Rockets Reach 'Basic Agreement' With Scola

[Spurs Brazil]

Rockets Reach 'Basic Agreement' With Scola
July 13, 2007 - 7:34 pm
Houston Chronicle -
The Rockets have come to a "basic agreement" with Argentine star Luis Scola, less than 24 hours after acquiring his draft rights from the San Antonio Spurs , the Houston Chronicle is reporting.

"We're working on the contract, but we've got a basic agreement, an understanding," George Bass, Scola's agent said Friday.

"He's actually taking the physical right now in Argentina."

The Rockets traded guard Vassilis Spanoulis, a 2009 second-round draft pick and cash to the Spurs for the rights to Scola and center Jackie Butler.

Scola is expected to sign a three-year deal worth roughly $10 million.

"He's so excited, he probably didn't sleep a wink last night." Bass said.

"He's thrilled, this has been his dream for five years." [READ]


http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/47118/20070713/rockets_reach_basic_agreement_with_scola/

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Interesting. Remind me again why the Spurs never brought him over?

[Spurs Brazil]

Sorry, didn't see this one:

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73860&page=2&pp=26

LOCK

[El_Mago]

Good for him.

He deserves to play.

Now, we know what it would of taken to get him here if the Spurs truly wanted it to happen.

A lot assumed 3 yrs 9-12 million, so it's about right.

[ducks]

let houston make him the most paid second round draft pick

making more then james his first year in the nba :rolleyes

[ducks]

Good for him.

He deserves to play.

Now, we know what it would of taken to get him here if the Spurs truly wanted it to happen.

A lot assumed 3 yrs 9-12 million, so it's about right.
why does he deserve to play
he played hard ball and pouted spurs wanted him to improve in rebounding
he deserves to be stuck outside of the nba

[Spurs Dynasty 21]

Interesting. Remind me again why the Spurs never brought him over?



to make the Rockets better



the one thing the Rockets needed bad was a PF, now the Spurs give them Scola for free

[ducks]

spurs did not want him because he pouted he had to work on the rebounds
scola was mad he was not selected in the first round
scola was happy to sign for less now with another team because he learned his lesson

[El_Mago]

Oh well, Ducks.

He's playing whether you like it or not.

Suck it.

[ducks]

to make the Rockets better



the one thing the Rockets needed bad was a PF, now the Spurs give them Scola for free
something might help to get macgrady out of the first round

remind me what scola has proven in the nba yet?

[Spurs Dynasty 21]

something might help to get macgrady out of the first round

remind me what scola has proven in the nba yet?



LMAO



you keep signing that song to yourself, but anyone with brain knows Scola will be an impact player int eh NBA



those Argentinian players who came to the NBA suuuuuuuuure sucked in the NBA :rolleyes



thanks for your great bball knowledge duck

[Buddy Holly]

WHY THE FUCK are your sentences spaced so wide????

[ducks]

scola needs to rebound
will he in houston?

[ducks]

LMAO



you keep signing that song to yourself, but anyone with brain knows Scola will be an impact player int eh NBA



those Argentinian players who came to the NBA suuuuuuuuure sucked in the NBA :rolleyes



thanks for your great bball knowledge duck


does not matter where you come from
if you suck you suck
scola will not suck but he is no duncan

[El_Mago]

I'm tired of the whole, "What has this guy ever proved outside of the league?"

If it was not for two of those "What has he ever proved outside of the league?" type of guys on this Spurs roster (Parker and Gino)....the Spurs would have three less titles.

That argument is old.

European players can play, have won against some of the leagues best....including Duncan, Melo, Lebron, etc....

[Spurs Dynasty 21]

does not matter where you come from
if you suck you suck
scola will not suck but he is no duncan



:lol :lol WOWOWOWWOW, that was a bold statement saying that Scola won't be as good as the greatest PF in basketball history

[Typhoon]

does not matter where you come from
if you suck you suck
scola will not suck but he is no duncan

Thank you Captain Obvious.

[Dartherus]

Sad when you think that with the same contract as the one given to Anthony bonner, you could have had a player zillion times better, and would have not solved the PF problem to a direct rival in the same division.

