Next Moves

[Trimble87]

I believe the salaries match if we trade Mason/Finley/Bonner for Battier. With the signing of Malik and Mcclinton I think this gives us the option to deal Mason. Battier would be a perfect fit for the spurs imho.

[anjlbitz]

I don't know. I'm kinda iffy about dealing Mason. We still need a proven 3 point shooter to spread the floor for Tim/Tony/Manu/RJ. I think his defense will improve this year too especially with a year under his belt to work on his defensive rotations.

[coyotes_geek]

I don't know. I'm kinda iffy about dealing Mason. We still need a proven 3 point shooter to spread the floor for Tim/Tony/Manu/RJ. I think his defense will improve this year too especially with a year under his belt to work on his defensive rotations.

I'm with you. If I'm going to include Mason in a deal it's got to be for someone a lot more special than the names currently being thrown around. I don't want a bench consiting of one big name and a bunch of guys with zero to one years of nba experience.

[Buddy Holly]

You can get Battier for just Finley and Bonner.

[ChumpDumper]

While I don't doubt that RC is doing his due diligence in exploring trade opportunities ultimately, I don't see a trade happening. At least not one that isn't just a salary dump of Finley and/or Bonner. I'm certainly all in favor of RC pulling something off, but in all likelihood I think the roster is pretty much set with the only task remaining being a sifting through the various youngins and league min vets to round out the last couple of roster spots.

I think you're right. There might be a vet PG signing, but I don't see much else happening until training camp is sorted out.

I could certainly be wrong, but there has already been a lot of roster turnover.

[urunobili]

Charlotte may say yes to get Bonner and Fin for Raja... after all Fin and MJ are close... he is a Jordan brand athlete...

[Flux451]

I've always wished that Jeff "the Enforcer" Foster was a Spur. He's not the most talented guy out there, but he outhustles anyone. He also has a pretty slick dunk over Corey Maggette that I never get sick of seeing.

as long as he isn't playing in the clutch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4Mh4OswKow

[anjlbitz]

Are the Bobcats even shopping Raja Bell? I admit I'm not too familiar with the Bobcats team so I don't know how they are currently built.

[loveforthegame]

Charlotte tried to trade Bell to the Warriors for Azubuike and Belinelli right before the draft. It's more likely they'd want Mason over Finley.

[pad300]

In terms of what's next. The big question is the number of inexperienced players (rookies/players w/o at least 1 full year of NBA court time). Consider who's locked in

PG - Parker, Hill (possibly as a wing not a PG)

Wing - Jefferson, Manu, Mason, Hairston (we signed him for a reason), Finley, Williams

Big - Duncan, McDyess, Blair, Mahinmi, Haislip (he'll be given a serious chance given we spent the LLE on him, rather than the min), Bonner

Green indicates players that I think the FO would consider trade-bait. Red indicates inexperienced.
We have 14 contracts (2 unguaranteed - Williams, Hairston). Without subtractions from the roster, we have space for perhaps a PG. 5 inexperienced players already; I cannot see Pop carrying more. Without a subtraction, there will not be another inexperienced player. We only have 3 experienced bigs, and one of those is potential trade-bait. Given Pop sees Gist as a 4, back to Europe he goes. McClinton and Williams might have a compe ion, but unless one of them can take the 3ed PG spot, one of them is going to Europe (my bet is McClinton, so we retain his rights).

I can see the Spurs making cost-cutting moves with their trade bait contracts, or just moves to free up a roster spot (or spots). Anyone brought in will be experienced veterans. Possible targets would include former Spurs who know the system eg. Bruce (if bought out), Oberto, Rasho, KT (if bought out). I could very well see SAS moving Finley and Bonner for a trade exception, and then bringing in Bruce and KT (assuming buyouts) for the vet min. Thereby saving roughly 4 million in salary (and another 4 million in lux tax) and putting defensive roleplayers in place to support the more attack minded roster.

[scottspurs]

Last season was his first opportunity to get minutes with the Spurs. Before that he was stuck behind a logjam of bigs. By all accounts the Spurs intended for him to get minutes last season, with Bonner as the 5th big. Factor in Oberto's decline and he could very well have had a shot at being the 1st big off the bench before the Spurs added Gooden.

I fail to see how Mahinmi, coming off a successful NBDL season in 2007-08, is somehow on the way out simply because due to injury and roster limitations he hasn't progressed as fast as some fans would like.

Yeah, Mahinmi has to much Potentiel to let him go. Let him see some action then judge him.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Can Bell guard Kobe? How does Bell do against him?

[urunobili]

Can Bell guard Kobe? How does Bell do against him?

second best after Bowen

[DesignatedT]

Do we still have the LLE? i was under the impression that we have spent both the MLE(dice) and LLE(haislip) but not totally sure.


so we really have no money left for free agency but i would like to see us sign bruce back for the min. and call it an offseason and start concentrating on the young talent everyone knows that we have on our SL team and start to develop them for this upcoming season...

Everyone knows our roster looks great with Dice and RJ and Mahinmi and Haislip and Blair but people need to remember that none of these players i have listed has playedany recognizable minutes for the spurs... thats a lot of work we have to do with teaching these guys how to play with tony manu and tim.... going out and overhalling our whole lineup by getting 1 or 2 more new faces isnt the best thing to do IMO. thats why im for keeping bonner,finley and bowen. they know the system and there role SHOULD be way down from last year. which i have no problem with.

[GooberNuts]

Do we still have the LLE? i was under the impression that we have spent both the MLE(dice) and LLE(haislip) but not totally sure.


so we really have no money left for free agency but i would like to see us sign bruce back for the min. and call it an offseason and start concentrating on the young talent everyone knows that we have on our SL team and start to develop them for this upcoming season...

