Have the Spurs EVER landed a big name free agent? [Archive]

Darkwaters

01-10-2011, 02:42 PM

What are you talking about? LeBron James big? Dwayne Wade big?

Honestly, at the time Rasho Nesterovic was seen as a major coup of a signing. Rasho was seen as the next big thing (kind of like Gortat) at the time. In retrospect it was undeserved, but at the time it was a considerable signing. But that was all borne from being unable to sign Jason Kidd.

Glenn Holland

01-10-2011, 02:45 PM

Rasho was considered "big" because they Spurs have never signed shit when it comes to FA.

I guess the answer is a resounding no.

The Spurs, can not land a big name FA.

VBM

01-10-2011, 02:45 PM

Honestly, at the time Rasho Nesterovic was seen as a major coup of a signing.

I don't remember it being pegged like that...Rasho was our consolation prize after losing out on Jason Kidd and Jermaine O'Neal.

Brent Barry and Michael Finley are about as good as SA has done in recent years

DesignatedT

01-10-2011, 02:49 PM

Spurs signed Tim Duncan when he became a free agent...

Juanobili

01-10-2011, 02:54 PM

don't you think we would have known? no they havent

ElNono

01-10-2011, 02:57 PM

Duncan... also Finley was fairly coveted when we signed him up. Same could be said about McDyess...

elbamba

01-10-2011, 02:58 PM

Yet they have 4 championships. I guess when you draft smart and fill up your roster with solid role players, you don't need to overpay for talent like all the big markets.

JWest596

01-10-2011, 03:00 PM

jjktkk

01-10-2011, 03:02 PM

Dale Ellis.

Amuseddaysleeper

01-10-2011, 03:06 PM

Finley was kind of a big deal back in 2005

elbamba

01-10-2011, 03:07 PM

Rodman?, Horry?, Jefferson? were no small fish and we're IMO very notable

and the Iceman and Swen Nater were considered huge catches for their time and resulted in legal actions in the ABA to prevent their acquisition. We wouldn't have been the Spurs or have the legacy we do without them.

I think we traded for all of the players you named except Horry. If free agency is what we are looking at then you would have to name players like Derek Anderson, Rasho, Oberto, Barry, Avery Johnson, Chuck Person (I think).

Spurs don't get a lot of star power when it comes to free agency. Really, Dice, Finley, Barry are the better pick ups. The Spurs have always traded well and drafted well.

cd98

01-10-2011, 03:08 PM

fyatuk

01-10-2011, 03:08 PM

Rodman?, Horry?, Jefferson? were no small fish and we're IMO very notable

Rodman and Jefferson were acquired by trade...

JWest596

01-10-2011, 03:10 PM

I think we traded for all of the players you named except Horry. If free agency is what we are looking at then you would have to name players like Derek Anderson, Rasho, Oberto, Barry, Avery Johnson, Chuck Person (I think).

Spurs don't get a lot of star power when it comes to free agency. Really, Dice, Finley, Barry are the better pick ups. The Spurs have always traded well and drafted well.

You're right, I stand corrected.

Blake

01-10-2011, 03:19 PM

Rasho was considered "big" because they Spurs have never signed shit when it comes to FA.

I guess the answer is a resounding no.

The Spurs, can not land a big name FA.

I'd say both Finley and Brent Barry were nice semi-big name pick ups.

Why are you so mad that the Spurs have troubles getting big name free agents?

Why do you think they have problems getting big name free agents?

rayray2k8

01-10-2011, 03:23 PM

Wouldn't Derek Anderson count as one?

Cane

01-10-2011, 03:25 PM

Clearing up a lot of space to sign a big name FA is a pretty risky move for a FO to make tbh. Even ultramegahuge markets like Chicago and New York had to deal with the LeBron Sweepstakes leftovers even though they prepared for the past summer for years. Chicago has still failed to grab a starting caliber SG but they did try to sign JJ Redick but Orlando matched.

Hell not even the defending champs could convince Mike Miller, Kurt Thomas, or Raja Bell to sign with them for a lesser deal even though Kobe was trying to get 'em personally. Actually I'm not even sure if Miller and Thomas ended up taking more money than what they could've gotten in LA FWIW.

When it comes to SA its pretty impressive that they've been able to keep guys like Robinson, Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili. The last two guys probably could've gotten a significantly bigger deal in a bigger market elsewhere especially considering all the losers in the LeBron Sweepstakes. Duncan probably had enough leverage to get more $$$ than he's getting now as well which speaks volumes of not only the player but the Spurs organization imo.

jjktkk

01-10-2011, 03:26 PM

I'd say both Finley and Brent Barry were nice semi-big name pick ups.

