Spurs acquire Thomas from Sonics for Barry, Elson

[clooneyschick04]

By Johnny Ludden

The San Antonio Spurs have reached agreement with the SuperSonics that will bring them center Kurt Thomas in exchange for guard Brent Barry, center Francisco Elson and a 2009 first-round draft pick, league sources said Wednesday.

The teams are in the process of finalizing the deal with league officials.

By acquiring Thomas, the Spurs get some needed size to help them counter Phoenix’s Shaquille O’Neal and Houston’s Yao Ming. They also are expected to drop under the luxury-tax threshold, possibly saving them about $2 million. In exchange, San Antonio will send the Sonics a portion of the savings.

While Barry has been sidelined with a calf injury, Ime Udoka has taken his place in the rotation and proven to be a dependable contributor with his defense and 3-point shooting. Elson’s inconsistency limited his role with the Spurs this season.

The Sonics, who also considered an offer from the Orlando Magic for Thomas, have now generated three first-round draft picks from Rashard Lewis’ sign-and-trade deal last summer.



http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=ApwLL1prOgTi.d5kmz7LloG8vLYF?slug=jy-thomas022008&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

[Kermit]

yes.

[Mister Sinister]

Fo reals!?

[ATRAIN]

wow now we have an enforcer again!!

[Man In Black]

Ha...Orlando they said. Thanks Sam!!!

[ancestron]

is this for real???

[SenorSpur]

Good choice. Much needed size to counter the Gasols, Bynums and O'Neals of the West.

Maybe they'll go after Diop in the offseason.

Also, Duncan is no longer a PF.

[ChumpDumper]

That's pretty good. Now we can hope that we're Stackhousing Barry and he'll use the 30 days to heal up.

[Kori Ellis]

Good deal.

[timvp]

Hmmmmm ....

And a first rounder?

I'm not sure how much I love this move at the moment.

[td4mvp21]

I'm about to piss my fucking pants

[thispego]

sweet

[hater]

It's true.

Thomas was great in Suns vs. Spurs series.

[Spurminator]

That's pretty good. Now we can hope that we're Stackhousing Barry and he'll use the 30 days to heal up.


:tu

[Que Gee]

This is not official. I'll let you guys know if I hear something for real.

[Bruno]

A first round pick for Kurt Thomas. :wtf

Bad trade.

[SA Gunslinger]

Mixed emotions. Hate to see Barry go but we needed another big.

[Kori Ellis]

This is not official. I'll let you guys know if I hear something for real.

Thanks. Ludden doesn't usually print crap. So I'm guessing it's very close.

[BigVee]

I really liked what Barry brought to the team, but this is a very good trade for the Spurs.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

That's pretty good. Now we can hope that we're Stackhousing Barry and he'll use the 30 days to heal up.

That was my thought (hope) when I saw this.

Barry can be a vital cog in certain situations depending on matchups.

I'm glad we got Thomas, but I think Barry was a bigger contributor than people gave him credit for.

The reality is that we needed help at center with the Suns and Lakers getting bigger and the Rockets playing so well.

Probably a good move.

[DespЏrado]

SWEET! We got the piece we need...I am really confident in the tweaks we have made. Stoudamire Udoka and Thomas are all underrated acquisitions that have filled our most pressing needs. I love these guys!

[Que Gee]

Thanks. Ludden doesn't usually print crap. So I'm guessing it's very close.

I agree, but I'd like to see a link instead of the article.

[Oink Oink]

back to seattle for barry

[yavozerb]

The move to give up a 1st rd pick for a 1 year contract, 35 year old, average NBA big man kind of sucks..Oh well, at least the spurs held onto Ian and Tiago

[dallaskd]

That is a really good deal for SA.

[td4mvp21]

A first round pick for Kurt Thomas. :wtf

Bad trade.

I don't understand how that's bad considering we wouldn't play our draft pick for 3 or 4 years :wtf

I'm sad to see Barry go though

[timvp]

A first round pick for Kurt Thomas. :wtf

Bad trade.Yeah giving up the first rounder is pretty tough. A second or multiple seconds sounds like a fair deal.

I also hope Thomas is used off the bench and not in place of Oberto. Duncan + Thomas = too immobile.

[DazedAndConfused]

Wow Barry gets thrown under the bus for getting injured. After everything he's given the Spurs organization he is tossed out like a piece of trash.

As far as the trade goes, it was a great pickup. Every team could use a Kurt Thomas like guy.

[Magic_Johnson]

we gave too much.
bad trade.

[Mister Sinister]

Wow Barry gets thrown under the bus for getting injured. After everything he's given the Spurs organization he is tossed out like a piece of trash.

As far as the trade goes, it was a great pickup. Every team could use a Kurt Thomas like guy.
:wtf

[ChumpDumper]

Wow Barry gets thrown under the bus for getting injured. After everything he's given the Spurs organization he is tossed out like a piece of trash.:lol

The Spurs have been trying to trade him for years.

Don't douche on our parade.

[DubMcDub]

Interesting. KT is a nice piece for you guys. But giving up Barry? He's been crucial in many clutch moments for you guys. Don't know if replacing that is smart.

But KT is a nice player...

[yavozerb]

The only reason I think the spurs gave the 2009 pick is because most roster spots should be taken from this coming summer's FA market.

[Kori Ellis]

Wow Barry gets thrown under the bus for getting injured. After everything he's given the Spurs organization he is tossed out like a piece of trash.

As far as the trade goes, it was a great pickup. Every team could use a Kurt Thomas like guy.

They've tried to trade him last year when he wasn't injured too, so "being thrown under the bus" isn't relevant to his injury.

[Sausage]

Maybe Seattle will buyout Barry's contract, and Barry will sit around for 30 days, and sign back with the Spurs. He won't open his big mouth like Stack did.

[Kori Ellis]

Interesting. KT is a nice piece for you guys. But giving up Barry? He's been crucial in many clutch moments for you guys. Don't know if replacing that is smart.

But KT is a nice player...

Who knows if Barry will even be healthy at all this year.

[Magic_Johnson]

is there a chance barry will be back after 30 days?

[Spurminator]

Maybe Seattle will buyout Barry's contract, and Barry will sit around for 30 days, and sign back with the Spurs. He won't open his big mouth like Stack did.


Man, Dallas would be PISSED if that happened... :lol

[yavozerb]

Can the spurs fill the extra roster spot without going back into the luxury tax?

[ChumpDumper]

is there a chance barry will be back after 30 days.Sure.

[DubMcDub]

Who knows if Barry will even be healthy at all this year.

This much is true. Still, I'd be a little uncomfortable giving up a guy like that. At this point I'd sooner give up Horry.

[romsho]

By Johnny Ludden



They also are expected to drop under the luxury-tax threshold, possibly saving them about $2 million. In exchange, San Antonio will send the Sonics a portion of the savings.



http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=ApwLL1prOgTi.d5kmz7LloG8vLYF?slug=jy-thomas022008&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Ah yes. Now it really makes sense.

[SenorSpur]

Don't know if I would've given up that 1st round draft choice, though.

If we're lucky, it will be the 32nd pick in the draft.

[DubMcDub]

Man, Dallas would be PISSED if that happened... :lol

Are you kidding? Hell, we're elated that you guys are finally parting ways with the ultimate Dirk-stopper--Francisco Elson. :lol

[Kori Ellis]

This much is true. Still, I'd be a little uncomfortable giving up a guy like that. At this point I'd sooner give up Horry.

They traded him before for JR Smith and the trade just didn't go through because the paperwork was late to the league. So, everyone has understood that Barry has been on the block for a long time.

[SouthernFried]

Good news indeed. Experience and knowledge at the center position, at this late stage of the season is exactly what we need. Young and athletic would be nice...but, would take too long to learn the system. I don't think we'll have those problems with Kurt. Purfect, imho.

I woulda preferred not to lose Barry tho. If there's any chance of getting him back...

1st round draft pick in 2009? eh...

Who we gonna get with the last pick anyway? Kurt helps us now. I like this move a lot. Exactly what we needed.

[ancestron]

can anyone post some stats? thanks.

[SenorSpur]

Man, Dallas would be PISSED if that happened... :lol


Rumor has it that Dallas was very interested in KT.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

The pick is a bit much but I still like it.

[Man of Steel]

Bring Barry Back

Bring Barry Back.

Yes we can.

Yes we can.

I have a dream.

I dream that we bring Barry back.

Words are important.

Si se puede.

[DubMcDub]

They traded him before for JR Smith and the trade just didn't go through because the paperwork was late to the league. So, everyone has understood that Barry has been on the block for a long time.

Not really sure why that matters. The fact that they've been trying to get him out of here for some time doesn't really have anything to do with my point.

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

Barry will be missed :depressed

I kinda think we gave a little too much, two players and a 1st Rounder??? just for Kurt Thomas; how much was he acquired for from Phoenix to Seattle ?


