Mensah-Bonsu to sign with Raptors
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By Marc Stein
ESPN.com
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DALLAS -- Pops Mensah-Bonsu didn't make it to the end of a 10-day contract with the San Antonio Spurs, but he won't be out of a job long.
Mensah-Bonsu said Wednesday in Dallas that he will sign with the Toronto Raptors, possibly as soon as Thursday, after getting what NBA front-office sources described as guaranteed offers for the rest of the season from Toronto and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Mensah-
Bonsu
"It was a tossup," Mensah-Bonsu said after being waived by the Spurs earlier Wednesday to make roster room for the forthcoming arrival in San Antonio of Drew Gooden.
"I think there might be more minutes at my position with the Raptors and they wanted me even before I came to San Antonio. So I decided I'm going to go to Toronto."
Mensah-Bonsu was still traveling with the Spurs on Wednesday as they completed a three-game road trip with a 107-102 loss to the Mavericks. The Spurs had to let Mensah-Bonsu out of the final two days of his contract so they have a spot to plug in Gooden.
The 25-year-old elected to sign a 10-day contract with San Antonio on Feb. 25 despite the Raptors' aggressive pursuit, hoping to eventually convince the Spurs to keep him for the rest of the season.
"I had a couple of great options," Mensah-Bonsu said. "I hoped San Antonio would be a good fit, but I understand the business side of the game. They had a chance to sign a veteran.
"But I'm grateful for my time here. I really wanted to be a part of this organization [and] be around guys like Tim Duncan. I think it's going to help me down the road even though it was a short [stay]."
Sources say that Toronto, clinging to faint hope of sneaking into the playoffs in the East, has targeted Mensah-Bonsu as an energizer for its thin bench after he averaged 26.6 points, 13.0 rebounds and 2.5 blocks during an eight-game stint with San Antonio's D-League affiliate in Austin.
Mensah-Bonsu confesssed, though, that it was difficult to pass on Oklahoma City's offer given his close ties to Thunder forwards Kevin Durant and Jeff Green. Mensah-Bonsu shares a Washington, D.C. area connection with Durant and Green after his time starring at George Washington.
The 6-foot-9 forward wound up appearing in three games in the eight days he spent on San Antonio's roster, averaging 5.0 points and 3.3 rebounds in 6.7 minutes.
He had been out of the NBA since spending the 2006-07 season with Dallas but has been drawing increased attention from league executives since a strong summer showing alongside Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng on Great Britain's national team and after his stint with the Austin Toros.
Gooden's signing with San Antonio, verbally agreed to Tuesday, is not expected to be completed before Thursday, although Gooden did clear waivers Wednesday.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has only backed slightly off his weeklong refusal to discuss Gooden until he's formally signed, referring Wednesday to Mensah-Bonsu's release by saying: "I think that intuitive people would reasonably read into that move in some way, shape or form."
Marc Stein is a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com.
I hope he is free to sign with us in the offseason. I like his character off the court. I like his hustle and tenacity on the court. Yes he is a bit raw in some areas.....but that can be fixed with extensive work going against Duncan, Oberto, Thomas, and the like.
Banzai as a Raptor..well good for him. I hope he turns out well for them. All-Star in the cards for him in the future? lol
Just an All Star? Dude don't underestimate The Great, now you'll get poop on your ass.
He's the player you can't hate. Best of luck pops. Keep pushing.
One way or another Spurs are gonna regret this move. Not only losing Pops, but holding onto useless Jacque Vaughn.
Yeah mensah jabar is gonna go on to be an all star
I think the only reason they decided this way is they thought of Pops like someone with quite like the some skills of Mahinmi (young, athletic, running big) and that having him on the team could have eliminated all of the potential minutes we should give to Ian we he (as soon as possible) 's coming back...
However, imho, Voughn as for now is the fourth or fifth option as a plymake...too much of an insurance.
No question I prefered to cut and give him an assistent coach role instead of give away Pops...
Yeah instead of having a backup veteran point guard let's keep a 6th bigman just cause he can dunk!!!
I don't understand this whole "insurance policy" outlook on Jacque Vaughn. What insurance can this incapable player possibly give the Spurs? If Tony doesn't play Spurs are screwed anyway. Last year in the playoffs when he would spell Tony 8 or 10 minutes a game, the team would struggle mightily. Does no one recall this?? Is this the kind of insurance people want? JV is USELESS. As far as the coaching take, I really don't see JV talking to the other players on the sideline much at all. Spurs have enough assistants and don't need another token Mario type coach. JV SUCKS ASS. Period.
cant blame him, since he has to put food on the table in these hard times....good luck to him
you asshats will be thanking your lucky stars for JV if Tony has to sit out and Hill struggles against a tough defense.
Vaughn as a 3rd string PG stands a better chance of helping the Spurs this year than Pops as the 6th big, maybe even the 7th if Mahinmi is healthy for the playoffs.
True, but they won't acknowledge it.
Hill will struggle at some point and Vaughn will play in the playoffs, unlike Russell-Chamberlain.
Uh like I said dude, if Tony doesn't play spurs are screwed. You think JV can salvage a game in Tony's absence? Maybe you are still on a high from that unlikely victory in PHX last year. I can give JV credit for playing well for Tony in that game, yes. Probably the apex of his regular season career. But if Tony has to sit I won't be thanking my lucky stars for JV, I will be cursing our bad luck.
I seriously doubt that.
ah goody the middle schoolers don't have class today I see.....
perfect:
pops got a new job (congrats)
...and he is in the other conference, so we dont have to face him until the finals!
Keeping Pops wasn't about this year, it was about the future.
I like his potential upside. Sure he's unproven, and he could be a bust, but I already know what I am getting from Jacque Vaughn. And like someone else noted, if we're depending on JVs production for the playoffs, we're already sunk.
He should do good there.
You may think that, but when actual Spurs players are asked their favorite fellow Spur, the first name that pops out is Jacque Vaughn. Their must be something to actually playing alongside him to see his worth.
I too would have liked Pops to have worked here. He was exciting to watch for those few games. He was a pogo stick around the basket. The possibilities!
But the playoffs are about this year. Besides, if Pops goes to Toronto and blows up the Spurs have the same chance of being able to sign him as a free agent this offseason as Toronto does. Just like Toronto would have had the same chance to sign Pops this offseason has the Spurs kept him. Let the Raptors figure out if he can play on their nickel and if he can, great, try and get him back. If not, at least the Spurs find that out without having to carry him as dead weight on the roster during a playoff run.
we've actually had incidents in the recent past where we needed a 3rd PG. when have we ever needed to go down to the 6th big?
Pops will shine during garbage time.
I don't want him to blow up playing for the Raptors. I wanted him to go into Spurs camp still unproven, then sign on the cheap, then impress during the regular season. If he blows up for the Raptors or anyone, we aren't getting him back.
Also, I like JVs veteran leadership, but I don't see much, if any PT in the playoffs. The rotations are going to be so short. I would just put him in suit as an assistant coach.
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