McDonald: Spurs notebook: Ratliff trade brings financial relief

[duncan228]

Ratliff trade brings financial relief (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Ratliff_trade_brings_financial_relief.html)
Jeff McDonald

PHILADELPHIA — With time running out on the NBA's trading season, the Spurs completed a deal Thursday that won't help coach Gregg Popovich's team much on the court, but does stand to help chairman Peter Holt's pocketbook.

The Spurs sent little-used center Theo Ratliff to Charlotte, in a deal that narrowly beat the 3 p.m. trade deadline. In exchange, the Spurs received a conditional second-round pick in 2016 and, more importantly in the near term, financial relief.

Dealing Ratliff allows the Spurs to shave more than $800,000 off their pending luxury tax bill this summer.

Ratliff, 36 years old and a veteran of 15 seasons, signed a free-agent deal with the Spurs in July, but has essentially been the team's 12th man. He played in 21 games, averaging 1.6 points and 1.9 rebounds.

Thursday's trade will reunite Ratliff with Bobcats coach Larry Brown, who coached Ratliff for four seasons in Philadelphia from 1997-2001.

Rebounding machine: Tim Duncan's 4-for-23 shooting night in Wednesday's 90-87 win at Indiana marked the third-poorest of his 13-season career.

That Duncan compensated for his bricklaying with 26 rebounds, 11 offensive, was not lost on his coach or teammates.

“It just shows what kind of class he has,” coach Gregg Popovich said. “He couldn't buy a bucket, couldn't make a basket. And he goes out, and he gets all those rebounds and does what he can to help his team. He doesn't give in.”

Duncan came within one rebound of matching his single-game career high of 27, set Jan. 27 against Atlanta. He is the first Spurs player to record multiple games of 25-plus rebounds in the same season since Dennis Rodman did it four times during the 1994-95 campaign.

Duncan is seventh in the NBA at 11.0 rebounds per game this season.

“That's the great thing about Timmy,” Tony Parker said. “If he has a bad shooting night, he's always going to do other stuff. He's just a presence.”

Parker's hip trouble: Popovich said he had hoped to hold Parker, who has a strained left hip flexor, to fewer than the 39 minutes, 11 seconds he logged in Indiana.

“I could have managed it better,” Popovich said.

Having not played since Feb. 8, Parker said he was surprised the injury began to flare up on him late in the game against the Pacers, and cast his availability for tonight's game at Philadelphia in doubt.

Parker likely will be a game-time decision.

[Obstructed_View]

Again, I'm waiting for Peter Holt to ask what the fuck Ratliff was doing collecting a paycheck all season if this was the plan for him.

[Ice009]

Great. Parker a game time decision. Doesn't look like the rest at the All-Star break helped him much.

[ElNono]

Having not played since Feb. 8, Parker said he was surprised the injury began to flare up on him late in the game against the Pacers, and cast his availability for tonight's game at Philadelphia in doubt.

Parker likely will be a game-time decision.

:depressed

[FeZZy]

:depressed

[L.I.T]

Why does this feel more like doing an assist for an old friend than any sort of salary cap or long-term team building stuff?

[celldweller]

More like......

Black Guy - SpursTalk posters

White Guy - :pop:

http://i45.tinypic.com/3160sc9.jpg

[TD 21]

Make no mistake, what this is is a clear admission that the front office doesn't think this team can win a championship this season. It's not that Ratliff is a savior, but it's symbolic. If this team really thought they had a chance, they'd have kept him. Let's face it, the savings are mere pennies, in relation to money in the NBA.

[PeterBurns]

Make no mistake, what this is is a clear admission that the front office doesn't think this team can win a championship this season. It's not that Ratliff is a savior, but it's symbolic. If this team really thought they had a chance, they'd have kept him. Let's face it, the savings are mere pennies, in relation to money in the NBA.

Game. Set. Match.
The thread should end on that post.
Well said.

