Top 25 Spurs Bigman Free Agent Targets

[bigfan]

Rasheed is the better player but Id pick McDyess over him because as you are certain he wont go nuclear in the locker room or on the court. Rasheed is just too much a gamble and not really a Spur-type player.

[coyotes_geek]

Just as an FYI, the restricted FA's on that list:

Gortat
Villanueva
Davis
Kleiza
Powe
Warrick
Diogu
Hollins
May
Frye

[Spurs Brazil]

Great read timvp

If we can sign Wallace or McDyess I'd be damn happy

Anderson and Gortat are great options on D but when I look at their offense game I can't see the Spurs sign them. I think our PF/C need to have a average J, on those two are horrible.

The rest of the list I like Varejao, Pachulia, CV and Diogu but I think Anderson and CV will want 5yr deals and I don't think the Spurs will offer it.

[El Jefe]

Just as an FYI, the restricted FA's on that list:

Gortat
Villanueva
Davis
Kleiza
Powe
Warrick
Diogu
Hollins
May
Frye

Doesn't that pretty much rule out going for Gortat first? Can't afford to tie up money while other FA's are getting signed.

[4RINGS]

Doesn't that pretty much rule out going for Gortat first? Can't afford to tie up money while other FA's are getting signed.

Believe me, Gortat is not 1st on no ones list. He is the guy you go after when you have no other options.

[Pucho!!!]

I agree, Sheed should be the top target bigman this offseason and would be absolute icing on the cake. As its been stated, his game now fits perfectly with what the Spurs have. Dice is 2nd, but not too close. Gortat is interesting but there r a lot of ??? about what he can do on a championship contender as a starter. Everyone else wouldn't be that much of an improvement in my eyes, maybe Anderson but I don't see him leavin Denver

[El Jefe]

Great read timvp

If we can sign Wallace or McDyess I'd be damn happy

Anderson and Gortat are great options on D but when I look at their offense game I can't see the Spurs sign them. I think our PF/C need to have a average J, on those two are horrible.

The rest of the list I like Varejao, Pachulia, CV and Diogu but I think Anderson and CV will want 5yr deals and I don't think the Spurs will offer it.

Pretty much agree except I don't like going after Diogu. We need a proven player here who has succeeded at the NBA level, and for whatever reason that just hasn't been Diogu yet. I'd prefer to spend money on someone we KNOW will contribute, we already have enough guys that we're HOPING will contribute.

[El Jefe]

Believe me, Gortat is not 1st on no ones list. He is the guy you go after when you have no other options.

Oh I imagine he's first on SOMEONE'S list out there.

But I agree with you that he almost certainly is not 1st on the Spurs list.

[Spurs Brazil]

One more thing timvp

Okur's agent told he'll probably be a FA on Wednesday. Where would you rank him?

[Tully365]

Great analysis.

I imagine at this point that a few sign and trade options are being looked at too. I'm still finding it hard to believe the Spurs would keep Bonner and Mason (the two largest salaries after the big 4) and sign a big to something close to the MLE. If they do, I'll be very happily surprised, but that would put the payroll somewhere in the area 75+ mil, with a few more back up positions still needed to be filled. Would Holt give the OK for a 77 or 78 million dollar payroll? Whatever happens, it's going to be a great July, with the FA situations, the summer league, trade rumors.... I'm really looking forward to it.

I think the sleeper on that list is Shelden Williams.

[ffadicted]

I don't think I want anyone below Villanueva, Gortat is gonna get way more then he deserves, Milwaukee 'gave' us Jefferson JUST so they could resign Charlie and/or Ramon, Anderson has more negative then positive, and Varajao is a joke.

Any of the other guys between 1 and Charlie I would be ok with, but I feel like anything but 'Sheed or McDyess wouldn't really bring us much.

[Tully365]

One thought: if the Spurs think DeJuan will be playing 20 mpg and he is statistically the best offensive rebounder to come from the college ranks in the last ten years, it might be nice to get a more mobile center who can race back on D, leaving DeJuan to do what he does best and attack the offensive glass. If the top guys on the list decide against the spurs, Hollins, being a gazelle, would be an inexpensive sleeper pick. His blocks per 48 numbers are among the best from this group too.

[coyotes_geek]

Doesn't that pretty much rule out going for Gortat first? Can't afford to tie up money while other FA's are getting signed.

There are a few guys on that list who I think the Spurs could get away with asking them to wait around to see what happens with Gortat, but not Sheed and Dyess.

[timvp]

Question: If Bonner was a FA, where would you put him in that list ?

Probably 12 or 13 ... as long as he's not the starter. This will be his fourth season with the Spurs and in the regular season his shooting and perimeter defense is helpful.

But if Bonner is on your team, you have to make sure there are enough other bigman options that he's not depended on at all in the playoffs.

[Russ]

24 year old camby for the MLE would be better than anyone on this list, 35 year old camby for 7.7 will be less help to this team than Bonner, by a large margin.

Look at it this way, Camby is an "expiring contract."

(BTW, it was a low blow to bring up Bonner is a discussion of Camby. Shame on you. ).

[timvp]

Excellent analysis although I might disagree with the top 2. Both are old and don't play as big on D as the Spurs need. The Spurs will need to guard Pao Gasol and, perhaps, Bynum to advance. I don't see Rasheed doing that.

The Spurs aren't going to find a player who can potentially guard Gasol better than Duncan. I'd take Rasheed or McDyess on Gasol more than probably anyone else on the list other than maybe Varejao.

