The 2010 Free Agent Nobody’s Talking About

[duncan228]

http://dimemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/manu-ginobili-sas1.jpg

The 2010 Free Agent Nobody’s Talking About (http://dimemag.com/2009/12/the-2010-free-agent-nobodys-talking-about/)
By Gerald Narciso
Dime

On this Chirstmas Day, two of the NBA’s most coveted 2010 free agents are being showcased on national TV. Dwyane Wade is on the tube (http://dimemag.com/2009/12/dwyane-wade-swats-j-j-redick-on-the-break/) as we speak playing the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, which coincidently could be one of his most appealing options come July 1st. The other superstar ‘10 free agent, LeBron James, is in sunny California about to take on Kobe and the Lakers later on today.

On top of the big two, there are several names that have been attracting a lot talk when it comes down to this summer: Amar’e Stoudemire, Joe Johnson, Chris Bosh and Carlos Boozer. One upcoming free agent that is surprisingly not garnered much attention is San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili.

None of the media outlets have talked about the Spurs reserve in regards to signing with one of the team’s with deep pockets this summer like the Bulls, Heat, Knicks, Nets and Timberwolves. Granted, Ginobili is 32 years old, injury prone and having a sub-par season. His stats are his worst since his rookie year: 12.7 ppg, 3.6 apg, 2.9 rpg while shooting a career-low 38 percent from the field (http://dimemag.com/2009/12/whos-better-jason-terry-or-manu-ginobili/). But he’s still a multi-dimentional player that could still be a game-changer and go-to guy down the stretch when he’s healthy.

Manu is obviously not on the same tier as the other guys and won’t be offered a long-term, big money deal. But he’s an All-Star caliber player a team could potentially get at a cheaper rate (in the $6 million to $8 million range). And in this economy, that could be huge. Ginobili is earning around $10 million and I could see him dropping that price tag if gets a 3-year deal and signs with a team that could be a contender.

A lot of people might assume that the Spurs will keep Ginobili, but if they really wanted to, they would be aggresive with extending his contract. Plus, Manu might want a change of scenery. He’s been with the same team ever since he entered the league seven seasons ago. Who’s to say he wouldn’t be open to playing in a vibrant, international city like Miami, New York or the foreign-player friendly Toronto.

I think when push comes to shove, teams will step up to the plate for Manu. He’s a talented, experienced player who’s a proven winner. He could be the missing piece for a championship contending team or a nice complimentary player beside Wade, James or Bosh.

[TDMVPDPOY]

knicks should go after JJ + AMARE, and bring that small ball bs to the eastside where i think the knicks will have no problem winning.....unless both gets paid and sit do shit like rest of the knicks players, then get ready for another 6yrs of epic failure

[exstatic]

I think Manu wants to stay, and for the reasons stated in the article, I think he will get few credible offers. I put his chances of staying at 85%, with some of the remaining %s as a return to Europe, where his bod takes less damage from a long season.

[wildbill2u]

the question wll come down to loyalty and comfort level vs. dollars and long term security. When a player starts facing the end of his career the choice becomes stark and real. Usually dollars win but it depends on the character of the player.

[SenorSpur]

I agree that Manu wants to stay and I'm sure Pop and the brass feel the same way in their hearts. Manu is clearly having a subpar season and looks nothing like the cold-blooded, game-changing, assassin that he once was. I just wonder if the how this will turn out - especially if the Spurs continue having such a disappointing season. This outcome will be one worth watching.

[Bender]

I hope the spurs don't overpay him to stay. I hope they drop his price considerably.

[MannyIsGod]

If the team should underperforms this year, I would not be surprised at all to see the Spurs let him walk after low balling him. I hope he proves me wrong, but I've said for some time now that I don't believe Manu's body was going to hold up and I firmly believe that his best days are behind him. I don't think the Spurs should be counting on him for much more than a solid role player in the future.

