Splitter signs a four-year extension with Tau

[wildbill2u]

It's over.

Link in Spanish :
http://www.elcorreodigital.com/alava...-20080606.html

He has a NBA opt out close in 2010.


Edit : official announcement :
http://www.baskonia.com/es/noticias_...id_noticia=796

It's official. The NBA has a bidding war on its hands with the Euro leagues.
Who wants to bet that they don't start trying to outbid the NBA teams for talent in the first round of the draft.?

[Kori Ellis]

Spahia has had problems for months with Tau's management and even some players.

He had problems with Maccabi management and players too. Pretty much everybody hates him. He throws his players under the bus when they lose and takes all the credit when they win. He's an ass.

[Mr. Body]

It's official. The NBA has a bidding war on its hands with the Euro leagues.
Who wants to bet that they don't start trying to outbid the NBA teams for talent in the first round of the draft.?

Could. Top players in top markets will still make a killing here with endorsements, but if Memphis winds up drafting the wrong guy he might pull a Danny Ferry and go play for as much money abroad.

But still I don't see American kids going out in the world much. They still are after their groupies and big cars.

[Bruno]

He had problems with Maccabi management and players too. Pretty much everybody hates him. He throws his players under the bus when they lose and takes all the credit when they win. He's an ass.

I guess that Noel Felix isn't a fan of him after his year in Maccabi's doghouse.

[Kori Ellis]

I guess that Noel Felix isn't a fan of him after his year in Maccabi's doghouse.

Noel didn't mind him that much, but a lot of the top Maccabi players did.

[GSH]

The reality is, in the case of Splitter, there were few other people in that draft the Spurs could have had who would have made any difference. It was worth a chance to see if Splitter would come over.

The Spurs have not had good draft picks since TD, and have done pretty well (Manu, Tony) with low draft picks. But that's the lot you pay for having won 4 championships.

Now that we know Splitter won't be coming over, we will have to focus on injecting more youth into our lineup other ways. The reality is, our biggest need isn't a big man, and Mahinmi is a definite with a serious upside.

What we need more than a big man at this point is an athletic swing man, someone who can be a scorer. We need a younger Michael Finley, really.

Do you think that if the Spurs had drafted Carlos Boozer, someone else would have snatched Scola from them?

A younger Finley would score points. Now if they will just let us put a 6th man on the floor to play defense for him...

Sorry. Not directed at you. I just took another look at what the Spurs have done with the draft for the last 5 years. It's depressing.

[GSH]

But still I don't see American kids going out in the world much. They still are after their groupies and big cars.

You say that like it's a bad thing.

[objective]

Or howabout the Knicks? Let's see, with draft picks worse than ours, they have managed to draft:

Mardy Collins
David Lee
Trevor Ariza

in recent history.

The Spurs fell in love with the Euro draft and stash plan and never adapted to changing conditions, and it's bit them in the ass for two years running and now jeopardizes the Spurs winning another championship in the remainder of the Tim Duncan era.

Yet, they should obviously get a free pass for their pathetic draft results the last 7 years.

It's not just the Knicks . . .

What about the LAKERS? They wouldn't be in the Finals without their bench, all of whom are late first round picks or second round picks!

Why do people act like the Spurs had no chance picking so late or could only draft homeruns like Boozer or Arenas?

Lakers actually had patience to develop the youth on their team, while they could have been signing vet after vet to try and ride Kobe and company to a ring.

Luke Walton. Second round pick
Sasha Vujacic. Late first round pick
Jordan Farmar. Late first round pick
Ronny Turiaf. Second round pick
Trevor Ariza. Second rounder of the Knicks taken after Viktor Sanikidze, the main asset they traded to get Ariza was Brian Cook another bottom-3rd of the 1st round pick

[angelbelow]

i wonder if splitter understands what he has done to us. he promises to come, now he signs for 4 years, we cant trade him as everyone knows hes not coming over, we are desperate for a big and i dont think we'll have enough money to use other than the mle and lle. that wont even for close to the luxury right?

