Spurs make it official

The league has signed off on the trade for Richard Jefferson in exchange for Fabricio Oberto, Kurt Thomas and Bruce Bowen. On paper, this looks like a huge win for the Spurs, who took advantage of Milwaukee wanting to dump a contract. But don't assume the Spurs now are on a level with the Lakers, or even Denver. They are much worse defensively now. And unless they have a Rasheed Wallace deal in place, which would be a no-no, of course, they are getting much smaller, which is never good. And remember, the Mavericks still match up with them better than anybody else in the West, save LA. There are going to be other teams looking to dump salary. The Mavericks have plenty of time to fleece somebody in the coming days/weeks. Keep an eye on teams like Charlotte, New Jersey, New Orleans and a few others. The deals are only just beginning. --Eddie Sefko