[ducks]

Sad when you think that with the same contract as the one given to Anthony bonner, you could have had a player zillion times better, and would have not solved the PF problem to a direct rival in the same division.
WOULD SCOLA SIGN WITH THE SPURS
NO

[Spurs Dynasty 21]

WOULD SCOLA SIGN WITH THE SPURS
NO



:lol :lol



you have officially proved you know nothing of this situation



Scola has practically been BEGGING the Spurs to sign him, even went to the papers and begged the SPurs to sign him

[exstatic]

Sad when you think that with the same contract as the one given to Anthony bonner, you could have had a player zillion times better, and would have not solved the PF problem to a direct rival in the same division.
Anthony Bonner has been out of the league for quite some time, so I hardly think the Spurs gave him anything.

If you mean Matt Bonner, you might want to check his Euroleague numbers from his first year fresh out of college. They smoke Scola's. 19 and 10, 60% FGS.

[itzsoweezee]

good for him. fucking cheap bastards in the front office should have brought him over a year ago.

[midgetonadonkey]

I'm happy that he is finally coming over. It's sad that he isn't playing for the Spurs but I want to see what he can in the league.

Since the League he plays in is the best League behind the NBA and he has won 2 MVPs there is no way in hell he won't contribute.

He is also only 27 years old so he has a good 5-6 years in the NBA.

Whatever happens... it's the Spurs fault's on this one.

They should have paid the buyout a couple of years ago or this year and we would almost have Offensive juggernaut. With Tim, Manu, Tony and Scola .

I also want him to play well...so the fucking front office can realize when they pick international players they should bring them over instead of making them wait 5 years and then trading them! Fucking Idiots!

One last thing if they cut James White because they have to pay him a lousily $100,000 of guaranteed money….I will officially know that the Spurs Front office is the cheapest organization in the NBA!

The cheapest organization with 4 rings.

[midgetonadonkey]

I'm tired of the whole, "What has this guy ever proved outside of the league?"

If it was not for two of those "What has he ever proved outside of the league?" type of guys on this Spurs roster (Parker and Gino)....the Spurs would have three less titles.

That argument is old.

European players can play, have won against some of the leagues best....including Duncan, Melo, Lebron, etc....

There are many more Euros that have sucked than that have succeeded. Just because they are International, does not mean they will be good.

[bigfundamental21]

I sure hope this move doesn't come back to bite us in the ass. Scola better be a bust.

[ducks]

I'm happy that he is finally coming over. It's sad that he isn't playing for the Spurs but I want to see what he can in the league.

Since the League he plays in is the best League behind the NBA and he has won 2 MVPs there is no way in hell he won't contribute.

He is also only 27 years old so he has a good 5-6 years in the NBA.

Whatever happens... it's the Spurs fault's on this one.

They should have paid the buyout a couple of years ago or this year and we would almost have Offensive juggernaut. With Tim, Manu, Tony and Scola .

I also want him to play well...so the fucking front office can realize when they pick international players they should bring them over instead of making them wait 5 years and then trading them! Fucking Idiots!

One last thing if they cut James White because they have to pay him a lousily $100,000 of guaranteed money….I will officially know that the Spurs Front office is the cheapest organization in the NBA!
buyout was like 15 million 2 years ago hello
not spurs fault

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Scola is expected to sign a three-year deal worth roughly $10 million.

I thought he wanted the max, according to the Excuse for News. :rolleyes

[Roxsfan]

Anthony Bonner has been out of the league for quite some time, so I hardly think the Spurs gave him anything.

If you mean Matt Bonner, you might want to check his Euroleague numbers from his first year fresh out of college. They smoke Scola's. 19 and 10, 60% FGS.


Bonner is a dork though, seriously.

Scola is a baller. :elephant

[Roxsfan]

I sure hope this move doesn't come back to bite us in the COLA. Scola better be a bust.


well, SA got S'd in the Cola already on this deal:elephant

skArooowed in the COLA :madrun :smokin

[TMTTRIO]

Hey I guess Manu heard about it because he posted something on his site tonight.Can someone translate what he said (and not that google translation stuff). Thanks. I think he may be a good player for them but I don't think he's going to put them over the top.

