipped from Detroit to San Antonio in 1993 before joining forces with Michael Jordan in Chicago.
Rodman averaged over 17 rebounds in his two seasons in San Antonio and helped the Spurs earn a 62-20 record before falling to the eventual champion Houston Rockets in six games in the 1995 Western Conference finals.
5. Alvin Robertson and Greg Anderson for Terry Cummings
Terry Cummings had a solid run in San Antonio after coming over from the Milwaukee Bucks in 1989.
Cummings and David Robinson formed a nice duo, as they led the Spurs to at least 55 wins in their first two seasons together.
Cummings averaged 19.3 points and 8.4 rebounds in his first three seasons in San Antonio.
6. Dave Corzine, Mark Olberding, and cash for Artis Gilmore
Artis Gilmore was traded from Chicago in 1982 and made an immediate impact, finishing with MVP votes in his first season in San Antonio.
Gilmore averaged 16.1 points on 62% shooting and 9.7 rebounds in his 380 games with the Spurs.
7. Tre Jones, Zach Collins, Sidy Cissoko, Four First-Round Picks, and Two Second-Round Picks for De’Aaron Fox and Jordan McLaughlin
The Spurs gave Victor Wembanyama his running mate for the future with this three-team trade between the Sacramento Kings and Bulls on Feb. 2, 2025.
De’Aaron Fox is a speedy, shifty guard, as he became the first player to register a 20-point and 10-assist effort in their Spurs debut, finishing with 24 points, 13 assists, five rebounds, and three steals.