Would you trade LMA for Covington, Dieng & a 1st?

[Down Under]

LMA for Covington, Dieng & a 1st?


With 3 or 4 ball handlers on the perimeter next season, it seems a rim runner like Poeltl would be the best fit & it looks as though he's now a starting calibre Centre. Dieng would be an ok backup to Poeltl & obviously Roco being a DPOY candidate earlier in the season and a good outside shooter would help a lot defensively & with spacing at the 4.

[cjw]

Only two years left on Dieng’s contract at $16.2-$17.2 per year, so would be okay adding him. If he had 3-4 years left then no way. On/off numbers aren’t great on him, but that’s also a result of him not playing with Towns. He’s a good backup center, albeit expensive.

Covington is who he is offensively - a passable offensive wing that can spot up and score without killing your lineup. Minnesota has been significantly better defensively with him on the floor and numbers prove it out. There’s real value in that, especially if the Spurs could tick up that 3pt percentage.

Bigger question is why would Minnesota want to pair Aldridge with Towns?

I’d consider the trade depending on what first rounder we were talking about. Aldridge is aging but still is an All NBA caliber player (regardless of if he makes it or is one of the first guys out).

[Down Under]

Only two years left on Dieng’s contract at $16.2-$17.2 per year, so would be okay adding him. If he had 3-4 years left then no way. On/off numbers aren’t great on him, but that’s also a result of him not playing with Towns. He’s a good backup center, albeit expensive.

Covington is who he is offensively - a passable offensive wing that can spot up and score without killing your lineup. Minnesota has been significantly better defensively with him on the floor and numbers prove it out. There’s real value in that, especially if the Spurs could tick up that 3pt percentage.

Bigger question is why would Minnesota want to pair Aldridge with Towns?

I’d consider the trade depending on what first rounder we were talking about. Aldridge is aging but still is an All NBA caliber player (regardless of if he makes it or is one of the first guys out).
Yeah that's the question. How much 4 could Aldridge play, particularly at this stage of his career. The temptation from Minny's standpoint would be having that much talent in the frontcourt (two top 15-20 players) & hoping they could make it work.

[TimmyBuckets]

Yes.

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

If by the trade deadline next year Spurs suck and are committed to tanking then sure. Otherwise no way.

[phxspurfan]

Weird and horrible trade idea.

[TheGreatYacht]

Covington, Murray, White all in the starting lineup :wow

Even if RoCo isn't included, I'd still take the 1st and Dieng. Im on board with building thru the draft with numerous first rounders. Celtics could've had something special if Ainge wasn't the worst drafting GM in league history

[cd021]

Covington, Murray, White all in the starting lineup :wow

Even if RoCo isn't included, I'd still take the 1st and Dieng. Im on board with building thru the draft with numerous first rounders. Celtics could've had something special if Ainge wasn't the worst drafting GM in league history

Have to think Minnesota would be a playoff team with Aldridge and Towns.

So you'd take on one of the worst contracts in the NBA for a pick in the late teens/ early twenties? That's hustling backwards if I've ever seen it.

[cd021]

Weird and horrible trade idea.

Yep, yep.

[Ignazzz]

Bad bad offer.

[Chinook]

10, Cov and Dieng for Aldridge and 29 probably isn't a terrible trade. It'd have to be followed almost immediately with a DeRozan deal, though, because there's no way the Spurs are playoff contenders with DeMar as their only All-Star. At 10, Hachimura is a real target, and there'd be an outside chance of one of the top forwards falling. In reality, Cov only make sense to the Spurs as a buyer. Something like Beli, Metu and 18 for Cov and 43 seems like a fair deal, though I'd prefer to give up 29 and another protected first instead. Cov's stock has fallen quite a bit, but a good role-player, a middling prospect and a decent first seems to be a nice package.

[XDT76]

Can I use Mills and Belli to trade just RoCo instead?

