Has Brian Wright Done a Good Job as the Spurs' GM?
By Cal Durrett
Since the end of last season, San Antonio Spurs General Manager Brian Wright has been hard at work reshaping the team's roster. In fact, just this past week, he completed a three-team trade that sent Bryn Forbes to the Denver Nuggets. Now, with nearly three years under his belt as GM, he's starting to build a resume while his reputation among Spurs fans remains mixed.
That's understandable, considering his predecessor, R.C. Buford, built four championship teams and was also named Executive of the Year twice. While Wright has big shoes to fill, is he underperforming as GM of the Spurs or has he stealthily been good?
Wright officially took over in the summer of 2019 but reportedly had a hand in the Kawhi Leonard trade process, so I'll include the Leonard trade in his assessment of his time as GM. The trade, while initially panned by most, has aged surprisingly well for the Spurs.
After all, San Antonio got two current starters out of the deal and later flipped DeMar DeRozan to the Bulls for Thaddeus Young, a 2025 first, and two second-round picks. And while the Raptors won a championship in 2019, the Spurs have a chance to retroactively win the deal. A lot will depend on how Jakob Poeltl, Keldon Johnson, and the three picks acquired in the DeRozan trade ultimately turn out.
That already makes the Leonard deal a big win for Wright but what about some other moves he's made?