30 Team Association: Kings deal Thompson to Spurs in three-team trade - mmcnab91's Dynasty

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30 Team Association: Kings deal Thompson to Spurs in three-team trade

Posted on April 24, 2013 at 10:16 PM.

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4/29/13-Kings send center Thompson to Spurs in three-team trade

Jason Thompson

SAN ANTONIO-The San Antonio Spurs have found their heir apparent to Tim Duncan.

Just over two months after Duncan shocked the basketball world by announcing his retirement and four days after the Oklahoma City Thunder ousted the Sacramento Kings from the playoffs, Sacramento sent center Jason Thompson to the Spurs for small forward Stephen Jackson.

In a related move, the Spurs sent reserve point guard Cory Joseph to the Golden State Warriors for power forward Jason Maxiell.

Duncan's February announcement that he was walking away from the game after 16 years was simply stunning, even given his age. The 36-year-old had been a full-time starter his entire career in the NBA, and many believed that despite his age, Duncan had at least two or three more years left in the NBA�a hypothesis buoyed by healthy increases in his minutes, points, and rebounds averages.

Duncan's impending retirement paves the way for the newly acquired Thompson, who will be just the third starting center in San Antonio since 1989. Thompson, the Kings' first-round pick in 2008, averaged 5.2 points and 5.7 rebounds in 67 games off the bench; Thompson primarily played off the bench once the Kings selected DeMarcus Cousins in the 2010 NBA Draft.

Thompson's best season came in his second year, when he averaged 12.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in 75 games for Sacramento.

In Jackson, the Kings get a capable small forward they sorely missed this season. Sacramento primarily played the smaller John Salmons and Tyreke Evans out of position. Although the team had some success with Evans at small forward and Marcus Thornton at shooting guard, Sacramento lost nearly every matchup they had with a small forward 6'8 or taller.

Jackson, one of the top defenders and most physical small forwards in basketball, averaged 10 points, 3.6 assists, and 2.9 assists in 73 games for the Spurs, mostly spent backing up Kawhi Leonard. The 35-year-old signed a two-year contract extension with the Kings after San Antonio agreed to the trade.

Golden State reportedly targeted Joseph almost immediately after trading second-year point guard Charles Jenkins to the Pistons last week. Joseph will be the third-string point guard in Golden State (like he was in San Antonio behind Tony Parker and Patrick Mills), but Joseph gives the Warriors a point guard to develop with the recently acquired, aging Derek Fisher likely to retire after next season. Joseph averaged 1.6 points in 38 games for the Spurs in 2012-13.

Golden State acquired Maxiell from the Pistons last week in the trade that sent Jarrett Jack to Detroit. However, Maxiell is expected to be released after the season, as the Spurs already have an undersized power forward on the roster in DeJuan Blair (both are 6'7), who signed a one-year contract extension earlier in the season.

Maxiell, who averaged 6.4 points and 5.9 rebounds in 69 games this season, will save the Spurs approximately $5 million in cap space when he is released after the season.