[anonoftheinternets]

Well if you guys actually watch games, hes obviously playing it conservative. He can get to the rim when he wants to, but id rather he save it for the playoffs lest last year plays out again.

[admiralsnackbar]

Whether it's deserved or not, I think Manu's coming to be regarder the way Bobby Jackson was his last few seasons. No question he's a baller, but if you can't have the consistency of health, it almost ceases to be a question of ROI. Just too much risk. I see him staying here unless his health takes another substantial turn for the worse.

[anonoftheinternets]

right .. if he lasts this year to playoffs .. (regardless of how "safe"="bad" he plays it during the regular season) ... hes going to be back. And he was never overpriced and he still isnt going to be, so heath is all that stands between him and retirement as a spur.

[ducks]

I think wade and james could be on the same team if james leaves cleveland

if I am cavs I see what it would take to get wade now
wade just has to say I am out of here

no one is talking about manu because he is a plan c plan right now
he plays better he might get up to plan b

[Spursmania]

Manu's worth will not be known until play-off time.

If he finds his rhythm soon and makes everybody pay for doubting him and contributes big in the play-offs, the Spurs will want to keep him all the more.

But, if he continues to play like he is now come February-play-offs, the Spurs will not take on a big contract for him and other teams will come after him and take him.

Manu's destiny is in his own hands. Playoff time will make or break his future contract with the Spurs. I'm praying for you Manu!

[SCdac]

Well if you guys actually watch games, hes obviously playing it conservative. He can get to the rim when he wants to, but id rather he save it for the playoffs lest last year plays out again.

Touching on this, I think if Manu was given the go-ahead, he could be scoring alot more and playing himself into shape at a much faster rate. At this point last season when we had less options he was taking more along the lines of 12-15-17 shot attempts, versus maxing out at 9-10 shots this season on a deep roster. The biggest problem right now is that his legs aren't under him and it's most obvious on his three point attempts and mid-rangers that are going no further than the front of the rim. But I'm not getting the feeling that Manu is forcing it (his play) like many players would in a contract year, he's looking to pass as much as anybody on our team and he shouldn't really be faulted for that, because he's got a knack for it and it's helping with chemistry.... I'd rather Manu "turn it on" two months from now heading into the playoffs, than do it now and burn himself out. But at the same time, he's averaging career lows and it's contributing to our poor record.

[Spursmania]

I think wade and james could be on the same team if james leaves cleveland

if I am cavs I see what it would take to get wade now
wade just has to say I am out of here

no one is talking about manu because he is a plan c plan right now
he plays better he might get up to plan b


Wade and James will never be on the same team. :lol
James will leave to the NYK. He loves endorsements, money, drama and attention. His destiny will prevent him from staying in Ohio.

James is an intelligent guy and financially savvy. It's common knowledge that he has a great friendship with Warren Buffet because James is interested in building a financial empire.

I'd say he's off to a tremendous start as he has had Buffet's advice since the inception of his career.

[lurker23]

I still fully expect the Spurs to re-sign or extend Ginobili. He wants to be in San Antonio, and I can't imagine that the Spurs wouldn't want him back in some capacity.

However, one major thing has changed, in my opinion. I used to be a big advocate of getting the extension done as early as possible, and perhaps using last year's injury woes to shave off a couple million over 3 years. However, with the early season injury and uneven start this year, I think the best course of action at this point is to see how he does health and performance-wise through the playoffs, and then try to get an extension done before he actually goes on the free agent market (i.e.- sign it in June 2010).

Even if he performs well, I still don't see his value rising above $7-9 million per year. If he gets hurt again or plays in the playoffs like he has the first couple months of the season, then perhaps you get him as low as $5 million a year, which is a great price if he returns to form or a good price if he's a 12 ppg role player.

[pressurez]

Luis Scola will be a much more sought-after free agent than Manu.

Firstly, bigs are always more coveted than little guys.