I'm sure Kurt Thomas' game against us both in the Suns series AND the Seattle loss, helped convince the Spurs FO.

[timvp]

Hopefully Barry can come back. That'd make this trade very nice. As is, Barry, Elson and a first is a bit much. If it turns out to be Elson and a first, then that is much easier to swallow.

But yeah, I'm starting to warm to this trade a bit just because the Spurs biggest weakness was bigman depth. If Oberto didn't recapture his postseason magic or if Oberto go injured, the Spurs were done.

Now with Oberto and Thomas, the Spurs have good muscle to go next to Duncan. Plus Thomas is one of the best post defenders of all-time. That could allow Duncan to roam a bit more.

I don't love this trade yet but it did make the Spurs deeper. And if Udoka lives up to expectations, he would have gotten Barry's minutes anyways.

Tough to digest trade but not horrible.

[remingtonbo2001]

Ric Buecher (sp?) confirmed it on ESPN about 2 minutes ago.

When is the first game KT is likely to play?

And where the hell is TPark?

[tav1]

Weren't the Sonics going to buyout Thomas anyway? Why give up a first rounder? Otherwise, this is a solid move. Thomas will really help upfront.

Is Matt Bonner going to move, I wonder. A Bonner for Balkman deal makes a lot of sense now.

[SpursFanFirst]

I can't believe this board hasn't lit up like a Christmas tree! The Spurs made a trade!!!

[jcrod]

I also don't know about giving up a first rounder. He does shot the mid range jumper very well, which is always open for the big man playing along side Tim.

[DazedAndConfused]

It's moves like this that make SAS perennial title contenders. Nobody in the media will look at this trade as earth-shattering, but it's a great move for the Spurs. They get a guy who will fit like a glove into their system and be able to spell Duncan in the playoffs adequately. The WC just got tougher. Fuck you Spurs.

[Solid D]

Kurt Thomas getting Elson's minutes? Sweet!!!

It would be most excellent if Brent was able to be waived by the Sonics.

[50 cent]

yeah, i'm a little disappointed in the first rounder. I would have almost rather given up Manhinmi since I've pretty much given up on him, but oh well.

Like I said in the other thread, at least this prevents DAL or LAL from signing Thomas if he was bought out. That would have been scary.

[ednobli2]

CIA pop and buford never let anyone in the loop.

[ChumpDumper]

Our first round picks suck half the time if we keep them anyway.

Win now.

[BigVee]

The opposition strategy of clogging the middle and ignoring the Spurs centers, i.e. Rasho, Nazr, Elson, Oberto, is now tougher. Thomas hits that 15 footer like a lay-up.....

[picnroll]

Wonder if Presti tried to pry Mahinmi away.

Hope there's some protection on that pick should Duncan go down.

[Bruno]

Kurt Thomas is a slow player. Having him will not avoid Spurs to play small ball in certain matchups.
And Spurs won't have Barry in these small ball matchups...

Spurs give up a first round pick for a trade that make them marginally better only in certain matchups. And Thomas is a short term solution.

I don't like this trade. :td

[Slomo]

I can't believe this board hasn't lit up like a Christmas tree! The Spurs made a trade!!!There's currently 1160 active users online.

That's the highest number outside the playoffs.

[timvp]

Another angle to think about is that if the Spurs didn't acquire Thomas, the Sonics likely would have waived him and then a West contender such as the Suns or Mavs could have swooped him up. So not only do you get a pretty decent player, you keep him off another team. Thomas is one of the few players in the league capable of bothering Duncan in one-on-one situations.

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

This helps us against the Lakers, Houston and the Suns :hungry

I hope this injects the Spurs with excitement....

(I hope Barry pledges to be back in San Antonio somehow, either by retirement or whatever, he seemed to fit in so well with the team's lockerroom atmosphere. And I loved his 3-pt shooting threat)

(edit : not publicly of course, but to his Spurs friends.)

[ednobli2]

You are right about Thomas hitting open shots I remember him scoring while we closed down on nash and stupidmire

[DynastyBuilder]

What if this were to lead to something else?

[jcrod]

With LA and PHX going big, we needed the dependable size.

We still need the long three for when we go small. I guess the Artest deal fell through, would've liked that trade better.

Maybe they'll buyout Barry and he can resign here. Since he still hurt.

[DubMcDub]

I don't think Seattle would be waiving Barry. Those sentiments are just echoes of the Stackhouse situation.

Seattle will be glad to have Barry's contract expire so they can make some moves in the offseason, but they have no reason to buy him out with 2 months left in the season.

Unless they think he'll be hurt for a lot longer.

[misterx91578]

Welcome aboard KT good luck Barry and Elson

[DazedAndConfused]

Kurt Thomas is a slow player. Having him will not avoid Spurs to play small ball in certain matchups.
And Spurs won't have Barry in these small ball matchups...

Spurs give up a first round pick for a trade that make them marginally better only in certain matchups. And Thomas is a short term solution.

I don't like this trade. :td

The prognosis on Barry must not have been good for them to make this move.

[yavozerb]

Kurt Thomas is a slow player. Having him will not avoid Spurs to play small ball in certain matchups.
And Spurs won't have Barry in these small ball matchups...

Spurs give up a first round pick for a trade that make them marginally better only in certain matchups. And Thomas is a short term solution.

I don't like this trade. :td
I have a feeling that barry was not coming back anytime soon which helped pop make this decesion..I prefer Udoka over Barry in small ball lineup anyway due to his defense, so as much as I hate to see Barry, I think this trade helps the spurs this year..

[Solid D]

There's currently 1160 active users online.

That's the highest number outside the playoffs.

Sooo, what are you saying? You mean to tell me that all this traffic is because the Trade Deadline is tomorrow and NOT because of G-Dub?

Wow, he sure had me fooled for a while there!

[ednobli2]

I like the trade because I don't think Thomas will go into the stands and finish a fight....oops might of jinxed myself

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

Kurt Thomas is a slow player. Having him will not avoid Spurs to play small ball in certain matchups.
And Spurs won't have Barry in these small ball matchups...

Spurs give up a first round pick for a trade that make them marginally better only in certain matchups. And Thomas is a short term solution.

I don't like this trade. :td
That's true, but more teams seem to be oriented with the half-court, since the West got bigger.

I can imagine New Orleans, Denver and Dallas(?) being more uptempo against us.
But we needed a Big man, more than we needed a SF this year, so it's not a bad trade IMO.

[ChumpDumper]

I don't think Seattle would be waiving Barry. Those sentiments are just echoes of the Stackhouse situation.

Seattle will be glad to have Barry's contract expire so they can make some moves in the offseason, but they have no reason to buy him out with 2 months left in the season.

Unless they think he'll be hurt for a lot longer.Conversely, they have no reason to keep him either since he would just take up the playing time that needs to go to their awful young players.

I hope there he is bought out and comes back to SA. I don't like the thought of his being a hired gun for a team like Denver.

[Dex]

:(

Guess I need a new avatar.

[yavozerb]

I don't think Seattle would be waiving Barry. Those sentiments are just echoes of the Stackhouse situation.

Seattle will be glad to have Barry's contract expire so they can make some moves in the offseason, but they have no reason to buy him out with 2 months left in the season.

Unless they think he'll be hurt for a lot longer.

You must have forgotten who Seattle's FO and coaches came from last year..

[midgetonadonkey]

The key question for me is, can Kurt Thomas fill Barry's role in the HEB commercials?

I highly doubt it. :depressed

[DubMcDub]

Conversely, they have no reason to keep him either since he would just take up the playing time that needs to go to their awful young players.

I hope there he is bought out and comes back to SA. I don't like the thought of his being a hired gun for a team like Denver.

I'm not sure about that. I see the logic there, though. Definitely. My thinking, though, is that they're going to like to have Barry around to close out this season and hopefully gain a little momentum.

After all, he'll seriously be like...their 4th or 5th best player.

[DannyT]

its tough to let him go...but he was having a decent season and if they wanted him it was best to let him go...but the first rounder like everyone else says is whats tough to come to terms with...

[ducks]

Our first round picks suck half the time if we keep them anyway.

Win now.
especially if spurs pick usa born players

[DubMcDub]

You must have forgotten who Seattle's FO and coaches came from last year..

Yeah, I don't think that matters at all, unless they care more about helping the Spurs than about their own personal success.

[Medvedenko]

Good trade...but does Kurt Thomas have anything left....I saw him play when the lakers were in town, he can still his the jumper but got abused down low. Still, don't know much about the Elston guy, but you guys got older. Time to win now....

[Bruno]

I prefer Udoka over Barry in small ball lineup anyway due to his defense

I think Spurs needed both Udoka and Barry in a small ball configuration.

[urunobili]

i think Thomas and Duncan can definitively match up with Gasol n' Bynum. Barry was almost traded since last season... so it's not a big upset to see him go... this trade enforces us and there's still a chance that Barry gets waived and comes back with us... i like the trade... i don't like the idea of losing the first rounder though

[CosmicCowboy]

HEB is gonna have to shoot a bunch of new commercials.

