You Son of a , I'm --- Wait, What??

[Mikesatx]

stopped reading when you can't figure out your vs. you're

You sound like my sister. I’m pushing 50 years old, might be too old to change my poor grammar or spelling ways.

[Extra Stout]

Thinking some more… if the Spurs just put forth average effort to building a compe ive team for 2024-25, given Wemby’s development they would win 35-40 games by accident. But that depresses their own pick in the 2025 draft.

So instead, they will go out of their way to build as ty a team as possible that yet somehow still has long-term upside.

Castle is perfect because his shot will take a couple of years to work out. In 2024-25 they can play a heavy Castle-Sochan rotation with terrible spacing that can’t score because “good defense.” Wemby will be triple-teamed every time down the floor.

This definitely isn’t a case of their outsmarting themselves or thinking they can somehow game the system. Sniff, sniff.

[SpursDynasty85]

This is definitely a gamble. If Dillingham turns out to be a catalyst for Minnesota’s continued longevity then we definitely made a mistake. Minnesota has historically struggled with free agents but now they have a generational player in Anthony Edwards that could change that these next 3-4 years. Gobert will be done but KAT and Naz Reid and McDaniels will still be there which could still make a decent starting line up in 2030.

[Extra Stout]

The gamble is not based upon whether Dillingham pans out. It’s based upon whether ANY player that reasonably could have been picked at 8 pans out.

[Splits]

You sound like my sister. I’m pushing 50 years old, might be too old to change my poor grammar or spelling ways.

give her my number, your sure won't regret it when your digging you're grave

[poopbox]

I do agree with the posters who are saying this is almost certainly not Wright's doing. Wright very likely negotiated the trade with Minny for Dillingham, but it was probably not his call to punt on the pick in the first place. I think the decision to consider these years "runway" for all of the guys currently on the club is an organization stance rather than his personal desire. He's not free from blame at all. But I think the rot is coming from a deeper place, and Wright is just a person they hired to implement their desires.

Uh...he's the ing general manager. Who else idea would it be? RC? Gregg with two g's? The Holt's? If Wright isn't going to do anything but be an errand boy he probably needs to leave SA and go do something else. Having no reputation is better than having a bad one for him at this point.

[Mikesatx]

The player development part of this is to develop everyone you have. Best case they either turn into someone that becomes part of the future dynasty or has enough value to trade and get someone that can turn into that or is already that. In my mind there are potentially 3 pieces maybe 4 on the current team that will be around when this team takes off. Wemby, Castle and Vassel. I think Tre might be the fourth as the back up point guard. The idea of adding talent incrementally is tricky. It only makes sense if that incremental piece is viewed as a piece that will get you to where you want to be. I think the organization is at a point where they want to either be a lottery team or a contender. Getting pieces that will make you better and get you in the play in game or a 7-8 seed and languishing there for a few years would be a mistake.They have draft capital and cap space both valuable. I think they get 2 more guys next year in the draft then take advantage of a team that is deep in the luxury tax and realizes they aren’t going to win a le. There are always a few of those each year.

[Dejounte]

Uh...he's the ing general manager. Who else idea would it be? RC? Gregg with two g's? The Holt's? If Wright isn't going to do anything but be an errand boy he probably needs to leave SA and go do something else. Having no reputation is better than having a bad one for him at this point.

Huge denial from the folks who don’t like the events that transpired last night. Do people really think Brian Wright has no backbone and is just a minion for an evil puppeteer within the org?

[poopbox]

Minnesota is in tax already. Their bill for next season is north of $60 mil already before any moves they make. There's a significant possibility that they're unable to keep the team together even in the short run because they'll have some very tough decisions to make and will have to nail them. Absolutely love having a far out unprotected pick and a swap from them, it'll be great value.

Highly unlikely the wovles care about the tax. Their owner has basically reneged on selling the team to that group Arod is in, primarily because now that the wovles are good, they are rolling in ing money.

So far the second apron hasn't deterred any team from spending money.

[Chinook]

Huge denial from the folks who don’t like the events that transpired last night. Do people really think Brian Wright has no backbone and is just a minion for an evil puppeteer within the org?

It's not denial. I didn't say Wright didn't want to trade the pick. I said the decision to do so was an organizational one rather than Wirght's individual decision. I fully expect PATFO hired a guy who agreed with them.

Newsflash to people: teams like Miami and Philly have general managers too, and they aren't Riley and Morey. The le doesn't mean what you think it means.

