Addressing the big men situation...

[Spurtacus]

now that RJ has arrived and Thomas & Oberto have departed (for the time being).

Its clear we need a rebounder/shot blocker that can compliment Timmy.

Who do you want the Spurs to go after? Who should they go after?

We currently have Duncan, Bonner, Mahinmi on the roster. Gist can be brought in and play the 4.

Do we possibly have a deal with Tau to bring Splitter over?

[Dr. Gonzo]

Great thread

[MaNu4Tres]

Williams Mason and Bonner for Camby.

[batman2883]

I wish we could have splitter over here this season dude would beast folks

[ffadicted]

Williams Mason and Bonner for Camby.

Yes, cuz we want Ginobili playing 48 minutes as our 2 guard

[Beaverfuzz]

Seriously need someone who can score and rebound to take the load off Tim who's definitely not getting any younger.

[bigdog]

Here's some possible options:

re-sign Gooden
Marcin Gortat
Zaza Pachulia
Antonio McDeyess
Rasheed Wallace

[MaNu4Tres]

Yes, cuz we want Ginobili playing 48 minutes as our 2 guard

Finley/ Bowen/ Hairston/ Draft pick/ League level exception or MLE or part of the MLE would also contribute to those 48 minutes numb nuts.

[Leetonidas]

I think if the Spurs can resign Gooden and somehow either draft a big, trade for another one, or try to split the MLE between Gooden and McDeyess.

PG - Parker/Hill/Vaughn
SG - Ginobili/Mason/Finley
C - Gooden/McDeyess?/Mahimni
PF - Duncan/Bonner
SF - Jefferson/Bowen/Udoka/Gist

Looks pretty good to me. Maybe the Spurs could pull of a trade for Camby. I mean, he was originally traded for a 2nd round pick, maybe we could get him for Udoka/Vaughn + a pick.

Should be a good season.

[tlongII]

Sheed would be your best option if you could get him.

[MaNu4Tres]

Actually I take that back. Manu will probably be getting 30 of those 48 minutes at the two spot. And RJ will be getting 30 minutes at the 3 spot. That leaves over 36 minutes at the 3 and 2 spot. Bowen / Finley/ Hill/ Hairston/ Draft pick/ League Level exception/ MLE would be more than enough to cover the remaining 36 minutes at the 3 and 2 spot.

[Stump]

How high is Rasho's value? Could he be signed for the LLE or the min? Earlier, he was unneeded since we already had our fair share of old bigs with Oberto and Thomas, but he could be really useful now.

[Buddy Holly]

Sheed would be your best option if you could get him.

Hell no. Dude is a shell of a shell of his former self. His knees suck and after watching him do nothing more than jack up threes in the playoffs you're off your rocker if you think he's the best option.

[JamStone]

Some lesser names the Spurs might want to consider:

Chris Wilcox - relatively young and athletic, but might not be the type of guy Pop would like.

Channing Frye - I believe Portland has his Bird rights but they do seem more concerned at landing starters at the PG and SF positions so a contract starting anywhere close to the MLE would probably get him without Portland matching. He's got pretty good size and has a decent midrange game but he's soft and doesn't rebound well at his size.

Solomon Jones - I like his game. I thought the Hawks should have played him more. He's got good size and length and very good athleticism. He's still pretty raw and doesn't have great BB IQ, but as an energy guy and role player, he could be a nice guy to target. He has a developing midrange jumper but it's still very inconsistent.

[Sobe_Kucks]

Maybe the Spurs could pull of a trade for Camby. I mean, he was originally traded for a 2nd round pick, maybe we could get him for Udoka/Vaughn + a pick.

Should be a good season.

Not likely we already tried for Camby with Hill in the mix and it fell through. Vaugh has about as much worth as my left shoe. I am wearing sandals...

[JamStone]

Hell no. Dude is a shell of a shell of his former self. His knees suck and after watching him do nothing more than jack up threes in the playoffs you're off your rocker if you think he's the best option.


Definitely not as good as he used to be, but his play this past year was a lot more due to his head than his body or his decline. And at any rate, his knees are probably are better than Tim Duncan's knees. And, his three point shooting would probably be a pretty good asset on the Spurs working inside-out with Duncan. And, defensively, he's still very good. Not great, but probably as good as you're going to find compared to any of the Spurs' other options. If he's happy and motivated, I think Rasheed could still be very, very valuable. I think the bigger issue is whether he'd settle for the MLE.

