Indiana Pacers draft mistake: trading Kawhi Leonard for George Hill
In the 2011 NBA Draft the Pacers selected Kawhi Leonard out of San Diego State with the 15th pick. Leonard was not a Pacer for long as he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs for point guard George Hill.
If you look at it on paper, the Spurs won this trade by a long shot, but at the time it was not so clear cut. The Pacers needed a point guard and Hill went on to be a major contributor to the Pacers’ teams that battled the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.
At the time of the draft, the Pacers had forwards Paul George and Danny Granger on the roster. Meaning the Pacers probably drafted Leonard for the Spurs, to begin with. It is possible the Pacers never planned on keeping Leonard on the roster.
That being said, when you look at Leonard’s resume: two-time NBA Champion, two-time NBA Finals MVP, four-time NBA All-Star, and two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, it is hard for Pacers’ fans not to wonder what could have been.