The news just broke tonight that the Rockets were able to trade never – to – play – in – America – again Vasillis Spanoulis for very promising PF Luis Scola with the “wisest” of all NBA teams, the world champion San Antonio Spurs.

Ever since getting drafted by the Spurs in 2002, the Argentinian Scola has been hyped for years as a great NBA power forward prospect (Olympic Gold medal winner, Spanish league MVP) once he decides to play in the league. Getting Scola may have been the best option available for the Rockets considering the weakness of affordable PFs in the league.

If Scola turns out to be the real deal, Rockets’ GM Daryl Morey might have vindicated himself after drawing the wrath of many Rocket fans who couldn’t believe he selected Aaron Brooks and Carl Landry in last month’s NBA draft. No one saw this deal coming. Kudos to Morey for pulling it off.

What’s also amazing is that Morey carries very little risk of looking like a bad guy in dealing Spanoulis, who many still believe has great upside in the NBA. Spanoulis said he wouldn’t play in the U.S., even if he were traded to the Spurs and given the starting point guard job. So if he stays true to his word, Spanoulis won’t haunt the Rockets in what “could have been.”

And if Spanoulis changes his mind and decides to come back to the NBA, he will be a liar in the biggest sense of the word and will take Morey and the Rockets off the hook. Although I like Spanoulis and hated to see him give up so soon on his NBA career, I’m enjoying how Spanoulis and his agent have painted themselves in a corner with that statement about not even wanting to play for the Spurs.

So why would the Spurs do this deal?…

Probably to create additional cap space after the Spurs threw in backup center Jackie Butler in on the deal, and the fact the Spurs couldn’t offer a starting PF job to Scola like the Rockets because of a PF/Center they already have named Tim Duncan.

Also, the Spurs already have a backup Argentinian PF in Fabricio Oberto. I could see why Scola wouldn’t want to be the third Argentinian on the Spurs (Manu Ginobili being the other one), stay out of their shadows, and make a name for himself on his own. By trading his rights, the Spurs take the pressure off themselves to sign a promising player who probably wants a better opportunity to start.

It also probably didn’t hurt that former Rockets’ assistant GM Dennis Lindsey took an opportunity of a lifetime by accepting the Spurs’ assistant GM job a few weeks ago. Lindsey and Morey get along well, so it probably made it easier to for them to communicate to do this deal..

The Spurs also got a 2009 second-round draft pick and cash from the Rockets. For more about the deal and the Rockets’ optimism in signing Scola, click here for the Houston Chronicle article.

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 12th, 2007 at 10:12 pm and is filed under Rockets' off-season. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.