[Obstructed_View]

The Spurs would be one place where Rasheed could camp out at the three point line and actually be helping, since they've already got a pretty decent post player. His defense, rebounding and shooting would be a pretty damn good fit.

[Galileo]

Drew Gooden is the answer.

[ploto]

How high is Rasho's value? Could he be signed for the LLE or the min? Earlier, he was unneeded since we already had our fair share of old bigs with Oberto and Thomas, but he could be really useful now.

Let the record show that I did not make this post, but I will admit the thought crossed my mind as soon as I heard Thomas and Oberto were traded away. Spurs need a young big, but they could use one veteran center, too.

As to your question, it kind of depends what he is being offered in Europe. He said he would wait to see what kind of offers he gets from the NBA after July 1 to make up his mind.

[Galileo]

Duncan/Bonner
Gooden/Mahimni
Jefferson/Mason
Ginobili/Finley
Parker?Hill

[Tully365]

Some lesser names the Spurs might want to consider:

Chris Wilcox - relatively young and athletic, but might not be the type of guy Pop would like.

Channing Frye - I believe Portland has his Bird rights but they do seem more concerned at landing starters at the PG and SF positions so a contract starting anywhere close to the MLE would probably get him without Portland matching. He's got pretty good size and has a decent midrange game but he's soft and doesn't rebound well at his size.

Solomon Jones - I like his game. I thought the Hawks should have played him more. He's got good size and length and very good athleticism. He's still pretty raw and doesn't have great BB IQ, but as an energy guy and role player, he could be a nice guy to target. He has a developing midrange jumper but it's still very inconsistent.

With Jefferson's contract sure to put the Spurs into the luxury tax, I see the solution to the bigs situation being addressed with bargains and a bigs-by-committee approach. I'd love to get Zaza, but even he is probably too expensive now. Hopefully, Mahinmi is finally ready to go, and Oberto or Thomas return after being waived/bought out. I'd look for one of these less glamorous names to fight for a spot on the roster (along with Gist & draft picks):

Dwayne Jones
Chris Mihm
Shelden Williams
Jarron Collins
Courtney Sims
Rasho
Kyrylo Fesenko
Solomon Jones
Channing Frye

[Mr. Body]

I'd take Rasho over Gooden. I like Dwight, but he's too much of a headcase.

[DPG21920]

Sheldon Williams anyone? He is young, has size and is UFA. He could be a cheap stop gap.

[silk]

yes i like shelden, he could be a solid defensive rebounding big, i remember him teachin a few lessons to mahinmi

[JamStone]

I'd take Rasho over Gooden. I like Dwight, but he's too much of a headcase.

Yeah, maybe that's because of the drugs. Plus, his fast ball isn't anywhere near where it was back in the mid 80s.

[Tully365]

Wow... three shout outs for Shelden Williams in 4 minutes!

[ploto]

Wow... three shout outs for Sheldon Williams in 4 minutes!

I'd rather have his wife on the team. :D

[Solid D]

Unless the Spurs make another trade, you can forget about Gooden or any Big with a contract greater in value than the vet minimum. You can forget about Splitter over the next 24 months...not enough money.

Great trade today, though. Great trade.

[z0sa]

Definitely not as good as he used to be, but his play this past year was a lot more due to his head than his body or his decline. And at any rate, his knees are probably are better than Tim Duncan's knees. And, his three point shooting would probably be a pretty good asset on the Spurs working inside-out with Duncan. And, defensively, he's still very good. Not great, but probably as good as you're going to find compared to any of the Spurs' other options. If he's happy and motivated, I think Rasheed could still be very, very valuable. I think the bigger issue is whether he'd settle for the MLE.

When I think of Rasheed Wallace, I imagine his 2004 and 2005 incarnations very vividly, for obvious reasons. Truth be told, I haven't caught much Pistons basketball following 07. I was disappointed your guys didn't make it to the big show for a rematch that year, it hurt us spursfans too when y'all lost.

You say Sheed could still be very, very valuable. Yet you earlier cited only mental and locker room (i'm assuming) issues. We're all aware of the situation this last season in Detroit, but is Sheed rattled easily nowadays in his old age?

The problem is Pop. Pop does not account for aggressive behavior. He and Sheed would have their slight troubles, its undoubted. But I have a theory...