Why are you so mad that the Spurs have troubles getting big name free agents?

Why do you think they have problems getting big name free agents?

Small market. Maybe some FA's are intimidated by Pop's no bullshit allowed coaching style. $$$$$$$, or lack there of.

Cry Havoc

01-10-2011, 03:27 PM

Cry Havoc

01-10-2011, 03:34 PM

Fun fact: if the Lakers were to just keep their starting 5, dropping the other players from their cap, they would still have the 8th most costly roster in the NBA, $3,000,000 more than the Spurs spend on their entire team. Unreal.

Go soft cap FTW! :lmao :pctoss :rolleyes

jeebus

01-10-2011, 03:38 PM

Wouldn't Derek Anderson count as one?
Ish. Wasn't he putting up around 15 ppg with the Clips before he came here? Not exactly huge numbers

Buddy Holly

01-10-2011, 03:41 PM

Who are the Lakers big coup in the last I dunno, 20 years?

Seriously, can you think of any big name free agent signing?

Don't give me Malone and Payton, old ring chasers.

Don't give me Artest. Getting old ring chaser.

So what, they get/got it done with trades and the draft. Just like the Spurs.

I like how that troll poster Glenn Holland started this just to insult the Spurs yet I bet that dumbass couldn't answer my question.

Texas_Ranger

01-10-2011, 03:48 PM

Glenn Robinson

spurs_fan_in_exile

01-10-2011, 03:49 PM

Radoslav Nesterovic. 18 letters is a big name in my book.

Blackjack

01-10-2011, 04:00 PM

Finley was kind of a big deal back in 2005

True. And Pop's treating of Finley -- the glorification of -- was something I always believed to coincide with that fact; Fin chose Pop and the Spurs when so many had decided to bypass a Spurs' offer or failed to even consider them in the past.

Radoslav Nesterovic. 18 letters is a big name in my book.

Indeed. :tu

silverblk mystix

01-10-2011, 04:00 PM

Matt Bonner

Libri

01-10-2011, 04:02 PM

Glenn Robinson

Moses Malone and Dominique Wilkins :D

jeebus

01-10-2011, 04:06 PM

Vinny Del Negro

LongtimeSpursFan

01-10-2011, 04:17 PM

Radoslav Nesterovic. 18 letters is a big name in my book.

You mean ...Rasho Nesterovic

cd98

01-10-2011, 04:19 PM

DJB

01-10-2011, 04:20 PM

spurs signed tim duncan when he became a free agent...

:tu

Buddy Holly

01-10-2011, 04:20 PM

Lakers got Shaq around 12 years ago. Man that's weird that he was there so long ago. Still, the Lakers were only in that rebuilding mode for like 2 years and I think they were seeing what they could do with the talent of their Shaq trade pieces. The Lakers main problem was that they've never really had all that much money to spend. Hell, between Bynum, Artest, Walton, Kobe and Pau the Lakers will have like 60 million invested in 5 players. You gotta have money to spend money.

Wasn't it like 15 years ago? I forgot he was signed as a FA, for some reason I thought he was traded.

crc21209

01-10-2011, 04:25 PM

TD when he re-signed. That was a pretty big deal. Finley as well, which was stated in the thread already...

Blake

01-10-2011, 04:29 PM

Wasn't it like 15 years ago? I forgot he was signed as a FA, for some reason I thought he was traded.

ok fine.....name TWO......TWO big free agents that the Lakers have signed in the last 20 years!!!!!!!!11!!1!!!!!

/fail

/lol

duncan228

01-10-2011, 04:35 PM

Duncan was a big deal. The Spurs almost lost him.

It was probably a lot closer of a decision than people even think or even know, but it's worked out the right way to say the least.

rasho8

01-10-2011, 04:41 PM

ok fine.....name TWO......TWO big free agents that the Lakers have signed in the last 20 years!!!!!!!!11!!1!!!!!

/fail

/lol

Why get an FA when you can trade a busted player and 2 chewed sticks of gum for an all star center?

Seventyniner

01-10-2011, 04:57 PM

Lakers got Shaq around 12 years ago. Man that's weird that he was there so long ago.