[Em-City]

Demar for Covington and Dieng makes more sense tbh

[RC_Drunkford]

Why would you trade your best player with 1 year left on his deal? Give them DeRozan

[exstatic]

Yes, let’s trade for a SF pushing 30 who just had knee surgery, and a backup center who makes 8 figures, annually.

[r0drig0lac]

Yes.

[Seventyniner]

Covington is only useful if the Spurs keep both LMA and DDR. No deal.

[offset formation]

Demar for Covington and Dieng makes more sense tbh

This is clearly a better trade. Hell, throw in the Raptors pick. Not sure why people are so eager to trade LA. He's pretty much the only reason we made the playoffs either last year or this year. He's only got one more fully guaranteed season and then a partial. He plays defense night in and night out.

This effort to ship him out is just dumb.

[jjktkk]

Weird and horrible trade idea.

[$pursDynasty]

Demar for Covington and Dieng makes more sense tbh
This!!!!

[$pursDynasty]

This is clearly a better trade. Hell, throw in the Raptors pick. Not sure why people are so eager to trade LA. He's pretty much the only reason we made the playoffs either last year or this year. He's only got one more fully guaranteed season and then a partial. He plays defense night in and night out.

This effort to ship him out is just dumb.
any way we can throw Patty in on this deal too, Demar's not bad but if we could rid ourselves of Patty Bills

[R. DeMurre]

I'm on the fence with Covington... advanced stats are kind to him, but Philly didn't want him and Minnesota didn't improve after he arrived. I'm not sure he adds more wins than Rudy Gay (he doesn't according to most statistical models), so I don't know how him replacing LMA does anything. He does have a good contract-- I'll give him that.

[spurraider21]

it would make sense if derozan is moved, as chinook said first

[Kobe'sAchilles]

Short answer is no
long answer is HELL NAH

[Arcadian]

Nah.

[UncleDennis]

I wouldn't trade Aldridge or Derozan for those guys. Unless we're trying to be worse.

[FkLA]

Why do people want to blow it up so badly? If Durbeta leaves GS, the Spurs draft well, and White+Instagram Baller+Lonnie develop as expected the Spurs are right in the thick of things next year.

[GreekSpursfan]

Why do people want to blow it up so badly? If Durbeta leaves GS, the Spurs draft well, and White+Instagram Baller+Lonnie develop as expected the Spurs are right in the thick of things next year.

Its not as easy as you make out to be. I think we overrated White a little bit, Murray is huge question mark and Lonnie is two years away imo.
If our goal is to tank next season i do that trade even if it looks bad.
Houston and the ultimate ref love affair Harden is still there and some other superteam is gonna rear its ugly head in the summer i fear.
Bottom line, i'm all about us tanking.

[Duncan87]

Dumb ass trade doesn’t help either organization

[slick'81]

If were really trying to tank then sure

[Mr. Body]

Huh? Wha?

[Down Under]

Another thing to remember also, LMA is 34. I love LMA & he's been awesome the last couple of seasons, but history tells us the big man decline generally starts around this age.

[spurraider21]

Why do people want to blow it up so badly? If Durbeta leaves GS, the Spurs draft well, and White+Instagram Baller+Lonnie develop as expected the Spurs are right in the thick of things next year.
when are you going to stop calling him that?

[Leetonidas]

Swap Demar for LA and hell yes. Don't mind trading LA but he is clearly the best player on the team and I don't think this is a good haul for him, especially since Dieng is garbage

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Thank goodness the Spurstalkers aren't in the Spurs FO.

[exstatic]

Another thing to remember also, LMA is 34. I love LMA & he's been awesome the last couple of seasons, but history tells us the big man decline generally starts around this age.

RoCo will be 29 next year, and wings and guards age MUCH quicker, overall, than big men. LMA could easily play another 3 years at a high level, and maybe 2 more in limited, but effective mode.

[FkLA]

when are you going to stop calling him that?

When his actual game matches his self promotion on Instagram.

