Rival NBA general managers know not to bother the San Antonio Spurs when it comes to talking turkey on one of their key players.
Which is so Spurs.
Here’s what Yahoo Sports’ Bobby Marks, who spent ample time as an assistant general manager with the Brooklyn Nets, wrote in his trade-deadline primer for San Antonio:
Teams have such respect for San Antonio that there is an unwritten rule when engaging with the Spurs to not to waste their time by talking about their key players.
This is a sign of respect, the utmost respect, and not a formality.
Remember, Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey had no qualms about asking the Dallas Mavericks if they would trade Dirk Nowitzki. The Spurs’ situation is obviously different, because they’re a dynasty that’s still contending for titles, while Nowitzki’s Mavericks have spent the years since winning a title in 2011 flirting with mediocrity.
Still, there’s something so damn Spurs about the rest of the league knowing it’s pointless to phone them and inquire about the availability of any key players—or, for that matter, any players.
Trading anyone is out of character for the them. They did it to land Kawhi Leonard and to create enough cap space to sign LaMarcus Aldridge, but they pride themselves on stability and, right now, there isn’t a single player on their roster, indomitable bench included, you could picture them moving.
