Small Forward News(Spurs Related)

these 2 articles I am about to post will in some form effect the spurs plans of getting a back up SF for next season if they happen

Isiah Looking To Offer 3-Year Deal To Diop Or James Jones

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The Post has learned that Isiah Thomas is after James Jones, the Pacers' 6-foot-8 free-agent reserve swingman, whom Thomas drafted in the second round in 2003 and unrestricted free-agent center DeSagana Diop, a 7-foot, 280-pounder who played with the Cavs the last four years.

One of the two free agents may be offered a three-year contract as soon as Tuesday.

Thomas is also reportedly interested in former Wizards' guard Steve Blake.

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Link

With Spurs After Johnson, Nuggets Eye Flip And Bogans

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Denver Post - Kiki Vandeweghe remains interested in Nuggets free agents Greg Buckner and DerMarr Johnson. Denver has offered Buckner a one-year contract worth $1.7 million.

WOAI.com reported Johnson is among the shooting guards the San Antonio Spurs are interested in. The Nuggets also have shooting guard Voshon Lenard, who was limited to three games last season because of an Achilles injury, and rookie swingman Julius Hodge on the roster.

Vandeweghe said Nuggets coach George Karl likes the way the team is set up.

"We have Voshon Lenard. We are still hopeful that we can get Buck and D.J. back," Vandeweghe said. "That's a team that with the addition of Voshon Lenard that we like."

"We're looking at one or two things, shooting guards and backup small forwards. We've got a lot of guys already," Vandeweghe said.

Free-agent shooting guards on Denver's radar are Charlotte's Keith Bogans and Seattle's Flip Murray. Bogans' agent, Mike Harrison, said his client is interested in Denver, but there are other teams interested as well.

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Link

I hope Isiah goes after Diop and not James Jones because I see alot of potential in Jones and hopefully the spurs can lure him away from the pacers

Spurs should be able to outbid the Knicks for Jones (barring a sign and trade). Johnson will be available only if the Nuggets land Finley for most or all of their MLE.

Where do the Knicks get the money to do this? Their payroll is over 100 million dollars and they've used their MLE on Jerome James......??

The most the Knicks would have to offer (other than in a sign and trade) is the LLE.

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Originally Posted by Walton Buys Off Me

Where do the Knicks get the money to do this? Their payroll is over 100 million dollars and they've used their MLE on Jerome James......??

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It's NY the largest TV market in the country. Between TV revenue and sponsors the lux tax is second thought. Alla the Wankees.

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Originally Posted by BillsCarnage

It's NY the largest TV market in the country. Between TV revenue and sponsors the lux tax is second thought. Alla the Wankees.

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Damn straight. If Isiah had done half of the bone head moves he's done with a smaller market team that has an actual budget he'd have been looking for a new job a long time ago.

baseball doesnt have a luxury tax or a salary cap, that is why the yankees are aloud to spend as much as they want; that is why they are able to give players like A ROD huge ass contracts

I would prefer James than Johnson.

Johnson was the starter for Denver last year because of his defense.

Remember the 82games defensive ratings by position? DerMarr was rated right there with Manu in the top 6 or 7 guys on the +/- numbers (as was Aaron McKie)

http://www.82games.com/rosenbaum3.htm

S&T Devin for DerMarr

I have been wanting the Spurs to sign DeMarr Johnson. He just reminds me a lot of Stephen Jackson. He's long and has the potential to play awesome defense.

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Originally Posted by Solid D

Johnson was the starter for Denver last year because of his defense.

Remember the 82games defensive ratings by position? DerMarr was rated right there with Manu in the top 6 or 7 guys on the +/- numbers (as was Aaron McKie)

http://www.82games.com/rosenbaum3.htm

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There we go. Hopefully the Spurs can nab one of them.

Johnson would be cheap and a great addition if he were to buy into the Spurs system. He will do himself some good too. The guy was a stud in college and has showed some of that in this past season when Coop was coaching.

what is this about, I got some info about Johnson from HoopsHype

"Quite an athlete even after the car accident."

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Damn straight. If Isiah had done half of the bone head moves he's done with a smaller market team that has an actual budget he'd have been looking for a new job a long time ago.

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Isiah isn't the only problem there. Obviously, he's incompetent, but so are his bosses.

In the NBA, a general manager can't just throw money at his roster. It takes sound salary cap management to remain flexible enough to make needed acquisitions. Gaining that flexibility requires discipline and patience over a few years. But the suits at Cablevision refuse to recognize that, and demand that moves be made NOW! NOW! NOW! regardless of the consequences.

That's why the Knicks are always in a salary-cap strait jacket, and why their GM's appear to make trades just for the sake of making trades. They're being pressured by people who know nothing about basketball, and think that their huge revenue stream alone should create a championship contender.

I believe that the Knicks will suck as long as Cablevision owns them. They're like what CBS was to the Yankees.

And I suspect that one of those suits knows that as long as the GM is incompetent but has a big name (like Isiah), the GM will take all the heat for failure. And thanks to the lavish contracts the incompetent folks upstairs hand to their big-name inept GM's, they're reluctant to fire them.