[Rummpd]

Who stays at night and thinks up bad trades - this is a disaster especially when on defense

[FkLA]

Its not as easy as you make out to be. I think we overrated White a little bit, Murray is huge question mark and Lonnie is two years away imo.
If our goal is to tank next season i do that trade even if it looks bad.
Houston and the ultimate ref love affair Harden is still there and some other superteam is gonna rear its ugly head in the summer i fear.
Bottom line, i'm all about us tanking.

Why are you all about tanking? The whole point of tanking is to end up right where the Spurs could potentially be next year if they just keep the core together and draft well (which they've shown they're more than capable of doing). Why take the long way when you can reach the same goal (contender status) in a much shorter time period? The long way will always be there once this core ages out. I don't see what the rush to tank is.

[Down Under]

Why are you all about tanking? The whole point of tanking is to end up right where the Spurs could potentially be next year if they just keep the core together and draft well (which they've shown they're more than capable of doing). Why take the long way when you can reach the same goal (contender status) in a much shorter time period? The long way will always be there once this core ages out. I don't see what the rush to tank is.
I don't get how this is tanking though? We've got 2 elite ball handlers on the perimeter & possible a third with one of DJ or Lonnie. I love LMA & even how he's changed his game to get more efficient shots by getting deep seals under the rim & the like, but a dive man like Poeltl seems more suited to compliment those guards. A huge problem is a lack of length on the perimeter & the need for a player to guard both forward spots as DD just can't. Covington can guard PFs, SFs & SGs as well as any player in the league while also spreading the floor as an above average 3 point shooter. Obviously the pick would also need to be something decent to make the deal fair.

[CGD]

Id Like to get value for him before he leaves a summer from now.

[Joseph Kony]

Thank goodness the Spurstalkers aren't in the Spurs FO.

yeah because none of us would have been retarded enough to commit 100 million dollars between two scrubs while we had an MVP on the roster :lmao

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

I don't get how this is tanking though?

Trading an established vet for a terrible contract, a pick and some young-ish dude is the very definition of a tanking move.This trade would make the Spurs worse.


We've got 2 elite ball handlers on the perimeter & possible a third with one of DJ or Lonnie. I love LMA & even how he's changed his game to get more efficient shots by getting deep seals under the rim & the like, but a dive man like Poeltl seems more suited to compliment those guards.

Poeltl needs an elite PnR guard badly and none of these are great at it right now. He can't replace a tenth of what LMA gives offensively because he can't create anything for himself.


A huge problem is a lack of length on the perimeter & the need for a player to guard both forward spots as DD just can't.

The perimeter defense is a problem but trading away the offensive focal point for slightly improving it would be a step back for the team.


Covington can guard PFs, SFs & SGs as well as any player in the league while also spreading the floor as an above average 3 point shooter.

Not sure if he'll be able to do any of these things post knee injury but even if he does he's another guy who can't create anything for himself.

[GreekSpursfan]

Why are you all about tanking? The whole point of tanking is to end up right where the Spurs could potentially be next year if they just keep the core together and draft well (which they've shown they're more than capable of doing). Why take the long way when you can reach the same goal (contender status) in a much shorter time period? The long way will always be there once this core ages out. I don't see what the rush to tank is.

You need a cornerstone piece, there is none on our roster and its very difficult to find one where we draft right now. Even though i agree that we draft well, nephews don't grow on trees, you need to draft as high as possible to identify one otherwise the luck factor increases significantly.

[FutureMan]

People seem to be very confused about how ineffective tanking is. Tanking doesn’t win championships and it really hasn’t for a very long time. We were very fortunate to have Tim Duncan but that kind of thing doesn’t happen twice.

[Slippy]

With all the winnable games Demar has cocked up thought this was the tanking season. :spin

[TimDunkem]

No. That's dumb...And I hate Aldridge and his game. :lol

[$pursDynasty]

Getting rid of the only potential all NBA player on roster is madness, there are much better players to trade on this roster

[DAF86]

Why do people want to blow it up so badly? If Durbeta leaves GS, the Spurs draft well, and White+Instagram Baller+Lonnie develop as expected the Spurs are right in the thick of things next year.

