McDonald: Finley stays; big, tall task left for Spurs

[Marcus Bryant]

Would be awesome to sign a Rasheed, then take Finley and Bonner and turn them into a James Posey type.

Nocioni might be that guy, depending on how free agency progresses. Sacto could pare down their future payroll significantly with a Finley+Bonner(+pick) trade.

[TDMVPDPOY]

if i were the rockets you do it....

i read they were thinkn of trading tmac for mobley/curry....

if they can shed payroll this year, maybe they can also be a big player in the 2010 sweepstakes....

[Parker2112]

Doubtful unless Hill is included, at a minimum. Maybe the Clippers can shave a little bit off their payroll with such a trade, but the Clippers turned down a more attractive offer from the Spurs at last February's trade deadline that offered the Clips Bowen and Oberto's partially guaranteed contracts and Hill. The Clips could have saved $5 mil in the upcoming season and landed Hill. I think the Spurs will land their starting big in free agency and then will add either a solid big or swingman to the bench via a trade, preferably using Bonner and Finley.

And there's always the LLE to use (assuming Holt has given the green light) as well.

Good point, but things have changed a bit with the addition of Griffin...someone in their big rotation has got to go, and I've heard it will be Camby.

[Marcus Bryant]

Good point, but things have changed a bit with the addition of Griffin...someone in their big rotation has got to go, and I've heard it will be Camby.

Well, they're going to get some value back for him. All the Spurs would be offering otherwise would be expiring contracts of role players for the expiring contract of a starter.

[Parker2112]

Well, they're going to get some value back for him. All the Spurs would be offering otherwise would be expiring contracts of role players for the expiring contract of a starter.

It worked with Jefferson. If it worked twice, this might officially become known as the best offseason ever.

[Parker2112]

But I hear what your sayin', I'm just hoping against hope. IMO, Camby would spell an automatic championship, provided he stayed healthy (no small feat)...

[Marcus Bryant]

It worked with Jefferson. If it worked twice, this might officially become known as the best offseason ever.

It worked with Jefferson as the Bucks were able to save $3.5 mil immediately by waiving Bowen and Oberto thanks to their partially guaranteed contracts and of course Thomas' deal ends after next season. That deal saves the Bucks something like $19 mil over two seasons. That's why the Bucks did that.

Camby's contract expires after next season. The Spurs can offer very little in the way of cap relief, other than perhaps including Marcus Williams and his nonguaranteed contract in a deal.

[Parker2112]

It worked with Jefferson as the Bucks were able to save $3.5 mil immediately by waiving Bowen and Oberto thanks to their partially guaranteed contracts and of course Thomas' deal ends after next season. That deal saves the Bucks something like $19 mil over two seasons. That's why the Bucks did that.

Camby's contract expires after next season. The Spurs can offer very little in the way of cap relief, other than perhaps including Marcus Williams and his nonguaranteed contract in a deal.

Good call. I feel like I've officially been pimped.

[Marcus Bryant]

Hey, I'd take Camby, but it doesn't look like it's in the cards. Then again, this is the Clippers...

[Russ]

Finley stays; big, tall task left for Spurs

Jeff McDonald
San Antonio Express-News

The Spurs' first-round pick in 2007, Splitter is expected to remain in Spain for at least one more season.

“Anything can happen,” Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said.

Anything can happen?

Is there some theoretical scenario that could get Splitter to the Spurs?

Splitter would just about cement the le.

[lefty]

[Mark in Austin]

Nocioni might be that guy, depending on how free agency progresses. Sacto could pare down their future payroll significantly with a Finley+Bonner(+pick) trade.

Would love to see Noc here, but I heard the Maloofs are trying to remake the Kings into a blue collar team, and that one of the reasons they didn't buy him out/trade him last season was they loved his energy and work ethic.

[Manufan909]

Nocioni might be that guy, depending on how free agency progresses. Sacto could pare down their future payroll significantly with a Finley+Bonner(+pick) trade.

Is Nocioni a tweener 3/4?

[TDMVPDPOY]

how about for thomas of the bulls, since the bulls just drafted 2 PFs.....i think he could be out since they are tryin toget rid of him

[mystargtr34]

Is Nocioni a tweener 3/4?

Hes a 3.

He would make a better small ball 4 than Fin though .

[EmantheSpursFan]

bonner and finley for battier

i was thinking about that earlier

what if houston wanted to start to rebuild because of yao and if artest walks and make room for 2010 or soemtbing

Houston was trying to package Battier and i think Artest for ricky rubio lol
well maybe with there drastic situation with Yao being hurt can work in our favor, we can offer a Center who can score (Bonner) and a proven vet (finley) who still fits the 2010 plan doesnt sound so bad when you put it like that...

[Bruno]

A question is how many good bigs, spurs should add? 1 or 2?

If Spurs get Sheed, they have a great starting frontcourt and their bench is Bonner, Mahinmi, Blair and maybe Gist.
If the prospects turn well, it could be a very good bench. If not, it sucks and Spurs need to add another good vet PF/C.

If Spurs get 2 good PF/C, they can easily have a logjam and waste money if prospects turn well.