Secondly, Scola is reaching the peak of his production. He's tough, smart, team-oriented, and can score, rebound, and defend. He's a bit older but far more productive (15/9) than Anderson Varejao (8/8) and Paul Millsap (10/5) who got big contracts last year.

While Manu has shown flashes of superstardom, clearly he's on the decline. A business man can't just cross fingers and hope for a miracle but rather must recognize his anticipated path as one of decline and injury.

If you're a team with money like Sacramento or OKC, who would you look to add? Scola is just the right veteran big man for both of those squads - it's not often you can find a "glue guy" that's so productive and not a liability in any aspect of the game.

[exstatic]

the question wll come down to loyalty and comfort level vs. dollars and long term security. When a player starts facing the end of his career the choice becomes stark and real. Usually dollars win but it depends on the character of the player.

With the current financial state of the NBA, I just don't see anyone blowing him away with a big dollar long term contract. Too many teams are in financial trouble.

He's missed parts or all of the last two post seasons with injuries, and teams know he can really only play 28-30 minute per game if they don't want him to break down. You don't get superstar money doing that.

I think the Spurs will probably offer him a 2 year deal, somewhere in the vicinity of $13-15M to keep the MLE available teams at bay, if he stays healthy.

[baseline bum]

I think Manu wants to stay, and for the reasons stated in the article, I think he will get few credible offers. I put his chances of staying at 85%, with some of the remaining %s as a return to Europe, where his bod takes less damage from a long season.

I'm a lot less optimistic; I put it at 65% at best. The Spurs would be damn fools to not lowball the hell out of Manu, and as bad as the economic conditions are, there are tons of teams that have huge capspace that are going to have to spend it somewhere.

[DPG21920]

I'm a lot less optimistic; I put it at 65% at best. The Spurs would be damn fools to not lowball the hell out of Manu, and as bad as the economic conditions are, there are tons of teams that have huge capspace that are going to have to spend it somewhere.

So you are saying that the Spurs should lowball him when there are teams willing to spend money on him? If that is the case, that means the Spurs don't really want him and they should definitely look to trade him and get some value.

[baseline bum]

So you are saying that the Spurs should lowball him when there are teams willing to spend money on him? If that is the case, that means the Spurs don't really want him and they should definitely look to trade him and get some value.

The Spurs should lowball him regardless of what other teams are offering. There's no way they can continue paying $10 million a year to a guy who cannot last a season anymore. If he somehow doesn't break down at the end of the season (which I doubt, since it looks like he already has), then I'd be open to revising my view, but as it stands now, he's gotta take a major paycut.

[baseline bum]

As for trading Manu, I'd be open to the idea if the team can get a really nice player for his expiring contract. I wouldn't move him just to get an MLE-level player though.

[DPG21920]

As for trading Manu, I'd be open to the idea if the team can get a really nice player for his expiring contract. I wouldn't move him just to get an MLE-level player though.

Well if the Spurs are going to low-ball Manu (which I don't really disagree to a certain extent), and at the same time it is likely another team will offer him more, at that point you have to look at the most likely outcome. Manu will leave.

If that is the case, you have to trade him for anything, even a MLE type player because that is all you will have to spend to replace him anyways next year. So if you can get a player you like at that price range, you should do it. Especially considering the fact that Tiago, if he is coming, will command that MLE.

[Agloco]

I agree that Manu wants to stay and I'm sure Pop and the brass feel the same way in their hearts. Manu is clearly having a subpar season and looks nothing like the cold-blooded, game-changing, assassin that he once was. I just wonder if the how this will turn out - especially if the Spurs continue having such a disappointing season. This outcome will be one worth watching.

+1 and then some.

This, in my mind, is the singular reason why I see the Spurs chances at another trophy slipping away. Forget everything else, it STILL starts with a healthy Manu.

[DAF86]

The only way I see Manu leaving San Antonio (if he doesn't get traded) is for a LA-Boston kind of contender, I don't see him signing with the Thunders or Kings of the league no matter how much money he's offered.

