Detroit Re-Sent Mengke Bateer Two Days After Getting Him
Detroit acquired Chinese center Mengke Bateer from Denver on October 1, 2002 in a different transaction involving Rodney White. On October 3, the Pistons traded Bateer to the San Antonio Spurs for a 2003 second-round selection. UPI reported the rapid turnaround and noted San Antonio intended him as depth behind David Robinson and Kevin Willis. The pick, No. 58 in June 2003, became Andreas Glyniadakis. The Pistons received a draft choice, not an established Spurs player, and their brief possession of Bateer should not be recorded as Detroit NBA minutes. The two October moves are related chronologically but were separate agreements with different teams.
Bateer Was a Deep Spurs Reserve
Bateer had appeared in 27 Denver games the preceding season with 10 starts and averages of 5.1 points and 3.6 rebounds. Those figures belong to Denver, not San Antonio. Once he joined the Spurs, his role was far smaller, with only 12 regular-season appearances in 2002-03. San Antonio won the 2003 championship, but Bateer was not a central postseason rotation player and his minimal games should not be confused with the value of Tim Duncan or David Robinson. The Spurs’ C grade represents a brief frontcourt contingency and a chance to assess a big man while guarding against injuries late in Robinson’s career.
The No. 58 Selection Did Not Become a Pistons Regular
Detroit selected Glyniadakis with the final pick of the 2003 draft. The Greek center did not play an NBA regular-season game for the Pistons; his later short NBA appearance was with Seattle in 2006-07. Detroit’s C- grade reflects an identifiable draft asset that failed to provide an immediate player. San Antonio received temporary depth and Detroit acquired another selection, but neither outcome had sustained value for its receiving club. The source trail is unusually clear: San Antonio had acquired that precise second-round pick in its earlier August 2002 Portland transaction before sending it to Detroit for Bateer. That chain should be preserved without merging these distinct trades.
Final Verdict
Slight Spurs Edge. San Antonio earns C for 12 regular-season appearances from Mengke Bateer. Detroit gets C- for the 2003 No. 58 second-round choice used on Andreas Glyniadakis, who never played a Pistons regular-season game. Bateer’s prior Denver statistics do not belong to San Antonio.