Que barbaro, ahora se lo critica a Pop y RC por darle la chance a Luis de cumplir su suenio de jugar en la NBA? Si hubieran sido egoistas y no les interesara la persona, se lo quedaban y esperaban, algo iba a llegar tarde o temprano... en cambio que hicieron?? saben que Luis tiene 27 y que era el momento para dar el salto, lo dejan practicamente libre para que juegue, aunque esto significara dejarlo jugar en un rival directo...

No les parece loable? En San Antonio practicamente no iba a tener chances de jugar lo que quiere atras de Tim y tampoco lugar a nivel economico para cobrar lo que alguien como el se merece.
No me parece nada mal, sino preguntenle a Luis a ver que opina de lo que hicieron los Spurs.

No hay dudas que me hubiera ENCANTADO jugar con el Luifa... pero para el, esta claro que es lo mejor.

Slds.

[ALVAREZ6]

about time.

[JPB]

Hey I guess Manu heard about it because he posted something on his site tonight.Can someone translate what he said (and not that google translation stuff). Thanks. I think he may be a good player for them but I don't think he's going to put them over the top.

Hey I guess Manu heard about it because he posted something on his site tonight.Can someone translate what he said (and not that google translation stuff). Thanks. I think he may be a good player for them but I don't think he's going to put them over the top.


Que barbaro, ahora se lo critica a Pop y RC por darle la chance a Luis de cumplir su suenio de jugar en la NBA? Si hubieran sido egoistas y no les interesara la persona, se lo quedaban y esperaban, algo iba a llegar tarde o temprano... en cambio que hicieron?? saben que Luis tiene 27 y que era el momento para dar el salto, lo dejan practicamente libre para que juegue, aunque esto significara dejarlo jugar en un rival directo...

No les parece loable? En San Antonio practicamente no iba a tener chances de jugar lo que quiere atras de Tim y tampoco lugar a nivel economico para cobrar lo que alguien como el se merece.
No me parece nada mal, sino preguntenle a Luis a ver que opina de lo que hicieron los Spurs.

No hay dudas que me hubiera ENCANTADO jugar con el Luifa... pero para el, esta claro que es lo mejor.

Slds.




From what I understand, he's saying that he regrets that people are blaming RC and Pop for giving Scola the chance to accomplish his dream to play in the NBA, and not being egoist. They behaved like the champion organisation they are.
He knows that this is the right time for Luis to come here. Spurs set him free even if it means he'll play for a direct rival.

Doesn't it seem laudable to them ? (people who are complaining)
In SA, he praticaly had no chance to play the minutes he would have liked near to Tim and couldn't have had the money he can have considering the market.
It doesn't seem a bad thing to him (Manu, the trade) but ask Luis what he's thinking of what the Spurs made.
No doubt I' would have been thrilled to play with him but I think this is the best for him (him signing in Houston.

-----

Very interesting....

[MaNuMaNiAc]

Que barbaro, ahora se lo critica a Pop y RC por darle la chance a Luis de cumplir su suenio de jugar en la NBA? Si hubieran sido egoistas y no les interesara la persona, se lo quedaban y esperaban, algo iba a llegar tarde o temprano... en cambio que hicieron?? saben que Luis tiene 27 y que era el momento para dar el salto, lo dejan practicamente libre para que juegue, aunque esto significara dejarlo jugar en un rival directo...

No les parece loable? En San Antonio practicamente no iba a tener chances de jugar lo que quiere atras de Tim y tampoco lugar a nivel economico para cobrar lo que alguien como el se merece.
No me parece nada mal, sino preguntenle a Luis a ver que opina de lo que hicieron los Spurs.

No hay dudas que me hubiera ENCANTADO jugar con el Luifa... pero para el, esta claro que es lo mejor.

Slds.


Great, now people are blaming Pop and RC for giving Luis the chance of fullfilling his dream of playing in the NBA? If they had been selfish and didn't care about him as a person, they would have kept him and waited for something (better deal) to present itself sooner or later... instead, what do they do? they know Luis is 27 and that this is his time to make the jump, so they let him free to play, even if this means letting him play for a direct rival (division rival)...