The Aldridge-DeRozan leading duo greatly limits how far a team can aspire to. Spurs will never be real contenders as long as those two are their go to guys.

[DAF86]

10, Cov and Dieng for Aldridge and 29 probably isn't a terrible trade. It'd have to be followed almost immediately with a DeRozan deal, though, because there's no way the Spurs are playoff contenders with DeMar as their only All-Star. At 10, Hachimura is a real target, and there'd be an outside chance of one of the top forwards falling. In reality, Cov only make sense to the Spurs as a buyer. Something like Beli, Metu and 18 for Cov and 43 seems like a fair deal, though I'd prefer to give up 29 and another protected first instead. Cov's stock has fallen quite a bit, but a good role-player, a middling prospect and a decent first seems to be a nice package.

Beli and Metu doesn't work. It would need to be Beli and Forbes.

Murray, White, DeRozan, Covington, Aldridge
Mills, Walker, Bertans, Gay, Poeltl

Good for a 55+ wins regular season fools gold team, tbh.

[Chinook]

Beli and Metu doesn't work. It would need to be Beli and Forbes.

Murray, White, DeRozan, Covington, Aldridge
Mills, Walker, Bertans, Gay, Poeltl

Good for a 55+ wins regular season fools gold team, tbh.

Beli and Metu works.

[DAF86]

Beli and Metu works.

It does?

Next season, Beli and Metu's contracts would add up to something a little more than 7 millions, while Covington will make 11,4. How does that work?

[Chinook]

It does?

Next season, Beli and Metu's contracts would add up to something a little more than 7 millions, while Covington will make 11,4. How does that work?

Hmm. Deeks has Cov making $10.8M next year. If that's true, then Beli and Metu can match. If it's the higher total, they'd have to trade someone else as you said.

Guess there's some other shit mixed in with this truth I'm smoking.

[DAF86]

Hmm. Deeks has Cov making $10.8M next year. If that's true, then Beli and Metu can match. If it's the higher total, they'd have to trade someone else as you said.

Guess there's some other shit mixed in with this truth I'm smoking.

Tonight's not your night son. :lol

[Down Under]

Trading an established vet for a terrible contract, a pick and some young-ish dude is the very definition of a tanking move.This trade would make the Spurs worse.



Poeltl needs an elite PnR guard badly and none of these are great at it right now. He can't replace a tenth of what LMA gives offensively because he can't create anything for himself.



The perimeter defense is a problem but trading away the offensive focal point for slightly improving it would be a step back for the team.



Not sure if he'll be able to do any of these things post knee injury but even if he does he's another guy who can't create anything for himself.
I take your points & Dieng's contract is bad, though only 2 more years on it & he would have a role as a backup C. The risk is, as you said, Covington's health. But halfway through this season, he was a serious contender for DPOY, he was that good. I see the focal points of our offense in the coming seasons coming almost exclusively from the guard/SF spot - White, DD, DJ & Walker, which is why I think Poeltl would thrive as a roll man with those guys. Again, it's more a fit thing - I think LMA is a top 15 player & the past 2 seasons have been the best of his career, even at his age, which is why I mentioned it would have to be a lottery pick to balance the deal somewhat.

[XDT76]

Beli and Metu doesn't work. It would need to be Beli and Forbes.

Murray, White, DeRozan, Covington, Aldridge
Mills, Walker, Bertans, Gay, Poeltl

Good for a 55+ wins regular season fools gold team, tbh.

I would prefer DDR to go back to being a SG so that he would be dealing with the smaller wing which should improve his Off and Def.

[FkLA]

The Aldridge-DeRozan leading duo greatly limits how far a team can aspire to. Spurs will never be real contenders as long as those two are their go to guys.

2014-esque team ball

That's how we have to win. Both LMA and DD are arguably better individually than any of the players on that squad. I agree that if we have to really on them to carry us a title it's never happening but with a sum of all parts approach we atleast have an outside shot, imo*.

