<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Kurt Thomas, a gritty forward who joined the team in a February trade, was a key postseason contributor for the Spurs. They might not have been able to handle the Shaquille O'Neal-infused Phoenix Suns without him. Re-signing Thomas became an even greater offseason priority for the Spurs when Tiago Splitter, last year%u2019s first-round draft choice, re-upped with his Spanish League club in early June. "Whether Splitter was coming or not, Kurt Thomas was a guy we wanted to re-sign," Gregg Popovich said.</div> San Antonio Express-News