If I remember right, Shaq was supposed to be a restricted FA, but the CBA that summer got re-done and somehow restricted free agency ceased to exist for that summer only, allowing Shaq to go to LA. Orlando would've definitely matched any offer.

GrandeDavid

01-10-2011, 04:59 PM

Spurs signed Tim Duncan when he became a free agent...

Exactly! And David Robinson. The Spurs have done a good job of retaining their own big name players. It'll be interesting to see a few years down the road how they fare once Duncan is retired and if Popovich is also no longer the coach.

Ed Helicopter Jones

01-10-2011, 05:12 PM

The Spurs have retained the services of their Big 3 through multiple contracts as well as big Dave. Rare for a top-tier team to do that...rare for any team to do that.

TP2150

01-10-2011, 05:14 PM

Radoslav Nesterovic is Rasho's full name.

DieHardSpursFan1537

01-10-2011, 06:34 PM

Tim Duncan, duh.

Ocotillo

01-10-2011, 06:36 PM

If you are talking about a top three coveted free agent in any given off-season, other than their own players, no.

It is rare or at least has been for top players to switch teams a la LeBron since the previous team has a slight money advantage. There are exceptions but this past off-season was more the exception than the rule.

We have had a heart's broken time and time again trying to get free agents from the Clippers other than DA. I would love to see a way for the Spurs to be able to bring in Blake Griffin to be the heir to Tim's role on the team as he was to DRob.

urunobili

01-10-2011, 06:57 PM

Brent Barry

Yorae

01-10-2011, 11:47 PM

We signed Horry as a free agent, right?

tuncaboylu

01-11-2011, 01:27 AM

Did we ever have enough cap space to offer a maximum contract to a free-agent?
I remember only 2003 and refused by Jason Kidd. On the others of last 15 years, we didn't have enough salary to catch a maximum waged free-agent.

Blackjack

01-11-2011, 01:34 AM

We signed Horry as a free agent, right?

Yes. But it was a big free-agent signing because of of what was accomplished here in his time, not initially.

If you would have asked some at the time, they probably would have told you the Spurs were kind souls to give him some shelter. Plenty thought he was done, even after his first year with the team -- that Lakers series didn't endear him to the fans too much. :lol

As has been mentioned, the Big 3 signings are all significant and even somewhat rare to find in this day and age. You just don't see that many players re-upping with their original team time and time again -- even rarer in a market like the Spurs. But I got the feeling the extremely reputable and very serious thread starter was speaking to those that came from outside the organization. And if that's the case, it's Finley, Van Exel and Barry and then you'd probably have to go to the veteran buyouts the Spurs picked up during the season (i.e., Ward, Robinson and Gooden in recent years).

BanditHiro

01-11-2011, 01:47 AM

nick van exel?

Blackjack

01-11-2011, 02:01 AM

Nick Van Exel and Finley were thought to be big-time signings for the Spurs at the time. Big names that were viewed as being just what the doctor ordered for the Spurs.

Crickets

01-11-2011, 03:30 AM

the spurts have never landed a big name FA.

Chepsake bastards

Spursfanfromafar

01-11-2011, 03:48 AM

Our salary this year is ~$23,000,000 less than the Lakers. That's roughly 3 mid level exceptions and a league minimum, or enough to pay anyone's salary not named Kobe Bryant.

Makes it tough to win bidding wars when we spend ~$70 mil on a team and other teams spend over $85 mil+ to fill out their roster.

This.

I think barring the Thunder, the Spurs have the most cost-effective, winning team in the league. And credit the Thunder's success to Spurs alumni Sam Presti who is way under-rated as compared to that overrated David Morey.

The Spurs have the best FO in the league. Every idiot and savant who follows the league properly knows that. And their organisation can be arguably termed the best in all professional sports all across the world.

Glenn Holland

01-11-2011, 03:57 AM

hey buddy holly,

SHAQ\

owned you bitch ass cuckold faggott.

mathbzh

01-11-2011, 05:04 AM

This.

I think barring the Thunder, the Spurs have the most cost-effective, winning team in the league. And credit the Thunder's success to Spurs alumni Sam Presti who is way under-rated as compared to that overrated David Morey.

I don't know if their cost-effectiveness will last long when they will have to pay KD, westbrook, Green, Ibaka... real money

UnWantedTheory

01-11-2011, 05:15 AM

I don't know if their cost-effectiveness will last long when they will have to pay KD, westbrook, Green, Ibaka... real money
Didn't KD just sign an extension? Either way, they have done a great job so far.

