Larry Bird felt Kawhi Leonard would be 'hell of a player' before Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs draft trade

Leonard was technically drafted by the Pacers

May 16, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird speaks to the press during a press conference at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Famously, the Indiana Pacers traded away the draft pick that became Kawhi Leonard to acquire guard George Hill in 2011.

The Pacers held the 15th overall pick in that draft. They had just wrapped up a 37-45 season in 2010-11 — that campaign ended with a five-game series loss in the first round, and to-be star Paul George played his first 61 career games.

Indiana hired Frank Vogel as their head coach during that 2010-11 campaign, and their playoff berth was the first for the franchise since 2006. It was something they wanted to build off of. So then-President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird made a now-renowned move.

He traded the 15th and 42nd overall selections in the 2011 NBA Draft, along with the rights to Erazem Lorbek, to the San Antonio Spurs for George Hill. Hill, an Indianapolis native, was well regarded at the time. He finished second in Most Improved Player voting in 2009-10 and was eighth in Sixth Man of the Year the following season. He averaged 12.4 points and 2.9 assists per game as a 23-year old.

Bird wanted the IUPUI product and got him, and Hill has one of the best seasons by a point guard in Pacers history. But what makes that trade so well known is what Indiana sent away.

That 15th overall pick went on to be Kawhi Leonard, a six-time All-NBA wing who earned a championship ring with both the Spurs and Toronto Raptors. He's a stud and still playing at a high level to this day — Leonard was named to the All-NBA Second Team this past season.

The second-round pick, number 42 overall, moved in that trade had some value as well. San Antonio got Davis Bertans with that selection, and while it took a few years for the Latvian forward to come to the NBA, Bertans had eight years of service in the association and had a 15+ points per game season with the Washington Wizards. Lorbek never reached the NBA.

"I'd been after George Hill for three years," Bird said, per an old Phil Richards piece in the Indianapolis Star. "We needed a guy that was cool, calm, wouldn't get flustered, and if he's got something to say, he would say it directly to the guy under his breath and just run the offense and knock down open shots."

Hill was a great player for the Pacers and fit in well next to George, Roy Hibbert, David West, and Lance Stephenson. But it's easy for many to wonder what that team could have looked like with Leonard on the roster.

Indiana may have picked Leonard for the Spurs and had different plans themself had they not made that trade. Bird did chime in on Leonard's ability, per Richards.

"I thought Kawhi Leonard was going to go in the top eight," Bird said. Leonard averaged 15.5 points and 10.6 rebounds per game in his second and final season at San Diego State.

"I told [Pacers owner Herb Simon], 'I want George Hill but we're going to pay a price for it because this kid (Leonard) that just slipped to us is going to be one hell of a player but I think we need this for our team'," Bird said, per Richards. "[Simon] goes, 'OK, go ahead'."

George pondered in the past what it could have been like to play with Leonard in Indiana. Yet it's only a thought exercise. Bird traded away the pick while having the right evaluation of Leonard — and to this day, the trade is heavily debated.

---

• Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla says the Celtics series vs the Indiana Pacers was the toughest of their 2024 title run. CLICK HERE.
• The game slowed down for Aaron Nesmith last season, and the Indiana Pacers reaped the benefits. CLICK HERE.
• Indiana Pacers rookie-scale team options for Ben Sheppard, Jarace Walker, and Bennedict Mathurin are easy calls. CLICK HERE.
• Top five seasons by a center in Indiana Pacers history. CLICK HERE.
• Follow Pacers On SI on Facebook: All Pacers SI
• Follow Pacers On SI on Twitter: @SIPacers