Don't you find this laudable? In San Antonio, he wouldn't have been able to play the time he wants behind Tim, nor would there be room, economically speaking, for him to earn what a player like him deserves. I can find no fault in this, ask Luis what he thinks of what the Spurs did. (It would seem as though he's saying Luis is happy with how things turned out)

Of course I would have LOVED playing with him Luifa... but its clear this is what's best for him.:toast

[ploto]

Manu is a great guy and will give the company line always. The Spurs traded Scola's rights to dump Butler's salary and save $$. They don't care about him as a person. It's a business.

[JPB]

I guess some people would say NBA is a business and there is no place for feelings.
But if what Manu is arguing is true, that's another sign of how classy Spurs can be.

:toast

[ploto]

I guess some people would say NBA is a business and there is no place for feelings.
But if what Manu is arguing is true, that's another sign of how classy Spurs can be.

:toast
Bought- hook, line, and sinker.

[ArgSpursFan]

damn right.
They´ve been trying to get rid of Butler and had to give up Scola in order to make it happen.Otherwise they would´ve let him rot in Europe.Do you think they just offered Scola to the rockets?????
Hell no!! they(Rockets) wanted Luis and were Willing to take the chance on butler just to get Scola.
I really hope Jakie turns things around next season too.

[inconvertible]

yao and scola will be the best front court in the NBA.

[JPB]

Bought- hook, line, and sinker.

Give me adress so I can send you those.

[JPB]

damn right.
They´ve been trying to get rid of Butler and had to give up Scola in order to make it happen.Otherwise they would´ve let him rot in Europe.Do you think they just offered Scola to the rockets?????
Hell no!! they(Rockets) wanted Luis and were Willing to take the chance on butler just to get Scola.
I really hope Jakie turns things around next season too.

So Spurs are the winner of this trade ? Right, they were soooooo willing to get ride of Butler that they sacrified Scola, cos nobody wanted Jackie ?

So Manu is a dumbass for saying what he's saying ? That Spurs could have waited more and get something else for Scola ?

[MaNuMaNiAc]

So Spurs are the winner of this trade ? They were soooooo willing to get ride of Butler that they sacrified Scola, cos nobody wanted Jackie.

So Manu is a dumbass for saying what he's saying ? That Spurs could have waited more and get something else for Scola ?pfff :lmao are you talking to yourself or something? where are you getting this shit from?

[lotr1trekkie]

The Spurs FO did what was best for the team. We now have a little more $ to sign Idoka or someone else that will make us better. Several things changed the Scola saga since last year. Oberto established himself as an invaluable cog in the machine. Would we have been better cutting Fab and bringing in Scola.? Cut Elson some would say. No, we need another 7 footer until Splitter arrives or Mahinmi' developes. Some would say cut Bonner. From what I've gleaned from the paper, Pop loves Bonner's game and attitude. His is younger bigger, stronger than Scola and can shot the 3. IMO the final nail in the coffin was when Splitter fell to us in the draft. Also younger , bigger, and taller than Scola. Every Euro isn't a Manu or Tony-- game changers! Most are role players and come off the bench and contribute. Can anyone list Euro's who currently start in the NBA? Any All-Stars? I expect Scola will be a role player in Houston. He will make the Rockets better but we didn't trade away Karl Malone.

[ArgSpursFan]

So Spurs are the winner of this trade ? They were soooooo willing to get ride of Butler that they sacrified Scola, cos nobody wanted Jackie.

So Manu is a dumbass for saying what he's saying ? That Spurs could have waited more and get something else for Scola ?

The way I see it,The spurs are the losers in this trade.
And manu is a great guy who doesn´t wanna talk shit about nobody and wanna calm things down.

[TDMVPDPOY]

hope scola ends up a busts

[MaNuMaNiAc]

I'm going to reserve judgment on this trade. Up close, it looks like a shitty deal, seeing as though Scola seemed to be worth more than half a second round pick. Still, I have doubted the Spurs front office before and they've always come out on top, so right now I don't know what the hell to make out of this...

