Spurs are mentioned and I highlighted that part below. It's not a crazy in-depth article but nice enough read at a high level and with free agency approaching it might shed light on players being moved.
San Antonio
Never discount the Spurs when it comes to creating cap space.
The Spurs have entered July the past two years with little room, but ended up signing LaMarcus Aldrige and Pau Gasol.
San Antonio has $93 million in guaranteed contracts, including the player options of Gasol, David Lee and Dewayne Dedmon. That total does not include the cap holds of Manu Ginobili, Patty Mills and restricted free agent Jonathon Simmons.
Even though I don't have confidence in Pau's defense, he was one of a pickup with the cap space the Spurs had to work with. Dedmon was an unlooked-for bargain. And the Spurs did a very good job of getting the dominos to fall in order, so that it all worked. Considering their needs, and what they had to work with, it was an A+ job this offseason. That doesn't happen by accident.
Have a sneaking su ion that George Hill and Patty Mills are going to be our backup back court, with Dedmon as our starting center.
It's not impossible but not entirely likely. If Gasol and Dedmon end up opting out. Spurs could sign Hill (4 years, $48 million) and Dedmon(4 years, $32 million) and resign Mills (4 years, $44 million) along with potentially bringing over Milutinov. This would assume that Manu retires or resigns for cheap, and the Spurs let Simmons walk.
Parker-Mills-Murray
Green-Hill
Leonard-Bertans
Aldridge-Anderson
Dedmon-Lee-Milutinov
With Manu's salary this season, don't they slap an enormous cap hold on the Spurs next season? Seems like they have some special provisions for that, but it's way back in the memory banks.
I thought Pau would probably exercise his option, but with the cap taking another big jump, someone may come shopping. I expect at least one of Pau/Dedmon to be with the team next year. Wouldn't surprise me if it's both. I don't expect Simmons to be anywhere else, unless someone like the Pistons goes nuts like they did with Boban.
If Patty has a strong second half, and a good playoff performance, he will probably get offered more than that 4/44 you're thinking. It will be interesting to see if he will agree to sign, without being a starter.
Why would Hill sign for 12 a year when he can get significantly more money with Utah or anywhere else? PATFO won't sign two PG's over 10 million while starting parker. Hill won't be signing anywhere as a bench guy. He's far too good for that.
Dedmon and Lee are most likely going to opt out, considering he's been playing over his salary. Gasol, is a huge question mark. If Manu retires, you can bet the spurs are going to aggressively look for a playmaker since Mills isnt one.
I'm thinking the order of priority fpr next year of Manu retires (most likely)
Get a guard that can penetrate
if they find someone for a good price, attempt to re-sign dedmon and Lee
If that plan goes according to plan, resign mills.
Mills is probably going to be the least of their priorities since shooters are easier to find and easier to plug into teams.
Do you think Hill would really sign here to be a backup?
no way
We are over the cap but under the tax, so it didn't really matter if we paid manu 5 mil or 14mil, we were pretty much already over. We hold bird rights on Mills, i think partial on simmons. Dedmon we will need to use our cap to resign.
Not a snowball's chance in this happens. Even if it were possible (and though it may be in a technical sense in the scenario you outlined, in a practical one, I don't think for a second that it is), they're not spending big on four guards, blocking Murray on a long term basis and going that thin at center or the big positions in general. This is an organization that still likes to play traditionally; that's why they prioritized Gasol last off season.
At this writing, this is how I think it plays out . . .
- Ginobili retires
- Gasol opts in
- Lee opts out and isn't re-signed (Bertans replaces him in rotation)
- Dedmon opts out and they offer something like 3/$24M; if he can do more than marginally better, he's gone
- Mills is re-signed for something like 4/$40M
- Simmons get's an offer sheet for something like 3/$21M and they don't match (Anderson replaces him in rotation)
Yup.
This is a more likely scenario, but I suspect they have their eyesight on a guard if Ginobili retires. The Spurs would have virtually zero playmakers pff the bench and Parker is only going to lose minutes next year. That's why I don't thinl Mills is that much of a priority.
It would be best if Gasol opts out, that would help them to retain mills, sign dedmon and search for another Guard.
Yeah, no way spurs retain simmons and Lee...
Edit: forgot about Mills Bird rights. He's staying.
Likely scenario, team tries to find a cheap fix to Lee-Simmons leaving.
The Mills situation is too similar to the Green situation to ignore. Playmaking off the bench will undoubtedly be a concern, but they'll probably target Teodosic to plug the hole and serve as a bridge to Murray.
Gasol opting out would help on those fronts, but it would also leave a gaping hole at center. Even if you believe Dedmon can start, they'd still need someone to split minutes with him and any center good enough to do that costs a good amount.
I forgot about Mills Bird rights. He's staying.
The spurs have never given an NBA rookie that big of a responsibility. I made a thread about teodosic a few months ago but I'm realizing that it's unlikely for the spurs to give any NBA virigin a sure shot 15mpg playing time, and if Manu retiries..they are most likely going to look for someone that can be trusted to play those minutes..possibly even more with Simmons out.
Maybe murray eats some of the most minutes, but that's a huge question mark.
It's not like Green is playing 32 mpg. Green could get minutes at the 3, clearing minutes for Hill to play 25-28 mpg. He'd likely be 3rd on the team in mpg if this were to happen, essentially a starter off the bench.
They don't have the depth (unlike when they brought in Oberto, Splitter, De Colo and Bertans) to play games or the financial flexibility to do better, probably in general and certainly in terms of a Ginobili archetype.
Besides, with the possible exception of Splitter, Teodosic is the most accomplished of the bunch, he'll turn 30 this year and he's said he'll only come to the NBA for a guaranteed rotation spot.
