is it a good sign that ny hasn't matched yet?

[td4mvp3]

i assume they could by now, and granted, it's been a day, but even then ...

[FromWayDowntown]

Why wouldn't they take the full week to announce the decision?

[spursfaninla]

They should wait the full week to punish us for trying to steal him away. This is the way it is done, I take it.

We have to wait until the fat lady sings to know for sure if we get either, both or neither of these guys.

[JGrice02]

They will wait until the last minute to decide. Things might happen over the course of the week that could change their mind. Not likely but possible. And if nothing else their waiting keeps the Spurs out of the FA market for the rest of the week. It won't be official until the end of the week, but let's be realistic here. The Knicks are matching the offer and the Spurs are wasting their time.

[Budkin]

I agree. They can really screw us for going after Butler by not matching for a few more days. That's all it'll take to miss out on Javtokas completely.

[rayray2k8]

Butler is served

Knicks center gets Spurs' offer

BY FRANK ISOLA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Jackie Butler signed a three-year, $7 million offer sheet with the San Antonio Spurs yesterday, but the Knicks, according to sources, intend to the keep the 21-year-old center.The Knicks have seven days to match the offer or work out a sign-and-trade for Butler, a player Isiah Thomas uncovered in the CBA two years ago.

Joining the Spurs would be more beneficial to Butler because it would give him an opportunity to start alongside Tim Duncan and play with a perennial contender. The Spurs lost Nazr Mohammed to free agency and traded Rasho Nesterovic. In New York, Butler would be playing behind Eddy Curry and Jerome James.

The Knicks made a qualifying offer of $900,000 to Butler and questioned whether he could get a better deal. Thomas even predicted that negotiations with Butler would extend into September.

"My summer is much shorter," said Butler's agent, Keith Glass.

The 6-10, 265-pound Butler averaged 5.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and shot 54% from the field in 55 games with the Knicks. He is regarded as a better low-post player than James. By re-signing Butler, Thomas has the flexibility to include him in a trade if he cannot move James. Butler also provides insurance if Curry or James is injured.

Butler's increased role last season - he played more minutes than James - created some animosity between Thomas and former coach Larry Brown. Some in the front office felt that Brown favored Butler because he is represented by the son of Brown's agent, Joe Glass. The Knicks fired Brown last month and are trying to void the final four years of his contract, worth $40 million. Brown maintained that he simply felt that Butler was the better player.

"Without being coy about it, Larry is a part of my family," Keith Glass said from Las Vegas. "I clearly have thoughts and emotions and my emotions lie with them. Jackie has nothing to do with that. I've always understood that."

[FromWayDowntown]

They will wait until the last minute to decide. Things might happen over the course of the week that could change their mind. Not likely but possible. And if nothing else their waiting keeps the Spurs out of the FA market for the rest of the week. It won't be official until the end of the week, but let's be realistic here. The Knicks are matching the offer and the Spurs are wasting their time.

I suspect they already have a good idea about what they're going to do, and you're probably right about them matching. Still, it doesn't make any sense for them to tell anyone about it officially until they're at the end of the time for doing so.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Zeke is going to leave the Spurs twisting in the wind as long as possible for saddling him with Malik's contract.

[clambake]

rayray, that cuban rear-ending of dirk is halarious. i laugh my ass off every time i see it.

[violentkitten]

Zeke is going to leave the Spurs twisting in the wind as long as possible for saddling him with Malik's contract.

what does he care about that? he got 2 1st round picks out of that deal. meanwhile, the spurs maybe got...francisco elson.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

I just want the Spurs to make one last offer to Javtokas and then Elson or Butler get matched.

[td4mvp3]

did mohammed mess things up in this regard, do you suppose? isaiah took a lot of flak about that deal with malik and the way things turned out with nazr makes him look foolish so maybe he's even less inclined to deal another center to s.a. ?

[Mr. Body]

I just want the Spurs to make one last offer to Javtokas and then Elson or Butler get matched.