I think Scola is going to do well, nothing too impressive but good enough to make us sorry we traded him that's for sure, even if we do win a title next season. Either way, here's to #5 :toast

[JPB]

pfff :lmao are you talking to yourself or something? where are you getting this shit from?

If you can't read irony, there's nothing I can do for you.
I was responding to a nonsense take.

[JPB]

The way I see it,The spurs are the losers in this trade.
And manu is a great guy who doesn´t wanna talk shit about nobody and wanna calm things down.

Sorry but his take doesn't look at all like that. He just seems to give a fair opinion and looks a bit pissed with some reactions.

[DR WU]

I'm happy that he is finally coming over. It's sad that he isn't playing for the Spurs but I want to see what he can in the league.

Since the League he plays in is the best League behind the NBA and he has won 2 MVPs there is no way in hell he won't contribute.

He is also only 27 years old so he has a good 5-6 years in the NBA.

Whatever happens... it's the Spurs fault's on this one.

They should have paid the buyout a couple of years ago or this year and we would almost have Offensive juggernaut. With Tim, Manu, Tony and Scola .

I also want him to play well...so the fucking front office can realize when they pick international players they should bring them over instead of making them wait 5 years and then trading them! Fucking Idiots!

One last thing if they cut James White because they have to pay him a lousily $100,000 of guaranteed money….I will officially know that the Spurs Front office is the cheapest organization in the NBA!

Trust me, they are.

[exstatic]

Manu is a great guy and will give the company line always. The Spurs traded Scola's rights to dump Butler's salary and save $$. They don't care about him as a person. It's a business.
What I don't understand is that if it's a business, why are people so angry when the Spurs both win, and look to their bottom line? You've been OTR for a year over a business move to trade Rasho to Toronto. At some point you should let go of that anger, or it'll eat you up.

[E20]

It will be interesting watching him play.

[ploto]

What I don't understand is that if it's a business, why are people so angry when the Spurs both win, and look to their bottom line? You've been OTR for a year over a business move to trade Rasho to Toronto. At some point you should let go of that anger, or it'll eat you up.
I have no problem with the Spurs being a business. The problem I have is with their BS to cover up the fact that they are operating solely as a business.

If the Spurs came out and said- we traded Scola to save $7M, I could actually respect that. It is a business move to save money. But instead- they send out lies about Scola to make him look bad and make bogus claims of how much they care about him as motives for trading him. That is what I can not stand.

They lie about people and lie about their motives and people buy it. They make claims that decisions are based upon basketball when they are all about money, They think it tarnishes their reputation to admit they are looking at the bottom line, but do not care how they tarnish the image of players.
They want people to think they actually care about playes and their families, but they don't. They bad mouth people and hurt their reputations to preserve their own public image.

They tell players when they want them to sign, especially for less money, how much they care about them. but when it is time to dump them, all that care disappears. They use it to get what they want and people just somehow don't want to hear that.

They want the public to believe that the Spurs care so much about Scola that they traded him to Houston to fulfill his dream of playing in the NBA- not that his agent threatened he would sign a long term deal in Europe and they would get nothing, so they used him to dump Butler's salary and save money.

It is the PR and the marketing that I hate. It is all the crap they send out through the media that I hate. It's how they play the public and the fans that I hate.

[picnroll]

Kind of like you have this perfect girlfriend. Then she dumps you. You know you'll never be lucky enough to have a girlfriend anywhere close to that good again. So you turn bitter, hate that girlfriend. Say everything you can to denigrate her. That's ploto and the Spurs

[exstatic]

It is the PR and the marketing that I hate. It is all the crap they send out through the media that I hate. It's how they play the public and the fans that I hate.
Marketing is part of business. You sell your product. Companies lie to you every day to sell shit. It's the way the economy works, and to think otherwise is the height of naievete'.

I've also read every quote by Scola since the draft, and he does strike me as a bit of an ass, starting by immediately whining about being drafted in the second round of a draft that he could have, and probably should have pulled out of, his buyout being what it was.

Did it occur to you that maybe he's a bad egg AND the Spurs wanted to save money? Nothing says those are mutually exclusive states.