[spurs10]

With TP in such bad shape, why is he talking to the press about playing for the FNT this summer? I love his playing, but his plantar fascitis needs to be dealt with or his value as an elite NBA player is going to drop like a rock. We'll really need the rest of the guys to step up in Philly.

[timvp]

I'd like to see a quote from Pop or RC about the Ratliff trade. It'd be nice if they at least threw us a bone and pretended that the trade was partly to open up an active spot for a young player.

[SCdac]

Theo Ratliff, total waste of a training camp spot, and waste of a per-minute shot blocking tool, and overall the minutes given to him these past 52 games felt pretty insincere. Leaves us scrambling through the WW. I'm going to assume Ratliff at his age just wasn't proving serviceable enough for Pop's offense (seems to be our focus) this year either in-game or in practice. I hope this, and Mahinmi's somewhat small option for next season being turned down, doesn't mean Duncan is going to be the "Lone Center" as long as the Spurs are financially strapped. We've heard RC talk about Splitter coming over for next season, I at least hope dumping Ratliff in someway helped.

[Big P]

Again, I'm waiting for Peter Holt to ask what the fuck Ratliff was doing collecting a paycheck all season if this was the plan for him.

Holt did not know that rj would not fit in & we would suck this bad, ratliff was signed as a defensive clog on a team that was supposed to compete for the championship...thats not happening, so he might as well save some money & get something out of him...hence the trade.

[The Truth #6]

I've heard the 2016 draft is going to be DEEP.

[timvp]

As for Parker, it's just a damn shame. He ruined himself by playing for the French National Team in some worthless tourney. Now he can barely walk. Best of all, he's apparently planning on going back.

Lame.

Literally.

[EricB]

As for Parker, it's just a damn shame. He ruined himself by playing for the French National Team in some worthless tourney. Now he can barely walk. Best of all, he's apparently planning on going back.

Lame.

Literally.


Waits for Bruno to come in and slam post.

[crc21209]

:lmao at a 2016 pick....WOW.

[timvp]

Waits for Bruno to come in and slam post.

Not even Bruno could defend TP playing for the FNT at this point.

[ElNono]

Waits for Bruno to come in and slam post.

:corn:

[admiralsnackbar]

Waits for Bruno to come in and slam post.

I don't know that he will.

[jjktkk]

Again, I'm waiting for Peter Holt to ask what the fuck Ratliff was doing collecting a paycheck all season if this was the plan for him.

IMO the plan was for Ratliff play spot minutes, but no one expected Blair to be this good so soon. Ratliff became expendable.

[jjktkk]

Why does this feel more like doing an assist for an old friend than any sort of salary cap or long-term team building stuff?

Ratliff an asset? More like an 3rd or 4th bigman. As far as long-term, think Hill, Blair, and hopefully Splitter, Hairston, and Gist.

[L.I.T]

Ratliff an asset? More like an 3rd or 4th bigman. As far as long-term, think Hill, Blair, and hopefully Splitter, Hairston, and Gist.

Trading Theo Ratliff for a second round 2016 top 55 protected pick to Larry Brown who is an old friend of Pop. Larry Brown, the guy coaching the team that just traded for Ty Thomas and has some injury problems with Tyson Chandler? Neither Ratliff nor the second round pick are "assets"; but Ratliff likely will be more helpful for the Bobcats than the Spurs. Ratliff's salary cap hit is also less than Mason/Finley/Bonner/Mahinmi (I think), so all this talk about it being purely salary cap relief rings hollow. Especially when hey had larger contracts they could have dumped.

So, to recap for you: Ratliff not an asset. 2016 2nd round pick not a long-term asset either. And his salary cap savings is minimal versus other players they could have just salary dumped. Hence, my thought that it was done to as a favor to Larry Brown. Kinda like when Pop clued in Brown to Raja Bell.

Oh and the Spurs are not going to be building post Big 3 around Hill/Blair/Splitter/Hairston/Gist. They are decent rotational players, but none is a franchise player.