Could sheed be the missing piece to the Spurs championship puzzle as the clock winds down? Once again, like Detroit in 2004, Sheed may have a welcome experience compared to his previous plight, and surrounded by all-star level talent (parker/manu/rj/tim/sheed). That's gotta bring an attitude change. Sure, the Spurs just got bounced in the first round like his, but we have proven all-stars he could connect with supposedly, and a solid role he could immediately get comfortable in. His 3pt shooting could continue as he desired, more or less. Now with RJ around for two more seasons, that's almost two seasons guaranteed of Manu health, if he is to ever become healthy at all..at least, if Pop plays RJ as much as he needs to keep Manu's minutes down. Sheed would have plenty of scoring opportunities should it lead to resting Timmy and others more. Tim among others could keep him under control, Pop included.

This idea of another Big 5 sort of like the mid-decade Pistons occurred to me before the trade deadline last season, when it was rumored the Spurs FO was chasing that VC deal. The idea of keeping the big 3 in tact, while adding an athletic 4th scorer was hard to imagine without giving up key pieces, but in that scenario, Bowen and Thomas would have come back (both of these still may be true this season, as well). Then, with Sheed being vocal about his situation in Detroit, and about the idea of acquiring him this offseason with the MLE, while still having the Big 4 and Bowen and Thomas, was very surrealistic - yet seemed more than possible, like an ideal path the Spurs were taking.

Now, I'm glad we didn't take VC, though its not monetary. RJ is a better fit for the role he'll be playing (4th-3rd option), and he's consistently healthy. This means volumes in the context (Ginobili, God forbid). Last season, all our eggs got cracked, so we've taken precautions to halfway avoid the same thing (having no healthy Manu probably = no title though).

We'll have the MLE to work with, but it seems less likely with the financial implications. What I do wonder is if Holt feels its high time to delve a little deeper than usual to make sure Spurs have the best chance to win.

[pad300]

With Jefferson's contract sure to put the Spurs into the luxury tax, I see the solution to the bigs situation being addressed with bargains and a bigs-by-committee approach. I'd love to get Zaza, but even he is probably too expensive now. Hopefully, Mahinmi is finally ready to go, and Oberto or Thomas return after being waived/bought out. I'd look for one of these less glamorous names to fight for a spot on the roster (along with Gist & draft picks):

Dwayne Jones
Chris Mihm
Shelden Williams
Jarron Collins
Courtney Sims
Rasho
Kyrylo Fesenko
Solomon Jones
Channing Frye

A couple more

Aaron Gray
Ike Diogu

[Tully365]

A couple more

Aaron Gray
Ike Diogu

I agree, those are good additions to the list.

With a genuine Big 4 now, any big guy willing to play D, rebound, and follow Pop's orders has a nice shot at a ring.

[JamStone]

When I think of Rasheed Wallace, I imagine his 2004 and 2005 incarnations very vividly, for obvious reasons. Truth be told, I haven't caught much Pistons basketball following 07. I was disappointed your guys didn't make it to the big show for a rematch that year, it hurt us spursfans too when y'all lost.

You say Sheed could still be very, very valuable. Yet you earlier cited only mental and locker room (i'm assuming) issues. We're all aware of the situation this last season in Detroit, but is Sheed rattled easily nowadays in his old age?

It's not a matter of being rattled, imo. It's about him being properly motivated in kept interested. In many ways, Billups as a leader was just as valuable as a player. He kept guys like Rip and Rasheed as level-headed as they could be. And, he also made sure Rasheed was happy on the court. Rasheed doesn't need a lot of touches, but he needs to be kept involved on offense. Billups knew when to get him involved, and not just have him only get touches on kick-outs and three point bail out shots. As far as I know, Rasheed wasn't a huge problem in the locker room. Most of his attitude problems still were rooted with officials and with coaching. By the vast majority of accounts, Rasheed was a great teammate. Any even a fair share of his confrontations with officials came in defending his teammates on calls, not necessarily calls against him. But, he didn't respect Flip Saunders. And, he came to realize he didn't respect Michael Curry as a head coach. And, it showed. And, that's probably the biggest knock on him, showing proper respect to authority. And, it's not about his age.

That's why Larry Brown was a perfect coach for him. Rasheed respected him so much. And, he liked him too. Rasheed was shooting three pointers in 2004 and 2005 too. Rasheed still had a bad attitude towards officials in 2004 and 2005. But, people didn't talk about him just jacking up shots because he was playing great defense and he was making the team better. And, a lot of it was deflected because he was good in every other aspect and he respected Larry Brown.




The problem is Pop. Pop does not account for aggressive behavior. He and Sheed would have their slight troubles, its undoubted. But I have a theory...