It's too late. It's done. If the Friday deadline for the Greek team stands, Javtokas is not a Spur.

[picnroll]

Spurs front office is getting played seven days til Sunday. Nuggets and Knicks will let the Spurs twist in the wind for seven days then Knicks will do a S&T to some team, I'm betting the Pups. Some Greek team meanwhile has boxed the Spurs braintrust in on Javtokas, setting a signing deadline before the twisting in the wind Spurs can salvage Robertas signing. Pop, Buford and Presti have gone from smartest to dumbest FO in the span of two years.

[strangeweather]

It's too late. It's done. If the Friday deadline for the Greek team stands, Javtokas is not a Spur.
If the Knicks don't formally match but make it clear they plan to, the Spurs could try to sign Javtokas for the LLE, right?

[ducks]

scola got extenstions maybe jav can
jav is ticked but scola was to at the spurs....

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

This summer is easily surprassing the summer of the Jason Kidd courtship as the biggest failure in front office history.

The irony is that summer the Spurs were eager to spend their money, while this summer they're being a bunch of tight wads.

Never thought I'd see the day when the Clips' owner looked like Steinbrenner compared to our ownership.

Holt and Co. owe Tim Duncan an apology, it's almost criminal that they're nickle and diming team needs in the prime of TD's career. POS front office leadership, and that runs from Holt right on down to Pop and R.C.

[TDMVPDPOY]

i dont drob is also on the holt bandwagon since he owns shares, whats his return atm?

[timvp]

Spurs won't know the answers until next Wednesday at noon or whatever.

[spur219]

No you wait the full week so the team that is trying to take the player away can lose out on other potential free agents.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

i dont drob is also on the holt bandwagon since he owns shares, whats his return atm?

DRob's a great player, but why do you think a guy with 1% ownership is going to have pull over someone with 45%?

[Kori Ellis]

NY is still consdering KMart?


The one issue that remains hot at summer leagues in Orlando and Vegas is the status of Kenyon Martin, whose departure from Denver seems inevitable. The Knicks are still in play, but they don't want to give up Channing Frye in any exchange, which seems to be a deal-breaker for the Nuggets.

[ducks]

maybe they get rid of km elson will be matched

come one sixers take someone other then frye

[Spurs9]

I hope they don't match, I think he has a lot of potential as a spur.

[Mr. Body]

NYK will want to wait the full seven days to explore their options, esp. if they have a trade on the table.

They may also be able to force SA into a S&T for Butler -- I believe if all parties rescind the offer. This seems unlikely, however, as the Spurs have nothing they want.

[tempest186]

Williams' expiring contract.

[JGrice02]

any team would love to have Parker, Ginobili or Duncan

outside of them you are talking about Finley, Bowen or Barry

[Mr. Body]

I don't think they match the 125%+$100K provision. The Spurs could add a draft pick, but I'd say the Knicks would rather keep Butler.

[Please_dont_ban_me]

Without reading this thread...

My opinion would be...why should they match right now? Let the Spurs suffer for a week without the ability to sign other guys, then sign him on the 6th day, 23rd hour. :D That's what I would do.

[ChumpDumper]

Spurs front office is getting played seven days til Sunday. Nuggets and Knicks will let the Spurs twist in the wind for seven days then Knicks will do a S&T to some team, I'm betting the Pups.They can't match and trade -- Butler would be a Knick until December.

[baseline bum]

Of course the Knicks will wait until the last minute to match. Everyone does that. The Clippers did it with Brand and Maggette. Other than that, it's pretty rare to see anyone sign an offer sheet as an RFA.

[violentkitten]

This summer is easily surprassing the summer of the Jason Kidd courtship as the biggest failure in front office history.

The irony is that summer the Spurs were eager to spend their money, while this summer they're being a bunch of tight wads.

Never thought I'd see the day when the Clips' owner looked like Steinbrenner compared to our ownership.