Then maybe Pachulia and Villanueva.

Villanueva is the opposite of playing big on D. He's 6-foot-11 but he plays like he's 6-foot-8.

Camby is also possible via trade -- he plays good D, runs and can score.

I think Camby's D -- all things considered -- is overrated and quite average. Plus, he doesn't score much at all anymore and he certainly doesn't run

That said, Camby would be third on this list if he were a free agent due to his rebounding and shotblocking.

[timvp]

no thanks to gorat or zaza

i would rank them

wallace
mcdyess
villanueva
anderson
glen davis
sheldon williams
frye

american style please

Frye at 7? You must be easy to please.

[timvp]

No Odom on this list? I will admit he's quite the longshot to sign, but purely from a basketball perspective I would rather have Odom than Sheed or anyone else on this list. Also, would you consider making a similar assessment of possible trade targets? We will likely (IMO) have the expiring contracts of Finley, Bonner, and Mason as ammunition. That would work by CBA for Troy Murphy, for example.

Odom isn't attainable. I omitted him, Millsap and David Lee because they are too much of a long shot.

And yeah, I'll try to put a bigman list of trade targets.

[Spursmania]

Did anyone ever verify that Rasheed really was in SA?

[timvp]

Would you, could you package the expirings of Bonner, Finley (if he didn't opt out) and Mason for Tyson Chandler. Salaries are off by about $1 million. Hornet's seem to want to dump him.

Just pipe no doubt.

Probably not. I think he's broken. He failed a physical for his toe and then struggled with an ankle all year.

Plus, his offensive game is primitive and would be exposed without CP3. Add in his dip in rebounds last year and the fact that he was never much of a shotblocker and he's probably not worth the risk.

[timvp]

we love you timvp!

True, I love that guy

Neither of them can score from more than three feet from the basket.

Then it would kinda suck to have a center who can't play with the new backup power forward.

TimVP - where would you have Javtokas?

Meh, I'm not to high on Javtokas ... especially now. He was drafted for his athleticism and now after the bike accident and the decline from his prime, he's probably like a poor man's Gortat. I'd probably put him 16.

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Between Wallace and McDyess, I would factor in the "Would he be willing to come off the bench?"-factor.

IF, and yes, it's a huge, unlikely if, Ian Mahinmi or Dejuan Blair play so well that one of them is trusted to start . . . would the FA big be okay with that?

McDyess I'm sure could handle it no problem. He'd still be in great shape and come to play no matter what the situation, he's still hungry for the ring.

Wallace I have my doubts. Say he has a minor injury, misses two weeks, and Mahinmi has been tearing it up in his absence and Pop keeps him as starter. Here comes the pout-express. Wallace would go from typically fat and out of shape to even worse shape.

Wallace is definitely a character risk. Then again, if he had McDyess's personality, he'd be getting that $8 million he wants.

[bless1187]

my ranking would be:

1.) R. Wallace: he is a big long body at 6-11. he is pretty mobile even for his age. he really have a good basketball IQ. on offense, he has a post up game and he could also step out to hit the 3 point shot; on defense, he is a good defender, a decent rebounder, and a decent shot blocker. 2 year for the MLE.

2.) A. McDyess: not the biggest guy since he's only 6-9. he is pretty mobile even for his age. he plays very hard. on offense, he has a good mid-range j and some solid post moves. on defense, he is a good defender, a good rebounder, but not a good shot blocker. 2 years for the MLE.

3.) D. Gooden: a big body at 6-11. he is pretty mobile. he doesn't have a very good basketball IQ. on offense, he could post up or hit the mid range J. on defense, he is a solid INDIVIDUAL defender and a good rebounder, but his rotational defense is very poor and he doesn't really block lots of shots. 2-3 years for the MLE.

I think for the MLE, these are the only 3 big man that have the ability and skill to make it worth it. some of these guys are bench and energy players at best and would be even more riskier than D. Gooden.

C. Anderson: his energy and shot blocking really hides the fact that he is a horrible low post defender. his game is purely based on athleticism and energy, doesn't bode well for someone who is 31.

M. Gortat: i felt that of all the big man in the free agency, M. Gortat has got to be the most overrated one. he is a mobile big man who is a decent defender and rebounder, but his offensive game is absolutely non-existing. if M. Gortat is as good as advertised, why doesn't he play more for the Magics alongside D. Howard against the big Lakers front line. He is a serious offensive liability who would clog up the lane if we sign him.

Z. Pachulia: his basketball IQ is almost as bad as D. Gooden. he's tough for sure, but his individual defense and team defense isn't much better than D. Gooden, while D. Gooden has a way better offensive game than his.

[Russ]

I think Camby's D -- all things considered -- is overrated and quite average. Plus, he doesn't score much at all anymore and he certainly doesn't run

Last season, Camby averaged a double-double plus over two blocks per game. That said, I'd rather have Splitter than any of the above, including Camby.

[BillMc]

You have convinced me that it should be Sheed. I want him and his High-B-Ball IQ on my team. He's generally regarded as a great team guy, and I want to see him make those championship belts for the Spurs after we win the le!

[benefactor]

Pretty good list...though I agree with those that said ZaZa is too low and I would probably put Gortat at #3. The big factor is one that has already been mentioned. We can't really afford to wait on the Magic to make up their mind on matching the offer. We should definitely be on the phone with Sheed/Dice at midnight on Wednesday.