Could sheed be the missing piece to the Spurs championship puzzle as the clock winds down? Once again, like Detroit in 2004, Sheed may have a welcome experience compared to his previous plight, and surrounded by all-star level talent (parker/manu/rj/tim/sheed). That's gotta bring an attitude change. Sure, the Spurs just got bounced in the first round like his, but we have proven all-stars he could connect with supposedly, and a solid role he could immediately get comfortable in. His 3pt shooting could continue as he desired, more or less. Now with RJ around for two more seasons, that's almost two seasons guaranteed of Manu health, if he is to ever become healthy at all..at least, if Pop plays RJ as much as he needs to keep Manu's minutes down. Sheed would have plenty of scoring opportunities should it lead to resting Timmy and others more. Tim among others could keep him under control, Pop included.

It comes down to the Rasheed-Pop relationship. I think Rasheed does respect Pop and respect him a lot. It would be about Pop realizing and accepting certain behavior from Rasheed that he would normally not tolerate and being able to bend in his discipline of it. Rasheed will blow up at officials. He will pick up technicals and get ejected. But, if he respects Pop and his teammates, and I'm certain he would, he would be great in every other aspect, including in the locker room and as a teammate.

[jjktkk]

The Spurs would be one place where Rasheed could camp out at the three point line and actually be helping, since they've already got a pretty decent post player. His defense, rebounding and shooting would be a pretty damn good fit.

The problem with Sheed, is he decides when he wants to play and give effort. Hes an idiot headcase, who has wasted his immense talent. No thanks I'd rather have some one with heart and intensity. I didn't even mention Sheed's ill-timed techs he always gets at the worst time possible. The Spurs don't need his theatrics.

[tomtom]

draft pick at this point

[z0sa]

The problem with Sheed, is he decides when he wants to play and give effort. Hes an idiot headcase, who has wasted his immense talent. No thanks I'd rather have some one with heart and intensity. I didn't even mention Sheed's ill-timed techs he always gets at the worst time possible. The Spurs don't need his theatrics.

wasted? He has a ring and shit loads of money. He's played pretty damn good over his career. Could he have been another Tim Duncan? Probably. But I wouldn't call his career a waste.

[JamStone]

I think "wasted talent" is a poor way of evaluate Rasheed Wallace. Or, rather, it's based on certain opinions that statistics and individual honors like all star game appearances and scoring titles are the true gauge in assessing an NBA career. I would agree that Rasheed has not always lived up to his talent and abilities. But, as it pertains to dominating the game statistically, Rasheed has stated many times that he was never concerned about that. And that dates back to high school if not earlier. In high school, he sat out second halves of games so as to not "show up" the opposing teams. He didn't care if he didn't get "his stats." At UNC, he played second fiddle to Jerry Stackhouse and even Jeff McInnis at times because he was more concerned about winning. After winning the 2004 NBA championship, Rasheed he didn't care about stats or the all star games or the Hall of Fame. He said he was all about moments like that, winning titles. Now, you can criticize him in that if he played better, maybe he would have been on more championship teams. But, that's arguable at best. 99% of the teammates he's ever had have stated he's one of the greatest teammates. For him, it's not that he wasted his talent. It's that he wasn't concerned about his own individual success as much as he was concerned about team success and his teammates also sharing that success.

That's not to say Rasheed doesn't have flaws. He obviously does. But, when Charles Barkley said something to the effect that Rasheed could have been one of the most dominant big men if he wanted to be, that's the point. Rasheed didn't care to be that. It's fair to think of that as a flaw in and of itself. But it depends how you look at it.

[Stump]

draft pick at this point
We don't have first rounders and this is a big man starved draft anyway.

[TimDunkem]

We don't have first rounders and this is a big man starved draft anyway.
FA or trade most likely.

[jjktkk]

[QUOTE=JamStone;3482784]I think "wasted talent" is a poor way of evaluate Rasheed Wallace. Or, rather, it's based on certain opinions that statistics and individual honors like all star game appearances and scoring titles are the true gauge in assessing an NBA career. I would agree that Rasheed has not always lived up to his talent and abilities. But, as it pertains to dominating the game statistically, Rasheed has stated many times that he was never concerned about that. And that dates back to high school if not earlier. In high school, he sat out second halves of games so as to not "show up" the opposing teams. He didn't care if he didn't get "his stats." At UNC, he played second fiddle to Jerry Stackhouse and even Jeff McInnis at times because he was more concerned about winning. After winning the 2004 NBA championship, Rasheed he didn't care about stats or the all star games or the Hall of Fame. He said he was all about moments like that, winning titles. Now, you can criticize him in that if he played better, maybe he would have been on more championship teams. But, that's arguable at best. 99% of the teammates he's ever had have stated he's one of the greatest teammates. For him, it's not that he wasted his talent. It's that he wasn't concerned about his own individual success as much as he was concerned about team success and his teammates also sharing that success.