[Sigz]

Manu is done.

[DAF86]

Manu is done.

As a borderline All-star player maybe, he can still be a great role player for a contender.

[HarlemHeat37]

He's not going to get any significant offers from anybody playing the way he's been playing this season..it's too risky..he'll get plenty of low-level offers though, especially from contenders IMO..he's still a winner that has great basketball IQ, but he definitely doesn't deserve all-star caliber $ at this point of his career..right now, he's an average player..hopefully he can bounce back, obviously this team is screwed without his usual talent-level..

[Dex]

Spurs aren't being more aggressive with Manu's extension because they're still trying to judge how healthy he will remain and what kind of level he will return to. If Manu were being the Manu of old, they would've extended his contract a while ago.

It may be risky to let him venture into free agency, but extending his contract now is like going all in before the flop. Nobody knows what kind of player Manu is going to be going forward yet, and the Spurs are wise to not make any assumptions in that regard.


Who’s to say he wouldn’t be open to playing in a vibrant, international city like Miami, New York or the foreign-player friendly Toronto.

Yes, I'm sure Manu is very uncomfortable in latin-friendly San Antonio.

[TMTTRIO]

It'll be interesting. Manu's not anywhere where he used to be but just like tonight he can still bring some intangibles that make his teammates better even if he can't play like he used to. He will still get interest from other teams even though it'll probably be for a lot less money now. If the Spurs aren't successful this season I'm not sure Manu comes back or the Spurs bring him back. Manu has some other teams he's interested in. If he can't get an offer with a good or contending team I heard Manu say in a interview that he would maybe consider going back to Europe.

[Mal]

If Spurs end season (championship, lottery - nvm) with healthy Manu, they sit , talk about extension and get a deal

[Duncan21kid]

Manu we love you , stay in SA

[FkLA]

some of yall are some ungrateful mofos seriously...do you guys even realize how great the 6-yr 48 million dollar deal Manu got in 2004 was for the team? Look at the deal RJ is currently on and signed around the same time it was in 80 million range, Rashard Lewis got a max contract from Orlando, Joe Johnson who had not accomplished nearly as much as Manu up to that point also received a max contract, Ben Gordon last year in horrible economy and with the salary cap expected to drop got a 70 million contract. I could go on, point being that Manu gave the Spurs a huge break and did not demand anywhere near what he was actually worth. The man is as loyal as they come, he loves this organization and city. Yet some of yall want the Spurs to let him go or for them to lowball him? GTFO, give the man a fair deal and keep him here. Thats all it'll take, as long as the the front office doesnt follow the advice of some ignorant people on here and insult him by lowballing, he'll stay. He's too loyal to leave.

[BillMc]

He is actually being talked about in LA. Kobe (and the Lakers) will look at the list of 2010 free agents and while LeBron, Bosh and Wade seem nice the only realistic option is Manu. Full MLE offer of near 6 million. Manu will be tempted.

I'm sure you're right. And that would be tough for me. I'd hate to see Manu play for the Lakers.

I think there may be more interest around the league in Manu than expected. There's almost always some team that will overpay for a player, and his "team-first" mentality will make coaches and FO's want him there to show the younger players how to play. And in this tough economy there may be some teams that think Manu can help get people from the Latin community in the seats. And there is always Europe...

I want Manu here, even if he's in a reduced role. For his complete basketball career he will be in the HOF, and just the perfect teammate.

I give his chance of staying at around 50%. I fully expect someone to give him an offer that is significantly larger than what the Spurs give him. And he's made so much less money than Parker or Duncan, and with the career coming to an end, if the Lakers for example offer more money and seem more likely to win championships, it will be really tough for him to stay. Sad day for us all if it happens. :depressed:depressed:depressed:depressed

[clubalien]

I think wade and james could be on the same team if james leaves cleveland

if I am cavs I see what it would take to get wade now
wade just has to say I am out of here

no one is talking about manu because he is a plan c plan right now
he plays better he might get up to plan b

I know some spurs fans want to go after another FA, but i think lebron is the best one. Also the best player to play allong side tim is kobe. With lebron we can sort of recreate kobe-shaq with lebron-tim. We don't have enough cash to sign both wade and lebron though like you suggested.

