A 2600 stall and a 210/218 is whats in my Tahoe. I did a lot of research and was told this was a good combo for a heavy A$$ truck. It is. Of course I have a radix and a 6L so its hard to say which helped the most but the difference in my no-cam 5.3 @ 9psi and the cammed 6L @ 6psi is night and day. It pulls very hard from a stop, if I can keep the tires from spinning. Get the converter, you'll love it. Then get a cam and it will be even more fun.

Why do you say you cant get both for $2K?
Converter $ 450 give or take
Cam/Springs $800 max
Do the work yourself or find a shop that will install both for $600
Unless you have other things planned for the money, I think you could get them both on your budget.