A look at our best,most realistic options with the position we are in.

[N0 LyF3 ScRuB]

I thought I'd make a list for the top ten realistic options we have now that we signed Splitter & Ginobili to an extension.

1) Andrei Kirilenko
AK47 has always been a player that struggled from the perimeter. Although his shot isn't the most consistent, his all around play definitely makes him an interesting back-up to Kawhi in the line-up. His wingspan being larger than Kawhi means that he could definitely help against such teams like the Heat, while it also will take loads of pressure off of Ginobili and the supporting class. Even at 32, he can still put up solid numbers and be a better all-around player than most. This is at number one because we are in desperate need in a back-up of Kawhi (assuming McGrady doesn't get resigned).

2) Nate Robinson
Obviously one of the bigger issues we have is the need of a back-up point guard. With CoJo and de Colo inconsistent and young, why not bring in a playmaker that pretty much replicates Tony Parker's skills? Nate Robinson is a player with loads of heart and can get hot in a second. At only 5'9, it's crazy how dynamic he is for his position. He is a player that can play 20+ minutes, and will actually make the Spurs a very decent team if Parker's injuries start to get the better of him.

3) Jose Calderon
Another point guard who could move to the 2 guard. He led the league in 3 point shooting at 46% this year in Detriot and definitely has good court vision. His age and atheleticism is of course in question, but I definitely think could be a good fit on the Spurs.

4) Mo Williams
Finally free of becoming a backup PG, this is a stretch. But Mo Williams is definitely a great playmaker and one of the most underrated players in the league. Like I said, this is a stretch since he wants a starting role, but I think this could be realistic for the MLE. Definitely a better all-around player than most points, the question has always been his mental game.

5) Darren Collison
Since the Mavericks are not looking into resigning the UCLA alum, I definitely think he could be a good fit on the Spurs. He's a good shooter, who also has good passes. He lives in Dallas, and he has expressed his love for living in Texas, so I think this makes it a more realistic opprotunity.

6) Carl Landry
Landry didn't get to show off as much as he wanted in Golden State, but he could be a vital back-up for Splitter or Duncan. His shooting isn't the best, but his rebounding is definitely something the Spurs could use. Although he will get many comparisons to Blair, I actually think Landry has a chance to be a breakout player for a team.

7) Robin Lopez
Although we resigned Splitter, Robin Lopez is a great defending big man. His rebounding and blocking skills are above average, although his scoring is below average. He could be a great 7 footer to come off the bench and produce. After all, Duncan can't play 40 minutes! He's also less injury-proned than Oden.

8) Antwan Jamison
Antwan has always been a great role player with a great all-around game. When Kobe was injured, Jamison was the one that stepped up. Although he is inconsistent with his midrange game, he has proven he can make shots in clutch time. He could definitely go for the veteran minimum and produce minutes behind Leonard. A very craft player and great rebounder is hard to pass up nowadays.

9) Greg Oden
Ah, Greg Oden. The only reason he is so low on this list is due to his injuries. One microfracture is almost impossible to get over... Well, Oden has had three. As far as skills go, Oden has so much potential. A great scorer, rebounding, poster, blocker, etc. He has it all. The concerns is he hasn't played since 09'. That's a long time out of the game.. Especially since he hasn't been able to make his play better. Low risk, high reward.

10) Chauncey Billups
Ah, Billups. Yes, he has only played 42 games in the past two seasons. Yes, he's getting older. But the Spurs need to take Ginobili off the point. A veteran that has experience in high profile games is definitely a plus for the Spurs. Billups, although prone to injuries, can hit a big shot, is an excellent distributor, and has HIGH basketball IQ. I never thought I'd see Billups in a Spurs jersey, but I think he could make the team a lot better in limited minutes.

