The San Antonio Spurs have been reported to be in talks with a pair of teams in the top 10 of the 2011 NBA Draft about a trade that would send three-time All-Star and 2007 Finals MVP Tony Parker out of the Alamo City. The trade would involve the Spurs taking either the No. 5 or No. 7 pick in Thursday's draft, as reported by Yahoo! Sports, which begs the question: who is San Antonio after?
NBA Rumors: Tony Parker Trade Could Have Spurs Targeting Jonas Valanciunas In Draft
The answer could be Jonas Valanciunas, the Lithuanian center whose buyout will reportedly prevent him from joining the NBA for the 2011-12 season. The Spurs famously need help in the frontcourt, especially with Tim Duncan's career as an effective big man winding down. Tiago Splitter, the team's last major international pick, disappointed as a rookie and doesn't seem to have the trust of coach Gregg Popovich. Valanciunas is more a true pivot than Splitter, and while he has plenty of work to do, he's considered a player with legit star potential down the road.
Giving up Parker, even at this stage in the Spurs’ championship cycle -- which, of course, Parker himself considers over -- is a big blow. The Spurs have to really, really like someone to pull the trigger. If it’s Valanciunas, the big Lithuanian stock should be skyrocketing any second now.
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