Earlier today Spurs General Manager R.C. Buford confirmed that he worked to oblige DeJuan Blair's trade wishes and shopped the forward around the league earlier this summer. However, the GM says that he was unable to find a suitable deal for the former Pitt standout and reaffirmed that he believes Blair will continue to help the club win games. However, Blair's issue with San Antonio and coach Gregg Popovich doesn't stem from his role in helping to win during the regular season – it comes from his lack of burn in last year's playoffs, where he saw a total of 76 minutes of action in 10 games.
Blair is far from a superstar, but he has proven that he is deserving of significant minutes for a contender. Averaging roughly 20 minutes per contest for the Spurs over the last three years, Blair has given San Antonio major toughness and rebounding ability on the inside. And at just over $1MM for the 2012/13 season, it's hard to imagine that Buford won't be able to find a taker for the forward at some point. The question is, will that return be worthwhile enough for the Spurs to let him go? Furthermore, if Blair sees his minutes dip between now and March, will he be enough of a team player to make the atmosphere-conscious Spurs want to hold on to him?