There were two major trades in the National Basketball Association last Tuesday, which could affect season and playoff outcomes in 2009-2010.
 
The San Antonio Spurs made the biggest move by acquiring small forward Richard Jefferson from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Kurt Thomas, Bruce Bowen, and Fabricio Oberto. The Bucks immediately traded Oberto to the Detroit Pistons for Amir Johnson.

The other trade came between the Washington Wizards and the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wizards exchanged the number five pick in this year’s draft and Etan Thomas, Darius Songaila, and Oleksiy Pecherov for Mike Miller and Randy Foye.

San Antonio, which has been one of the most dominant teams of the decade, was not a major title contender in the past two seasons. Many attribute this to an aging supporting cast. With the addition of Jefferson, who averaged 17.7 points and 5.3 rebounds in his eight-year career, the team looks to go back to the NBA finals. RJ will join a formidable starting line-up with all-stars Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Tim Duncan.

The Spurs gave up very little in the trade. Bowen and Oberto were exchanged with only partly guaranteed contracts and they were likely to be waived this summer. On the other hand, the Bucks gave away Jefferson for purely financial reasons—it freed up two years and $29.2 million.

The Wizards are looking to enter the playoffs in the next season. With the return of all-star guard Gilbert Arenas, the team is looks like it can make a good run with its new recruits, Foye and Miller.

The Timberwolves have four first round draft picks this season, including the fifth and the sixth selection. This year is an opportunity for the team to rebuild their roster.