Boris Diaw was largely a punchline for the few seasons he spent in Charlotte. Primarily people joked about his weight and how he was on such a bad team with such a bad contract. Then he was traded to San Antonio, and low and behold, he became a playoff contributor who was able to make an impact.
And it looks like he’ll stay that way.
Yahoo Sports reports that Diaw has agreed to terms on a 2-year, $9 million deal to re-sign with the Spurs. The second year is reportedly a team option.
It’s a fine move for the Spurs, who need as much depth down low as they can get, especially from anyone who can defend worth a lick. Diaw, along with Stephen Jackson, were added at the trade deadline and there was a marked improvement defensively from San Antonio. That carried over into the playoffs against the overwhelmed Utah Jazz who found Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson shut down by the Spurs, and then the Clippers, where Diaw played shockingly good defense against Blake Griffin while helping on pick and roll containment of Chris Paul.
Granted, all that went down the tubes when the real San Antonio defense showed up against the Thunder and their defense imploded, but that was a matchup where Diaw wasn’t fit to get much time and it showed. When he was on the floor for the Spurs, he helped. And that’s why he’s back in Texas. His comfort level with San Antonio is high, not just because of their success, but because of their international acceptance and presence alongside fellow Frenchman Tony Parker.
The Spurs aren’t making any huge moves, they’re just making another run with a team that won a ton of games. Hard to argue with that philosophy.