Bucks trade Jefferson to Spurs

**hurdleisu24** · 06-23-2009, 01:45 PM

The Milwaukee Bucks agreed to trade Richard Jefferson to the San Antonio Spurs for Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas and Fabricio Oberto, a Bucks source told ESPN.com
The two teams have agreed to the deal in principle. A trade call to make the deal official will happen later Tuesday.
The move gives the Spurs a dynamic wing scorer to play alongside Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. The Spurs had promised to make their team better this summer and adding Jefferson for role players should give them a huge shot in the arm.
The Bucks' incentive to make the trade is largely financial. Bowen, Oberto and Thomas are all in the last year of their contracts. The deal will clear $15 million off the books for the Bucks next season and give Milwaukee more flexibility for next year. The Bucks expect to save $6.35 million next season after releasing Bowen (only $2 million guaranteed) and Oberto (only $1.9 million guaranteed), a source told ESPN.com.
That may give the Bucks the wiggle room to sign one or both of their restricted free agents -- Charlie Villanueva or Ramon Sessions -- next year.
The move also opens up some playing time for the Bucks' lottery pick last year, Joe Alexander.

Wow the Spurs got a steal of a trade here it looks like

**CylentButDeadly** · 06-23-2009, 01:48 PM

Total salary dump for the Bucks. If Manu can get healthy, this might be the injection of youth the Spurs need to make one final run at a title while Duncan is still an elite player.

**BryceC** · 06-23-2009, 01:50 PM

NBA teams are in a world of hurt financially. Expect to see some massive salary dump moves over the next year, especially by these small market teams.

**AustinCyclone** · 06-23-2009, 01:52 PM

Why didn't they trade him for a bottle of scotch and a heavy coat? At least that way the folks in Milwaukee would have had something to look forward to this winter...

**JP4CY** · 06-23-2009, 01:55 PM

So are they Spurs going to resign Bruce for another year at a good price after he gets released? Wouldn't surprise me.

**hurdleisu24** · 06-23-2009, 02:00 PM

Originally Posted by johnpkelly81

So are they Spurs going to resign Bruce for another year at a good price after he gets released? Wouldn't surprise me.

I wouldn't be shocked if the Spurs sign both Bowen and Thomas if they get released which I expect at least one of them will. Think of this so basically the Bucks traded the number 6 pick a couple years ago in Yi to the Nets for Jefferson and then a year later trade Jefferson to the Spurs for basically 9 million dollars in cap relief and you wonder why the Bucks are no higher than 4th in that divison every year

**CYdTracked** · 06-23-2009, 04:35 PM

That's a pretty solid trade for the Spurs. Jefferson is one of the better small forwards in the league I think and an under-rated player because of the markets he's played in.

**CycloneErik** · 06-23-2009, 05:00 PM

Originally Posted by travman23

That's a pretty solid trade for the Spurs. Jefferson is one of the better small forwards in the league I think and an under-rated player because of the markets he's played in.

I agree. They got away with a steal on this one.