Spurs Trade Barry & Elson for Kurt Thomas

The San Antonio Spurs acquired veteran forward Kurt Thomas from the Seattle SuperSonics on Wednesday night in exchange for guard Brent Barry, center Francisco Elson and a 2009 first-round draft pick.

Did anyone see this coming?

It'll be a shame to see Brent Barry back in a Sonics uniform, but he's been hampered by injuries this season, averaging less than 19 minutes in 29 games. I think his days in the league are numbered. As for Elson, he never lived up to potential, although he did have his moments.

Chalk this trade up to the Gasol-Shaq effect: the Lakers and Suns made dramatic moves to better match Duncan and the Spurs, so the Spurs retaliate by bringing in a power forward with proven playoff experience.

Is this the trade that the Spurs needed to make to have an answer to Gasol and the Lakers?