[T Park]

God someone pull the plug on the bitch's account for christ sake.

[objective]

. . . of a draft that he could have, and probably should have pulled out of, his buyout being what it was.

without commenting on the rest . . .

I don't know how this nonsense is still thrown around.

He was an international and 22 years old, automatically eligible.

No way for him to 'pull out' of anything.

He didn't have to go to workouts, true, but he was in the draft whether he liked it or not.

[ploto]

Marketing is part of business. You sell your product. Companies lie to you every day to sell shit. It's the way the economy works, and to think otherwise is the height of naievete'.

It is why I do not work for any profit driven entity and only ever as an adult have worked for non-profits or governmental service agencies.

[ploto]

Kind of like you have this perfect girlfriend. Then she dumps you. You know you'll never be lucky enough to have a girlfriend anywhere close to that good again. So you turn bitter, hate that girlfriend. Say everything you can to denigrate her. That's ploto and the Spurs
Kind of odd comparing the Spurs to a perfect girlfriend dumping me- not only for the obvious gender problem- but because I am the one with the decision to no longer give them any of my season ticket money. See, I drop them.

[exstatic]

without commenting on the rest . . .

I don't know how this nonsense is still thrown around.

He was an international and 22 years old, automatically eligible.

No way for him to 'pull out' of anything.

He didn't have to go to workouts, true, but he was in the draft whether he liked it or not.
You are correct, and I withdraw my snipe at him for not pulling out. He's still a whiner, though, and actually ended up better off by being drafted in the second round after all. You can't negotiate your salary if you're a first rounder. He got negotiating leverage by going to a shitty team with no real PF. I'm sure ploto wouldn't approve if she sat down an thought about it. Players are commercial for-profit entities, too. They sell themselves, usually with a non real persona in the mix.

[td4mvp3]

It is why I do not work for any profit driven entity and only ever as an adult have worked for non-profits or governmental service agencies.
you say that as though nonprofits don''t advertise or cheat. the american red cross is losing some of its luster exactly because of that. what's more, what do you think all those nfl-united way commercials are? how do you think nonprofits find volunteers and work staff? osmosis? marketing isn't something restricted to businesses, we are all walking advertisements because we have to be. we sell ourselves, whether to get a job or whatever. and geez, drop the sanctimony over where you have worked: nonprofits exist, and readily praise, for-profit entities precisely because they make the money that can then be used as donations to nonprofits and thus allow them not to be for-profit. govt. services also market themselves (armed services, police and firefighting positions that come open, etc.). yeesh.

[td4mvp3]

I have no problem with the Spurs being a business. The problem I have is with their BS to cover up the fact that they are operating solely as a business.

If the Spurs came out and said- we traded Scola to save $7M, I could actually respect that. It is a business move to save money. But instead- they send out lies about Scola to make him look bad and make bogus claims of how much they care about him as motives for trading him. That is what I can not stand.

They lie about people and lie about their motives and people buy it. They make claims that decisions are based upon basketball when they are all about money, They think it tarnishes their reputation to admit they are looking at the bottom line, but do not care how they tarnish the image of players.
They want people to think they actually care about playes and their families, but they don't. They bad mouth people and hurt their reputations to preserve their own public image.

They tell players when they want them to sign, especially for less money, how much they care about them. but when it is time to dump them, all that care disappears. They use it to get what they want and people just somehow don't want to hear that.

They want the public to believe that the Spurs care so much about Scola that they traded him to Houston to fulfill his dream of playing in the NBA- not that his agent threatened he would sign a long term deal in Europe and they would get nothing, so they used him to dump Butler's salary and save money.

It is the PR and the marketing that I hate. It is all the crap they send out through the media that I hate. It's how they play the public and the fans that I hate.

this only applies to 6-year-olds. no adult, or hell, 16-year-old is falling for any idea that an nba team is anything other than a business. but beyond that, i can't recall one iota of bad pr dished out by the spurs about this guy, and no spin about why the spurs did what they did came across in the article about it


http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/...de.35d9aa1.html

Spurs find spot for Scola, Butler — Houston

Web Posted: 07/12/2007 10:51 PM CDT

Johnny Ludden
San Antonio Express-News

Ending a five-year relationship with Luis Scola, during which his agent once famously declared the Argentine forward was being held prisoner in the "country of liberty," the Spurs finally found a home for him, about 200 miles from their own.

