McDonald: Fin expected to return

[coyotes_geek]

Calling my shot. Finley picks up his option and gets traded to Memphis along with some cash at the trade deadline. Spurs get a 2nd round draft pick, top 59 protected.

[scottspurs]

This is getting ridiculus. Everybody who is freaking out needs to take a deep breath and realize that Pop and RC are smarter than you. They built this franchise and Finley coming back is not going to tear it down. They are having one of their best offseasons in a long time and they are scaring the crap out of other teams. Let the offseason play out.

1. Finley is not bad. What would yall do if we had Luke Walton on the roster and he picked up his option. There would be no posts thats for sure because everyone would off themselves.

2. Finley is a trade asset in a season when you could get a good player for a bunch of average players. Spurs know what their doing and they probably told Finley there is a chance he could be traded. It did take him along time to pick up his option if he does so.

3. We are low on vets right now. Yes, all this youth movement is great, but you need vets like Finley to show these youngsters the way. Finley is a class act. I remember him getting on to Vujay jay after we lost to the Lakers in 08 for taking a pointless last shot. He just wanted to teach a young guy how he should play with class.

4. Support all the players we have on our team. Yes, it is a business and they could get traded at any moment, but you still need to support guys like Bonner and Finley. Some of you bash these guys while they go out on the court and give it their all. If anybody has ever played any organized sports before you should know what i mean. Sometimes you have guys that just aren't as good on your team, but you can't just throw them under the bus like Kobe. Support the players we have and if they get traded wish them the best.

[Mavs<Spurs]

Originally Posted by timvp View Post

it's hilarious that this thread is playing out like last year's thread about finley re-signing. So many spurs fans were convinced that finley would be used as a deep reserve and that pop had learned his lesson in playing him too much. What happened? Finley played more than ever.

If pop can bench a spurs legend who had been named to the all-defensive team for the last eight years or whatever it was to make room for finley, he'll find a way once again. If you could guarantee that finley would take a steve smith 2003 role, i'd be fine with him coming back. But if he's part of the rotation at all this coming season, i don't think the team wins a championship. Finley is just too horrible at defense, too soft and too much of a volume shooter who gets cold at the absolute wrong times.

+ 1

[DPG21920]

Why is everyone freaking out? Let things happen first.

[loveforthegame]

Timvp, do you think the Spurs would use their MLE if they were able to swing a deal of Bonner/Finley for Foster or Collison like some have thrown out?

[timvp]

Timvp, do you think the Spurs would use their MLE if they were able to swing a deal of Bonner/Finley for Foster or Collison like some have thrown out?

A trade like that wouldn't affect the usage of the MLE since the salaries have to match. Finley declining his option saves the team $5 million.

[G-Nob]

I had two responses to this so I'll just include them both here...

F'n F

&

I'm gonna F'n throw up in my boot.

[Obstructed_View]

This is nonsense. 7 pages of hate for a guy who has done nothing but be a solid role player for us the last 3 years. If you guys really have such little faith in Popovich then thats fine, but 4 championships later I think he knows how to handle a rotation.

If Finley comes back I'm 100% sure it will be as a role player coming off the bench for spot up shooting 10-15mpg.

[Trimble87]

Why is everyone so convinced that Pop benched Bruce just so Finley could play 30 minutes a game? IMO Pop was saving Bruce for the playoffs because he knew 37 year old legs couldnt play 20mpg 82 games and be fresh for the playoffs. Finley may be old and declining, but he is still 3-4 years younger then Bruce...

Bruce and Pop had a falling out during the regular season for whatever reason, and I dont think it has anything to do with finley, manu was injured and Finley was a much better option then unproven guys like Harriston. Any of you who think Pop is stupid enough to start finley over RJ or give finley more minutes then mason are kidding yourselves.

[SenorSpur]

If Finley comes back I'm 100% sure it will be as a role player coming off the bench for spot up shooting 10-15mpg.

Hmmmm. Must be Deja Vu. Where have I heard that before?

[Bruno]

Not really. $2.5 million isn't much of a trade asset. By itself, it'd get nothing. I don't see the Spurs doing another 3-for-1 deal to further lessen the depth.

Disagree.
With Finley + Bonner + Marcus Williams, Spurs can get a player paid $8.3M.
And you don't lose depth compared to a scenario where Finley opt out.

[Marcus Bryant]

Disagree.
With Finley + Bonner + Marcus Williams, Spurs can get a player paid $8.3M.
And you don't lose depth compared to a scenario where Finely opt out.

Nocioni.

[SpursWench21]

Though I obviously don't want him to start or get big minutes, I don't get why many of you guys hate him staying. If he stays, consider him the 15th man who will get some spot minutes. He's not going to eat into Manu/RJ's playing time. He's a good guy and the Spurs/Pop/Duncan all seem to like him A LOT. So, I see no problem with him sitting at the end of the bench.