[all_heart]

As for Parker, it's just a damn shame. He ruined himself by playing for the French National Team in some worthless tourney. Now he can barely walk. Best of all, he's apparently planning on going back.

Lame.

Literally.

F'd up..
Honestly TP, is the only tradeable asset that will give you something significant in return. TP is not the key to success any more, not when LA front court is stacked. Spurs failed to evolve. It's like if Pop said, screw it Shaq has gone East, we don't another big to help Timmy.. Pop is guilty of trying to do too much with too little. It gets to a point where you are playing too many vets and not doing enough to develop talent. I don't see the Spurs attracting any big names this off season.

[kace]

As for Parker, it's just a damn shame. He ruined himself by playing for the French National Team in some worthless tourney. Now he can barely walk. Best of all, he's apparently planning on going back.

Lame.

Literally.

way to raise the bar by insulting anything outside the NBA.

[Bruno]

Since people call me out, here's my take:

I highly doubt Parker will play this summer. All he has said to french journalists point in the direction that he will take the summer off. I don't see the point in talking about something that likely won't happen.

[benefactor]

I don't know how Parker was expected to come back so quickly. I strained a hip flexor tubing a few years back and it took a long time for it go away completely. I can't remember exactly how long but I know it was better than a month. If you turn the wrong way just slightly it feels like someone is stabbing you with a knife right above the upper leg. It feels fine walking straight ahead, but if you turn slightly...pow.

[Kamnik]

As for Parker, it's just a damn shame. He ruined himself by playing for the French National Team in some worthless tourney. Now he can barely walk. Best of all, he's apparently planning on going back.

Lame.

Literally.

Worthless on your side of the ocean.

[DBMethos]

Worthless on your side of the ocean.

Worthless to the team that signs his checks.

[wildbill2u]

Again, I'm waiting for Peter Holt to ask what the fuck Ratliff was doing collecting a paycheck all season if this was the plan for him.

My guess is that Holt took a look at his hand and found his two offseason trades for hole cards (RJ & Dice) were Jacks instead of Aces and decided to throw in his hand to save some money.

No more talk about "all in" to complete the analogy.

[wildbill2u]

Why does this feel more like doing an assist for an old friend than any sort of salary cap or long-term team building stuff?

yeah, but you got the identity of the old friend wrong. I bet Pop called Larry and said, "Buddy, after we took that Butler bum from you on your recommendation, ya owe me one."

And so Brown did Pop a favor and took Ratliff off our hands since Holt is probably screaming about the luxury tax bill coming up for a team that ain't what it was cracked up to be.

[CGD]

IMO the plan was for Ratliff play spot minutes, but no one expected Blair to be this good so soon. Ratliff became expendable.

Agreed -- Some folk are overreacting a bit.

I don't think Pop and crew expected Blair to average nearly 20 minutes a game this season. Theo's playing time, like Ian's, was a "victim" of Blair's ascendence. On balance, I'm OK with that.

[SpurNation]

Parker likely will be a game-time decision.


From here on out for the rest of the season I would expect many of these.

Who would expect the team to win if key players are injured and "unable to play"? :hat

[Agloco]

As for Parker, it's just a damn shame. He ruined himself by playing for the French National Team in some worthless tourney. Now he can barely walk. Best of all, he's apparently planning on going back.

Lame.

Literally.


Worthless on your side of the ocean.


Worthless to the team that signs his checks.


Amen. When are these players going to wake up and realize that their first obligation is their employer? Whether or not it's explicitly stated is irrelevant. They love to call themselves "professionals" yet fail to exhibit one of the more basic traits involved with being labeled as such. Lame indeed.

[xapatan2]

Worthless to the team that signs his checks.

you're just plain wrong.

But, hé, this is not my problem if you cannot figure out what it brings in terms of competiveness ( among others) to play a major role in international games...

Do you want me to explain you the nice and fabulous story of Mr Emmanuel Ginobili ?

whatever, coming back to the point that's important to us, (spurs fans), as stated before, I do think he won't play this summer, which i hope.