[polandprzem]

Kurt Thomas is a slow player. Having him will not avoid Spurs to play small ball in certain matchups.
And Spurs won't have Barry in these small ball matchups...

Spurs give up a first round pick for a trade that make them marginally better only in certain matchups. And Thomas is a short term solution.

I don't like this trade. :td

Excactly what I thought first

:pctoss

I'm going to sleep.

Damn I trealy don't like the trade

[Kobayagi]

Barry is a great & funny guy. I'd think the other guys loved having him around. You need someone like him to keep up the chemistry in the locker room.

[hater]

Our first round picks suck half the time if we keep them anyway.

Win now.

yeah, I don't get why the bitching. Ours 1st round picks are gonna be comparable to a lottery team's 2nd round pick.

[Joe Schmoogins]

im a bit bummed about this trade.... Never been a big fan of kurt thomas... and always been a HUGE fan of barry. I really hope he manages to make his way back to this team. It is sad how quickly people have forgotten what he has done for us. The fool was straight up lights out. Our offense was the best its ever been earlier this season while Barry was on a tear.

As much as I have disliked Thomas in the past... I'm gonna put it all behind me and hope for the best. Welcome to the greatest team you'll ever play for Kurt!

I hope he lives up to his reputation as a defensive G.
If he brings the nasty, then he will undoubtedly help our repeat chances.

So Long Barry... I'll miss you man.

:depressed

[timvp]

Kurt Thomas is a slow player. Having him will not avoid Spurs to play small ball in certain matchups.
And Spurs won't have Barry in these small ball matchups...

Spurs give up a first round pick for a trade that make them marginally better only in certain matchups. And Thomas is a short term solution.

I don't like this trade. :tdYeah I was totally against the idea of getting Thomas .... until the Lakers got Gasol and the Suns got Shaq. Now that the West has gotten bigger, Thomas makes more sense.

I do agree that this trade doesn't help against many teams. Who besides the Suns and the Lakers does Thomas play against? He'd get destroyed by Dirk. He can't guard David West. He can't guard Okur. He doesn't help against Houston, Denver, Portland or Golden State.

In the East, he doesn't help against the Celtics because Garnett would just take him away from the basket. Ditto with Rasheed and Detroit.

It appears as if the Spurs now see the Suns and Lakers as their two biggest threats. That's the only reason you make this trade. Against those two teams, Thomas will be useful. Against everyone else? I'd rather have Oberto out there.

[SouthernFried]

I only consider this a one player trade and a 1st rounder. Elson just doesn't fucking count. I woulda dumped him for nothing.

So Barry and a 1st rounder...and Barry's injured. Dunno how bad the injury is, or how long he's out, but the trade boils down to this:

1 injured/sidelined backup player and a very late 1st round pick...for a very experienced, knowledgeable, defensive minded center.

Absolute no brainer.

Good move.

[coachmac87]

so what about artest? :madrun

[DazedAndConfused]

But But I thought everyone else was making trades to catchup with the Spurs? Now the Spurs are making trades to matchup with Gasol and Bynum? Which is it????

[SenorSpur]

Like the trade very much. Really hate to lose the draft pick though.

Proof once again, that Pop and RC WILL only make acquire players who are 34 years of age and older.

[DubMcDub]

FYI, whoever said Dallas fans would be mad about this--you couldn't be more wrong. We thought you were about to get Artest for those 2 guys. We would have been mad about that.

I'm happy about this--means you're not getting Artest.

[polandprzem]

Spurs gave up too much

Bad trade for spurs

[san antonio spurs]

Our first round picks suck half the time if we keep them anyway.

Win now.
Exactly, this is why I don't understand why Timvp is so high on our draft pick now considering how the FO has been drafting lately and also that most of our needs will be adressed via free agency.
It's a very good trade.
If Barry get back, then it's the best trade of the month.

[yavozerb]

Yeah, I don't think that matters at all, unless they care more about helping the Spurs than about their own personal success.
How does it hurt Seattle to cut Barry? They already got there 1st rd pick out of this deal and will recieve cash..Time to help to help out your brother organization... :lol

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

NBA.com lists Kurt Thomas's weight at 235. That had to have been his rookie season!

[ChumpDumper]

I'm not sure about that. I see the logic there, though. Definitely. My thinking, though, is that they're going to like to have Barry around to close out this season and hopefully gain a little momentum.

After all, he'll seriously be like...their 4th or 5th best player.But wasn't Thomas that good for them already if not better?

The Sonics are moving and rebuilding -- in that order. If Barry's agent proposes a buyout that saves the owners even the prorated vet minimum, chances are very good they will take it.

[SA Gunslinger]

Damn, I hope Barry comes back.

That would be the same roster but exchanging Elson for Thomas. I was hoping for a cheap big. Thomas is much better than I expected.

[SouthernFried]

You gotta remember, the playoffs always comes down to half court games...very rarely does it become a scorefest. It's usually a slugfest.

KT fits that mold perfectly

[angel_luv]

No!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so sad we traded Brent Barry! :depressed

Welcome to the team Kurt Thomas.

[phyzik]

ok.... so the real question is.... will Ghost Writer finally shut the fuck up?

[Spurminator]

FYI, whoever said Dallas fans would be mad about this--you couldn't be more wrong. We thought you were about to get Artest for those 2 guys. We would have been mad about that.

I'm happy about this--means you're not getting Artest.


All I was saying (if you'll notice what I quoted) was that I bet Dallas would be mad if Barry was bought out and resigned by the Spurs, since that what you guys wanted to do with Stackhouse until the NBA stepped in.

[td4mvp21]

I think this helps the Spurs against a lot of teams. You have a backup/starting? C/PF that can rebound, defend, and score, with or without Duncan. What's not to like about that? He may be immobile but that didn't really seem to matter last year when he did a damn good job defending the paint against us.

[SpursFanFirst]

There's currently 1160 active users online.

That's the highest number outside the playoffs.

Wow! I didn't check the number of people online. I was just shocked that 50 new threads hadn't been started about the trade, since that's usually what happens.

[lefty]

:pctoss :pctoss :pctoss :pctoss :pctoss :pctoss :pctoss

Stupid trade.

Our offense will miss Barry.

Great shooting, IQ, passing.

FUCK !!!!! :bang :bang

[DubMcDub]

How does it hurt Seattle to cut Barry? They already got there 1st rd pick out of this deal and will recieve cash..Time to help to help out your brother organization... :lol

They don't actually want Barry, of course. Just want his expiring contract. But they don't really have any reason to cut him before the years over. Having him may help them win a few more games, which would build some nice momentum.

[daspurs1]

I wish they had traded bonner instead of Barry. :cry

[polandprzem]

Yeah I was totally against the idea of getting Thomas .... until the Lakers got Gasol and the Suns got Shaq. Now that the West has gotten bigger, Thomas makes more sense.

I do agree that this trade doesn't help against many teams. Who besides the Suns and the Lakers does Thomas play against? He'd get destroyed by Dirk. He can't guard David West. He can't guard Okur. He doesn't help against Houston, Denver, Portland or Golden State.

In the East, he doesn't help against the Celtics because Garnett would just take him away from the basket. Ditto with Rasheed and Detroit.

It appears as if the Spurs now see the Suns and Lakers as their two biggest threats. That's the only reason you make this trade. Against those two teams, Thomas will be useful. Against everyone else? I'd rather have Oberto out there.

Yea and basicly you got rid of a fluid in the offense.
We'd better hope the spurs will be having the best days in history of spurs organization on offense come playoff time.

[tav1]

Do you guys see this as merely a rental, or should we expect that Thomas will sign a low $ contract for one more year next season? I like the idea of having him around to groom Mahinmi and Splitter.

[boutons_]

I'll miss Brent, but he won 2 rings while making significant contributions to winning those championships.

I'm sure he has plenty of contacts in SEA to renew.

Thomas is a old, but he sure better be an upgrade over Elson.

[yavozerb]

They don't actually want Barry, of course. Just want his expiring contract. But they don't really have any reason to cut him before the years over. Having him may help them win a few more games, which would build some nice momentum.
Barry is not going to be savior of seattle..Next stop OK city.

[DubMcDub]

All I was saying (if you'll notice what I quoted) was that I bet Dallas would be mad if Barry was bought out and resigned by the Spurs, since that what you guys wanted to do with Stackhouse until the NBA stepped in.

Got you. I guess that makes sense. I wouldn't be mad at the Spurs--just the NBA for applying such a ridiculous double standard.

Then again, Stack's a loudmouth.

In any case, as I said, I don't think Barry will be coming back to the Spurs. That situation is just fresh on everyone's mind cause of the Stack thing. It's a very rare occurrence that such a thing happens (especially since the Payton fiasco).