[Mr. Body]

Highly unlikely the wovles care about the tax. Their owner has basically reneged on selling the team to that group Arod is in, primarily because now that the wovles are good, they are rolling in ing money.

So far the second apron hasn't deterred any team from spending money.

We haven't really seen the second apron yet. The truly onerous part is how it starts biting away a team's ability to make moves and improve itself.

[LeBowen]

Highly unlikely the wovles care about the tax. Their owner has basically reneged on selling the team to that group Arod is in, primarily because now that the wovles are good, they are rolling in ing money.

So far the second apron hasn't deterred any team from spending money.

When they extend Naz and his contract kicks in 25-26 season, they'll be over the second apron with 7 players on the roster.
One of them being 38 year old Conley and two being high risk players they just drafted.
No chance to keep NAW.
And they have zero tradeable picks left.
If the next season doesn't go as planned, how do they stay relevant? It's not even about spending, but the rules preventing them from making any more moves.

[poopbox]

We haven't really seen the second apron yet. The truly onerous part is how it starts biting away a team's ability to make moves and improve itself.

True. But we also haven't seen a good team lose a significant player primarily because they were scared to become a second apron team.

Boston is a pretty good example. Paying Brown was going to set them on the path of being a second apron team. They paid him. Kristaps second year would move them toward becoming a second apron team. They paid him. Re-signing Holiday would move them toward being a second apron team. They paid him. Tatum super max is looming. I am confident they will sign him. So far Boston has had 3 chances to avoid moving toward the second apron. All 3 times they paid the money and moved closer to it.

I think teams are just going to build the team they want to build and not really care about the second apron. There are deals that it restricts but I'd have to look into it to see if they are even the type of deals that teams that blow past the tax even do. I remember watching a podcast awhile ago where one former basketball executive was saying the second apron is much to do about nothing, because the types of deals it restricts are deals that teams that have a payroll that high don't typically do in the first place.

When you look at the valuation of nba teams over time, it's obvious that the teams are making so much money that paying 10 of millions in over the cap tax isn't a big concern.

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

Highly unlikely the wovles care about the tax. Their owner has basically reneged on selling the team to that group Arod is in, primarily because now that the wovles are good, they are rolling in ing money.

So far the second apron hasn't deterred any team from spending money.

I don't follow the logic that an organization in a complete ownership chaos will be good with spending tons of luxury tax for the foreseeable future because the current owner might win out against 2 guys who might not have money to buy the team. And that current owner has spent $25 mil on tax totally for the last 30 years he's owned the team. His bill currently is at $85 mil only for the upcoming season, before any moves.

[poopbox]

When they extend Naz and his contract kicks in 25-26 season, they'll be over the second apron with 7 players on the roster.
One of them being 38 year old Conley and two being high risk players they just drafted.
No chance to keep NAW.
And they have zero tradeable picks left.
If the next season doesn't go as planned, how do they stay relevant? It's not even about spending, but the rules preventing them from making any more moves.

Well they might not be paying Conley for very long since the Spurs just gift wrapped them a point guard.

7 players is around the number most teams play in the playoffs so I don't see that being a big deal.

What I am sure of is people said the Gobert trade wouldn't work and it did, he won DPOY in a wolves jersey and they have gone to the conference finals. What I am sure of is people have been saying the Wolves would need to trade Kat for financial or team building reasons, and they haven't.

[LeBowen]

Well they might not be paying Conley for very long since the Spurs just gift wrapped them a point guard.

7 players is around the number most teams play in the playoffs so I don't see that being a big deal.

What I am sure of is people said the Gobert trade wouldn't work and it did, he won DPOY in a wolves jersey and they have gone to the conference finals. What I am sure of is people have been saying the Wolves would need to trade Kat for financial or team building reasons, and they haven't.

Sorry, but you seem to be someone who doesn't understand how anything about cap space and roster building works.

It doesn't matter if they're going to be paying Conley or not, they'll be well over second apron if they don't get rid of one big contract.
Conley's $10M contract is irrelevant. He walks and then what? They're down to 6 players.
Maybe trade Conley for another useful player? Good luck with getting a useful rotation player for a 38 year old when you have zero tradeable picks to attach.

Even if both Dillingham and Shannon Jr become good rotation options, after Conley's gone they're at 6 useful players with no way to add more other than veteran minimums.
And Gobert is going to be 34 already at that point.

While Gobert trade did work out short term, they mortgaged their entire future only for him to be embarrassed by a team with a rookie center.
Good luck trading 30+ year old KAT on 60M a year contract anywhere.