Other mentions: Matt Barnes, Stephen Jackson, Jermaine O' Neal, Jeff Teague, Corey Magette, Rip Hamilton

[Anonymous Cowherd]

1) Yep
2) Nope
3) I'm a massive fan. But he's not a good fit.
4) Hmm. Maybe.
5) No point
6) Going to the Clippers for the MLE
7) No point
8) Hmm. Maybe.
9) Broken
10) Nope

Other mentions: Nope, Hahahahaha, Broken, No point, Maybe, Nope

[Mel_13]

Not a bad list. You might want to separate candidates for the MLE from players that likely won't command more than vet min.

I like Landry as an MLE possibility (I don't the MLE is enough to get Kirilenko). Matt Barnes could probably be had for about half the MLE.

Jarrett Jack probably belongs on this list and Lopez doesn't (he's not a FA).

And :lol @ SJax.

[admiralsnackbar]

Did I miss something? Where would we be getting the money to sign 4/5ths of these guys?

[N0 LyF3 ScRuB]

Did I miss something? Where would we be getting the money to sign 4/5ths of these guys?

MLE, LLE

[Mel_13]

MLE, LLE

Just the MLE and the vet minimum. The LLE (BAE- bi-annual exception) was used on Nando last year. The Spurs won't have use of that exception until next summer.

[Kidd K]

Kirelenko is kinda hurt every year. Would be a solid backup though if he's willing to do that (he's been a starter and playing 30ish minutes a game every season for most of his career).

Nate, YES I want Nate, but I'm not sure we have enough money left to lure him in. We overpaid a bit for Splitter and Manu.

Calerdon I would accept if there's no other option. His defense is terrible, but at least we'd have a decent playmaker.

Mo Williams: No thanks.

Collison: I kinda feel he's overrated, but it's better than nothing. I would rather have Nate though.

Landry: I don't think he'd come here, or be wanted by the Spurs staff.

Lopez: We just re-signed Robin Lopez for 9m/year.

Jamison: Too old and washed up. He was terrible with LA. Dude's pretty much the bigman equivelant to a junkballer right now.

Oden: For league minimum, and a contract clause that says we don't have to pay the rest of his contract if he doesn't play more than 30-40 games in a season, then sure, I'll take that chance. Dude probably won't be back though. Guy was drafted when Durant was. . .and Durant has been a star for years already. Oden's been a no show.

Billups: No. Too high a risk for not enough reward.


Barnes: Maybe, but I think he's a bit overhyped. Not a bad choice, but only just acceptable.

Jackson: Fuck no. Way too lazy now.

O'Neal: Maybe, that's an interesting idea. I think he'd could play a decent role at 12-15 mins a game.

Teague: Dude's kinda raw still, but I don't think we can afford him. Even though it was for a shitty team and it involved some stat padding, he just put up "I'ma get paid" stats last year. 16/2.5/8 on 45/36/88% shooting, and 1.5 steals. He and his agent are going to be looking for as much cash as possible.

Corey Magette: I thought he was retired tbh.

Rip Hamilton: Fuck no. Even more injury prone than Manu, and worse. Now, if he's ring chasing for league minimum, I'll take it though. I just don't think the quality to expected salary is going to be worth it.


Someone else mentioned Jarret Jack: Yeah, that boat has sailed. We don't have the cap space to get him. He's going to command some decent money this year based on the hype he got last year. Warriors will likely do as much as they can to keep him, and dude will only walk for a bigger offer which we can't give now.

[dallasmaverickslose]

I thought I'd make a list for the top ten realistic options we have now that we signed Splitter & Ginobili to an extension.

1) Andrei Kirilenko
AK47 has always been a player that struggled from the perimeter. Although his shot isn't the most consistent, his all around play definitely makes him an interesting back-up to Kawhi in the line-up. His wingspan being larger than Kawhi means that he could definitely help against such teams like the Heat, while it also will take loads of pressure off of Ginobili and the supporting class. Even at 32, he can still put up solid numbers and be a better all-around player than most. This is at number one because we are in desperate need in a back-up of Kawhi (assuming McGrady doesn't get resigned).

