Understand the desire to get back yesterday to the playoffs and contending but Wembanyama will need a couple years to ramp up to the NBA and unless the Spurs screw up personally with him or some shyster uncle appears, you have time to spend on building a team and program around him.
Given the cap flexibility the Spurs have, the next couple years are prime time to buy additional 1st round picks by taking on some undesirable contracts with 2 to 3 years left.
There’s also the benefit as you buildout a rotation full of players on rookie contracts that the first set of bad contracts expire and you can buy more future first rounders with cap space.
The best use of cap space for a team in a market like SA is to buy picks. When you have a franchise player on a rookie deal this is all the better. Sure, there’s always finding the right role player free agent for a spot, but landing star talent in free agency is not the best course.
Given the Hawks, Bulls, Raptors, and Hornets picks over the next 4 drafts in addition to their own the Spurs already are set to build a supporting cast through the draft, in addition to current players on rookie deals.
Business might get in the way of this plan, patience doesn’t sell season tix and viewers, especially with a hyped talent like Wembanyama, but a slowish approach to the next 3 seasons could yield a juggernaut for the next 10.
Excited to see OG posters return to ST
Spurs also have a fair number of 2nd rounders over the next 4 drafts or so for some draft and stash speculation.
There’s sure to be the temptation to use draft picks to trade for proven players to win now. With Pop beyond retirement age there will likely be pressure to do that.
Yeah, and the nice thing about stockpiling firsts is you can eventually trade in those assets for a star. Signing a star outright seems to not happen much anymore ... but when a star is disgruntled, the going rate is a handful of unprotected firsts, which the Spurs already have a rather nice collection of to this point.
Wemby did say he wants to win a ring ASAP so be ready. I think the spurs are gonna take that seriously and try something this off season. Hopefully it’s nothing too crazy
Every well-rehearsed draft pick says that. Except Deandre Ayton, who says he's looking forward to his second contract.
The cap space is really valuable - I was happy they didn't burn it at the trade deadline. There's some use here. Problem may be managing the roster spots.
An additional possibility with the draft stockpile is flipping them forward. It's going to be impossible to use all of the extra ones coming up; they can trade them into the future and spill later in the decade and further.
Wemby could be joined by Luka or Giannis in about 2 years....kidding...sort of....
Last edited by BillMc; 05-18-2023 at 02:38 AM.
His acclimation process might not be longer than a season.
And from a cap perspective it would be good to build a contender during Wembys rookie contract.
I'm sure Pop would like to take it slow, but his hand could be forced by Wembys ability to contribute in a very meaningful way in his 2nd season.
IDK man, I feel capspace has become overrated in recently years with fewer outright terrible deals in need of dumping. Many GMs seem to have gotten the memo after 2016. Last year was a case in point.
I also read that the new CBA could allow teams that don’t use their cap space in one year to roll it over into another year. Not sure how all that works, but THAT seems like a valuable reason to keep capspace, i.e., so the team can use it when they’re ready to be good.
The problem is that there are already a ton of FRPs that have been traded, and others are locked up by being consecutive years,or multiple year options to convey. Chicago cannot trade their 24,25-27,or 28 picks, because our pick window with them is 25-27, and 24 and 28 are contiguous years, for example.
I'm with you on dat one, it's gonna be a 3 years process. Hopefully it won't create tensions with Victor, kid is very ambitious and hungry but this is the best for him. One important factor here that can ease the process is the Olympics in Paris, this event will give Victor something to look for during his growing process with the Spurs.
Believe.
so what are some contracts bad enough for a 1st round pick? I can only think of Duncan Robinson
Ben Simmons
Davis Bertans
Then there are several bad 1 year contracts that may not be worth a 1st, but could garner a 1st if you're sending a player back in the deal.
Absolutely. Cap space and picks can make a lot happen. Not to downplay free agency, but the Spurs’ use of it has historically been to land key rotational players not stars.
The trade route is always a possibility, picks and cap space are the real assets that can yield improvement. Selling off stars not so much though of course the Dejounte trade now with Wembamyana was huge.
Will be interesting to see what direction the Spurs take.
If they are high on another prospect in this draft, they have the assets to get it done and hey, that’s why you invest in front office personnel, processes, and systems.
Trading all the picks for Doncic when he forces a trade .... one can only dream.
And at which point do you stop stocking assets and start building for improvement? The Spurs already got their guy, I think it's time to start planning on erasing all the bad habits caused by the losing of the past few seasons.
I'm afraid the Spurs outspurs themselves with all this crazy talk I'm already seeing about "saving" Victor by playing him benchwarmer minutes and not trying to improve the team around him. You are mistaken if you think the kid will be cool with losing 60 games and not even winning RoY because you didn't play him enough minutes.
Don't believe your own , do sensible stuff to keep the kid happy.
I don't think the team will seriously hold back his games or playing time. They'll monitor things, but he's going to be out there a very good amount.
With the new CBA, teams that exceed the tax by too much become limited in their ability to use the MLE to fill out roster. I think the cap space can be utilized in the short term to allow those teams some flexibility. But as some have mentioned, there are limited FRPs that can be dealt. I’m okay getting more creative and targeting getting a SRP and pick swaps on future firsts. That Boston swap is something Boston never thought would materialize, but could be a possibility if Spurs move towards contender status in five years. Tatum-Brown is a good core but personalities force player movement in no time.
The fact that so many FRPs are locked up also limits the universe of teams that can trade for that next disgruntled star. The Spurs benefit from this - either by trading for said star, or by facilitating a trade for a star and possibly dealing out a FRP for a very good guy (albeit not star).
I would not take on salary beyond 2024-25 as they need to keep the window to max space open in Wemby’s years three and four. By then, Sochan will be extendable but will still have his lower cap number. Vassell will be on higher number.
It’s a good problem to have, but also don’t forget #1 picks also carry a higher cap figure than we’re used to drafting in late lottery or outside of lottery.
Good stuff. I like your brining up future cap issues. The Spurs will need to pay for current players as they get older. But what's wild is that we got Sochan, Vassell, Branham, etc., at later draft picks. We're not staring at the of dealing with a Jalen Green and Jabari Smith with the #2 and #3 rookie salary scale.
Love this! I think the spurs should continue with this strategy throughout the entire Wemby career. Wemby gets paid.
Cycle through Johnsons, Sochans, Vassells, Young, Jones. They don't need load management, they have rookie contracts. you find a Pippen/Rodman, Klay/Draymond, Tony/Manu, Wade/Bosh and max them out too. If they arent contributing to playoff wins, you trade them. Avoid negotiation and deadline dealing, get value and move on.
Cycle through undrafted, 2nd round, and overpaid old dumpster finds. No negotiation necessary. Don't hang on to Bonner and RJ forever, don't pay Malik rose and rasho too much and end up needing to dump them. They sign minimum, or you get paid picks to wait out their overpriced deal. And they're gone.
Loyalty is for the big 3. The role players take the minimum, or the rotating door rotates. You win a championship, you can get a little cute for the repeat. Otherwise, stick to the program.
And don't go sign another damn Lame Aldridge either. Let the suns or blazers sign Lames to ridiculous contracts, and make them pay you picks to eat lames salary.
Don't sign Same Lillard or Blames Harden. Simmons and Cp3 with some 2nd round picks works just fine
A guy at work was floating the idea around that the Spurs should trade as much of those assets to the Hornets for the rights to the Number 2 pick so that they can pick up BOTH Wemby and Scoot Henderson. The Hornets already have LaMelo and the two would not necessarily be the best fit on the same squad. You might also have to give up Keldon for the Hornets to even entertain it.
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