That's not to say Rasheed doesn't have flaws. He obviously does. But, when Charles Barkley said something to the effect that Rasheed could have been one of the most dominant big men if he wanted to be, that's the point. Rasheed didn't care to be that. It's fair to think of that as a flaw in and of itself. But it depends how you look at it.[/QU

Sorry, I have to disagree. The guy could been a hall of fame player, but he chooses not too. Sounds pretty idiotic that he chooses not too. He has so much skill in the post, but chooses the hang out at the 3-point line. I watched him a couple times last year and his talent/ability has regressed. Rather thats due to age or him not being into the game, who knows, maybe its both. Now Rasheed doesn't even play defense. So basically, unless he finally sees the light, if the Spurs sign him, you will have a another Matt Bonner 3-point specialist, but at least Bonner will hustle. When was the last time Sheed hustled?

[VivaPopovich]

don't forget that drew gooden as of right now is still on our squad

[Tully365]

Williams and Frye would be my targets. I think the spurs would take a shot at both. What about the guy out of UNC who played for the Bobcats.....he was hurt alot now seems to be health and in good shape.......6-9 260, has soft hands and can score in the post. He would be worth taking a flier on!!!

Sean May-- I meant to include him in the original list.

[TimDunkem]

Williams and Frye would be my targets. I think the spurs would take a shot at both. What about the guy out of UNC who played for the Bobcats.....he was hurt alot now seems to be health and in good shape.......6-9 260, has soft hands and can score in the post. He would be worth taking a flier on!!!

AHHHH, Another 6-6 pf who is fat as shit. 266 my nuts.......this guy is 300 easy. Another Robert tractor traylor. No thanks
:lol

[Death In June]

F' Rasho. If the organization is thinking big, they better not settle at a position as important as C.

[The Beat Counselor]

Would we be able to afford Marcin Gortat (young!) or Chris Anderson?

Looks like Anderson wants to stay in Denver though...

How about Tyson Chandler? Hornets still trying to unload him?


Am I thinking too expensive?

[phxspurfan]

Roger not playoff money Mason for Thabeet in a heartThabeet

[SenorSpur]

Would we be able to afford Marcin Gortat (young!) or Chris Anderson?

Looks like Anderson wants to stay in Denver though...

How about Tyson Chandler? Hornets still trying to unload him?


Am I thinking too expensive?

Gortat and Anderson could likely be had for the mid-level exception. That's really all the Spurs have to work with. Unless, of course, they decide to do something more drastic.

[bigfan]

Whats the situation with that Javtokas dude?

[phxspurfan]

Mahinmi...?

[Knoxxx]

I can't believe nobody has mentioned former Spur Dwayne Schintzius as a possiblity. My sources indicate a deal may be in the works...

[MaNu4Tres]

I can't believe nobody has mentioned former Spur Dwayne Schintzius as a possiblity. My sources indicate a deal may be in the works...

What sources?

[SenorSpur]

I can't believe nobody has mentioned former Spur Dwayne Schintzius as a possiblity. My sources indicate a deal may be in the works...

I'd only be interested if he's still sporting the mullet. :lol

[Knoxxx]

I'd only be interested if he's still sporting the mullet. :lol

The mullet was huge, and dude is only 41!

[Knoxxx]

What sources?

If I wanted to name my sources, I would have done so in my original post. :rolleyes

[ploto]

Gortat and Anderson could likely be had for the mid-level exception. That's really all the Spurs have to work with. Unless, of course, they decide to do something more drastic.

I really can't see them spending it- even though they have it. Salaries stand at about $69M with Duncan, Manu, TP, RJ, Bonner, Mason, Hill, and Ian. That is only 8 guys. Add in Finley and you are over the luxury tax level from last season which I would not expect to be going up for this year. Spurs still have to fill out the roster.

[Russ]

I can't believe nobody has mentioned former Spur Dwayne Schintzius as a possiblity. My sources indicate a deal may be in the works...

