Al Jefferson is one of the top NBA free agent names this summer and while he hasn't received as much attention as players like Dwight Howard and Chris Paul, he could play a big factor next season for teams that miss out on someone like Howard, including the Houston Rockets or Dallas Mavericks.
Jefferson averaged 17 points and nearly 10 rebounds this season, but with the Jazz having to keep Paul Milsap as well, Jefferson is likely gone and one place he could go after there was trade speculation at the deadline is to the Spurs. Both the Mavericks and Rockets are expected to go after him, especially if they miss out on Dwight Howard, but the Spurs could be an intriguing option for the forward.
According to reports, the team was one of the frontrunners to get him at the trading deadline, but instead the Jazz hung onto him. The Spurs likely would have had to give up Tiago Splitter as well as some other players, but now that it would be in free agency, the deal could end up being better for both sides.
The Spurs are an interesting option and their series against the golden State Warriors shows why a player like Jefferson could be valuable, especially in a system like the one Greg Popovitch runs. The Spurs have had trouble with the Warriors in their series and someone with Jefferson's size could have been a factor if the trade ended up going down like the talk had it going.
Stephen Curry has proven to be a huge factor in the series and has proven himself to be one of the best shooting guards in the NBA, especially after the 97-87 victory on Sunday. Curry had 22 points and earlier in the series he dropped 44 in the Game 1 loss and he now has the chance to put his team up 3-2 with Game 5 coming on Tuesday night in San Antonio. The Spurs are an old team and with Tim Duncan being one of the oldest, players like Jefferson could help take away some of those minutes to keep him fresh, especially in the playoffs when he is needed the most.
Curry has been the focal point for the Warriors, but the team also got contributions from Harrison Barnes, who had 26 points and 10 rebounds, as well as Jarrett Jack, who had 24 points, and Andrew Bogut, who led with 18 rebounds in the contest. The play of guys like Kawhi Leonard, Matt Bonner and Tiago Splitter has been solid, but a player like Jefferson is way more talented and could really help the Spurs.
Tony Parker was banged up in the game and has 17 points, while Duncan added another double double with 19 points and 15 rebounds. The Game 1 hero Manu Ginobili had 21 points in the game, but the Spurs couldn't do anything in overtime and they were outscored 25-7 over the final stretch of the game and the extra period, highlighting how tough it is for an old team to go head to head with a younger one.