For years, NBA fans have been told that the summer of 2010 will be historic. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are among the big names who can become free agents.
While that's an impressive group of stars, the Spurs have decided, why wait for next year when you can improve now? The four-time champions have made roster improvements that could have them threatening the Lakers for supremacy in the Western Conference. To start, the Spurs traded Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas and Fabricio Oberto for athletic small forward Richard Jefferson, a 29-year-old veteran who has both NBA Finals and Olympics experience. Jefferson will give the team a fourth scorer who can hit the 3-pointer and play sound defense.
"He's got a toughness to him," Gregg Popovich said in an Express-News story. "He's a competitor. He gives us that added quality, which is important when trying to get a championship."
Later, the Spurs signed free agent power forward-center Antonio McDyess to give the team a strong defensive presence inside and an active rebounder.
"He fits them like a glove," former NBA head coach Doug Collins told the Express-News. "He can knock down that 17-footer, and he'll play great alongside him."
Further interior depth was added with the acquisition of power forward Marcus Haislip, a former lottery pick who has been playing overseas, and promising rookie DeJuan Blair.
While the Spurs have been busy adding pieces to their core of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, here's a look at what other Texas teams have done.
Mavericks: The Mavericks re-signed point guard Jason Kidd and traded for small forward Shawn Marion.
Rockets: Yes, they lost Ron Artest and added Trevor Ariza, but all you need to know is the team will likely be without Yao Ming next season because of a foot injury. It's likely going to be a long season for Houston fans.
