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ROFL. McDonald doesn't have Barry as a FA. Then again, maybe he isn't and Stat Geek is tampering with a Spurs player.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...n.f748476.html
NBA: For Spurs, free agency begins at home
By Jeff McDonald
The annual NBA summertime shopping spree, otherwise known as the free-agency period, begins today.
General managers everywhere are ready to rev up their cell phones. The first calls the Spurs make are likely to be to a familiar set of numbers.
Kurt Thomas, Michael Finley and, yes, even 37-year-old reluctant retiree Robert Horry — all unrestricted free agents with varying degrees of value — are expected to talk with the Spurs about the prospect of rejoining the team next season.
If the price is right.
“The question is, can we find something both sides can live with?” said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, also the team’s vice president of basketball operations. “In the end, it comes down to years and money.”
The Spurs, who quite possibly were a Manu Ginobili jammed ankle away from playing for another NBA le last season, plan to approach this offseason like an aging Hollywood starlet seeking one last leading role: They are in for just a nip here and a tuck there, not a full-fledged facelift.
Popovich realizes re-signing players in their mid-30s won’t go very far toward making the league’s oldest team in the league appear much younger. He just doesn’t care.
“The ‘getting younger’ thing is overblown,” Popovich said. “If we knew Manu would stay healthy, Timmy (Duncan) would stay healthy and Tony (Parker) would stay healthy, we’d bring back the same doggone team. And if any of those guys are not healthy, we’re not going to win a championship anyway.”
As free agency dawns, the Spurs have 10 players under contract with at least one more — first-round draft pick George Hill — on the way. Shopping for the remaining roster pieces will begin — but perhaps not end — locally.
The 35-year-old Thomas, a gritty forward who joined the team in a February trade, was a key postseason contributor for the Spurs. They might not have been able to handle the Shaquille O’Neal-infused Phoenix Suns without him.
Re-signing Thomas became an even greater offseason priority for the Spurs when Tiago Splitter, last year’s first-round draft choice, re-upped with his Spanish League club in early June.
“Whether Splitter was coming or not, Kurt Thomas was a guy we wanted to re-sign,” Popovich said.
Finley is another 35-year-old the Spurs harbor interest in retaining. The veteran guard endured an inconsistent 2007-08 campaign, but the Spurs value his leadership and would be open to bringing him back.
Refusing to slip easily into retirement, Horry has stressed his desire to return for a 17th season, in part because he was either inactive or ineffective for much of his 16th.
Horry, who made $3.6 million last season, would prefer to remain with the Spurs. He has suggested that he would be willing to take a pay cut — perhaps down to the veteran minimum of $1.26 million — to make it happen.
For their part, the Spurs would like to limit transactions that would cut too heavily into the cap space available for the summer of 2010, which should be a windfall year for high-yield free agents.
That is one reason the Spurs might choose to sign one or both of this year’s second-round draft picks, Malik Hairston and James Gist. Their contracts would be manageable, in terms of years and money.
The Spurs also could turn to the 2001 draft for help: They could opt to bring in 6-foot-11 Lithuanian forward Robertas Javtokas, their second-round pick seven years ago, although it would require buying out his contract in Russia.
That’s not to say the Spurs won’t wade into deeper free agent waters this summer. They have a mid-level exception worth about $5.8 million to spend and will probably use it to address their post-draft needs — another scorer on the wing or some depth in the frontcourt.
Denver guard J.R. Smith, who has piqued the Spurs’ interest in the past, is one such player likely to be available. He is a restricted free agent, but it is unlikely the Nuggets — who already are well over the luxury tax threshold — will be tempted to match a competing offer for him.
Among the unrestricted free agents who might be of interest to the Spurs are Golden State guard Mickael Pietrus, Portland swingman James Jones, Boston guard James Posey and L.A. Clippers guard Quinton Ross.
Carlos Delfino, a restricted free agent who appears to be on the way out in Toronto, is another potential target. The Spurs have expressed interest in Delfino before, though it has been surmised that he could probably command more money in Europe this summer.
Getting younger isn’t necessarily the Spurs’ priority this offseason. But it is likely to be an inevitability.
“We’re older than dirt,” Popovich said. “Anybody we add is probably going to make us younger.”
Spurs free agents
Here is a look at the five Spurs players who officially became unrestricted free agents at 11 p.m. Monday.
Kurt Thomas, forward
Age: 35
2007-08 stats: Averaged 4.5 points and 4.9 rebounds in 35 games after arriving via trade from Seattle.
2007-08 salary: $8.1 million
Prognosis: Proved his worth in playoffs, especially in first-round series against Shaquille O’Neal and Suns. With Tiago Splitter opting to stay in Spain, resigning Thomas tops offseason to-do list for Spurs.
Michael Finley, guard
Age: 35
2007-08 stats: Averaged 10.1 points and shot 41.4 percent from the field – both mild improvements over season before.
2007-08 salary: $18.6 million
Prognosis: Suffered through inconsistent stretches last season, but Spurs still value his leadership and veteran head. Spurs will consider re-signing him, if the price is right.