The Spurs traded Scola's draft rights and center Jackie Butler to the Houston Rockets on Thursday evening for guard Vassilis Spanoulis, a 2009 second-round pick and cash.

A 2002 second-round draft pick of the Spurs, Scola has been playing for Spanish team Tau Ceramica, where he is generally regarded as one of the best players in Europe. The Spurs had hoped to sign him two years ago, but his buyout was too large, so they instead opted to bring over his friend and countryman, center Fabricio Oberto.

The Spurs had since fielded offers for Scola, but didn't find anything to their liking until this week. A year ago, Scola's agent accused the Spurs of preventing his client from reaching the NBA, saying "in the country of liberty, he is being held prisoner."

"As an organization, we felt responsible to allow Luis to pursue his dream of the NBA," Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said, "and this was the best opportunity to realize his value."

While the trade potentially landed Houston a starting power forward, it did little for the Spurs other than reduce their payroll and open up a roster spot. The trade removed the $2.4 million Butler was due to make this season, and the Spurs also might not have to pay Spanoulis the $1.9 million he is slated to earn.

After playing sparingly last season, Spanoulis had already told the Rockets he wanted to return to Greece. The trade isn't expected to make him change his mind: Two weeks ago, his agent, Miodrag Raznatovic, said, "They could trade him to San Antonio and he could be the starting point guard, and he would say, 'No, I cannot.'"

If the Spurs have to pay all or part of Spanoulis' salary, it will be offset by the cash the Rockets included in the deal.

The Spurs didn't think they would have room for Scola even after next season because they plan on signing one of his teammates on Tau Ceramica, forward Tiago Splitter, their first-round draft pick in June. They also are re-signing Oberto.

Butler signed with the Spurs a year ago, but rarely played after reporting out of shape. Though he has shown improvement and is just 22 years old, team officials questioned whether he would ever be successful playing in their defensive system, which requires their big men to make reads and communicate with teammates.

"With our roster intact, it would appear unlikely that neither (Butler nor Scola) would impact our rotation," Buford said.

The Spurs had hoped to trade Scola outside their division and were close to sending him to Cleveland, but a three-team deal that would have sent Butler to Sacramento fell apart. A potential trade to send Butler to New Jersey also didn't materialize, so the Spurs decided to package Scola with him.

The Spurs re-signed two of their own free agents Thursday, solidifying deals with forward Matt Bonner (three years, $9 million) and Jacque Vaughn (two years, $2.5 million). They had hoped to also sign Detroit forward Amir Johnson to an offer sheet, but he agreed to take less money (three years, $11 million) to stay with the Pistons.

Buford wouldn't comment on whether trading Butler increased the odds the Spurs will sign Ian Mahinmi, their 2005 first-round pick, except to say, the trade "gives us roster options."

With Johnson off the market, the Spurs could turn their attention to Portland free-agent swingman Ime Udoka. Udoka, who turns 30 in August, averaged 8.4 points and 3.7 rebounds while starting 75 games for Trail Blazers.

Udoka is a rugged defender and a dependable 3-point shooter, skills he shares in common with Bruce Bowen, the player he would most likely back up.

[Marcus Bryant]

"I have said many times that he is the most important player in the club's history, so to lose a player of this calibre would logically be a problem," Club president Josean Querejeta said. "He is also one of the most important players in Europe, but in the past we have been able to overcome the departures of (Andres) Nocioni, (Jose Manuel) Calderon and (Arvydas) Macijauskas.

"The player has told me that he has an offer from Houston and that he wants to accept it. He says that he is very sorry but that this is his ambition. We thank him for his behaviour and we support him."

Querejeta warned Scola and his agent, however, not to expect a reduction in the buyout.

"The buy-out clauses are there to be followed," Querejeta said. "Evidently, if he pays the buy-out clause there's nothing to discuss because he is within his right of leaving."

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