If they don't make the finals next season, it's over unless Dillingham and Shannon both become high end starters and McDaniels takes another step.

[poopbox]

I don't follow the logic that an organization in a complete ownership chaos will be good with spending tons of luxury tax for the foreseeable future because the current owner might win out against 2 guys who might not have money to buy the team. And that current owner has spent $25 mil on tax totally for the last 30 years he's owned the team. His bill currently is at $85 mil only for the upcoming season, before any moves.

Well the reason they are in ownership chaos is because in 2021, when Arod group agreed to buy the team, The wolves were supposedly valued at 1.5 billion, and now in 2024, they are valued at 3 billion. If those numbers are even remotely correct, I doubt Taylor cares about spending 85 million if he knows he can now sell the team for around 3 billion anytime he wants.

[offset formation]

2017 offseason with 50 Mills and supermax Pau Gasol

Probably the right answer.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Huge denial from the folks who don’t like the events that transpired last night. Do people really think Brian Wright has no backbone and is just a minion for an evil puppeteer within the org?

You really think he does anything outside of what he's guided to do by Pop and R.C.?

How long you think anyone has a job if they don't work within the bounds and direction of their boss?

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

You really think he does anything outside of what he's guided to do by Pop and R.C.?

How long you think anyone has a job if they don't work within the bounds and direction of their boss?

This point is seriously getting weird - do you think the GMs of, say Philadelphia or Toronto or Utah, do anything outside of the guidance of Daryl Morey, Masai Ujiri and Danny Ainge?

They're decisions made by an agreement between multiple people, not just the GM. This is how things normally work and the GM position of an NBA team doesn't have complete autonomy. This is true for the Spurs, as well as for every other team.

[offset formation]

The gamble is not based upon whether Dillingham pans out. It’s based upon whether ANY player that reasonably could have been picked at 8 pans out.

This. It's almost like they just didn't want two top ten salary hits on second contracts hitting them at the same time they have just given Wemby the max the year before. I think this was solely a ownership call to stay cheap.

[slick'81]

This. It's almost like they just didn't want two top ten salary hits on second contracts hitting them at the same time they have just given Wemby the max the year before. I think this was solely a ownership call to stay cheap.

same ol cheap conservative spurs

[Knoxxx]

You sound like my sister. I’m pushing 50 years old, might be too old to change my poor grammar or spelling ways.

You must have seriously pwned him if he's hung up on your vs you're. Next thing you know it will "uprgade" into an argument about whether irregardless* is a word or not.

(*which is an incorrect word that sort of became a word because of its widespread incorrect usage)

[ChumpDumper]

I do love the "PATFO thinks they're smarter than anyone else" mantra.

Doesn't every executive group think this way?

Is there a group out there who claims themselves to be dumber than most?

This really seems like a money decision more than anything. Whether it's good or bad I guess depends on how much the ownership is going to spend in the future.

[Knoxxx]

Thinking some more… if the Spurs just put forth average effort to building a compe ive team for 2024-25, given Wemby’s development they would win 35-40 games by accident. But that depresses their own pick in the 2025 draft.

So instead, they will go out of their way to build as ty a team as possible that yet somehow still has long-term upside.

Castle is perfect because his shot will take a couple of years to work out. In 2024-25 they can play a heavy Castle-Sochan rotation with terrible spacing that can’t score because “good defense.” Wemby will be triple-teamed every time down the floor.

This definitely isn’t a case of their outsmarting themselves or thinking they can somehow game the system. Sniff, sniff.

Yes there is a 3-dimensional chess aspect to this which can play mind tricks on yourself very easily. Are we good enough to win it all? No of course not. May as well tank. No, unacceptable. Then we are reminded it is a long term thing, and drafting two more 19-year olds in a weak draft is FAR from a winning move. It is more of a tank move. But we don't want to tank. But we want to build from the draft. Holy smokes, circular paradoxes making all our brain's hurts. And everyone wants everything NOW, but that is not how life works.

I have also thought more about the Saluan situation, being that I thought he was way overrated. Makes sense that if he was there at 8, that was a move that would agree with Wemby and otherwise he could care less about pick 8. The real people aspect of this sucks, for Dilly to lobby for then get to wear a Spurs hat falsely, but with no impact to his $5 million annual salary we are reminded this is just a business and no reason to feel to badly for him. Plus, the Wolves did nicely in the draft by also snagging Shannon late first, I think it will be fun to watch how this draft works out for them.