Considering all that, I absolutely think they'd give him roughly 20 mpg.
I don't see the Spurs letting Mills walk if they can help it. Murray needs another year and Parker and Green are essentially splitting the PG minutes. Murray would either need to step into a much bigger role or play behind someone who can. Another backup capable of handling those minutes (around 21-23 mpg) would likely be out of the spurs price range. Teodosic is coming to the NBA and while he would be a rookie, he has plenty of experience but it would be a big unknown whether he and Murray can combine to fill Mills void.
I agree that Gino retires, Gasol opts in, and Lee and Dedmon opt out. Qualifying offers are extended to Mills (at least $4 Million, maybe $4.8 million) and Simmons (approximate cap space $1 Million). That puts the spurs at ~ 93.5 million in cap, and 11 players. Add a first rounder ~$1,000,000 and a minimum hold to take them to 13 players, and they have salary of ~ 95.5 million, and $8 million below the cap (expected $103M).
Mills is going to get more that 4/$40M, at least $12M per year for 4 years, and likely $14+M. The spurs will not match that for a non-starter who isn't Ginobili esque in terms of impact.
That leaves an enormous hole in the bench, and something like $12 million in cap. If they trust Simmons/Anderson/Rookie to fill the hole, then they will use the space to try to re-sign Dedmon, (who will have options, and people putting contracts in front of him at the very least at a Baynes/Boban level). He might be on the order of 4/$40M... Alternatively, if they feel the need to add a guard, Dedmon also becomes a cap casualty, and they try and fill the hole from free agency. I think that a guard will be the FO's choice.
Obviously at that salary, we will not be getting a top tier FA, likely someone with some issues. My personal target would be Tyreke Evans (Cheap due to injury and not living up to his expectations coming into the league). Re-sign simmons with partial Bird Rights ? 3/ estimated average salary ~$5.7M ? Try to resign Lee with the Biannual exception or part of the tax payers MLE.
Gasol, Lee
LMA, Bertans, Anderson
Kawhi, Simmons
Green, ?Tyreke?, Forbes
Parker, Murray
add one rookie, and possibly Vet min contracts.
Mills might very well get offered more than that, but that doesn't mean he'll take it. Green was rumored to have turned down $20M, so why is it so outlandish that Mills could turn down probably less than half of that? Maybe he won't, but I don't know why so many seem to be ruling it out.
Dedmon is a different story. He also might very well get offered more than that and he doesn't have the same meaning to the Spurs and they don't have the same meaning to him. He's also made virtually nothing and given his age might only have one chance at a significant contract, so if the difference is more than slight, I expect him to be gone.
Your bench makes no sense. There's too much overlap among the primary perimeter backups and not nearly enough rim protection.
I agree with this plan, but anyway it goes, Dedmon MUST be resigned, i don't care if they steal, extort, threaten, whatever, just DON'T LET THIS GUY GET AWAY.
I agree. WE WANT DEADMAN! WE WANT DEADMAN! Whatever the market next off-season, I don't think the Spurs can afford to lose the guy. Ideally I would like DLee back, too.
I won't speculate on his offers or salary, but I expect the Spurs to bring back Simmons - most especially if he continues to develop. I think the Spurs are counting on that and plan for Simmons to replace Manu on the second unit.
Absolutely no way! Especially since I expect Pop to turn the keys over to Murray some time next season.
I wouldn't put my money on Mills not taking an offer. IIRC He's made noises about being a starter. Which he will not do here unless Murray's development fails... Not getting to be a starter and significantly less pay; suggests to me that he won't turn down an offer that gives him both.
I agree the bench is going to be an issue, but guess what, the salary cap can squeeze a team. If Patty leaves, we can likely afford one mid-high level player, be it Dedmon, Tyreke, or whomever. After that we are going to be fishing with exceptions, pretty small ones. Also, regarding Rim protection, do you remember some of the dark years from 08-11, some the "big" men that were helping TD? In 10/11 in order of minutes played (and more than 300 minutes) TD, Blair, Bonner, McDyess, Splitter. In 09/10 TD, McDyess, Blair, Bonner. In 08/09 TD, Bonner, Kurt Thomas, Oberto, Gooden. I'm not so sure that Pop values rim protection as much as you do...
I have a feeling that Hill would like to come back to SA. Nothing to base it on, other than I think he liked it here. If he got paid a reasonable amount, and he and Parker were pretty much interchangeable? Maybe co-starters, where one starts part of the time and the other part of the time? I think he would be interested.
I think talk about handing the team over to Murray is getting way, way ahead of things. If someone like Hill doesn't come, then I think Murray could become a serious full-time backup. In a Parker/Hill co-starter, Murray could still get lots of backup minutes, because I don't think Tony will pull long minutes. But sticking him in as the full-time starter? We've seen one really good game. Up till then, we've been happy just to see him contribute.
Actually, I made a comment in a very early season thread that called for turning the keys over to Dijon then. I suggested then and will do so again that at the time Pop turned the keys over to Tony he was not very good. In Tony's first championship run, Avery had to bail him out every game. I don't see why Tony and/or Patty couldn't do that for Dijon, if necessary. With his length, defensive prowess, rebounding ability and 3-point shooting (?), Dijon strikes me as a better player now than Tony was when he became the Spurs' starting PG. I think Dijon needs to be fast-tracked, not bumped back behind Tony and Hill next season, and Hill for seasons beyond.
It was Speedy Claxton man, i still vividly remember those days.
I really like Hill, but i honestly think he is a luxury that we don't necessarily need, especially with Dijon developing curve as of late.
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