Nice piece of work, Timvp.
Thanks to the Beno Udrih trade, the Spurs currently have a trade exception worth $1.847M that expires on Oct. 29th. This is an overlooked asset the Spurs have this summer that may help them bring in an additional piece to the puzzle.
The best way to use this trade exception is to combine it with draft picks or cash to obtain a player with moderate value. You could also use it to get a player with low value without having to add draft picks or cash if the other team is simply looking to save money or open a roster spot.
Here are some players the Spurs could potentially target:
Renaldo Balkman and Wilson Chandler, New York Knicks
With Donnie Walsh now in control of the Knicks, he may look to trade away some of the players with direct ties to Isiah Thomas. Balkman would be a fantastic option for the Spurs because he's a great rebounder who also gets blocks and steals at the small forward position. The problem would be the Spurs would have to likely give up a lot of assets. Offering the 26th pick and the 45th pick for Balkman might get Walsh's attention but probably won't be enough. Chandler doesn't have as much value but he's another athletic small forward who could fit on the Spurs. Chandler for the 45th and a future second would make sense if Walsh is just looking to clean house.
Daequan Cook, Miami Heat
Cook was the number one target last year for the Spurs in the draft. He showed pretty good promise last year as a rookie on the Heat. The Heat don't really have reason to trade him but perhaps they'd like someone in this draft more than Cook. They have a pick at the beginning and a pick in the middle. If there is someone around 26 they like, Cook would likely be who the Spurs ask for in return.
Sean Williams, New Jersey Nets
Williams is a weedhead with a lackadaisical at ude who also has a low basketball IQ. That said, he's a prolific shotblocker. The Spurs could definitely use a shotblocker who is quick enough to play next to Duncan. Williams fell out of favor late in the year last season and there is talk of the Nets taking another big in the draft this year, so perhaps Williams is the odd man out. Williams for 26 and money could work for both sides.
Shawne Williams, Indiana Pacers
Same name, same flaws. Williams has gotten in trouble a few times and the Pacers are looking to clean up their image. He's a big, long small forward who has an outside shooting touch. Still a bit of a project, he might be attainable for something like a pair of second rounders and cash.
Rodney Carney, Philadelphia 76ers
At this point, Carney is just a good athlete who can also shoot a little bit from the outside. He actually regressed a bit in his second year in the NBA. The Spurs may be intrigued by his raw potential and would give the Sixers two second rounders and cash.
Morris Almond, Utah Jazz
Almond is a natural scorer who averaged 26 points per game in the D-League last season -- including a 51 point outburst against the Austin Toros. The Jazz will likely target a shooting guard this summer in free agency or the draft and if they land one, they may think that there isn't enough room for both Almond and Ronnie Brewer. Almond for the 26th pick and cash may work for both teams.
Marco Belinelli, Golden State Warriors
Belinelli was a bust as a rookie and to top it off, he refused to go to D-League. He can shoot and score but other than that, he does nothing on the basketball court. I don't think the Spurs would be too interested, then again he's a foreign prospect so you never know.
Sergio Rodriguez, Portland Trail Blazers
He's basically in the same boat with Belinelli. Rodriguez flashes talent but he's a turnover machine who doesn't seem capable of running a team. Perhaps the Spurs will look at him as a backup point guard option ... but I doubt it.
Quincy Douby, Sacramento Kings
He has been a bust for the Kings but the Spurs may like his ability to shoot the three and the Kings may want to give him away to simply open a roster spot.
Oleksiy Pecherov, Washington Wizards
A ChumpDumper favorite, I haven't seen Pecherov do much other than shoot flat-footed threes a la Sam Perkins. At seven-foot, he has the potential to spread the floor. At the very least, his resemblance to Stewie would be worth a few chuckles.
Nice piece of work, Timvp.
IMO, the most likely are the first three, the Knicks guys and Cook. The question is whether the Spurs would give up their #26 for any of them and for Cook it seems they might.
Do you really think Balkman would take both a first and a second to get? He's a decent hustle player but seems awfully limited. WYSIWYG and he doesn't look to improve beyond what he is right now, which ain't a whole lot. Wilson Chandler looks to be much better.
An advantage to trading the pick for Cook if they could is they shorten the years they have to pay him as a tryout, versus a guy in this draft.
Sorry, but don't the Spurs have two trade exceptions? I thought they also received one from the Sonics with the Kurt Thomas deal? I could be wrong...
I thought they had 3 cap exceptions from the Udrih, Scola, and Thomas trades.
The Spurs have another trade exception from the famed Scola trade that is worth about $530K ... however that one is so small that I don't think they can use it. All the players above make more than that.
Let me check the Thomas trade . . .
Looks like they got an even smaller one from the Thomas trade. Less than $500K.
Since you can't combine trade exceptions and you can't use a trade exception in combination with a player, those will be tough to use. It'd basically have to be a player with a minimum salary.
yeah I thought the exception from the Thomas trade was actually higher then both exceptions mentioned but I guess not.
Oh well... back to the drawing board.
I started a thread like this earlier in the year, with some of the same names. Subsequent to that thread I spent a couple weeks in NY where I took in 2 Knick games. I arrived early for both games and had a chance to see the players work out.