Robert Horry, forward
Age: 37
2007-08 stats: Injury plagued for most of the year, set career lows in points (2.5 per game), minutes (12.9 per game) and games played (45).
2007-08 salary: $3.6 million
Prognosis: Has apparently decided he’s not ready to hang up his legendary shoes just yet, but market for him is limited. Spurs might opt to take him back, if he will take a pay cut.
Damon Stoudamire, guard
Age: 34
2007-08 stats: Played in 31 games after receiving buyout from Grizzlies and averaged 3.4 points.
2007-08 salary: $4.3 million
Prognosis: Spurs’ selection of backup point guard George Hill in the draft more or less makes Stoudamire expendable. He should have his résumé together by now.
DerMarr Johnson, guard
Age: 28
2007-08 stats: Played in five games with Spurs, averaging 3.7 points.
2007-08 salary: $42,203
Prognosis: Wasn’t going to return to Spurs before DUI arrest last month, though that certainly didn’t help.
Last edited by duncan228; 06-30-2008 at 11:57 PM.
ROFL. McDonald doesn't have Barry as a FA. Then again, maybe he isn't and Stat Geek is tampering with a Spurs player.
You gotta be f'n kidding me.
lol“The ‘getting younger’ thing is overblown,” Popovich said. “If we knew Manu would stay healthy, Timmy (Duncan) would stay healthy and Tony (Parker) would stay healthy, we’d bring back the same doggone team. And if any of those guys are not healthy, we’re not going to win a championship anyway.”
exhibit A on why the Spurs might not make much of a push for anyone like JR Smith or maybe even Pietrus.
Juan Dixon here we come!
Maybe the Spurs don't want to bring Barry back...maybe they only want to keep he or Finley and Finley is the one they want to keep.
Maybe McDonald truly doesn't know what's going on...or he has a nice subject for his next article.Here is a look at the five Spurs players who officially became unrestricted free agents at 11 p.m. Monday.
Idiots.Kurt Thomas, Michael Finley and, yes, even 37-year-old reluctant retiree Robert Horry — all unrestricted free agents with varying degrees of value — are expected to talk with the Spurs about the prospect of rejoining the team next season.
the spurs need to win now...saving cap space for 2010 is fools gold. when is the last time we have had a top tier free agent to sign with us.
Tpark, Timmy, Manu, Bonner, Ian, Vaughn, Barry, Ime, Bowen, Oberto. That's 10!!!!! George Hill makes 11.
The article states the Spurs have 10 players under contract. So, this article suggests that Barry and Vaughn didn't opt out. Of course McDonald may not have all the facts
Yeah all we have to go on is a report, but, who knows at this point.
damn Pop really cracks me up sometimes...
Regardless of what the team actually is planning on doing, Pop would be plum happy if the rest of the league just expected the Spurs to stand pat.
No reason to get upset over any quotes made less than an hour after FA begins. If we're sitting here in September and the roster is what is, then feel free to panic.
MEMO TO POP:
Good God, Pop. What were you watching during the Fakers series? Your team got repeatedly outhustled, outrun and outquicked. Why not infuse some quickness, youth and bench depth at some spots?
Or are you that stubborn to the point that you'll delibarately stand pat and resign some of the FA vets? Even though it's obvious that their productivity has diminshed? What point are really trying to prove?
Yeah, he could've sent that in at 5pm and is just now reading the forum.
No panic, that's I used the phrase "might". All I'm doing is keeping it objective based on the Spurs words and more importantly their past actions.
Besides, why wait until September to make any judgement? Free agency will be wrapped up before the third week of July except for fringe players and camp fodder invitees.
Pop & RC haven't been near as stagnant over the years as people on this board seem to think. And when they have brought back the rosters intact, it was in years where it made sense to do so. This year, it does not, so I don't expect them to stand pat.
RC has already said they needed to get younger.
Tony Parker said it.
Pop is just blustering at the media with BS.
Read nothing into it.
Pop says before the draft that he didn't expect a rookie to come in and make an impact and afterwards he's singing Hill's praises as a member of the rotation.
He can be a stubborn ol' cuss at times. I believe he gets off jackin' with and being a smart-ass with the media. In fact, he's perfected that "cold war" at ude and approach. Typical CIA Pop!
Every one keeps talking about JR Smith, and M Pieturs.....dont cont on either one. The spurs will go after Mason from washington and Hayes from Detroit ....split the MLE between them and call it an off season!
Pop saying they are standing pat gives me hope they are going to go all out to bring in a max MLE player.
Got damn McDonald is clueless. The average SpursTalk poster is more in touch with what the Spurs may or may not do than this clown.
Yeah. The fact of the matter is that if the Spurs are going to stand pat - Pop will say that they are going to stand pat. If the Spurs are going to make lots of moves and be very active - Pop will say that they are going to stand pat.
That's how he's going to do it and we should all know this by now.
But there are still always a handful of fans that react to the comments just the same.
I personally think its hilarious
Especially in the playoffs when the dumbasses ask stupid ass questions
JR SMITH!!!!!
FTW!!!!
hopefully
I Miss Ludden.
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