[lurker]

I think this is a nice trade for the Spurs. Too bad, I was hoping for a panic trade that made no sense. :(

[Streakyshooter08]

Well I think the trade makes SA better against Phx and LA. I think they gave up a little too much with the first rounder.

I am happy that they got Thomas but compared to having Artest I am a little disappointed because it is now certain that the Artest deal does not happen... so I am really mixed...

[Mr. Body]

A first round pick for Kurt Thomas. :wtf

Bad trade.

Agree. That's kind of stupid.

[ChumpDumper]

Do you guys see this as merely a rental, or should we expect that Thomas will sign a low $ contract for one more year next season? I like the idea of having him around to groom Mahinmi and Splitter.Depends on his price and what Horry's plans are.

[Allanon]

Not really sure how good this trade is. Brent Barry was a friggin' dagger sometimes so the suffering offense might suffer some more. Udoka's grown up so maybe he can fill in (I'm guessing this is why Barry's so expendable).

KT brings good size, decent defense and a mid-range shot, although I think Scola would still have been better.

Lakers, Mavs, Nugz all breathing a sigh of relief that Spurs didn't get Artest.

[ChumpDumper]

Agree. That's kind of stupid.Pfft, like the Spurs would ever draft anyone you wanted.

[Que Gee]

You guys think he's really going to go to Seattle? Think Stackhouse....: )

[coachmac87]

great we get thomas and the nuggets get artest!!!!

[ducks]

Agree. That's kind of stupid.
except when gasol gets shut down with thomas on him

[DubMcDub]

Not really sure how good this trade is. Brent Barry was a friggin' dagger sometimes so the suffering offense might suffer some more. Udoka's grown up so maybe he can fill in (I'm guessing this is why Barry's so expendable).

KT brings good size, decent defense and a mid-range shot, although I think Scola would still have been better.

Lakers, Mavs, Nugz all breathing a sigh of relief that Spurs didn't get Artest.

Exactly. Spurs were bound to make a move. I thought they were getting Artest. I'm fucking relieved.

[MaNuMaNiAc]

Yeah I was totally against the idea of getting Thomas .... until the Lakers got Gasol and the Suns got Shaq. Now that the West has gotten bigger, Thomas makes more sense.

I do agree that this trade doesn't help against many teams. Who besides the Suns and the Lakers does Thomas play against? He'd get destroyed by Dirk. He can't guard David West. He can't guard Okur. He doesn't help against Houston, Denver, Portland or Golden State.

In the East, he doesn't help against the Celtics because Garnett would just take him away from the basket. Ditto with Rasheed and Detroit.

It appears as if the Spurs now see the Suns and Lakers as their two biggest threats. That's the only reason you make this trade. Against those two teams, Thomas will be useful. Against everyone else? I'd rather have Oberto out there.Question: Who in that list can Oberto guard better than Thomas? The only reason I would maybe prefer Oberto out there more would be for his on court chemistry with duncan. Otherwise, Thomas, albeit slow, is still a big upgrade to Oberto defensive wise. I mean how many times has Oberto succesfully defended Dirk, or Sheed or even Okur.

[timvp]

It makes sense that the Sonics would waive Barry. Barry could then possibly re-sign with the Spurs without the Spurs going back over the luxury tax threshold. This trade would be a lot easier to swallow if Barry comes back.

Barry might be done but I still would like to have him at the end of the bench in case the outside shots stop falling ... a la Kerr in '03.

[Holt's Cat]

Solid trade. Good, not great. Addresses a need. Not thrilled that they dealt a first round pick. But they kept this year's.

[ploto]

Got to give credit to Sam-- he traded FOR Thomas and got 2 first round picks and a second round pick. Then, he traded Thomas AWAY and got another first round pick. I think it is pretty obvious who was figuring out the deals for the Spurs all those years.

Gonna' miss you tons Brent. Another one bites the dust. :depressed

[bigdog]

Well, our offense just got worse than it already was, shooting-wise, that is.

Udoka is going to have to really step it up now.

I don't see why the Spurs would make a trade like this. This gives us NO athleticism in the frontcourt, and none of our big guys can run with Amare now.

I really hope this means they will make another move before the deadline tomorrow to fix up the lack of athleticism up front, because I really don't see this as being a smart move for the future of the team, because clearly Kurt Thomas isn't going to be in the league after the next few years.

Unless the Spurs decide to bring in the young, unproven Mahinmi, they better make another move. I know Mahinmi has been doing very good in Austin, but he hasn't done anything against the big guys in the NBA yet.

Let's see what happens. Good luck Brent and Cisco

[Que Gee]

It makes sense that the Sonics would waive Barry. Barry could then possibly re-sign with the Spurs without the Spurs going back over the luxury tax threshold. This trade would be a lot easier to swallow if Barry comes back.

Barry might be done but I still would like to have him at the end of the bench in case the outside shots stop falling ... a la Kerr in '03.

Ehhh, someone is thinking.
:smokin

[timvp]

Question: Who in that list can Oberto guard better than Thomas? The only reason I would maybe prefer Oberto out there more would be for his on court chemistry with duncan. Otherwise, Thomas, albeit slow, is still a big upgrade to Oberto defensive wise. I mean how many times has Oberto succesfully defended Dirk, or Sheed or even Okur.Oberto is a much better perimeter defender than Thomas. I'd rather have Oberto on all three of those guys you mentioned. Once Thomas steps outside of the free throw line, he's a defensive liability. Oberto isn't a great perimeter defender but he can move his feet and funnel.

Against most teams, Thomas will be most useful in terms of rebounding and defending centers when Duncan isn't in the game. I honestly think it would be a mistake to put Thomas into the starting lineup alongside Duncan. Teams would just small ball the Spurs to death.

[Holt's Cat]

Also they can now re-up him in the summer and have their MLE to use on other needs.

[DubMcDub]

It makes sense that the Sonics would waive Barry. Barry could then possibly re-sign with the Spurs without the Spurs going back over the luxury tax threshold. This trade would be a lot easier to swallow if Barry comes back.

Barry might be done but I still would like to have him at the end of the bench in case the outside shots stop falling ... a la Kerr in '03.

I'm just not sure I agree at all that it makes sense for them to waive him. Unless you think the Sonics have another deal or two up their sleeves, why would they go with a roster short of the max for no reason? Doesn't make sense.

I think it's much more likely that they'll enjoy having Barry around for 2 months, then they'll be glad to have his contract expire so they can work on building up their team of the future.

[timvp]

Ehhh, someone is thinking.
:smokinPlease tell me that's the plan.

:hat

[SpursFanFirst]

Has anyone seen Whottt?

[SA Gunslinger]

It makes sense that the Sonics would waive Barry. Barry could then possibly re-sign with the Spurs without the Spurs going back over the luxury tax threshold. This trade would be a lot easier to swallow if Barry comes back.

Barry might be done but I still would like to have him at the end of the bench in case the outside shots stop falling ... a la Kerr in '03.

Self fulfilling prophecy?

[SouthernFried]

Well, our offense just got worse than it already was, shooting-wise, that is.

Udoka is going to have to really step it up now.

I don't see why the Spurs would make a trade like this. This gives us NO athleticism in the frontcourt, and none of our big guys can run with Amare now.

Oh, you mean KT is worse offensively than Elson? How could our center position get "worse" with KT? We still have Oberto for small lineups and running...now we have KT for Half court, playoff type games. We now have "FLEXIBILITY" at the center postition.

This is a very good move.

[ChumpDumper]

I'm just not sure I agree at all that it makes sense for them to waive him. Unless you think the Sonics have another deal or two up their sleeves, why would they go with a roster short of the max for no reason? Doesn't make sense.Anything to save a buck.


I think it's much more likely that they'll enjoy having Barry around for 2 months, then they'll be glad to have his contract expire so they can work on building up their team of the future.Why wait?

[tav1]

Depends on his price and what Horry's plans are.


I'd rather have him than Horry next season. But that's beside the point. If this is more than a 1 year rental, then the loss of the draft pick will go down easy. Thomas is still a solid producer. His per minute rebounding numbers are just what the doctor ordered. I also think that if Parker returns with his typical speed, Thomas could kill teams with his spot up J.

[ThomasGranger]

This reminds me of the Nazr trade. Hopefully it will result in another ring as well.

[loveforthegame]

I like the trade. Elson was giving the Spurs nothing and Thomas likes to rebound and defend.

We have 3 point shooters in Finley, Ginobli, Udoka, and Bowen. Even Parker and Stoudamire can hit a few from there. I don't mean to discount what Barry does for the team but he isn't our only 3 point shooter. Stoudamire is capable of running the team which was the other thing Barry did for us.

The 1st round pick kinda hurts but the Spurs are probably thinking that Mahimini and Splitter are our future 1st rounders.

[manufor3]

ok trade but now what about the heb commercials?

[DazedAndConfused]

I wonder what the league would do if Barry was bought out and resigned with the Spurs.