I wonder if the smart thing wouldn't be to sign a FA now (Sheed or Dice would be perfect) and wait a little before doing a trade. Spurs should have a first answer on how good Mahinmi, Blair and Gist are after the SL. If there are some doubts, they can even wait until the February trade deadline to make a trade or not. The main drawback of waiting until the trade deadline to get another big is that the new big won't a lot of experience as a Spur.

[Mr. Body]

Houston was trying to package Battier and i think Artest for ricky rubio lol
well maybe with there drastic situation with Yao being hurt can work in our favor, we can offer a Center who can score (Bonner) and a proven vet (finley) who still fits the 2010 plan doesnt sound so bad when you put it like that...

The rumor was Battier and Aaron Brooks, if it's to be believed.

And no, we're not getting Battier for sandwiches.

[lurker23]

A question is how many good bigs, spurs should add? 1 or 2?

If Spurs get Sheed, they have a great starting frontcourt and their bench is Bonner, Mahinmi, Blair and maybe Gist.
If the prospects turn well, it could be a very good bench. If not, it sucks and Spurs need to add another good vet PF/C.

If Spurs get 2 good PF/C, they can easily have a logjam and waste money if prospects turn well.

I wonder if the smart thing wouldn't be to sign a FA now (Sheed or Dice would be perfect) and wait a little before doing a trade. Spurs should have a first answer on how good Mahinmi, Blair and Gist are after the SL. If there are some doubts, they can even wait until the February trade deadline to make a trade or not. The main drawback of waiting until the trade deadline to get another big is that the new big won't a lot of experience as a Spur.

I say you add the one big name and fill out the rest of the slots with Blair and Gist. For example, if you get Sheed, then you have known quan ies in Duncan, Sheed, and Bonner (assuming he doesn't take a major step backwards, you know that Bonner is good for at least 10-20 minutes). Then, all you really need is ONE of Mahinmi, Blair, and Gist to turn into a solid contributor and you have your typical 4-man rotation. If two of those three guys turn into rotation players, then you have more than enough depth.

[EmantheSpursFan]

The rumor was Battier and Aaron Brooks, if it's to be believed.

And no, we're not getting Battier for sandwiches.

thanks for the correction haha

[Spurs Brazil]

Is that accurate? I thought they used the LLE at some point in the last 5 years.

I think we got Manu with the LLE

[ElNono]

A question is how many good bigs, spurs should add? 1 or 2?

If Spurs get Sheed, they have a great starting frontcourt and their bench is Bonner, Mahinmi, Blair and maybe Gist.
If the prospects turn well, it could be a very good bench. If not, it sucks and Spurs need to add another good vet PF/C.

If Spurs get 2 good PF/C, they can easily have a logjam and waste money if prospects turn well.

I wonder if the smart thing wouldn't be to sign a FA now (Sheed or Dice would be perfect) and wait a little before doing a trade. Spurs should have a first answer on how good Mahinmi, Blair and Gist are after the SL. If there are some doubts, they can even wait until the February trade deadline to make a trade or not. The main drawback of waiting until the trade deadline to get another big is that the new big won't a lot of experience as a Spur.

You get one, the best you can get now. Then you wait till January, and if you're missing another big, you look for a trade.

[timvp]

A question is how many good bigs, spurs should add? 1 or 2?

If Spurs get Sheed, they have a great starting frontcourt and their bench is Bonner, Mahinmi, Blair and maybe Gist.
If the prospects turn well, it could be a very good bench. If not, it sucks and Spurs need to add another good vet PF/C.

If Spurs get 2 good PF/C, they can easily have a logjam and waste money if prospects turn well.

I wonder if the smart thing wouldn't be to sign a FA now (Sheed or Dice would be perfect) and wait a little before doing a trade. Spurs should have a first answer on how good Mahinmi, Blair and Gist are after the SL. If there are some doubts, they can even wait until the February trade deadline to make a trade or not. The main drawback of waiting until the trade deadline to get another big is that the new big won't a lot of experience as a Spur.

I'd say go with one. Then see how the young bigs do in the summer league and reassess after that.

[ploto]

The Spurs also have a biannual exception, expected to be worth a shade less than $1.9 million, though they have never used that financial tool before.

IIRC, NVE was signed using this, as well as Manu.

[Bruno]

I say you add the one big name and fill out the rest of the slots with Blair and Gist. For example, if you get Sheed, then you have known quan ies in Duncan, Sheed, and Bonner (assuming he doesn't take a major step backwards, you know that Bonner is good for at least 10-20 minutes). Then, all you really need is ONE of Mahinmi, Blair, and Gist to turn into a solid contributor and you have your typical 4-man rotation. If two of those three guys turn into rotation players, then you have more than enough depth.

If you see Bonner as a player who can provide 10-20 solid mpg, adding only 1 good bigman is almost a no-brainer. If there are some serious doubt about Bonner ability to play in the playoffs, it's very risky to have a bench with him and rookies.

In the "adding 2 solid bigmen" scenario, one will likely come from FA and the other from a trade where Bonner would be gone. The rotation will be Duncan, big from FA, big from trade and rookies.

At the end, I do think that Finley picking his option has a quite big impact on what Spurs should/could/will do this summer. I would have rather like him not picking it but with him picking it, a trade to upgrade the 3rd big from Bonner to a better player makes a lot of sense.