2) Nate Robinson
Obviously one of the bigger issues we have is the need of a back-up point guard. With CoJo and de Colo inconsistent and young, why not bring in a playmaker that pretty much replicates Tony Parker's skills? Nate Robinson is a player with loads of heart and can get hot in a second. At only 5'9, it's crazy how dynamic he is for his position. He is a player that can play 20+ minutes, and will actually make the Spurs a very decent team if Parker's injuries start to get the better of him.

3) Jose Calderon
Another point guard who could move to the 2 guard. He led the league in 3 point shooting at 46% this year in Detriot and definitely has good court vision. His age and atheleticism is of course in question, but I definitely think could be a good fit on the Spurs.

4) Mo Williams
Finally free of becoming a backup PG, this is a stretch. But Mo Williams is definitely a great playmaker and one of the most underrated players in the league. Like I said, this is a stretch since he wants a starting role, but I think this could be realistic for the MLE. Definitely a better all-around player than most points, the question has always been his mental game.

5) Darren Collison
Since the Mavericks are not looking into resigning the UCLA alum, I definitely think he could be a good fit on the Spurs. He's a good shooter, who also has good passes. He lives in Dallas, and he has expressed his love for living in Texas, so I think this makes it a more realistic opprotunity.

6) Carl Landry
Landry didn't get to show off as much as he wanted in Golden State, but he could be a vital back-up for Splitter or Duncan. His shooting isn't the best, but his rebounding is definitely something the Spurs could use. Although he will get many comparisons to Blair, I actually think Landry has a chance to be a breakout player for a team.

7) Robin Lopez
Although we resigned Splitter, Robin Lopez is a great defending big man. His rebounding and blocking skills are above average, although his scoring is below average. He could be a great 7 footer to come off the bench and produce. After all, Duncan can't play 40 minutes! He's also less injury-proned than Oden.

8) Antwan Jamison
Antwan has always been a great role player with a great all-around game. When Kobe was injured, Jamison was the one that stepped up. Although he is inconsistent with his midrange game, he has proven he can make shots in clutch time. He could definitely go for the veteran minimum and produce minutes behind Leonard. A very craft player and great rebounder is hard to pass up nowadays.

9) Greg Oden
Ah, Greg Oden. The only reason he is so low on this list is due to his injuries. One microfracture is almost impossible to get over... Well, Oden has had three. As far as skills go, Oden has so much potential. A great scorer, rebounding, poster, blocker, etc. He has it all. The concerns is he hasn't played since 09'. That's a long time out of the game.. Especially since he hasn't been able to make his play better. Low risk, high reward.

10) Chauncey Billups
Ah, Billups. Yes, he has only played 42 games in the past two seasons. Yes, he's getting older. But the Spurs need to take Ginobili off the point. A veteran that has experience in high profile games is definitely a plus for the Spurs. Billups, although prone to injuries, can hit a big shot, is an excellent distributor, and has HIGH basketball IQ. I never thought I'd see Billups in a Spurs jersey, but I think he could make the team a lot better in limited minutes.

Other mentions: Matt Barnes, Stephen Jackson, Jermaine O' Neal, Jeff Teague, Corey Magette, Rip Hamilton

I honestly believe the need for a back-up PG is being overblown. We have 2 young guards in Joseph and De Colo. I haven't seen enough in Nando to really make an honest assessment of his potential, but Cory Joseph really showed a lot of promise this season. He's far from perfect and still needs to refine his offensive game ALOT, but he has showed that he can play pretty good D. With all that playoff experience he gained this year, I have a lot of optimism about his future!

[montgod]

Just saw rumor that Spurs expressed interest in Jamison...

PaulGarciaPS: Per @SpearsNBAYahoo, his sources say the #Spurs have interest in forward Antawn Jamison.

