Wow.  Just wow.  This is a very interesting trade.  All three guys have contracts that expire at the end of the year.  So basically, the Spurs swapped salaries with the Sonics and it cost them a first round pick in 2009.

I think this trade shows that the Spurs are concerned with the production of Old Man Muffs.  Elson had clearly been relegated to garbage time, so I don't think the Spurs lost anything by giving him up.  

Getting rid of Barry hurts me a little.  I've always liked, but I think he had become expendable with the emergence of Udoka.  I mean, how important if your fifth best wing player.  (Also, I always condidered Brent a liability at the end of games.  I wrote in today's pre-game for the T-wolves that Manu is fearless.  Brent isn't.  He seemed to pucker a little in the big games.  I'm not knocking him, a lot of guys tighten.  Remember, he cost us one of the games in Dallas in the year of the "Manu Foul" when he turned the ball over throwing it inbounds with a two point lead and something like 20 seconds left in the game.)  Regardless, I'm sad to see him go.  When he got on fire and started throwing in 3's, those were good times.

As for Kurt Thomas, he could be a great fit for us.  He can spread the floor offensively, not to 3 point land mind you, but to 17 feet because of his solid jumper.  He can handle primary responsibility for the other teams best post-player freeing up Tim to be a help defender, which is what he is best at.

In short, I think this is a great trade for the Spurs.  The downside is minimal and the upside is substantial.  Of all the trades in the last few weeks:  Gasol, Shaq, Kidds, Thomas.  The Spurs trade is the only one that makes the team better defensively.  

We know that Pop would have just wasted the draft pick anyway.  :)

Your first-round pick was more enticing that the Arroyo/Garrity package the Magic were reportedly offering. Dammit. I really wanted Thomas.

This is my first comment, but Im a life long Spurs fan and Im some what ambiguous about this one.

Thomas should definetly help on the defensive end  and should take some of the burden off of Timmy...but a first round draft pick for a 35 year old power forward? come on....i cant escape the feeling that this was sort of reactionary move.

Shaq wont really be that much of a difference maker for the Suns, and the Mavs getting Kid does nothing for their interior defense, so why give up a first round pick??

Between Oberto, whos a role player at best, horry whos washed up, Thomas who'll most likely be a rental and Mahinmi, whos really raw, the front court worries me for the near future. Lets hope Tiago Splitter is the real deal.

I agree over all with everything written above.  Brent's a great guy - but I think it's a good trade.  

I have just one question, since we do have room for 1 more player on the roster, I'm thinking along the lines of Jonesy.  Wouldn't it be great if Brent returns in 30 days after he's done with rehab?  Is this even a possibility?  

Is Pop (with a little help from PJ) brilliant?

I am happy.  I am proud. - Manu Ginobili

I like this trade now that I've thought about it.  Bones was only a 15-20 MPG player in the playoffs anyways.  However, the only team that scared me in the West, the lakers, is now not scary.  I mean, we have the "duncan stopper" to put on bynum and timmy to dominate bitchass gasol.  And while Kobe's great, he will never be healthy this year, so if tony and manu are, advantage us.

Maybe I'm a homer, but I think this trade makes us the favorites again if we're healthy.

Yup, I'm a homer...

i gave it a D. i think the spurs need the outside shots to keep other teams from collapsing. sometimes one guy isn't hitting and having another to give it a try has been big in many playoff games.

i never thought wow, kurt thomas, i hope we get him, even when the rumors started.

as for the draft pick, some are good (parker) and some are good but don't work out (like udrih), and some aren't any good (jovatkas). more picks to gamble with means more that can turn out good.

Get this.

Rumor has it the Kings were using the Spurs as leverage to make the Nuggets include Klinza in their offer. Basically saying "man up or we're gonna send  Ron Artest to your best competition."

Spurs probably had this deal for Thomas set up the whole time and were just toying around with an Artest deal.

And yeah losing Barry this way sucks. I wanted him to hang up his sneakers after playing his last game with the Spurs. At least Seattle is familiar to him.

Why would Barry go to the Suns? He knows they can't beat the Spurs! If he is bought out he would come back to the Spurs..he knows the offense and he knows this team can win another title; plus he will probably want to retire as a spur too.

It doesn't matter that the Spurs give up a draft pick..the Spurs never do anything with draft picks anyways and we need to win now..with Tim and Manu in their primes.

I agree with pretty much everything you guys said. We need to get better now, and drafts are always a gamble. Especially for the Spurs, who pick so late.

I love Bones, but he was injured, and who knows how bad it is. Thomas is a good player, and he'll help us.

Can Barry come back in 30 days? What about the trade deadline? Anyway, doubt that'll happen, but we can dream.

this hurts me.  i cant say that brent was my favorite player, but as on old lanky white dude, i identified with him most - heck i even made my member name after him....

i was out on the lam last night and only saw word of the trade drag over a TV ticker at a bar, so i havent really had much time to digest it yet, but:

1. i actually think the spurs will get made fun of by the ESPNers and media because of the perceived value of kurt thomas vs. kidd/shaq/gasol. i can hear the blow-hards now: hahahaha look at the old, creaky spurs making a "big" move to get younger and more athletic by adding kurt thomas. spurs have been flying beneath the media radar again this year however, and you know that's just where we wanna be.

2. as much as i like brent - i also like frankie elson.  no question that he has been poop since his injury earlier this year, but he did contribute for us when he was getting regular time.  he hustles and was an athletic defender inside that gives us the better ability to match-up in some some ball type setting while not having to totally sell out to a small line-up.  again, when getting regulrar minutes.  he's one of those guys that will stink with only a few minutes here and there. i'm not broken-hearted about losing him, but i think he brought some value to the table when used properly.

3. no question that kurt thomas could provide some things of value to the spurs and would probably do a better job of fitting the scheme right away, but we overpaid here. yes, we may have wasted the draft pick and yes we did probably save some bucks and yes it probably was a reactionary move on some level - and i suppose the table gets closer to level if barry does somehow return. i guess we should re-evaluate this deal in a couple weeks, but i'm not about to start talking myself into how wonderful of a move this is on any level.

4. wouldn't it be funny/ironic if barry did get bought out and then come right back in 30 days?  then, the spurs would have pulled off what the mavs couldn't just because brent barry has enough class to keep his yap shut about getting over on everybody else in the league.

ok - maybe i am just too sad about this right now.  as some have said on this site before, the game just made more sense with bones in the line-up.  he was the guy that took over at back-up PG in the 05 finals when beno was getting his pocket picked every 5 seconds and stemmed the tide.  and who can forget the bounce-in trey from the corner against sacto? his crafty passing and ball-handling made him a joy to watch and a dangerous weapon on the offensive side of the floor.  he was too chicken to take it hard to the hole for sure and was succeptible at times on D, but overall he will be sorely missed by me.

The only way this trade ends up good for us is if Thomas plays our of his mind OR if Barry comes back after 30 days.  OR if both happen.  I'm so sad though after watching the Lakers last night handle the Suns, especially since that was the Suns best shot.  Shaq was playing REALLY inspired which he won't sustain, and Bynum was out.  Are the Lakers that good?