And Fuck : OK he is tired because he played for the french NT last summer but he is also tired because he had the spurs team on his shoulders, given the fact that both Manu and Tim were injured and that no one stepped up during the regular season or the playoffs.

I think Parker deserves, from spurs fans, to have an sincere and honest judgment for his investment in international play compared to what he gave to the Spurs.

Am i enough clear ?

Xap

[CGD]

Amen. When are these players going to wake up and realize that their first obligation is their employer? Whether or not it's explicitly stated is irrelevant. They love to call themselves "professionals" yet fail to exhibit one of the more basic traits involved with being labeled as such. Lame indeed.

No. A player's obligation is to follow the terms of his contract. Players and teams negotiate salaries thoroughly, and if applicable weigh their exposure from potential international play. IMO one of the main reasons Manu hasn't had larger contracts in past, for example, is precisely because this issue.

[PDXSpursFan]

Let's rest Parker the rest of the season. He needs to be fresh for his NT during the summer :bang

[mexicanjunior]

Let's rest Parker the rest of the season. He needs to be fresh for his NT during the summer :bang

He'll get plenty of rest at the end of this season...

[vander]

you're just plain wrong.

But, hé, this is not my problem if you cannot figure out what it brings in terms of competiveness ( among others) to play a major role in international games...

Do you want me to explain you the nice and fabulous story of Mr Emmanuel Ginobili ?

whatever, coming back to the point that's important to us, (spurs fans), as stated before, I do think he won't play this summer, which i hope.

And Fuck : OK he is tired because he played for the french NT last summer but he is also tired because he had the spurs team on his shoulders, given the fact that both Manu and Tim were injured and that no one stepped up during the regular season or the playoffs.

I think Parker deserves, from spurs fans, to have an sincere and honest judgment for his investment in international play compared to what he gave to the Spurs.

Am i enough clear ?

Xap

If I'm a GM, I put something in the contract that says he can't play in those tournaments, and if he doesn't like it, he can go somewhere else for less money and be tired and injured all year for them.

the Spurs pay him for his basketball ability and production, and his summer play significantly lessens his basketball ability and production.

TP may have a good contract now, but his summer play will probably end up costing him 10's of millions on the rest of his NBA contracts, I doubt he gets much more than the MLE in 2011, by next summer he'll be little more than a washed-up one-trick pony.

[Shastafarian]

No. A player's obligation is to follow the terms of his contract. Players and teams negotiate salaries thoroughly, and if applicable weigh their exposure from potential international play. IMO one of the main reasons Manu hasn't had larger contracts in past, for example, is precisely because this issue.

Going by this logic, how do you think the Union would react to this:

"Oh you got injured playing outside of the league? We're withholding pay for every minute you're not playing."

Wake up. Their first responsibility is to the team that is paying them. Whatever jeopardizes that should void their contract. But it doesn't because they're backed by a strong Union.

[Shastafarian]

If I'm a GM, I put something in the contract that says he can't play in those tournaments, and if he doesn't like it, he can go somewhere else for less money and be tired and injured all year for them.


This isn't possible with the current CBA. Teams are not allowed to forbid players from playing in international tournaments.

[8FOR!3]

The New York Knicks are getting ready for next year, we're getting ready for 2016: The Year.

[vander]

This isn't possible with the current CBA. Teams are not allowed to forbid players from playing in international tournaments.

eh, get a couple creative lawyers...

[Shastafarian]

eh, get a couple creative lawyers...

The only thing the Spurs can do is exactly what they did with Manu. Withhold contract extension talks.

[trypldubl]

It is worthless when you know they are not winning anything anyway. Especially if he is hurt now. Do you think he is going help the team in the summer the way he is playing now with no real rest?

[JR3]

We got a second round pick and saved some cash. Everyone who is complaining about this will be putting their foot in their mouths if we end up picking up the next ginobili or blair with this pick.