Between Schintzius and Mahinmi, I'm sure they'll be fine. :)

[buttsR4rebounding]

There was talk on both AM 760 and 1250 today that Tau Ceramica did not pay Splitter all the money he was owed. There was speculation from several guests that the Spurs may be able to bring him over this year.

[Yuixafun]

Someone go make a reverse jinx thread..

[Brazil]

I guess it's safe to say Ian will have some mpg next year

[Lebowski Brickowski]

I'm starting to think that the FO had this deal in mind when they first went after that Greek Brontosaurus dude(spelling courtesy of timvp.)
After that deal fell through, FO went ahead with the Jefferson trade knowing how sweet it was.

Did Pop and RC have a plan B for center?

If Brontosaurus was PLAN A . . . who the fffffff could be PLAN B?

I guarantee plan B isn't Rasho. It's certainly not a big name like Camby. And it's prolly not an expensive vet like Sheed considering the state of the Spurs' payroll vs. salary cap.

Who does that leave? Mahinmi? Javtokas? SOme other Eastern European with a name longer than his wingspan? I seriously can't think of an NBA big that would work.

[superbigtime]

Sean May-- I meant to include him in the original list.

He's about as injury prone as they come though. And fat.

[Tully365]

He's about as injury prone as they come though. And fat.

:lol I agree... plus his post-microsurgery knee seems shot... he's back off of the list!

[Rover82]

What about Brandon Bass? Isn't he unrestricted? I like his athleticism.

[coyotes_geek]

Bass is a nice player, but he's not someone who's going to help ease the burden Tim Duncan has to carry. Pass.

[Marcus Bryant]

If you could get Radoslav for the LLE and McDyess for the MLE I think that would take care of the bigman rotation. Of course, that would be quite a bit of lux tax, but it's now or never.

[coyotes_geek]

I'd be happy with Rasho & Dice.

[angelbelow]

i think we should resign gooden..

[Marcus Bryant]

McDyess is the obvious top target for the MLE. He's a mobile rebounding big with a solid 20 foot jumper. Everyone assume the Spurs would prefer the 3 point shooting Wallace, but I'd take the 50% FG shooting rebounder over the 40% FG 3 point shooter (and weaker rebounder).

[Spursfan092120]

Yeah, maybe that's because of the drugs. Plus, his fast ball isn't anywhere near where it was back in the mid 80s.
:lmao:lmao:lmao

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BmMVwwuNIko/Se85-qU7WAI/AAAAAAAABnU/cUbTfynhgEA/s400/gooden.jpg

[Marcus Bryant]

I guess it's safe to say Ian will have some mpg next year

He will. If all goes well he should be the 4th big and he'll have his chance.

[Yuixafun]

i think we should resign gooden..

Agreed. Someone to salvage TD's body from the grind of the regular season would be lovely.

The offense would seemingly be extremely versatile, giving me a reverie of when Spurs could play any style plus lock you down on D.

Minus the lock down defense.

[Marcus Bryant]

The Spurs don't make this trade without planning to use the MLE on a big (ie McDyess - if not, perhaps Gooden).

[coyotes_geek]

Just thinking........

How high ($$$) would you be willing to go on Channing Frye? How high would Portland be willing to go? He's restricted, but Portland wasn't playing him much. They're also getting close to that point in time where Roy and Aldridge are going to need to be given big money. Frye is kind of an enigma to me. He started off putting up respectable numbers in the league when he was with the knicks, but got buried in Portland. Did it take a few years to find out he sucks? Or is he just stuck in a bad situation on a team that has better players ahead of him?

[bigdog]

I wish we could get Gooden to sign for cheaper than the MLE. Acutally, he might have to, because there doesn't seem to be that much of a market for him. He provides Duncan with a quality backup that can score, rebound, and shoots FT's fairly decent. I know his defense is probably (fill in the blank) at best, but he's still serviceable.

As far as all the Rasho/McDeyess talk, I wouldn't mind Rasho back, but who knows if he would even want to come here. Rasheed would be good, if motivated, and McDeyess would be excellent, if he wanted to play for a team that didn't start with Detroit and end with Pistons.

[DPG21920]

The Spurs don't make this trade without planning to use the MLE on a big (ie McDyess - if not, perhaps Gooden).

I think that is exactly right. This was a move only to be executed if the FO thought other moves have a high probability of falling into place. No way they spend this money knowing it does not put them over the top.