[spursjustice]

I really hope Brent does a Jerry...
We shouldn't have given them a 1st rounder... but Kurt will be good!!!
I would have loved Artest though..

[timvp]

Elson and a first rounder for Kurt Thomas? Oh hell yes. If Barry is coming back, the key is for him to STFU for the next 30 days . . .

[ThomasGranger]

I wonder what the league would do if Barry was bought out and resigned with the Spurs.

What can they do?

[ChumpDumper]

I wonder what the league would do if Barry was bought out and resigned with the Spurs.Nothing, because the Spurs and Barry aren't stupid enough to make the plan public.

[Spurs Brazil]

SprungOnSports (Long Island): Yahoo is reporting that the Spurs got Kurt Thomas from the Sonics for Elson, Brent Barry, and a 2009 first rounder. Your thoughts?

J.A. Adande: (6:26 PM ET ) I think this is a case of the Spurs helping themselves by playing defense...this way no one else can get Thomas to go against Duncan. Maybe helps them out a little more if they face Pau and Bynum...and also relieves Duncan from Shaq duty if they face the Suns

http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=19375

[BonnerDynasty]

ok.... so the real question is.... will Ghost Writer finally shut the fuck up?
:lol

[bigdog]

Oh, you mean KT is worse offensively than Elson? How could our center position get "worse" with KT? We still have Oberto for small lineups and running...now we have KT for Half court, playoff type games. We now have "FLEXIBILITY" at the center postition.

This is a very good move.

No, I meant that from an outside shooting standpoint. Obviously, KT is better offensively than Elson, but we lost a terrific shooter. I've always said that if we traded Barry, I would want another shooter in return.

Hence the reason I said Udoka must step it up

[Mr. Body]

The first round pick was for saving money. This drops us below the luxury tax. Presti, knowing this, made Buford pay for it.

It's amazing what Presti got from and for dealing Kurt Thomas.

[DubMcDub]

Anything to save a buck.

How do they save a buck by buying him out rather than keeping him the rest of the year? They have to pay him either way. Am I missing something?


Why wait?

The reason to wait is because there are no good FA's available right now. Unless the Sonics have another trade pending, it doesn't make sense why they would go with a short-handed roster.

This summer is when they'll have all sorts of options in terms of FA's. Right now, they don't have much choice. They keep Barry or they'll be a man down. And either way, they gotta pay.

[lefty]

Worst trade ever

[Spurs Brazil]

We also need to remember KT can hit a lot from the perimeter

In games against Suns and LA he can take a big out of the way to TD work inside

[Cherry]

Bye Brent. i'll miss you :(

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

Well, our offense just got worse than it already was, shooting-wise, that is.

Udoka is going to have to really step it up now.

I don't see why the Spurs would make a trade like this. This gives us NO athleticism in the frontcourt, and none of our big guys can run with Amare now.

I really hope this means they will make another move before the deadline tomorrow to fix up the lack of athleticism up front, because I really don't see this as being a smart move for the future of the team, because clearly Kurt Thomas isn't going to be in the league after the next few years.

Unless the Spurs decide to bring in the young, unproven Mahinmi, they better make another move. I know Mahinmi has been doing very good in Austin, but he hasn't done anything against the big guys in the NBA yet.

Let's see what happens. Good luck Brent and Cisco
Good points. I don't remember how well Elson did against Amare, or if we always let him run wild.

Udoka really has to make his case from the 3-pt line, because the defenses respected Barry's game on the perimeter....

Man, this trade, although good in regards to the bigger west, definitely wasn't a steal. Having Barry on our squad kept us legit as a three point threat.

[Que Gee]

I'm just not sure I agree at all that it makes sense for them to waive him. Unless you think the Sonics have another deal or two up their sleeves, why would they go with a roster short of the max for no reason? Doesn't make sense.

I think it's much more likely that they'll enjoy having Barry around for 2 months, then they'll be glad to have his contract expire so they can work on building up their team of the future.

If your rebuilding your club, trying to play as many young guys as possible. Why would you have a 36 year old shooting guard taking up a roster spot for no reason? He's not going to be on your team next year, he limits the ability to them to see and evaluate younger talent...They buy him out, they don't have to worry about any expiring contract. He'll never put on a uniform.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

ok trade but now what about the heb commercials?
They will go down the shithole.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

I wonder what the league would do if Barry was bought out and resigned with the Spurs.
Nothing, since Barry hasn't opened his big yap about it.

[DespЏrado]

Brent loves the city of Seattle, so it's a good trade to let him retire up here,(if he doesn't come back after being waived) so while he will be missed at least it's not like we are sending him to the Knicks. Plus he probably has a future in broadcasting at some point given his sense of humor.

But Thomas fills a definite need, with all the size we are going to be contending with. And it will add a defender in the paint that we have been lacking since Rasho left.

Udoka has proven to more than capable in Barry's minutes and he is a hell of a defender and has got good size.

Stoudamire is another cog that we have only just started to see meld into our team.

With these additions I really like our chances to repeat.

[ChumpDumper]

How do they save a buck by buying him out rather than keeping him the rest of the year? They have to pay him either way. Am I missing something?You buy the player out for less than his contract calls for him to be paid.




The reason to wait is because there are no good FA's available right now. Unless the Sonics have another trade pending, it doesn't make sense why they would go with a short-handed roster.How is 14 "shorthanded"?


This summer is when they'll have all sorts of options in terms of FA's. Right now, they don't have much choice. They keep Barry or they'll be a man down. And either way, they gotta pay.They wouldn't have to pay as much, and I have yet to see a team play a 15 man rotation with any regularity.

[DubMcDub]

If your rebuilding your club, trying to play as many young guys as possible. Why would you have a 36 year old shooting guard taking up a roster spot for no reason? He's not going to be on your team next year, he limits the ability to them to see and evaluate younger talent...They buy him out, they don't have to worry about any expiring contract. He'll never put on a uniform.

He's not "taking up a roster spot" when there's no one else available. That idea implies that the Sonics have someone else waiting to swoop in and take that spot.

Do they? I haven't heard anything. The fact is that it makes ZERO sense for a team to waive a guy and go with 14 players rather than 15 if they don't have something else in mind.

[SA Gunslinger]

How do they save a buck by buying him out rather than keeping him the rest of the year? They have to pay him either way. Am I missing something?

"By acquiring Thomas, the Spurs get some needed size to help them counter Phoenix’s Shaquille O’Neal and Houston’s Yao Ming. They also are expected to drop under the luxury-tax threshold, possibly saving them about $2 million. In exchange, San Antonio will send the Sonics a portion of the savings."

Maybe they can use this portion of the savings to help them get a player. Plus Seattle has several wing players.

[Kriz-Maxima]

The first round pick is hard to swallow but the Spurs are a win now team, not a build for the future one.

KT allows you to compete better with the west after all the trades.

Worry about the future later.

[SouthernFried]

No, I meant that from an outside shooting standpoint. Obviously, KT is better offensively than Elson, but we lost a terrific shooter. I've always said that if we traded Barry, I would want another shooter in return.

Hence the reason I said Udoka must step it up

Ahh...point taken. Your right, we will miss Barry. Question is tho, how bad was he really hurt? Could he have been out for the entire season.

But, yeah...I don't like losing Brent. Still, we did feel that gaping hole that was killing us. Ime, Fin, and others might be able to fill Brent's role...might. But, no one was filling that center role.

I will miss Brent as much as anyone...I still like this trade tho.

[lefty]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AnLA6TyaYhClbwi6FtL_ZFW8vLYF?slug=jy-thomas022008&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

[The Truth #6]

The severity of Barry's injury is important in determining the benefit of this trade. If he really was done for the year, and everyone agrees Elson is useless, then really we traded a first rounder for Thomas.

If Barry's injury wasn't that bad then I would have rather kept him and traded Finley. I never understood the eagnerness to trade Barry and the reluctance to do so for Finley. I much prefer Ime and Barry on the court than Ime and Finley.

Thomas is a solid contributor, and as someone else mentioned, he could help us in the way Nazr helped us his first year in the playoffs. With Thomas on board and the acceptance of Ime into the rotation, the Spurs seem a lot less soft than they did recently. Also, in the playoffs when things grind to a halt versus Utah or LA, Thomas will really earn his keep.

How Thomas affects Horry's playing time is the real question to me.

[td4mvp21]

We also need to remember KT can hit a lot from the perimeter

In games against Suns and LA he can take a big out of the way to TD work inside

:tu

[Solid D]

Spurs get better with this trade. Thomas can still score without having to play inside. He is a seasoned vet who can set solid screens and he has played good defense over the years in a great defensive system (NY Knicks). I am very happy with this trade.

[Holt's Cat]

then they sign someone to a minimum deal.

[DubMcDub]

You buy the player out for less than his contract calls for him to be paid.

Quite possible.




How is 14 "shorthanded"?

They wouldn't have to pay as much, and I have yet to see a team play a 15 man rotation with any regularity.