Spursfanfromafar

01-11-2011, 05:20 AM

I don't know if their cost-effectiveness will last long when they will have to pay KD, westbrook, Green, Ibaka... real money

AFAIK..they have extended KD already. Ibaka was picked up only last year.. so there is a bit of time to go. Westbrook will hit the jackpot soon, but I think Green is likely to be a FA when his time comes. But the OKCT have good assets (the contracts + picks + bench talent) to make some decent trades and shore up their core of KD + RW + Ibaka.

Barfunk

01-11-2011, 03:00 PM

portnoy1

01-11-2011, 03:03 PM

There's always the 2 major signings in spurs history: That of Center - Uwe Blab 89-90 and then Forward - Tom Copa 91-92(who is on facebook btw, lol).

GSH

01-11-2011, 03:35 PM

If I remember right, Shaq was supposed to be a restricted FA, but the CBA that summer got re-done and somehow restricted free agency ceased to exist for that summer only, allowing Shaq to go to LA. Orlando would've definitely matched any offer.

A lot like how the league revenue numbers for last season were magically revised upward, which allowed Miami just enough room to sign both LeBron and Bosh. What a piece of luck, huh?

BTW - Jackie Butler was billed as the best pickup of that off-season by a lot of "experts".

Strike

01-11-2011, 05:09 PM

A few have mentioned Finley. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that wasn't a straight up free agent acquisition because Dallas payed the bulk of his salary in 2006 and 2007, right?

Either way, excepting Nesterovich and Antonio McDeyess to a lesser extent, I can't think of any big free agent acquisitions made by the Spurs. True, Duncan signed as a free agent but, he remained with San Antonio. He didn't come to SA after playing out a contract with another team.

Blackjack

01-11-2011, 05:25 PM

Failed to mention 'Dyess, good call -- but that kind of speaks to the level of free-agent the Spurs have acquired; or maybe the state of the player upon arrival . . .

And, yeah, Finley came about because of a one-time cap measure allowed by the league. But he was a free agent nonetheless -- Miami was recruiting him pretty hard.

FkLA

01-11-2011, 06:35 PM

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rtdP-SZP21c/R4zoGNSmBoI/AAAAAAAAAi4/vl-odnvXv4Y/s400/willis.jpg

awktalk

01-11-2011, 06:41 PM

Terry Cummings.

And thank Allah that we "lost" the Jermaine O'Neal sweepstakes. That could have sunk our organization.

rogcl1

01-11-2011, 07:14 PM

Terry Cummings.

And thank Allah that we "lost" the Jermaine O'Neal sweepstakes. That could have sunk our organization.

No, the Spurs traded Alvin Robertson and Cadillac Anderson for Cummings.

FkLA

01-11-2011, 07:19 PM

Terry Cummings.

And thank Allah that we "lost" the Jermaine O'Neal sweepstakes. That could have sunk our organization.

I dont think JO had had any major knee injuries prior to the summer of 03' had he? He was a 20-10 player and a very solid man and team defender. He wouldve been the ideal replacement for DRob...he comes here and who knows maybe the staff handles his injuries more cautiously. I wouldve taken that chance.

spectator

01-11-2011, 07:44 PM

I dont think JO had had any major knee injuries prior to the summer of 03' had he? He was a 20-10 player and a very solid man and team defender. He wouldve been the ideal replacement for DRob...he comes here and who knows maybe the staff handles his injuries more cautiously. I wouldve taken that chance.

the spurs really threw a boatload of money at JO and were surprised that he did not bite. spurs had just won the 2003 title with very, very little help for duncan - he still has the highest playoff win share ever recorded.

IIRC, JO's first injury season was in '07 and he played 70+ games that year. granted that we would not have been able to sign ginobili again for a huge amount, but think about this pipe dream for a second:

we get a healthy JO for 3 seasons - 04, 05 and 06 - we win 4 consecutive titles which convinces the owners to pay ginobili enough to stay in sa. for the 07 season, we do not need JO, and maybe we do not win b/c we would not have had enough money for other players.

it's fun to dream and having JO in sa would have been an adventure - an adventure charlie!

Hoops Czar

01-12-2011, 01:32 AM

Sean Elliott was a pretty big deal

hsxvvd

01-12-2011, 01:51 AM

Radoslav Nesterovic. 18 letters is a big name in my book.

Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo

We we're never able to sign Dikembe. :depressed

DMC

01-12-2011, 01:54 AM

Some people don't know the difference between a FA and a draft.

K-State Spur

01-12-2011, 09:53 AM

this is a silly (and somewhat stupid) question.

since the new CBA - very few teams have landed a "big name" free agent (and that includes the Lakers & Celtics). Prior to the movement this past offseason - the Knicks and Bulls would have been in that group as well (rounding out the 4 biggest markets and arguably the 4 highest profile franchises in the game).

Hell, Cuban's biggest free agent signing is...DeSagana Diop.

bighappy

01-12-2011, 09:56 AM

doc rivers, terry porter

Hoops Czar

01-12-2011, 10:54 AM

Some people don't know the difference between a FA and a draft.

You do realize Sean was traded to Detroit and then signed as a free agent with the Spurs in the offseason.... Of course you did.

SpurOutofTownFan

04-24-2011, 09:47 PM

well Im not sure whether this is even possible anymore - come on, even Splitter is probably regretting now to have left Europe - you go from being an MVP to a bench warmer at the worst possible time.

Master splitter

04-24-2011, 09:48 PM

Maybe next year...

LakerHater

04-24-2011, 09:51 PM

Yes.... after he was past his prime!

bighappy

04-24-2011, 10:18 PM

mouse2moose has it down, well almost san antonio not a second tie town. but all the rest is write on,we not a city african amercian what to live in. as long as F.A. got another deal in a city that as more of a black pop. we are shit out of luck. we better draft great

gospursgojas

04-24-2011, 10:30 PM

Juggity

04-24-2011, 10:58 PM

san antonio has no appeal to african americans.the majority of top NBA players are BLACK. they want to work and live in an environment that is at least somewhat reflective of their heritage. san antonio has no black community and therefore we lack african american culture so no true blacks will ever willingly come to san antonio to play basketball. as a result san antonio spurs basketball will continue to be second tier, just like the city is.

BRHornet is that you? :lol Seriously, that's just ridiculous. Our franchise player for the entire 1990s was black, we've signed dozens of black players since then.

Solid D

04-24-2011, 11:14 PM

You do realize Sean was traded to Detroit and then signed as a free agent with the Spurs in the offseason.... Of course you did.

Sean was traded back to the Spurs for Bill Curley's rights.

Solid D

04-24-2011, 11:28 PM

Malik Rose and Stephen Jackson turned out to be very valuable FA signings, but they weren't big name FAs at the time of their signings, by any means.

Sleepy Floyd, Vinnie Johnson and Glenn Robinson were all near the end of their careers...with Robinson basically being resurrected from the scrap heap.

rascal

04-25-2011, 08:46 AM

Duncan... also Finley was fairly coveted when we signed him up. Same could be said about McDyess...

McDyess and Finley were both over their best days. Duncan was their own player. The spurs have done well in retaining their own free agents, not well in getting other top free agents to sign.

rascal

04-25-2011, 08:53 AM

This.

I think barring the Thunder, the Spurs have the most cost-effective, winning team in the league. And credit the Thunder's success to Spurs alumni Sam Presti who is way under-rated as compared to that overrated David Morey.

The Spurs have the best FO in the league. Every idiot and savant who follows the league properly knows that. And their organisation can be arguably termed the best in all professional sports all across the world.

The spurs front office is vastly overrated. They managed to squander titles in 3 consecutive years with both Robinson and Duncan on the team. They could not support a good enough cast around the lucky draft picks of Robinson and duncan to even win consecutive titles.

they won two titles during the Robinson/Duncna run over the span of 6 years. That is not good.

You give Robinson and Duncan to any franchise in the league and they will win titles. I look at the moves the spurs have made and outside of some excellant draft picks it is hard to find many good moves to acquire players through trades and free agency.

Thomas82

04-25-2011, 09:52 AM

The spurs front office is vastly overrated. They managed to squander titles in 3 consecutive years with both Robinson and Duncan on the team. They could not support a good enough cast around the lucky draft picks of Robinson and duncan to even win consecutive titles.

they won two titles during the Robinson/Duncna run over the span of 6 years. That is not good.

You give Robinson and Duncan to any franchise in the league and they will win titles. I look at the moves the spurs have made and outside of some excellant draft picks it is hard to find many good moves to acquire players through trades and free agency.

+1

I'll co-sign for you on that one. I think it also speaks volumes that since David Robinson retired, the older Tim Duncan got, the worse the complimentary bigs next to him got.