[franceout]

how about Bonner for Yi Jianlian?
He is a 7-footer, reasonably athletic and he has range too.
Hopefully he will develop into a quality defender...
He is out of favor in NJ, so probably with a future 2nd-round right, this can be done

[DPG21920]

how about Bonner for Yi Jianlian?
He is a 7-footer, reasonably athletic and he has range too.
Hopefully he will develop into a quality defender...
He is out of favor in NJ, so probably with a future 2nd-round right, this can be done

I do not think they would be willing to give him up for Bonner and a 2nd rounder. Even it they were, I would not want him.

Maybe if it was for Bonner and a 2nd rounder then I would, lol.

[HarlemHeat37]

Yi is actually a much, much worse player than Bonner..

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

HITA > Bonner > Yi

[Thompson]

I'm hoping that adding Jefferson could be the deciding factor for someone like Wallace or McDyess (heck, why not both?) looking to sign up somewhere to chase a ring. Our rumored competition for Wallace's services is Cleveland, and if Rasheed looks at LeBron vs. Duncan, Parker, Manu, and Jefferson, I think we'll hold up pretty well in that comparison.

It would be awesome if we could somehow get Splitter to come over this year.

[bigdog]

I'm hoping that adding Jefferson could be the deciding factor for someone like Wallace or McDyess (heck, why not both?) looking to sign up somewhere to chase a ring. Our rumored competition for Wallace's services is Cleveland, and if Rasheed looks at LeBron vs. Duncan, Parker, Manu, and Jefferson, I think we'll hold up pretty well in that comparison.

It would be awesome if we could somehow get Splitter to come over this year.

But...LeBron is LeBron. Everyone wants to play with LeBron, no matter how good a Duncan/Jefferson/Ginobili/Parker lineup might be.

I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'. I'd love Rasheed here, though.

[Thompson]

Yi is actually a much, much worse player than Bonner..

Do you think he has any reasonable improvement left? It might be worth the trade even if he doesn't just for all the jersey sales we'd get out of China.

[coyotes_geek]

But...LeBron is LeBron. Everyone wants to play with LeBron, no matter how good a Duncan/Jefferson/Ginobili/Parker lineup might be.

I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'. I'd love Rasheed here, though.

Lebron is Lebron, but anyone who chooses to sign with Cleveland is risking only getting to play with Lebron for 1 year. Sure would suck for Sheed to sign a multi year deal with Cleveland to end up seeing Lebron bolt for New York.

[SenorSpur]

Now that the Spurs have fired the first shot over the trade frontier, I can't wait to see what other deals they have up their sleeve. I just know that somehow a deal of a big is eminent.

[Twisted_Dawg]

What sources?


I'd only be interested if he's still sporting the mullet. :lol

I would only be interested in him if he was still spitting on kids asking him how the weather was up there.

[hoopdreams11]

Theo Ratliff

[raspsa]

Any chance of getting Kaman?

[coyotes_geek]

Only if Manu is in the deal. The Spurs used up too many of their cap filler pieces to get Jefferson.

[Tully365]

All this talk of using the MLE is really interesting, but I have to wonder just how far into the luxury tax Mr Holt is willing to stray. The Jefferson trade surprised most of us...is the team at this point ready to sign a FA for 5 mil and wind up paying 10 mil for him?

This trade works: http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=lg348z

The Knicks are desperate to dump Jeffries' salary, which extends to the 2010 season. The Spurs get Wilson Chandler, who at 6'8" might be the next Stephen Jackson and can play and guard the 2,3, and 4 positions. They also get the 6'11' Jeffries, who is an excellent defender with little offensive game. Jeffries is overpaid, but Chandler is underpaid, so it's more or less a wash. Sign a low cost deal with a Frye/ Shelden Williams/Solomon Jones/Mihm type, draft Taj Gibson or the next available bigger body, and you've got:

Parker/Hill
Chandler/Manu
Jefferson/Gist/ Bowen (if he is waived & returns)
Duncan/Jeffries/Gibson
Frye, etc/ Mahinmi/Thomas (if bought out & returns)

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Only if Manu is in the deal. The Spurs used up too many of their cap filler pieces to get Jefferson.

Eh. Mason + Bonner = 7 million

Finley agrees to get paid and traded = additional 2.5 mil.

7 mil, let alone 9.5 mil, will let you get some nice pieces. The challenge for the Spurs would then be filling out the roster to get to the mandated amount of filled roster spots.

Depending on Finley's inclusion, that would give them 6-7 players under contract and needing to get to 13 spots.

Of course, if Oberto and Bowen are bought out they can come back and be on the payroll for the vet minimum, and the league paying part of their salaries to boot.

