they've pulled off with this roster — from drafting Manu Ginobili 57th overall in 1999 (when he first became vice president/assistant general manager and Popovich was general manager) to landing Tony Parker 28th overall in 2001 to taking the calculated risk of trading George Hill for Kawhi Leonard on draft night in 2011 — Buford knows like the rest of them that losing Duncan and Popovich will be devastating. Or, as Buford put it, numbing. Not that he'll be around to see it.

"Who says I'll be walking into this building?" Buford joked when asked what it would feel like to enter the practice facility without Duncan and Popovich there. "There have been worse ideas (than leaving with them), like showing back up."

His earnest perspective was far less funny.the crowning achievement of Buford's tenure, as the decision to swap him for Hill with the Indiana Pacers was the rare instance in which this tight-knit Spurs group didn't come to a collective conclusion.

Hill (drafted 26th in 2008 by the Spurs) spent his first three seasons in San Antonio and carved out a significant role. He played well enough that he was seen as a possible replacement for Parker, yet then found himself serving a much different purpose when he netted the Spurs this two-way terror from San Diego State in Leonard. As Buford shared, there was serious concern that stemmed from Popovich on down.

"It felt like we were going to get our ass chewed because we just traded the coach's favorite player," Buford said with a laugh.