That confuses the issue, though. That makes it sound like Barry is the 15th guy in the rotation. He'd be top 5. It's "shorthanded" in the sense that you're giving up a halfway decent player, still paying him (albeit possibly less money, as you mention), but not getting anyone else to fill in.

I'm all on board with the "rebuilding" philosophy, but the Sonics would also like to win a game or two this year, you know. It will help them in the long run. Plus, nobody in a professional sporting league likes to lose. Waiving Barry without another trade lined up to fill his spot (or a FA-signing, which I'm not sure who that'd be) makes their team worse.

[rAm]

I think it is a good trade, we might miss that offense unless manu can continue this rape session he is having.



http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2259546&posted=1#post2259546

ESPN Article on it

[Holt's Cat]

Spurs get better with this trade. Thomas can still score without having to play inside. He is a seasoned vet who can set solid screens and he has played good defense over the years in a great defensive system (NY Knicks). I am very happy with this trade.

Agreed. Other than sending out the pick. But you have to give to get.

[Bruno]

Another thing I didn't like about this trade is that it won't help Spurs in 08-09 and 09-10.
If Spurs are serious about the 2010 plan, they will have a hard time to have a good team after this summer. And it will be even harder than before the trade because Spurs won't have their 2009 first round pick.

It is the second trade in a row that I didn't like for Spurs. If you add the Marcus Williams failure, Spurs FO has been quite bad lately. The only bright spot was the Udoka signing.

[SenorSpur]

Spurs get better with this trade. Thomas can still score without having to play inside. He is a seasoned vet who can set solid screens and he has played good defense over the years in a great defensive system (NY Knicks). I am very happy with this trade.

No doubt. The Spurs desparately needed the size addition.

Artest would have been nice on the perimeter. But the addition of Thomas is better all around.

[Solid D]

Brent loves the city of Seattle, so it's a good trade to let him retire up here,(if he doesn't come back after being waived) so while he will be missed at least it's not like we are sending him to the Knicks. Plus he probably has a future in broadcasting at some point given his sense of humor.

But Thomas fills a definite need, with all the size we are going to be contending with. And it will add a defender in the paint that we have been lacking since Rasho left.

Udoka has proven to more than capable in Barry's minutes and he is a hell of a defender and has got good size.

Stoudamire is another cog that we have only just started to see meld into our team.

With these additions I really like our chances to repeat.

Some good points but I don't know about Brent being in Seattle....if he stays with the Sonics. The team is quite likely moving to Oklahoma City.

[ChumpDumper]

That confuses the issue, though. That makes it sound like Barry is the 15th guy in the rotation. He'd be top 5. It's "shorthanded" in the sense that you're giving up a halfway decent player, still paying him (albeit possibly less money, as you mention), but not getting anyone else to fill in.They don't need a 15th player. They have a bunch of shitty guards and forwards that need playing time if they are ever going to get better. What does Barry do for that?


I'm all on board with the "rebuilding" philosophy, but the Sonics would also like to win a game or two this year, you know.That's pretty much last on their owners' priority list right now.
It will help them in the long run.Does it move them to Oklahoma any faster? That's the long run.
Plus, nobody in a professional sporting league likes to lose. Waiving Barry without another trade lined up to fill his spot (or a FA-signing, which I'm not sure who that'd be) makes their team worse.If they gave a shit about winning, they wouldn't have traded Thomas for a guy that currently can't play.

The biggest mistake anyone can make is failing to realize that money really is more important than winning.

[ThomasGranger]

.

[ploto]

I do have to laugh about one thing-- Thomas makes more than Rasho. :lol

[SouthernFried]

If Barry's injury wasn't that bad then I would have rather kept him and traded Finley. I never understood the eagnerness to trade Barry and the reluctance to do so for Finley. I much prefer Ime and Barry on the court than Ime and Finley.

How Thomas affects Horry's playing time is the real question to me.

2 very interesting points. And I tend to agree, I preferred Brent out there over Finley. He gives you the 3 pointers, as well as some ball handling ability.

KT over Horry in the playoff's?

Pop's got some decisions to make.

[ThomasGranger]

I do have to laugh about one thing-- Thomas makes more than Rasho. :lol

Because he's better.

[td4mvp21]

I do have to laugh about one thing-- Thomas makes more than Rasho. :lol

Makes sense, he's way better than Rasho.

[jcrod]

Quite possible.





That confuses the issue, though. That makes it sound like Barry is the 15th guy in the rotation. He'd be top 5. It's "shorthanded" in the sense that you're giving up a halfway decent player, still paying him (albeit possibly less money, as you mention), but not getting anyone else to fill in.

I'm all on board with the "rebuilding" philosophy, but the Sonics would also like to win a game or two this year, you know. It will help them in the long run. Plus, nobody in a professional sporting league likes to lose. Waiving Barry without another trade lined up to fill his spot (or a FA-signing, which I'm not sure who that'd be) makes their team worse.

Give it up, you're not making sense.

They don't need 15 players. When a team buys out a contract, its always for less than the contract, duh!

They will try to win with the young players they have, more playing....more experince for next year. Barry doesn't help them in any way.

[ChumpDumper]

I do have to laugh about one thing-- Thomas makes more than Rasho. :lolAnd we should have traded Rasho for Thomas when we had the chance.

[angel_luv]

I hope Thomas does really well here -gets plenty of minutes and gels well with all the guys.

I expect he will.

[Spurs Brazil]

Thomas to the Spurs?
Former 76ers general manager Billy King of NBATV is reporting the Sonics and Spurs are working out a deal for Kurt Thomas. The Sonics likely would take back former favorite Brent Barry and perhaps Francisco Elson, another impending free agent.

The Sonics are not going to send Thomas to San Antonio as a favor, they would likely get a No. 1 pick in return, which would be late in the first round. The two sides would have to match salaries and the Spurs would like to throw in a draft pick or prospect to sweeten the deal. Sonics general manager Sam Presti knows the Spurs roster better than anyone, so he may request former first-round Ian Mahinmi in exchange. Stay tuned.
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/sonics/archives/132321.asp

[ThomasGranger]

I preferred Brent out there over Finley. He gives you the 3 pointers, as well as some ball handling ability.

Yeah, Fin's really been struggling from behind the arc lately, especially in the fourth quarters of games.

[td4mvp21]

2 very interesting points. And I tend to agree, I preferred Brent out there over Finley. He gives you the 3 pointers, as well as some ball handling ability.

KT over Horry in the playoff's?

Pop's got some decisions to make.

I say use all three of them (Oberto, Horry, Thomas), they can all do something different.

[DazedAndConfused]

There are two reasons why the Spurs would make this trade:

1. Barry is really done for this season.
2. They are scared shitless of the Lakers new frontline.

Probably a little bit of both.

[picnroll]

I'm just not sure I agree at all that it makes sense for them to waive him. Unless you think the Sonics have another deal or two up their sleeves, why would they go with a roster short of the max for no reason? Doesn't make sense.

I think it's much more likely that they'll enjoy having Barry around for 2 months, then they'll be glad to have his contract expire so they can work on building up their team of the future.
Maybe buying out Barry was part of the price for the first round pick. Barry is just 10x as smart as Shithouse.

I guarantee Barry will be back in a Spurs uniform.

[timvp]

How Thomas affects Horry's playing time is the real question to me.Good question. This trade also could protect the team in case Horry doesn't have it anymore. The Spurs could use a bigman rotation of Duncan, Oberto and Thomas with Udoka filling in at PF when going with small ball if Horry becomes ineffective.

The best thing about this trade is the Spurs now have an abundance of quality bigmen options. Since Robinson retired, this is suddenly the best group of bigs the Spurs have had. Pop can mix and match to find who works best next to Duncan in each matchup.

Now if Barry comes back, that'd make this trade pretty good. If not, I guess Spurs fans have to be happy with the added bigman depth and the fact that no other contender got their hands on Thomas.

[Spurs Brazil]

Thomas traded to San Antonio
Posted by Percy Allen

The Sonics traded Kurt Thomas to the San Antonio Spurs, according to ESPN and Yahoo Sports reports.

A Sonics PR spokesman couldn't confirm the report, but team officials are expected to make an announcement today.

Citing league sources, Yahoo Sports said the Sonics acquired center Francisco Elson, injured guard Brent Barry and a 2009 first-round draft pick. Elson and Barry, a former Sonic, have contracts that expire after the season.

In 42 games with the Sonics this season, Thomas averaged 7.5 points and 8.8 rebounds.

In his final game, a 108-101 victory against Memphis Tuesday at KeyArena, Thomas scored converted four of four field goals and finished with eight points and five rebounds. He played just 14:50 minutes, which was his fewest since Nov. 14.

UPDATE -- 3:49 P.M.

"For everything he's done in the NBA and what he brings to a team and what he brought to this team, I learned a lot being around him," Sonics guard Earl Watson said. "Especially on the court and off the court. Rarely do you get a big man who knows the game like a guard. I expect to see his numbers improve because of the type of guys around him.