[mudyez]

I honestly believe the need for a back-up PG is being overblown. We have 2 young guards in Joseph and De Colo. I haven't seen enough in Nando to really make an honest assessment of his potential, but Cory Joseph really showed a lot of promise this season. He's far from perfect and still needs to refine his offensive game ALOT, but he has showed that he can play pretty good D. With all that playoff experience he gained this year, I have a lot of optimism about his future!

:tu

[Knoxxx]

I honestly believe the need for a back-up PG is being overblown. We have 2 young guards in Joseph and De Colo. I haven't seen enough in Nando to really make an honest assessment of his potential, but Cory Joseph really showed a lot of promise this season. He's far from perfect and still needs to refine his offensive game ALOT, but he has showed that he can play pretty good D. With all that playoff experience he gained this year, I have a lot of optimism about his future!

We don't need 4 point guards clogging the roster.

[PlayNando]

We don't need another PG.

Nando for backup PG..............

Play Nando...................................

[texmich]

Ill be happy with nate cause he can go off at any minute or give u that spark that we may need during a scoring slump, I like AK as well def def def, I would take a shot at oden of course the minimum cause he may end up being pretty good and if not then u cut him. the gamble is worth it imo

[CitizenDwayne]

The more I think about it, maybe some short chucker like Jarrett Jack/Mo Williams would be a better fit than AK. We really need someone else who can create, and a back-up PG; those guys kill both birds with one stone.

[TheGreatYacht]

Antawn Jamison, Greg Oden, and Chauncy Billups are about the only players that the Spurs can realistically acquire from the OP's list. The other players mentioned by the OP will probably be too expensive or will not be happy coming off the bench. The reason I say so is because once the Josh Smith and Dwight Howard sweepstakes is over, the rest of the teams with available cap space will go on a spending spree and overpay all the available good FA's.

I think the Spurs have a very slight chance of landing Nate Robinson or Darren Collison. I like what Nate Robinson did during the playoffs but he is very unpredictable and his height kind of worries me. He's not a great defender.

I was looking at Darren Collison and I like his numbers. Haven't seem him play much to TBH. Damn. If only Splitter and Manu hadn't cost so much, we would have better options.

[L.I.T]

Barring getting surprising value with someone like AK47 signing for the full MLE, the most likely route is the spurs split the MLE between guys like Billups and Barnes.

[dallasmaverickslose]

Antawn Jamison, Greg Oden, and Chauncy Billups are about the only players that the Spurs can realistically acquire from the OP's list. The other players mentioned by the OP will probably be too expensive or will not be happy coming off the bench. The reason I say so is because once the Josh Smith and Dwight Howard sweepstakes is over, the rest of the teams with available cap space will go on a spending spree and overpay all the available good FA's.

I think the Spurs have a very slight chance of landing Nate Robinson or Darren Collison. I like what Nate Robinson did during the playoffs but he is very unpredictable and his height kind of worries me. He's not a great defender.

I was looking at Darren Collison and I like his numbers. Haven't seem him play much to TBH. Damn. If only Splitter and Manu hadn't cost so much, we would have better options.

Knew he would mention Manu somewhere in his post.

[Shifty]

I honestly believe the need for a back-up PG is being overblown. We have 2 young guards in Joseph and De Colo. I haven't seen enough in Nando to really make an honest assessment of his potential, but Cory Joseph really showed a lot of promise this season. He's far from perfect and still needs to refine his offensive game ALOT, but he has showed that he can play pretty good D. With all that playoff experience he gained this year, I have a lot of optimism about his future!

Well said. I've been thinking that too. The position of need is big wing/combo forward to back up Kawhi that can also play small-ball four. The combination of Duncan, Tiago and Baynes is more than enough at C while Diaw and maybe Bonner are the PFs. If Bonner is gone playing small-ball four is a must for whoever is coming. Green, Manu got the SG covered, with Neal/Mills/Nando as possible third option and like DML said above Tony, CJ and Nando have the PG with Manu, Neal and Mills as extra options. If you get a new veteran PG to have experience for the playoffs you might as well package all extra PG/SG for something else.