[GSH]

Sorry if this has been posted elsewhere. I may have missed it. But didn't Splitter's comments read like it would have made a big difference if the Spurs had courted him a little more aggressively?

MADRID, June 6 (Reuters) - Spain shooting guard Rudy Fernandez said he was leaving local side DKV Joventut to join the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers on Friday.
"They have pushed hard for me to join them and have assured me I will be an important figure for them," Fernandez told a news conference.
"It wasn't an easy decision to take but it is the time for a new challenge after a fantastic year with Joventut."
The 23-year-old helped Joventut to last season's King's Cup and ULEB Cup -- Europe's second tier event behind the Euroleague -- and was voted into the ideal starting five for the Spanish ACB league for the 2007-8 campaign.
Fernandez was a member of the Spain team that won gold at the world championship in 2006 and silver in the European championship in 2007.
He joins up with fellow countryman Sergio Rodriguez at Portland, and becomes the fifth Spain international in the NBA along with Rodriguez, Pau Gasol, Jorge Garbajosa, Juan Carlos Navarro and Jose Manuel Calderon.
Fernandez will join up with Portland after the forthcoming Olympic Games in Beijing.

[objective]

Kevin Pritchard kept it real.

[Harry Callahan]

I think Vujacic and Farmer were drafted in years where SA had no first round choice and even if they did LA had a worse regular season record so the LA picks would have been before SA's.

The draft is designed to help the teams that don't win and SA has had the best record in the NBA over the last decade. They have not had adequate ammo to draft premium players at all.

Top notch NBA teams are not typically built with late first rounders and second rounders. SA was smart enough and fortunate enough to get All Star players for very little with TP and MG, but that was a long time ago now.

This roster must get get younger and (hopefully) better. We'll see. No more draft and stash should be the motto.

[Bartleby]

I think Vujacic and Farmer were drafted in years where SA had no first round choice and even if they did LA had a worse regular season record so the LA picks would have been before SA's.

I thought Sasha was drafted right before Beno, no?

In any case, the only way the Spurs could have drafted Bynum is if they had been a lottery team in 05. I'll settle for the ring instead.

[Harry Callahan]

I thought Sasha was drafted right before Beno, no?

In any case, the only way the Spurs could have drafted Bynum is if they had been a lottery team in 05. I'll settle for the ring instead.

yeah, you may be right because bynum was drafted in 05 and Farmar in 06.

Beno was drafted in the 28th spot I believe and Sasha a few picks before.

[Bruno]

Sorry if this has been posted elsewhere. I may have missed it. But didn't Splitter's comments read like it would have made a big difference if the Spurs had courted him a little more aggressively?

We don't really know what Spurs have done and/or said to Splitter.
I hope the E-N will have an article about that soon.

Splitter's turnaround is quite unreal. In less than one month he has gone from "playing in my NBA is the biggest dream of my life" with a report saying that he won't change his mind and that he was looking for a house in SA to signing an extension with Tau.
It is a so big change of mind that I wonder that all his words about the NBA were sincere. I'm really puzzled about what happened. I hope we will get some answers through the summer.

[MaNu4Tres]

I really believe Pop's stubborn side gets the best of him at times. For example, small ball and sticking with van exel in 06', and playing robert horry this year. I believe pop played hardball with Splitter when it came down to deciding between Spurs or Tau because like Bruno said it's quite unreal how Splitter changed his mind. Then again money talks.

[Harry Callahan]

The NBA rookie cap tied the Spurs hands period. The Spurs FO (GM or Pres) apparently got no chance to talk to the guy in person since the season just ended. Hard to say what happened.

Splitter got a bunch of money to stay put. Spurs could not compete monetarily and they should learn not to trust what these foreign prospects say going forward. Draft Euros in the second round, not the salary capped 1st.