"Out of respect to the game and his career, you respect the veterans and you do things like this for them. The way our season was going it, would be nice to see him end up on a playoff roster and nice to compete to a championship. So I'm excited for him and I'm excited to see him in the postseason."

Thomas' departure clears room on the roster to allow coach P.J. Carlesimo to play prospects Robert Swift and Johan Petro.
http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/sonics/index.html#022495

[ThomasGranger]

There are two reasons why the Spurs would make this trade:

1. Barry is really done for this season.
2. They are scared shitless of the Lakers new frontline.

Probably a little bit of both.

or

3. They really care what GhostWriter posts.

[DespЏrado]

Yeah, Fin's really been struggling from behind the arc lately, especially in the fourth quarters of games.


And Stoudamire fills that role as a three point shooter and ball handler.

Make no mistake Stoudamire is going to bring everything Speedy Claxton brought once he gets the system down. And when we need a three point shooter with more size and better defense we have Udoka.

That's why this deal makes sense.

[ChumpDumper]

There are two reasons why the Spurs would make this trade:

1. Barry is really done for this season.
2. They are scared shitless of the Lakers new frontline.

Probably a little bit of both.Barry probably isn't done.

The Spurs always lacked a consistent frontcourt mate for Duncan since DRob retired.

I'm sure they are more concerned with Shaq than Gasol. Sorry to burst your bubble.

[lefty]

Horrible trade :pctoss :pctoss :pctoss :pctoss :pctoss :pctoss :bang :bang :bang :bang :bang :bang :bang :bang :bang

Our offense will suffer

FUCK !!!! :bang :bang :bang :bang

[Holt's Cat]

There are two reasons why the Spurs would make this trade:

1. Barry is really done for this season.
2. They are scared shitless of the Lakers new frontline.

Probably a little bit of both.

The world doesn't revolve around the Lakers

[angel_luv]

Horrible trade :pctoss :pctoss :pctoss :pctoss :pctoss :pctoss :bang :bang :bang :bang :bang :bang :bang :bang :bang

Our offense will suffer



I think Lefty needs a hug.

[MannyIsGod]

How do they save a buck by buying him out rather than keeping him the rest of the year? They have to pay him either way. Am I missing something?
I swear I may just have to add to my fucking sig.

[lefty]

I think Lefty needs a hug.

:D yes please

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

I swear I may just have to add to my fucking sig.
:lmao
Score two for Manny.

[timvp]

Another thing I didn't like about this trade is that it won't help Spurs in 08-09 and 09-10.
If Spurs are serious about the 2010 plan, they will have a hard time to have a good team after this summer. And it will be even harder than before the trade because Spurs won't have their 2009 first round pick.I can already see the Spurs re-signing Thomas to something like a $6-7M over two years ... as long as he fits in.


It is the second trade in a row that I didn't like for Spurs.The Scola trade was horrible. This trade at the very worst can't be as bad as the Scola trade. If Barry comes back and Thomas fits, this could turn out to be a very nice trade. Especially if the Spurs end up having to go through both the Lakers and the Suns in the playoffs.



If you add the Marcus Williams failure, Spurs FO has been quite bad lately. The only bright spot was the Udoka signing.I don't totally disagree. I don't love this trade. If Barry doesn't come back and Thomas and Duncan prove to be too immobile to play together, this trade could end up looking dumb. But if everything falls into place, I could see Thomas being a key contributor.

I already like the idea of Thomas setting mean picks for Parker and Ginobili.

Overall, this is a complicated trade. It's not a great trade ... it's more of a strategic trade.

I guess we'll see if it pays off.

[tdominate21]

Besides the great post defense and rebounding KT brings, I think that 13-17 foot jumper is going to make our pick and roll that much more deadly.

We will be pick and rolling shaq and bynum to death baby!! :spin

[angel_luv]

:D yes please

Just for you!

http://i32.tinypic.com/i525cl.jpg

:toast

[Findog]

Thomas has to be cinsidered an upgrade over Elson. We had no shot at getting him, we just don't have the expiring contracts like you guys do.

I always thought he was going to go here -- PJ and Presti, plus didn't Bennett have a minority share of the Spurs back in the nineties?

[inconvertible]

the crosseyed-enforcer to the rescue.

[timvp]

And we should have traded Rasho for Thomas when we had the chance.:lol

That's the first thing I thought of. How the hell did the Spurs not pull the trigger on the Thomas for Rasho deal back in 2005? That boggles my mind to this day.

[lefty]

Just for you!

http://i32.tinypic.com/i525cl.jpg

:toast

I didn't feel anything

A little lower :D

[to21]

I like this trade.

Finally we have some toughness at the five spot. I don't think a KT/TD combo hurts that much. The game will slow down enough in the playoffs for this to payoff.

[DannyT]

Barry coming back...? Come on now, who needs Brent? Didnt you see how Timmy was hitting his treys all-star weekend? timmy is going to slide down to the 3 while Fab and Kurt hold down the front court...CIA style holmes

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

I didn't feel anything

A little lower :D
:lol

[Agloco]

Overall a good trade. The pick might seem to be a bit much at this point, but what would we have gotten with that pick anyway? Probably someone who couldn't contribute right out of the gate.


:hungry:

[angel_luv]

I didn't feel anything

A little lower :D


Why did you have to go and make me feel sorry about being nice to you?

For shame Lefty! *sigh*

[MannyIsGod]

:lol

That's the first thing I thought of. How the hell did the Spurs not pull the trigger on the Thomas for Rasho deal back in 2005? That boggles my mind to this day.No shit.

All in All I'm not a fan of this trade very much either. I think Barry coming back is wishful thinking. They may want to keep him around and Seattle happens to be familliar territory for him. If they do buy him out, I can't see him ending up anywhere else, however.

That being said, Kurt is obviously a large upgrade over Elson and even Oberto in some situations. Its such a game of matchups now so I can live with it but I really did love Barry's game and will miss it greatly.

The thing about the Spurs is that we're usually filled with talented specialists. You don't miss them until they're gone, and I think we'll miss Barry a lot. In fact I think we already do. There's a reason why the offense has run much smoother when he's been healthy this year.

[lefty]

Why did you have to go and make me feel sorry about being nice to you?

For shame Lefty! *sigh*

Sorry, I was kidding.

It was a lovely hug

Now I like this trade :elephant :elephant :elephant

[picnroll]

This is the guy I wanted the Spurs to get. Best Spur's big man since DRob retired. When Barry comes back Spurs will be good to go.

[MannyIsGod]

the crosseyed-enforcer to the rescue.:lol

[DespЏrado]

Seriously how is this not a good trade. Horry has been our best second big man defender since DRob left.

Udoka + Stoudamire >>> Barry :for versatility and defensive assignments.
Thomas >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Elson + Rasho + Nazr

[MannyIsGod]

Oh - obviously if Barry is hurt to the extent that he wasn't going to regain his game this season then this is a great trade. Even with the pick.

However, thats a big if.

[Holt's Cat]

this deal makes more sense when you consider that elson and horry are free agents and neither seemed likely to be brought back.

[Das Texan]

I'll take it!

[Kori Ellis]

It's finally official ...


SPURS OBTAIN KURT THOMAS

Francisco Elson, Brent Barry And A 2009 First Round Pick Sent To Sonics


SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs announced today that they have obtained Kurt Thomas from the Seattle SuperSonics in exchange for Francisco Elson, Brent Barry and the team’s 2009 first round draft pick.

“Kurt Thomas is a tough, physical player who can defend, score and rebound,” said Spurs General Manager RC Buford. “We feel he will be a great addition to our roster and will add depth to our frontcourt.”

The 6-9, 235-pound Thomas has appeared in 789 regular season games in his 13-year NBA career. He has career averages of 9.9 points and 7.5 rebounds in 27.6 minutes per contest. He has also seen action in 60 playoff games, averaging 6.6 points and 5.6 rebounds in 21.2 minutes in postseason action.

Thomas, who is 35-years-old, was acquired by the Sonics from the Suns on 7/20/07. During the 2007-08 season he is averaging 7.5 points and 8.8 rebounds in 25.2 minutes while shooting .513 (139-271) from the field. He earned 39 starts in 42 games with Seattle.

A Dallas native, Thomas was selected by the Miami Heat in the first round of the 1995 NBA Draft, with the 10th overall pick. During his NBA career he has played for Miami, Dallas, New York, Phoenix and Seattle. For five straight seasons with the Knicks – from ’00-01 to ’04-05 – Thomas averaged over 10 points per game. He averaged a career-best 14.0 points – along with 7.9 rebounds – in 81 games in 2002-03. During the 2004-05 season he averaged a double-double, with 11.5 points and 10.4 rebounds, in 80 games.


During the 1994-95 season, as a senior at Texas Christian University, Thomas led the nation in both scoring (28.9 ppg) and rebounding (14.6 rpg).