[Shastafarian]

Everyone who is complaining about this will be putting their foot in their mouths if we end up picking up the next ginobili or blair with this pick.
I will commence holding my breath...

[ShoogarBear]

We got a second round pick and saved some cash. Everyone who is complaining about this will be putting their foot in their mouths if we end up picking up the next ginobili or blair with this pick.

You gonna keep this paged bookmarked until 2016?


"With the 56th pick in the draft, the San Antonio Spurs select . . . ":rollin

[vander]

The only thing the Spurs can do is exactly what they did with Manu. Withhold contract extension talks.

or maybe have some mandatory training camps that just happen to be at the same time as the tourney...

[sandman]

The best part of the Ratliff trade?

The number of players on the roster with 14+ years experience was reduced to 2...

[Stringer_Bell]

:lmao at a 2016 pick....WOW.

It's not just a 2016 pick, it's a conditional pick.

What the hell is a conditional pick? WTF this is 6 years away and lots of conditions can change. :bang

[admiralsnackbar]

I will commence holding my breath...

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll320/snackbar50/creepshow96ho.png

[Spurs Brazil]

LUDDEN ANALYSIS: After trying to ship out Richard Jefferson(notes) and exploring trade options for both Antonio McDyess(notes) and Roger Mason(notes), the latter of whom told the San Antonio Express-News he wanted to remain a Spur for the rest of his career, then, four days later, had his agent issue a public trade request, the Spurs settled for a simple salary dump to knock a few dollars off their luxury-tax bill. In the process, Ratliff gets to reunite with his old coach Larry Brown.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=ArerBr9vawNmlbEmLNgFI8K8vLYF?slug=ys-nba_trade_deadline_2010&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

[lurker23]

It's not just a 2016 pick, it's a conditional pick.

What the hell is a conditional pick? WTF this is 6 years away and lots of conditions can change. :bang

It's top 55 protected. Basically, unless the Bobcats become a top 5 team in the NBA, the Spurs will never see the pick.

[Dr. Gonzo]

you're just plain wrong.

But, hé, this is not my problem if you cannot figure out what it brings in terms of competiveness ( among others) to play a major role in international games...

Do you want me to explain you the nice and fabulous story of Mr Emmanuel Ginobili ?

whatever, coming back to the point that's important to us, (spurs fans), as stated before, I do think he won't play this summer, which i hope.

And Fuck : OK he is tired because he played for the french NT last summer but he is also tired because he had the spurs team on his shoulders, given the fact that both Manu and Tim were injured and that no one stepped up during the regular season or the playoffs.

I think Parker deserves, from spurs fans, to have an sincere and honest judgment for his investment in international play compared to what he gave to the Spurs.

Am i enough clear ?

Xap

Fuck Tony Parker.

[xapatan2]

Fuck Tony Parker.

Your arguments are fucking brilliant.

Xap'

[xapatan2]

If I'm a GM, I put something in the contract that says he can't play in those tournaments, and if he doesn't like it, he can go somewhere else for less money and be tired and injured all year for them.

the Spurs pay him for his basketball ability and production, and his summer play significantly lessens his basketball ability and production.

TP may have a good contract now, but his summer play will probably end up costing him 10's of millions on the rest of his NBA contracts, I doubt he gets much more than the MLE in 2011, by next summer he'll be little more than a washed-up one-trick pony.

Look, I am OK with that, remember I said I was thinking (and hoping) Parker would not play this summer.

But what I am not OK with, is all these posts pointing out the whole responsability on Tony shoulders and on his play for the NT.

This is too too easy. Current Tony's difficulties are related to his play for the NT AND to the last season when NO-ONE was stepping up.

For someone who has played his ass and everything during regular season, playoffs, who has missed few games, for so many years, All these posts are a bit too much, irrelevant and unfair.

Too too much easy to say "trade his ass", fuck him or whatever...

things are often a bit more complex.
that's all I was saying.

Xap'