[picnroll]

Splitter's turnaround is quite unreal. In less than one month he has gone from "playing in my NBA is the biggest dream of my life" with a report saying that he won't change his mind and that he was looking for a house in SA to signing an extension with Tau.
It is a so big change of mind that I wonder that all his words about the NBA were sincere. I'm really puzzled about what happened. I hope we will get some answers through the summer.

Splinter may or may not be smart but his agent is. The more he could convince Tau he was almost for sure heading to SA the more desperate/high their offer to keep him would be. I'd say Splinter played the Spurs or used the Spurs to play Tau into overpaying him for what he's really worth.

[leemajors]

So it goes.

[AFBlue]

Damn, I went to bed early last night and wasn't able to see this at work today....sucky news to come home to.

I'm not going to read through 15 pages to see if anyone has had this take, but does anyone else see it as a positive that he signed a 4yr deal with a potential opt out at 2 years?

Based on the original contract idea, Splitter would've made a decision in 2010 anyways, but at that time Tau would've been able to offer him millions more if he was worth it. As I understand it now, he can play for a couple years w/ Tau and then assess where he is, Tau is, and the Spurs are. Let's face it....Tiago wouldn't have played much at all this year with Oberto and most likely Thomas at the position. In 2010, my guess is that the Spurs will have a clear vacancy for Tiago to fill.

So he opted for more money and PT, let's not burn any bridges or kill him for it. Look forward to seeing Tiago in 2010...

[Bartleby]

Look forward to seeing Tiago in 2010...

when he can come off the bench for Ian.

[oligarchy]

Don't trade his rights, just let him rot there in case he ever does decide to play in the NBA.

[Harry Callahan]

Damn, I went to bed early last night and wasn't able to see this at work today....sucky news to come home to.

I'm not going to read through 15 pages to see if anyone has had this take, but does anyone else see it as a positive that he signed a 4yr deal with a potential opt out at 2 years?

Based on the original contract idea, Splitter would've made a decision in 2010 anyways, but at that time Tau would've been able to offer him millions more if he was worth it. As I understand it now, he can play for a couple years w/ Tau and then assess where he is, Tau is, and the Spurs are. Let's face it....Tiago wouldn't have played much at all this year with Oberto and most likely Thomas at the position. In 2010, my guess is that the Spurs will have a clear vacancy for Tiago to fill.

So he opted for more money and PT, let's not burn any bridges or kill him for it. Look forward to seeing Tiago in 2010...

I agree, his wallet will be much fatter in two years to allow him to make a long term basketball decision. Keeping a line of communication open will be a good idea for the Spurs.

If Splitter has some sense, he will have plenty of money from two seasons of big money. Maybe the Spurs can bring him over then.

BTW, hasn't this guy played pro ball for eight years now? He ought to be set for life with the new deal and could have the flexibility to start his NBA career in a couple of years being a lot more set financially (if that's what he wants).

He could still come over here and have a long and lucrative career in two years. DRob started in SA at 24 and played a long time.

If Splitter stays over there after 2010, then its a lost cause and a wasted pick.

[smeagol]

Nowadays, players have options.

NBA teams should be more carefull when drafting players from overseas.

[Pero]

I agree, his wallet will be much fatter in two years to allow him to make a long term basketball decision. Keeping a line of communication open will be a good idea for the Spurs.

If Splitter has some sense, he will have plenty of money from two seasons of big money. Maybe the Spurs can bring him over then.

BTW, hasn't this guy played pro ball for eight years now? He ought to be set for life with the new deal and could have the flexibility to start his NBA career in a couple of years being a lot more set financially (if that's what he wants).

He could still come over here and have a long and lucrative career in two years. DRob started in SA at 24 and played a long time.

If Splitter stays over there after 2010, then its a lost cause and a wasted pick.

Well, playing pro ball doesn't necessarily give you a big paycheck from the start. You start from peanuts.