That being said, I still think he might leave.

+1 Agreed. And we could def. use his shooting in some of those spot minutes esp if one of the other jump shooters goes cold..

[loveforthegame]

I have a hard time believing Finley picked his option up knowing the Spurs might trade him. Unless it was a prearranged deal and benefitted both the Spurs and Finley. Or he just retires if he's traded to a team like Minnesota or Memphis or any other team with no chance at the playoffs at least.

Even if the Spurs communicated nothing to him, the roster overhaul and his agent having an ear to the ground should be convincing enough.

[Bruno]

And I also like how people jump directly to the worst case scenario of Finley being horrible and Pop being a stupid coach and playing him 30mpg.

This scenario is far less likely than Finley being an end of the bench player or Finley being traded.

[Obstructed_View]

Why is everyone so convinced that Pop benched Bruce just so Finley could play 30 minutes a game? IMO Pop was saving Bruce for the playoffs because he knew 37 year old legs couldnt play 20mpg 82 games and be fresh for the playoffs. Finley may be old and declining, but he is still 3-4 years younger then Bruce...

Bruce and Pop had a falling out during the regular season for whatever reason, and I dont think it has anything to do with finley, manu was injured and Finley was a much better option then unproven guys like Harriston. Any of you who think Pop is stupid enough to start finley over RJ or give finley more minutes then mason are kidding yourselves.

And just to make sure Bruce was completely ready, Pop rested him some more in game one against Dallas while Finley logged 35 minutes and was -20, despite scoring 19 points.

[ElNono]

And I also like how people jump directly to the worst case scenario of Finley being horrible and Pop being a stupid coach and playing him 30mpg.

Because we had to put up with an entire season of that?

This scenario is far less likely than Finley being an end of the bench player or Finley being traded.

I don't mind him getting traded if he picks up his option. I just don't really want him on the roster in October. We all know what his role SHOULD be, but we already knew that last season, and players like Hill, Bowen and Mason lost valuable minutes to him. I don't want Pop to be tempted to do the same thing.

[Marcus Bryant]

I have a hard time believing Finley picked his option up knowing the Spurs might trade him. Unless it was a prearranged deal and benefitted both the Spurs and Finley. Or he just retires if he's traded to a team like Minnesota or Memphis or any other team with no chance at the playoffs at least.

Even if the Spurs communicated nothing to him, the roster overhaul and his agent having an ear to the ground should be convincing enough.

If he opts out then he's giving up $2.5 mil when he would likely be looking at the vet min of $1.3 mil elsewhere.

[EricB]

And I also like how people jump directly to the worst case scenario of Finley being horrible and Pop being a stupid coach and playing him 30mpg.

This scenario is far less likely than Finley being an end of the bench player or Finley being traded.

The armchair quarterbacks are out in full force no question.

[scottspurs]

we would have about 9.4 mil in expiring contracts:
Finley: 2.5 mil
Bonner: 3.2 mil
Mason 3.7 mil
Manu too but were not trading him unless he gets hurt again and we can rent a championship with someone like Cris Bosh.

With 9.4+(if you trade some cheap Rookie contracts as well) million in trade assets we could get a good player from a team trying to unload a contract that goes beyond 2010. The rights to Tiago Splitter could aslo sweeten a possible deal

Example of possible players that fit this scenario are:

Nick Collison 6.2 mil
Tyson Chandler 11.8 mil
Marcus Camby 7.6 mil
Chris Kaman 10.4 mil
Josh Smith 10.8 mil
Boris Diaw 9.0
Gerald Wallace 9.0 mil
Luol Deng 10.3 mil
Stephen Jackson 7.6 mil
Andrew Bogut 10.0 mil
Samuel Dalembert 11.3 mil
Joel Przybilla 6.8 mil
Andres Nocioni 7.5 mil
Caron Butler 9.7 mil
David West 9.0 mil
Cory Maggette 9.0 mil
Shane Battier 6.8 mil
Andrea Bargnani 6.5 mil
John Salmons 5.4 mil
Troy Murphy 11.0 mil

[Bruno]

Because we had to put up with an entire season of that?

It's sure that Udoka is as good as Jefferson...

[Marcus Bryant]

The armchair quarterbacks are out in full force no question.

As opposed to the real GMs on here.

[EricB]

As opposed to the real GMs on here.

Theres a difference between coming up with realistic trade scenarios and some of the mindless drivel that usually comes out of the spursreport esque posters that are newer here.

[ElNono]

It's sure that Udoka is as good as Jefferson...

Now that I think about it, I can't believe we had that guy and Jacque Vaughn in our roster last season. Depressing.

[EricB]

It's sure that Udoka is as good as Jefferson...

Shush, Pop hates him too and will bench him don't you know that.