*assuming Durbeta bolts

[exstatic]

People seem to be very confused about how ineffective tanking is. Tanking doesn’t win championships and it really hasn’t for a very long time. We were very fortunate to have Tim Duncan but that kind of thing doesn’t happen twice.

Not anymore. Sad to say, but there are no ready made franchise players to be plucked with a first overall pick, let alone anything lower.

[DAF86]

2014-esque team ball

That's how we have to win. Both LMA and DD are arguably better individually than any of the players on that squad. I agree that if we have to really on them to carry us a title it's never happening but with a sum of all parts approach we atleast have an outside shot, imo*.

*assuming Durbeta bolts

The problem is, DD and Aldridge don't accept that type of team ball. Aldridge, especially, pouts and whines his way into getting traded if he doesn't get :cryhis touches:cry. That's my main reason for saying he doesn't play winning ball.

[exstatic]

The problem is, DD and Aldridge don't accept that type of team ball. Aldridge, especially, pouts and whines his way into getting traded if he doesn't get :cryhis touches:cry. That's my main reason for saying he doesn't play winning ball.

Aldridge draws double teams regularly, and knows what to do. Touches aren't the same thing as shots.

[DAF86]

Aldridge draws double teams regularly, and knows what to do. Touches aren't the same thing as shots.

Aldridge wanted out of a 60+ wins team because he wasn't getting his 20 per game. That's who he is. There's no need to justify him just because he plays for the Spurs, tbh.

[exstatic]

Aldridge wanted out of a 60+ wins team because he wasn't getting his 20 per game. That's who he is. There's no need to justify him just because he plays for the Spurs, tbh.

Players who command double teams don't exactly grow on trees. If we were in an alternate universe where he was on another team in the same type of situation, and people here wanted him for the Spurs, I'd say that SA had no chance, and for the same reason. All players, really good ones, are prima donnas to some extent. You manage it the best you can, which Pop seems to have done.

[DAF86]

Players who command double teams don't exactly grow on trees. If we were in an alternate universe where he was on another team in the same type of situation, and people here wanted him for the Spurs, I'd say that SA had no chance, and for the same reason. All players, really good ones, are prima donnas to some extent. You manage it the best you can, which Pop seems to have done.

Aldridge isn't good enough to allow him Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant type of "prima donnasness", tbh.

If you are a 2nd or 3rd tier talent player, and you bitch about your touches, you are a cancer not worth keeping.

[offset formation]

The problem is, DD and Aldridge don't accept that type of team ball. Aldridge, especially, pouts and whines his way into getting traded if he doesn't get :cryhis touches:cry. That's my main reason for saying he doesn't play winning ball.

It's funny that Pop and all those around him have such polar opposite views of him, his lunch pail work ethic, and dedication to the team than you do. Hell even his old Portland teammates seem eager to play with him again.

Whatever selfish tendencies he might have had at one point in his career, he no longer does. Let his current game speak for itself and stop badmouthing him with past seasons old 'mah touches' nonsense. Pop loves him and his unselfishness. That's a fact.

[exstatic]

Aldridge isn't good enough to allow him Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant type of "prima donnasness", tbh.

If you are a 2nd or 3rd tier talent player, and you bitch about your touches, you are a cancer not worth keeping.

So, you would trade an All NBA player for scraps and pieces. Oh, and he's not even approached MJ/Kobe territory. He had some issues. He didn't air them in public. He worked it out with Pop.

If I ever have to wonder about how Pop and RC pull off the things they do, I just look at GMs who think the exact way that you do. If you have a player of high caliber who demands double teams, you don't ship him out without getting back the same: a player that demands double teams. You can't run a high level offense without it.

[DAF86]

It's funny that Pop and all those around him have such polar opposite views of him, his lunch pail work ethic, and dedication to the team than you do. Hell even his old Portland teammates seem eager to play with him again.