Barry signed with the Spurs as a free agent on 7/15/04. In four seasons with San Antonio he averaged 7.3 points in 259 games. During the 2007-08 season he is averaging 7.3 points in 18.7 minutes in 29 games. He has played for the Clippers, the Heat, the Bulls, the Sonics and the Spurs during his 13-year NBA career.

Elson was signed by the Spurs as a free agent on 8/2/06. In two seasons in San Antonio he averaged 4.5 points in 111 games. During his five-year NBA career he has played for Denver and San Antonio. He has posted averages of 3.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 13.0 minutes in 41 games during the 2007-08 season.

[angel_luv]

Sorry, I was kidding.

It was a lovely hug

Now I like this trade :elephant :elephant :elephant


Much better. :toast

[lefty]

This is the guy I wanted the Spurs to get. Best Spur's big man since DRob retired. When Barry comes back Spurs will be good to go.

So we'll get him back ? :wtf

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Overall, this is a complicated trade. It's not a great trade ... it's more of a strategic trade.

I guess we'll see if it pays off.

Definitely strategic. Small ball suddenly isn't as big of a concern as it was a couple of years ago.

I think Pop was worried about the idea of Oberto and Elson trying to defend guys like Shaq and Yao in the playoffs. Plus, Thomas can defend guys like Bynum.

I'm hoping, as you said, that Duncan and Thomas can co-exist in the post. If they can, this is a great move from Tim Duncan's standpoint. KT will force teams to play us honestly in the paint and TD should be freed up some both offensively and defensively.

[remingtonbo2001]

No shit.

All in All I'm not a fan of this trade very much either. I think Barry coming back is wishful thinking.

It's our way of easing the pain after seeing a fan favorite go. :spin

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

It's all been said, but I'm optimistic about this trade. Thomas brings smarts, low post man-on-man D, a sweet midrange jumper (he'll camp out at the FT and elbow and knock that down all day), and team-first play. He's a great fit except for his lack of mobility, and Elson was an empty uniform (Pop had totally lost confidence in him).

Losing Barry is a real pity - I love his hustle, bball IQ, passing and shooting. I've always really liked Barry and will miss him (come back Brent! ;) ).

The 1st-rounder is an annoying asset to use at this point given that next year the team will require a mini-rebuild, although I still think that can be done without too many problems (basically need to find two swingmen for the MLE and a $2mil trade exception, as I understand it - we look good for bigs going forward with Splitter and Mahinmi).

Overall, decent trade and personally I'm happy that Thomas and not Artest will be here. With the West getting bigger, it takes some pressure off Timmy.

[remingtonbo2001]

When the hell did Brent play for the Miami Heat?

I thought he went from the Clippers to Chi-town. Then on to Seattle and so on...

[jacobdrj]

Ultimately, this worked out for both the Suns and the Spurs.

The Suns were, quite frankly, stupid for giving up KT. He is a VERY VERY good player. Not a star, but a workhorse that you can depend on for defense and even offense.

But since this ultimately lead to the flexibility (or the desperation) to acquire Snaq. And, all things being equal, Snaq>KT.

Spurs don't have to deal with KT's defense, instead, get a dependable post defender to help the spurs against the Lakers and Suns.

I doubt the Spurs could have ever gotten KT from the Suns directly.

Interesting stuff.

[Bruno]

I can already see the Spurs re-signing Thomas to something like a $6-7M over two years ... as long as he fits in.

I'm not worried about Spurs future at PF/C. Spurs have Duncan, Oberto, Bonner, Splitter and Mahinmi under contract until at least 2010.

The real trouble is at SG/SF :
In 2009, Spurs will have Manu, Udoka and Bruce.
In 2010, Spurs will have Manu and Bruce.
As much as I like Bruce, he will be 39 years old for the 2010 playoffs.




Overall, this is a complicated trade. It's not a great trade ... it's more of a strategic trade.


Another reason of the trade was to go under the tax. I'm not sure Spurs would have given up a first round pick for old Kurt Thomas without the luxury tax factor.
The reason why Spurs were above the tax before the trade is that they randomly called up the whole Toros team.
I find that Spurs have done a poor job at managing their money. They have spend a lot of money on quite useless things that could have been spend elsewhere.

[baseline bum]

I hate to lose the possibility of Brent coming back and playing the way he was before the injuries, but this team desperately needed a bigman who could grab a board. Barry was a steep price to pay, but I hated not having a good bigman outside of the starting lineup.

[Jeremy]

Wow.

Obviously, this is a great trade for the Spurs.

This is too funny, though. The Suns traded for Shaq in order to match up better with the Spurs. Now the Spurs trade for KT (former Sun who should never have been traded--not to mention along with TWO first-round draft picks for nothing) in order to match up better with the Suns!! :lol

That KT trade last summer though could really go down as the worst trade in Suns history now.

[timvp]

My initial reaction is to keep Oberto as the starter. However, inserting Thomas into the starting lineup makes sense for a couple reasons:

1) Manu and Oberto can play together more often if both are coming off the bench.
2) Thomas can always take the tougher post player, allowing Duncan to stay out of foul trouble.
3) Thomas sets good screens and could work well with Parker in that regard.
4) He has a better jumper than Oberto ... which would allow even more space for Duncan to operate.
5) He can impose a physical presence from the beginning of the game.

I'm still not sold because Duncan and Thomas is a very slow frontcourt. A lot of teams could expose that alignment.

[fyatuk]

The key question for me is, can Kurt Thomas fill Barry's role in the HEB commercials?

I highly doubt it. :depressed

HEB knew something was going down. That's why they worked Manu in earlier. It was a try-out for Barry's replacement! :smokin

[BonnerDynasty]

Maybe now we won't be giving up key rebounds in the last 2 minutes of play.

Not saying he should be above Oberto though. Oberto is still :clap

[yavozerb]

My initial reaction is to keep Oberto as the starter. However, inserting Thomas into the starting lineup makes sense for a couple reasons:

1) Manu and Oberto can play together more often if both are coming off the bench.
2) Thomas can always take the tougher post player, allowing Duncan to stay out of foul trouble.
3) Thomas sets good screens and could work well with Parker in that regard.
4) He has a better jumper than Oberto ... which would allow even more space for Duncan to operate.
5) He can impose a physical presence from the beginning of the game.

I'm still not sold because Duncan and Thomas is a very slow frontcourt. A lot of teams could expose that alignment.
Oberto isn't exactly a speed burner...

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Thomas will be the Spurs best rebounder behind Duncan. That's worth noting considering how dramatically the rebounding ability on this team falls off after TD.

[SouthernFried]

I don't think the SPURS got KT for any particular matchup problems...we just were weak at the C position. We needed to correct that weakness...regardless of what any other team was doing.

[Das Texan]

Thomas will be the Spurs best rebounder behind Duncan. That's worth noting considering how dramatically the rebounding ability on this team falls off after TD.



very key fact.

[loveforthegame]

My initial reaction is to keep Oberto as the starter. However, inserting Thomas into the starting lineup makes sense for a couple reasons:

1) Manu and Oberto can play together more often if both are coming off the bench.
2) Thomas can always take the tougher post player, allowing Duncan to stay out of foul trouble.
3) Thomas sets good screens and could work well with Parker in that regard.
4) He has a better jumper than Oberto ... which would allow even more space for Duncan to operate.
5) He can impose a physical presence from the beginning of the game.

I'm still not sold because Duncan and Thomas is a very slow frontcourt. A lot of teams could expose that alignment.

I was wondering what the rotation would look like. And whether Pop would keep Finley on the bench or would he be inserted back into the starting lineup once Parker returns?

Oberto - Horry - Thomas - Mahinmi
Duncan - Thomas - Bonner
Bowen - Udoka - Finley
Finley - Ginobli - Udoka
Parker - Stoudamire - Vaughn

I'm also assuming the Spurs go after another perimeter player. I doubt Bonner gets you that so maybe sign someone like DerMarr Johnson or Jeremy Richardson should Atlanta release him? Unless of course Barry is waived and returns.

[Holt's Cat]

no kidding. Spurs got some help on the glass

[Agloco]

Thomas > Rasho, Elson

[koopa]

i like the trade, like kori said way early in the thread, we don't really know if barry is even gonna be fully healthy this year, so i'm not to worried about giving him up since we have manu and finley to drain the threes, and pop most be comfortable with stodimire to go through with this trade

and elson is a bum, and doesn't deserve to be in the nba, so i'm happy he's gone

and a 1st rounder isn't that bad, it's always a late first rounder, and how often do we get a player that has made any sort of impact?? was tony the last first rounder to make a difference on this team?? so it doesn't matter to me that we are losing a late first round pick

[Avitus1]

I'm not sure what to say....

I liked Barry he was great, but I'm glad to see Cisco go.

KT could be good for the Spurs but I gotta see the guy play with them before I decide for sure. He'll def add another strong rebounder/defender to the team.