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Originally Posted by ace3g

baseball doesnt have a luxury tax or a salary cap, that is why the yankees are aloud to spend as much as they want; that is why they are able to give players like A ROD huge ass contracts

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There is a luxury tax in baseball. In fact, it's rather large, so much that bad franchises like Tampa Bay don't even have to try to attract fans; their lux-tax dispersals cover payroll costs with some money left over. Steinbrenner just doesn't care.

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Originally Posted by ace3g

what is this about, I got some info about Johnson from HoopsHype

"Quite an athlete even after the car accident."

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He was in a serious auto accident early in his pro career.

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Originally Posted by ace3g

baseball doesnt have a luxury tax or a salary cap, that is why the yankees are aloud to spend as much as they want; that is why they are able to give players like A ROD huge ass contracts

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AROD's huge ass contract originated in Texas..... but if they kept him it would've been a 1 man team. the yankees were the only ones who could afford to take him over and still pay the other guys.

A lanky, 6-foot-9 guard, Johnson showed plenty of potential in one season at Cincinnati, averaging 12.6 points and 3.8 rebounds before bolting for the NBA. The Atlanta Hawks liked his game, taking him with the sixth overall pick in the 2000 draft.

Johnson only averaged 5.1 points as a rookie, but started showing more consistency during his second season, finishing with 8.4 points.

The improvement had Johnson ready for a breakout season in 2002. He never got the chance.

Driving home with two friends from an Atlanta nightclub, Johnson fell asleep at the wheel, leading to a fiery crash. With four cracked vertebrae in his neck, Johnson was told he was close to being paralyzed and would probably never play basketball again.

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Originally Posted by Marcus Bryant

He was in a serious auto accident early in his pro career.

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Yeah, when he was in Atlanta he had that bad car wreck and broke some vertabrae in his neck. He had to wear one of those halos for a couple of months.

The Spurs should go after him and then use whatever they have on NVE.

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Originally Posted by ace3g

what is this about, I got some info about Johnson from HoopsHype

"Quite an athlete even after the car accident."

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Before we get too excited about DeMarr Johnson, I read some strong criticism on him in one of the Denver papers a while back regarding this guy - and it wasn't pleasant. I read that he drives his coaches crazy in that he comes into the games shooting, regardless of situation or defense. He isn't a good passer or a good defender, despite having good length and a great wingspan.

Maybe Pop and RC could turn the guy around.

Everything I've read about Johnson confirms the above, that he's not very coachable.

You know SenorSpur...the impression I got from watching DerMarr last season was the length he had and his contesting of shots. It wasn't his on-ball defense so much that impressed me - so I would agree he's not the best there. He's not an in-your-shorts defender, but he does alter shots and shotmaking decisions. He also runs the floor very well for a 6-9 guy.

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Originally Posted by Solid D

You know SenorSpur...the impression I got from watching DerMarr last season was the length he had and his contesting of shots. It wasn't his on-ball defense so much that impressed me - so I would agree he's not the best there. He's not an in-your-shorts defender, but he does alter shots and shotmaking decisions. He also runs the floor very well for a 6-9 guy.

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Wow! I completely forgot he was 6-9. A 6-9 perimeter defender sounds intriguing. Though I'd still be a bit leery of him and his desired contract demands.

I do believe if any coaching staff can get in his head and force him to develop - it would be Pop and his staff.

I have not heard any contract demands from him. I would be surprised if they are very high though.

I don't know how serious the Spurs are about DerMarr but I would think if there were any problems about coachability or bad habits with him, new coach Chip Engelland would know about them.

:lol @ this thread.

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Originally Posted by Denver Post

WOAI.com reported Johnson is among the shooting guards the San Antonio Spurs are interested in.

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They are getting this from an article that I wrote two days ago. Here's what I wrote:

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Originally Posted by Me

Other prospects the Spurs may consider are Indiana’s James Jones, Philadelphia’s Matt Barnes, New Orleans’ Casey Jacobsen and Denver’s DerMarr Johnson.

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As you can see, it doesn't say the Spurs ARE interested in DerMarr.

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Originally Posted by Solid D

I don't know how serious the Spurs are about DerMarr but I would think if there were any problems about coachability or bad habits with him, new coach Chip Engelland would know about them.

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:lol Yeah, that's why I said I didn't know how serious they were...because I saw they were quoting WOAI. I didn't know it was quoting you. :spin

Here's excerts from an article with Walsh's stance on resigning James and Davis and the Pacers luxury tax situation.

Aug 15, 7:52 PM EDT

Pacers Waive Retired Reggie Miller

By STEVE HERMAN
AP Sports Writer

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Walsh said Indiana is already "way over the cap."

But more importantly, we're over the luxury tax number by a lot, too, so I still have work to do to try to get down under that, but also I have to pay the tax," he said. "This will take $6 million right off the top of that. The rest of it, you've got to do through trades or through other means."

The Pacers last week signed free agent Sarunas Jasikevicius, a free agent from Lithuania. Waiving Miller gives them more money to work with in their efforts to re-sign veterans Dale Davis and James Jones.

"Not all the way, but it's helpful in that, too," Walsh said. "I am not close with them in the sense I would need to do some other things to really start making them a real offer. But I'm happy with our team, where it is right now."

link

Word from the local sports talk show says the Suns might work on a S&T for James Jones if they miss out on Finley. They'd use part of their trade exception from ATL for the deal.