So say Finley wasn't included (and didn't re-sign). That gets you to eight guys, you have to sign five more.

I guess you bring in:

Gist
Javtokas
Sanikidze
2009 second round pick
Summer league project to sit at the end of the pine

[ducks]

Javtokas
is afraid someone might beat him out
because he is mentally weak
leave his ass off the spurs

[barbacoataco]

It seems like the spurs will be way over the luxury tax once they fill the roster in if they use the MLE. I like Rasho if he could be signed for relatively cheap.

I think the Spurs have a plan to replace Thomas and Oberto or they wouldn't have traded both. Maybe they get Oberto back. But really I don't think he has looked good for a long time.

[nz_spur]

Im not sold on Gortat. I honestly think he's a one hit wonder... and will probably ask for too much money.

[TimDunkem]

Im not sold on Gortat. I honestly think he's a one hit wonder... and will probably ask for too much money.

What about Zaza?

[timtonymanu]

I would really like Ike Diogu or Zaza. Those feel the most realistic.

[objective]

ZaZa has the kind of attitude to help the Spurs but he is a fierce turnover machine. You can't even trust him to swing the ball around.

[Libri]

ZaZa wasn't intimidated by Garnett.

[symple19]

My preferences in order
1.Sheed
2.Gooden
3.Birdman

I really like Sheed in this situation. Despite his on-court theatrics, he's a solid low-post defender who can shoot it from anywhere. Sheed can camp outside allowing Tim more operating room in the paint. With Tony improving his 3 point shot, there will be many times when the Spurs would be able to surround Tim with 4 legit threats from downtown. This would go a long way towards preserving Timmy for a few more years at the top of his game.It would also force teams into weird matchups. W/ Sheed at center, who in the hell do you leave to double Tim??? Play Zone?? I don't think you want to play zone against a team with Parker/Manu/RJeff at the 1,2,3 positions. I'm salivating at the thought of that!

I suppose the only thing I really want is a big who can be solid defensively and rebound. Gooden is a bit lacking in the defensive department, but he's an energetic and athletic guy who can improve under Pops tutelage.

And Birdman...Well, I guess I'm just a fan. He's as raw as Bonners pasty-white skin with a sunburn, but his shot-blocking and rebounding are good. Plus he's athletic. We saw him lapse mentally sometimes in the laker series, but I would lapse mentally if I played for George Karl too.

"Let's get back to playing championship, soul-crushing defense"
GO SPURS!

[ManuTastic]

I just wonder if all this may be moot. Does anyone have any reason to think Pop isn't still going to try more of his dumb-as-fukk small ball crap? Hell, he may try Jefferson as the new PF.
Most everyone here, including me, would like a real big man to play next to Tim. But I think it's at least 50% sure thing that next season's starting C will be..... Bonner. Hope I'm wrong.

[Spurtacus]

Trading two of our bigs means Spurs have something up their sleeves or confidence in getting a big man. A lot of Splitter talk is emerging; he won't get paid like he does in Tau but he could become an instant starter for us.

A. Oberto + Thomas are bought out and return to the Spurs.
B. Going all out to pursue a free agent (Dice, Wallace, Zaza, Gortat).
C. Mahinmi and/or Drew Gooden
D. Drafting bigs that can come in and contribute next season.
E. Splitter or another Euro player

[Agloco]

I do not think they would be willing to give him up for Bonner and a 2nd rounder. Even it they were, I would not want him.

Maybe if it was for Bonner and a 2nd rounder then I would, lol.

:huh

[Tully365]

Minnesota today traded Randy Foye & Mike Miller to Washington for Pecherov, Songalia, Etan Thomas, and the #5 pick. So now, the Timberwolves have 8 or 9 guys who play either PF or C. They also have two lottery picks. They obviously will be looking to unload some of these excess bigs. These guys could be of interest to the Spurs:

Ryan Gomes, 6'8" combo forward. His salary this year will be 3.8 mil. Does a little bit of everything.

Pecherov, 7'0", PF/C. due 1.5 mil this year. A cheap option for 12 mpg.

Shelden Williams, 6'8" PF/C Free agent. A good defender and rebounder who is a bit undersized, but has 7'4" wingspan. Has never lived up to his billing as a lottery pick, but is a smart and tough player who could be picked up at a bargain price.

Jason Collins, 7'0" C. Free agent. Older now, but the Spurs had some interest in him a few years ago. Doesn't do anything especially well, but is tough and has size.