[baseline bum]

some of yall are some ungrateful mofos seriously...do you guys even realize how great the 6-yr 48 million dollar deal Manu got in 2004 was for the team? Look at the deal RJ is currently on and signed around the same time it was in 80 million range, Rashard Lewis got a max contract from Orlando, Joe Johnson who had not accomplished nearly as much as Manu up to that point also received a max contract, Ben Gordon last year in horrible economy and with the salary cap expected to drop got a 70 million contract. I could go on, point being that Manu gave the Spurs a huge break and did not demand anywhere near what he was actually worth. The man is as loyal as they come, he loves this organization and city. Yet some of yall want the Spurs to let him go or for them to lowball him? GTFO, give the man a fair deal and keep him here. Thats all it'll take, as long as the the front office doesnt follow the advice of some ignorant people on here and insult him by lowballing, he'll stay. He's too loyal to leave.

It was great for the team in 04-05, 05-06, and 06-07. Not so good in 07-08 and 08-09 as his body gave out both seasons. He's certainly not playing up to his $10.75 million contract this season. Fair value is a huge paycut from $11 million a year; the Spurs would be insane to offer him anything more than about $6.5 - $7.5 million. As much as I love Manu, the Spurs cannot afford to pay based on past accomplishments when the last three years have been so underwhelming. Manu most certainly has not aged like a fine wine.

[baseline bum]

Your numbers are wrong too; Manu's contract paid him $52 million. The fact that he was a restricted free agent did a lot to kill his value on the FA market, and Denver was the only suitor to make him a serious offer.

[OldSilentHill]

It'll be interesting. Manu's not anywhere where he used to be but just like tonight he can still bring some intangibles that make his teammates better even if he can't play like he used to. He will still get interest from other teams even though it'll probably be for a lot less money now. If the Spurs aren't successful this season I'm not sure Manu comes back or the Spurs bring him back. Manu has some other teams he's interested in. If he can't get an offer with a good or contending team I heard Manu say in a interview that he would maybe consider going back to Europe.


How do you know he is interested in "some other teams"? Just wanted to know...:wakeup

[exstatic]

I'm a lot less optimistic; I put it at 65% at best. The Spurs would be damn fools to not lowball the hell out of Manu, and as bad as the economic conditions are, there are tons of teams that have huge capspace that are going to have to spend it somewhere.

Two years ago, I would have agreed with you, but teams don't seem to be the profligate spenders they were during the boom. Most aren't even keeping a 14th or 15th player this year.

They're lining up for LeBron/Bosh/Wade, but I don't think they'll just spend MAX dollars on someone just to spend.

[BackHome]

I for one am a HUGE Manu fan and I just wish all the Spurs players had his heart and passion for the game. But as a Spurs fan I understand that while we won't low ball him we will not be offering starter money for him to stay. He is a good sixth man but his body will not hold up to starter minutes and I belive we still need to get taller and athletic.

The biggest question for 2010 is will Splitter come over because if he does we have a chance and if he doesn't we don't.

[baseline bum]

Two years ago, I would have agreed with you, but teams don't seem to be the profligate spenders they were during the boom. Most aren't even keeping a 14th or 15th player this year.

They're lining up for LeBron/Bosh/Wade, but I don't think they'll just spend MAX dollars on someone just to spend.