Whatever selfish tendencies he might have had at one point in his career, he no longer does. Let his current game speak for itself and stop badmouthing him with past seasons old 'mah touches' nonsense. Pop loves him and his unselfishness. That's a fact.

Sure, as long as he's getting his 20 per game, he must be a delight to have as a teammate.

[DAF86]

So, you would trade an All NBA player for scraps and pieces. Oh, and he's not even approached MJ/Kobe territory. He had some issues. He didn't air them in public. He worked it out with Pop.

If I ever have to wonder about how Pop and RC pull off the things they do, I just look at GMs who think the exact way that you do. If you have a player of high caliber who demands double teams, you don't ship him out without getting back the same: a player that demands double teams. You can't run a high level offense without it.

It depends on what you want. If you want to remain a playoffs team but without any aspiration of really contending for a title any time soon, sure keep those guys.

If you want to startover and see if you can build something solid with aspirations of trully contending someday, you trade them.

FWIW, I'm happy with keeping the playoffs streak alive, for now.

[exstatic]

It depends on what you want. If you want to remain a playoffs team but without any aspiration of really contending for a title any time soon, sure keep those guys.

If you want to startover and see if you can build something solid with aspirations of trully contending someday, you trade them.

FWIW, I'm happy with keeping the playoffs streak alive, for now.

The thing is, every team that has tried that hasn't gotten any further than we have in the playoffs. Philly has the best chance, but they had to tank for FIVE YEARS, and had a number of misses in the top 10. Okafor, Fultz, MCW, Noel. They also surrendered the #12 pick this year, and lost out on Jason Tatum in that disastrous Fultz trade.

I can't put up with five years of shit. I just can't.

[jmard5]

People still can't get over with Aldridge's 'my touches'? It's old news. He has been an outstanding player, teammate and Spur. This news that he wants to go back to Portland is overblown.

[FkLA]

The problem is, DD and Aldridge don't accept that type of team ball. Aldridge, especially, pouts and whines his way into getting traded if he doesn't get :cryhis touches:cry. That's my main reason for saying he doesn't play winning ball.

Idk bro, I kind of think DD is almost there. His playmaking is actually really good and he has the size/talent to get others great looks. He's had so many good games for 3.5 quarters but fucks things up by trying to play hero at the end of games instead of just reading defenses/being a willing passer like he does the rest of the game. That's fixable, imo.

LMA is more of a question mark because of his "my touches" past but my hope is that his real problem was with the fact that the offense was so Kawhiso-centric, which kind of made him an afterthought, and not an unwillingness to play team ball. He honestly doesn't come off like a bad/cancerous teammate.

It's still a longshot that we win anything with this core obviously but still I'd easily take that over tanking.

[slick'81]

This trade is even worse then what we got for kawhi btw

[RC_Drunkford]

people don't give this guy enough credit. We couldn't even beat the tanking Mavs at home on the last regular season game without LA scoring 34 points and grabbing 16 rebounds. He also deserves a lot of credit for the emergence of Derrick White. White always talks about LaMarcus being the one encouraging him and giving him advice, that's why they have such great chemistry on the court. On top of that he played 81 games

[offset formation]

people don't give this guy enough credit. We couldn't even beat the tanking Mavs at home on the last regular season game without LA scoring 34 points and grabbing 16 rebounds. He also deserves a lot of credit for the emergence of Derrick White. White always talks about LaMarcus being the one encouraging him and giving him advice, that's why they have such great chemistry on the court. On top of that he played 81 games

Yep, I'm a fan. He won me over the last couple of years. He's got to get his jersey retired just for last season alone, as he willed that team to a solid season. And he's now only 1402 points away from 20,000 career points. Aside from some Negative Nancys here, Spurs fans love the guy.

[Down Under]

We should've done this...

[Spurs oman]

At this point I would trade LA for a first and nothing

[Down Under]

Well, got there eventually. Sort of :lol

[KingKev]

Well, got there eventually. Sort of :lol

Wow and could have gotten 2 firsts for RoCo so 3 1sts and Dieng or just Dieng and goodwill.