Holt and Co. owe Tim Duncan an apology, it's almost criminal that they're nickle and diming team needs in the prime of TD's career. POS front office leadership, and that runs from Holt right on down to Pop and R.C.

another sees the light

[benjirh]

Nuggets and Knicks will let the Spurs twist in the wind for seven days then Knicks will do a S&T to some team, I'm betting the Pups.

Knicks can't do a S&T with Butler to another team. As far as the wait goes, unless the Knicks are keeping him and want him to count on the roster for some odd reason, we won't see anything done until wed.

[baseline bum]

There's not much to throw money at this summer. Still, I would have liked them to bite the bullet and offer Butler a much higher contract that might have had a chance to not be matched. There's no way we're landing him for 3 years, $7 million. No center with any kind of game whatsoever goes that cheap. Not when Adonal Foyle gets $41 million. Not when Eric Dampier gets $70 million.

[Ninja-Defense]

I know this is Isiah and the Knicks but it makes no sense to pay over 2 million per for a 3rd string center...which is why those bastards will match.

[strangeweather]

I know this is Isiah and the Knicks but it makes no sense to pay over 2 million per for a 3rd string center...which is why those bastards will match.
Don't forget Frye, their first round pick last year. He played more minutes than Butler did. Butler is their fourth string center if they play Jerome James.

[Ninja-Defense]

Don't forget Frye, their first round pick last year. He played more minutes than Butler did. Butler is their fourth string center if they play Jerome James.

Right, I forgot about that! Yeah, well, then those bastards will definitely match!

[Ninja-Defense]

But they'll probably play Frye alongside Curry, right? I think they did that in one of Brown's hundred different lineups last season.

[strangeweather]

But they'll probably play Frye alongside Curry, right? I think they did that in one of Brown's hundred different lineups last season.
According to 82games, they had two of their four centers on the floor 21% of the time.

Frye:
PF 3%
C 36%

Curry:
PF 12%
C 34%

Butler:
PF 6%
C 12%

James:
C 10%

None of them are really PFs, so it's pretty likely that if they come back with all 4 next year, at least one of them is inactive. Given the pressure on Zeke to play Jerome James, that's probably Butler.

[Ninja-Defense]

According to 82games, they had two of their four centers on the floor 21% of the time.

Frye:
PF 3%
C 36%

Curry:
PF 12%
C 34%

Butler:
PF 6%
C 12%

James:
C 10%

None of them are really PFs, so it's pretty likely that if they come back with all 4 next year, at least one of them is inactive. Given the pressure on Zeke to play Jerome James, that's probably Butler.

Cool, thanks for the info...So do you think NY matches just for the sake of insurance on James? That would be a pricey insurance policy...I understand Butler's young but would any other NBA FO do the same thing if they were in NY's position?

[strangeweather]

Cool, thanks for the info...So do you think NY matches just for the sake of insurance on James? That would be a pricey insurance policy...I understand Butler's young but would any other NBA FO do the same thing if they were in NY's position?
I think Zeke's real interest is in having as many assets as possible so he can pull off more bizarre trades. Either Butler becomes part of a deal, or he becomes the replacement for someone else who gets shipped out.

For example, it was reported that Denver was trying to get Frye in a Francis-Kenyon Martin trade.

[Obstructed_View]

The fact is that nothing the Knicks do makes any sense, and just about the time you think they can't make a stupider move, they top it.

[SequNets]

WTF? the Spurs are over the fucking cap and you're bitching? They got rid of Rasho finally. Nazr hated Pop anyways.

There ain't shit out there. I say fuck it. Pop wanted small ball and now he has it.

[Knoxville Spur]

The fact is that nothing the Knicks do makes any sense, and just about the time you think they can't make a stupider move, they top it.

Agreed. These people have to be idiots to have a $130 million payroll and such a bad team and so many lame players.

Anything can happen here...

[Sandman52]

Doesn't Zeke want 'small-ball' too? I thought that was "his reasoning" for collecting all those undersized PFs and all those combo guards.