Let's be pessimistic and say the cap drastically drops, to say, $53 million. Here's a list of the capspace that's going to be available:

New Jersey: $27.4 million
New York: $25.7 million
Minnesota: $17.9 million
LA Clippers: $14 million
Oklahoma City: $12 million
Miami: $10.7 million (assuming they can bring Wade back at max money)
Houston: $10 million
Sacramento: $10 million
Chicago: $9.1 million

Every team other than the Clippers is going to use every cent of that space. You have to think Sacramento will make an offer, as will Chicago, and probably Miami. D'Antoni has a hard-on for players like Manu, so you know New York will pay big money without thinking twice if they can't get a second young star out of that capspace. On top of that, if Bosh walks Toronto is going to have $7 million that Colangelo would be dying to spend to get another international player.... and this is a best case scenario for the Spurs; that the cap takes a tremendous hit to neuter Manu's market value. There's just too much money out there for me to be really confident that the Spurs can afford to keep Manu, and by the way he was talking at the beginning of the season, he did not sound like he's all that eager to take a pay cut to stay.

[clubalien]

demand for manu might actual go up for manu if people think he is a "cheap" option.

Sort of how a car for 100,000 will have more demand if it is on sale for 20,000.

manu the new door buster, only 1 in stock

[Kori Ellis]

Your numbers are wrong too; Manu's contract paid him $52 million. The fact that he was a restricted free agent did a lot to kill his value on the FA market, and Denver was the only suitor to make him a serious offer.

Denver never even made him an offer... it never got to that point.

[Kori Ellis]

If he finishes the season healthy, I think the Spurs will give him a 2 year/$20M deal.

[TD 21]

If he finishes the season healthy, I think the Spurs will give him a 2 year/$20M deal.

Agreed. I've been saying this since last season.

[ducks]

spurs should just let other teams set the value for manu and then see if they want to match it or not

yes I know he is not restricted
but I think manu would atleast let the spurs have the opurtunity to match

[ElNono]

Well, considering it's probably his last contract in the NBA (that's not a vet min contract), and that he's got two boys coming, I'm sure he'll listen to any and all the offers out there. I think that unless some team throws a bad contract and ridiculous money at him, he's probably going to work an extension and staying...
But if Malik got paid... You can't rule that out either...

[ducks]

Well, considering it's probably his last contract in the NBA (that's not a vet min contract), and that he's got two boys coming, I'm sure he'll listen to any and all the offers out there. I think that unless some team throws a bad contract and ridiculous money at him, he's probably staying...
But if Malik got paid... You can't rule that out either...

yeah 54 million is not enough for 2 boys

[ducks]

I think the knicks could offer manu crazy money if they get one star fa and no other one joins them

[ElNono]

yeah 54 million is not enough for 2 boys

If you can get 5 more millions and secure the wellbeing of 6 or more future possible grandchildren, why wouldn't you do it?

Maybe none of them will ever have a chance to earn millions of dollars...
You're just not thinking into the future...

[ducks]

lol

manu should have enough now to give each kid 10 million

[ElNono]

I think the knicks could offer manu crazy money if they get one star fa and no other one joins them

The Knicks are not run by Isiah anymore, but I can tell you D'Antoni loves Manu. Two other coaches that really like him too are Karl in Denver and Doc Rivers in Boston.
This is something else to think about, and something I brought up on a similar thread: How much will it affect the Spurs own championships chances if a team like Boston or Denver pays him just enough to run their second units for them?

There's going to be a lot of things in the balance whenever the Spurs take on this, and it will be more than mere money...

[ElNono]

lol

manu should have enough now to give each kid 10 million

You don't get it, which is not surprising...

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Nice thread. All the major angles have been covered, so I'll just say this:


As for trading Manu, I'd be open to the idea if the team can get a really nice player for his expiring contract. I wouldn't move him just to get an MLE-level player though.

John Salmons and Ty Thomas?

I don't know that I'd pull the trigger on this, because I believe Manu might take 18mil/3yrs to play out his career here, but it's something to think about.

[ducks]

I would only offer him a three year deal if spurs had the rights to exerise the third year or not

[Kori Ellis]

I highly doubt the extension will even out to 10 million a year. I'd think 6.5 to 8.5 million is a good range.


