Cary Edmondson-US PRESSWIRE
It appears DeJuan Blair’s time with the San Antonio Spurs might come to an end. Especially if one were to consider the fact that Blair was not a major part of the Spurs’ playoff rotation last year. Blair has one year remaining on his rookie deal and will then be a free-agent. So with that in mind, what should the Spurs do with Blair?
Regarding a trade, Spurs have two options.
The first option is to trade Blair for another PF. They could other pieces to have a relatively attractive package.
The second option is to sign a PF and then trade Blair for pick(s). He won’t fetch a first round pick but getting a solid second round pick would be a nice return.
Here is one trade scenario that makes the most sense for both sides.
Spurs Trade: DeJuan Blair and Gary Neal
Rockets Trade Patrick Patterson
Why the Rockets would do it: The Rockets have plenty of options at power forward right now. And Blair is a player that plays the way that Rockets’ head coach Kevin McHale loves which is tough, physical and with confidence. Both Neal and Blair’s contracts are non-guaranteed so there might be some incentive for Houston to save some money.
Why the Spurs would do it: The Spurs were supposedly high on Patterson before he was drafted by the Rockets. The big-man isn’t much of a shot-blocker but he adds an element of physicality that appears to be missing in the Spurs’ front-court rotation. Blair has been great for the Spurs during his time here, but at this point is obvious that his skill-set no longer fits with the team.
