Acquired by the Spurs on Tuesday, Richard Jefferson, small-foward, very good gunner, which gives the team from San Antonio assistance in athletic players, which was lacking in this year Spurs play-offs. However, in the trade, the Spurs surrendered a two good front line players: Fabricio Oberto and Kurt Thomas (the third was a 38-year small-forward, Bruce Bowen)
However, even if they were still in storage "dungeon", experts estimated that this team still needs strengthening. There for more than a decade, Tim Duncan, to be - next to Karl Malone - as the best forward in the history of a strong NBA. Duncan, however, is aging and did not receive adequate support last season, he also had both knee injuries, which slowed down his game at the end of the season.
After yesterday's trade the four time NBA champion (1999,2003,2005,2007) will be composed of only seven, or nine players - as long as the two days will decide to use options in the contracts of Michael Finley'a (shooting guard) and young French Center Ian Mahinmi.
Mahinmi spent the entire previous season treating injuries, a year earlier played in only 6 games. So hard to assume that the Spurs have found in him a real help for Duncan. As for other players - in addition to Duncan - Matt Bonner can start at center, but rather it is "four" in the European type, who spends much time on the perimeter. Bonner is a shooter and not an inside player, the type of player that Spurs need to finally return to the elite.
After this trade the Spurs certainly will exceed the level of tax "luxury-tax", they do not have a pick in the first round of Thursday's draft and will be able to spend only about 8 million dollars for the signing of free agents. They have the use of exception "mid-level" (approximately 5.5 million. Dol.) Exception (about 1.6 million. Dol.) And an exception for veterans. The Spurs cannot spend the last two on a player like Martin Gortat.
Gortat actually can count on an offer from San Antonio, which is now speculate for a few weeks, but will this will be the most money he can get on the market? Probably not. Spurs have nine players on the basketball team, will be required to sign at least four more, and spending 4-5 million dollars a year just on our player can bury their chances of building a team with a large rotation.
A large rotation may be very needed in the long season, especially taking into account Duncan's age and his ankles, as well as the injuries to Manu Ginobili. It is likely that the team can get back Bowen and 33-year-old Oberto (exceptions for veterans), but Gortat can forget receiving an offer for the entire MLE. The more so that "spurs" do not typically squander the whole of this sum for one player.
The other centers of interest for the Spurs are, among others, Rasheed Wallace, Drew Gooden, Zaza Pachulia and Tiago Splitter, whom the Spurs drafted and own the rights to.
Maybe Spurs would make a contractual offer for Gortata, but after yesterday's trade , it appears that he will not be able to count on more than 3.5 million. dollars a year. Will it be enough? More becomes known after July 1.