Here's what I noted: Chandler is insanely athletic, with no true skill set. But he looked impressive in both games. He's the sort of player that will entice Mike D'Antoni.
Everyone here probably knows the pros and cons of Balkman's game but two observations remain with me. First, before the game he was working hard--with the rest of the Knicks nowhere to be found--with a shooting coach on his midrange game and corner threes. He was really pushing himself and looked better than I'd expect shooting the ball. Second, he plays respectable post defense. In one game, he held LaMarcus Aldridge in check. Ironically, I don't see him fitting with D'Atoni's style. I think the Knicks will definately prefer Chandler, but it would be great if they did. Balkman would fit right in with the Spurs.
As an aside, David Lee is an impressive player but he's something of a defensive blackhole. Nate McMillian called several plays just to exploit Lee's inability move his feet. His rebound numbers are a reflection of heart and energy, not good positioning.
I think Balkman has really good potential. A small forward who can rebound and block shots better than any current Spurs center would be nice. He doesn't have a jumper yet but if the Spurs want an athlete who can run the break, rebound, block shots and rack up steals, he'd be a good choice. As a seventh or eighth man, he'd be a nice fit.
I'm not as high on Chandler but he's solid. He's another Isiah Thomas special so Walsh will likely listen to offers. Neither fits too well with D'Antoni's system because they can't shoot so that's even more reason the Knicks will likely be shopping both.
Problem is the Knicks will probably use Balkman and Chandler as sweeteners in a bigger trades.
I like Balkman too. I was just saying the price you listed (first plus second) is likely more than would be charged.
I could see something with the Knicks happening after how eager they were to lend out the company plane.
I think Mcguire would be a better option than Pecherov (as much as I love the Stewie resemblance), but anyone who's read any of my posts knows the chub I've had for him.
As for Carney, how would you compare Giddens game to his?
I'd really like to get Sefolosha away from the Bulls, but the only way I see that happening is if there's someone they like on the board at 26. So if that should happen, what's a scenario that would land us Thabo.
Thanks in advance![]()
Belenili would be great, except for the fact that Nelson doesn't want Barnes or Pietrus back, for the fact that he wants more playing time for Marco.
i think from all those options you brought the one that looks better for the Spurs would be Sean Williams...![]()
Balkman is a limited player but he would do great , i think, in our system
But can we really get him ? i mean, there should be several teams willing to deal for him, do we really have our chances ?
If a first and a second is too short, could we sweeten the deal ? with what ?
If we somehow get a solid sg for the MLE, balkman would be a solid choice instead of a draft choice ,not so sure we can get more adequate prospects there
Last edited by silk; 06-12-2008 at 09:07 AM.
I doubt that Sean Williams is available. He played well for the first 2/3rds of the season. I think Thorn is hoping that he will become the defenesive big in their rotation with Krstic and whomever they sign/draft.
TimVP has said elsewhere that he doesn't believe Crittenton's available. I'm not so sure. I have a friend whose wife works (lower lever receptionist) for the Griz and the employees there are convinced that Memphis would like to drive the overall payroll down as much as possible to make the team more attractive to potential buyers. The team's future is so clouded many guys in this draft will not work out for Memphis and would prefer to slide than ending up with the team. With Conley and Lowry already in tow, they may look to dump Crittenton to save the meager 1.5 and pick up a draft pick (also making the team more attractive to potential buyers).
Shawne Williams came on a little at the end of last season. Two second rounders is too much for him, though. In all liklihood, he is a bust and the Pacers know it.
Crittendon is a likely target for other teams, especially Portland, which has a coach who loves big point guards.
A first and a second for Balkman is way too much. He's hard-working but very limited. We should be able to pull someone with the 26 at least as good as he is, if not eventually much better.
The only guy I could see them trading the first rounder for straight up is Cook.
Please no Knicks.
The Spurs have never gotten anything of value from them, i.e., Charles Smith and Jackie Butler. It seems their players are always overvalued -- hard to imagine a "hidden gem" emerging from the bright lights of NY.
They had Udoka in training camp before having to cut him for roster spaces - then Portland picked him up.
Does that count?
Not Belinelli.
He wants to play, and NOT garbage times, whether in the Bay area or elsewhere.
Spurs are too good to offer him more than occasional rotations. Also he can't play any serious D.
If he doesn't play, he's headed back to Italy, where there might be teams that could offer him more money now.
Look for another Spanoulis.
Last time we had a guy named Sean, it was pretty good. So Sean Williams seems like a good pick up to me.
McMillan might turn Roy into the full time PG and then play Fernandez alongside him. so maybe Portland isn't that much interested in acquiring a PG like we all believe.
totally agree about Balkman. I can't understand the hype. he would struggle badly with the Spurs IMO.
totally agree on the Cook scenario. considering this draft is big heavy, there is a good chance that a big the Heat like falls to #26 and they are willing to deal Cook for that player.
Dequan Cook isn't very good.
Roy will only play point if they can't land one in a trade.
If the Blazers would deal Sergio for the trade exception only, he'd be worth the risk.
Can we really get somebody "very good" for our trade exception ?
We have to pick someone with either good potential, or whose strengths would fit well in the system
And I forgot about Charlie Ward.![]()
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