I think it will be closer to $10M a year because the Spurs won't want to give him a third year -- which is what his agent will probably ask for. For a two year deal, I can't imagine the Spurs will be able to sign him for less than 2 years/$18M. They'll probably start negotiations around 2 years/$15M and end up close to $20M, IMO.

[ducks]

how much if he is injured in playoffs again ?

[baseline bum]

The Knicks are not run by Isiah anymore, but I can tell you D'Antoni loves Manu. Two other coaches that really like him too are Karl in Denver and Doc Rivers in Boston.
This is something else to think about, and something I brought up on a similar thread: How much will it affect the Spurs own championships chances if a team like Boston or Denver pays him just enough to run their second units for them?

There's going to be a lot of things in the balance whenever the Spurs take on this, and it will be more than mere money...

Denver and Boston are way over the cap though, so all they can offer is the MLE. I don't see him in either of those places under any circumstance.

[baseline bum]

Nice thread. All the major angles have been covered, so I'll just say this:



John Salmons and Ty Thomas?

I don't know that I'd pull the trigger on this, because I believe Manu might take 18mil/3yrs to play out his career here, but it's something to think about.

I wouldn't make that trade. I have never liked Salmons, and Thomas is pretty much a bust. I'd rather take my chances that Manu gets healthy for the end of season and playoffs, and that he re-signs for a reasonable amount. For 3 years, $18 million, I'd most likely want to bring Manu back.

[temujin]

The Knicks are not run by Isiah anymore, but I can tell you D'Antoni loves Manu. Two other coaches that really like him too are Karl in Denver and Doc Rivers in Boston.
This is something else to think about, and something I brought up on a similar thread: How much will it affect the Spurs own championships chances if a team like Boston or Denver pays him just enough to run their second units for them?

There's going to be a lot of things in the balance whenever the Spurs take on this, and it will be more than mere money...

I fully confirm this.
If the Spurs do well, Ginobili will stay, but if they don't...
I'd be surprised if the Knicks don't make a run at Manu.
And if they get James or Wade/Bosh, I'd be very surprised if he doesn't consider that, irrespective of money.

[raspsa]

Do you know how much it costs to support twins?$18M-$20M for 2 years if he has a good PO run.

[Mark in Austin]

From how butt-hurt Rudoy sounded after negotiations on Manu's last contract with very little leverage, I'd bet a cheeseburger or two that he'll be motivated to line up some real offers from teams with space now that he's not restricted.

[TDMVPDPOY]

does that mean holt has to pay luxury tax again next season?

i dont see it happenning if we dont win the ring this season...FO is going to lowball gino and thats it....

[FkLA]

It was great for the team in 04-05, 05-06, and 06-07. Not so good in 07-08 and 08-09 as his body gave out both seasons. He's certainly not playing up to his $10.75 million contract this season. Fair value is a huge paycut from $11 million a year; the Spurs would be insane to offer him anything more than about $6.5 - $7.5 million. As much as I love Manu, the Spurs cannot afford to pay based on past accomplishments when the last three years have been so underwhelming. Manu most certainly has not aged like a fine wine.

Manu didnt have to lock up his professional prime to a contract like that, he couldve signed a short-term deal because he still had room to grow and showcase his worth...or he couldve held out and demanded more just based on that fact, simply signed a one year qualifying offer like numerous FAs that dont feel like theyre getting what theyre worth, etc. And I dont think some of you truely grasp how much great value we were getting from Manu from 04 to 08 before the WCF injury...you dont think there were numerous teams that wouldve been willing to throw max or near max contracts at Manu's feet after his 2005 run? Yet we were paying him like 8 mill per yr during that time. Manu wasnt just slightly underpaid, he was extremely underpaid.

The man deserves a fair deal, no lowballing.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Manu is going to shock all the doubters this year. He'll be back to "Manu-tastic" by the playoffs.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

I'm with FkLA. If I were the Spurs I'd be working out the extension as we speak.