Everyone knows our roster looks great with Dice and RJ and Mahinmi and Haislip and Blair but people need to remember that none of these players i have listed has playedany recognizable minutes for the spurs... thats a lot of work we have to do with teaching these guys how to play with tony manu and tim.... going out and overhalling our whole lineup by getting 1 or 2 more new faces isnt the best thing to do IMO. thats why im for keeping bonner,finley and bowen. they know the system and there role SHOULD be way down from last year. which i have no problem with.

Agreed, I don't think the Spurs should really mix up the roster anymore. Only move they should make is possibly signing Bowen for the min, because other than that we have a lot of new players who need to learn the system. Keeping the chemistry together is an important part of any championship team. Remember when the Lakers brought in Malone and Payton and everyone thought they were a lock for the chmpionship. In the past the Spurs have one with the big 3 dominating and the role-players doing their individual parts to contribute.

[will_spurs]

Yeah, Mahinmi has to much Potentiel to let him go. Let him see some action then judge him.

Especially since the Spurs have already invested quite a bit of money in this guy, it's certainly not the time to cut him when he might finally contribute - let's rather wait a bit and see.

[Spursmania]

Do we still have the LLE? i was under the impression that we have spent both the MLE(dice) and LLE(haislip) but not totally sure.

According to McDonald, Haislip will be receiving the minimum. So, the Spurs still have their LLE to spend if they so choose.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

To steal Ruff's abbreviation, Bonley for Foster would be a great pickup.

It's fitting, don't you think?

I don't understand why so many Spurs fans are obsessing with the idea that the Spurs need "length to contend with the Lakers". Sure, the Lakers are a tall team but it's mostly finesse size. Gasol, Odom and Bynum aren't power players.

In fact, those who watched the playoffs should realize that it was the midget Rockets who gave those bigs the most trouble. 6-foot-5 Chuck Hayes was probably the best defender in the playoffs against Gasol.

To beat the Lakers, I think you need bigs with strength and quickness. You can push around their bigs a bit if you have the right personnel. I think the Spurs realized this and that's why they've talked about toughness at power forward as their goal in acquisitions rather than just going after giant centers with size.

A key for matching up against the Lakers will be Blair. If he can improve his defense and learn to be a physical defender without fouling, he has the body type to do well against both Gasol and Bynum. McDyess should be good against Gasol and Bynum. Haislip has the skillset that makes me think he was brought in with Odom in mind.

I said the same thing about Blair in the NBA forum, referencing Malik Rose's ability to guard big centres effectively. My only resefrvation is that Blair will probably be called for all kinds of phantom "rookie fouls" which might hamper his ability to guard people.

I think Dice, Blair and TD will prove very capable against Gasol and Bynum, and I hope you are right about Haislip because, if you aren't, we still lack a guy to throw at the athletic PFs like Odom and West.

Meh. I wouldn't match that if I were the Spurs. This time last year, Dahntay Jones was playing in summer league trying to keep his basketball career alive. He had a good season but his offense is highly limited.

On top of that, he was horrible at guarding Kobe in the playoffs. Kobe lit him up. He could easily shoot over Jones and also beat him to the basket. George Karl saw what was happening and rarely put Jones on Kobe in the second half of games. He'd even put AC on Kobe late in games before Jones.

Jones did fine work against CP3 but if the Spurs spend that kind of money on a perimeter defender, they have a pulse when it comes to defending Kobe.

Yeah, I just reported it trying to be helpful.

Only put it in here though, and forgot he had a thread of his own!

Strange signing for Indy, really. Good though. At least he didn't go to a contender.

[barbacoataco]

If you look at the Lakers at as the team to beat, you need to have players in mind to limit Bryant and Gasol. I really thought Gasol was the difference this year in the playoffs. He was much better than I expected and really came up with shots when they needed it. I like the idea of Raja Bell to defend Kobe. Hopefully either Mahinmi, Blair or Haislip will prove effective. Plus they have TD and Dyess.

[loveforthegame]

Any interest in Chris Mihm?

[will_spurs]

According to McDonald, Haislip will be receiving the minimum. So, the Spurs still have their LLE to spend if they so choose.

Actually people thought the Spurs had spent their BAE (about $2 mil) but McDonald reports the Spurs actually signed him for the vet's minimum ($800k) which is even better. So the Spurs still have their BAE... but are over the lux tax. I'm obviously not the only one who thinks (hopes?) a trade is coming.

[Blackjack]

I don't understand why so many Spurs fans are obsessing with the idea that the Spurs need "length to contend with the Lakers". Sure, the Lakers are a tall team but it's mostly finesse size. Gasol, Odom and Bynum aren't power players.

In fact, those who watched the playoffs should realize that it was the midget Rockets who gave those bigs the most trouble. 6-foot-5 Chuck Hayes was probably the best defender in the playoffs against Gasol.

To beat the Lakers, I think you need bigs with strength and quickness. You can push around their bigs a bit if you have the right personnel. I think the Spurs realized this and that's why they've talked about toughness at power forward as their goal in acquisitions rather than just going after giant centers with size.

A key for matching up against the Lakers will be Blair. If he can improve his defense and learn to be a physical defender without fouling, he has the body type to do well against both Gasol and Bynum. McDyess should be good against Gasol and Bynum. Haislip has the skillset that makes me think he was brought in with Odom in mind.

I don't disagree with your premise that length isn't the be-all end-all but the combination of strength, technique, know-how, and respect of the whistle is a hard combination to come by; the attributes an undersized big like Hayes successfully utilizes. I think depending on a foul-prone player like Blair, who's already got his rookie status going against him, would be a very dicey proposition.

Ideally, you'd want a guy like Perkins: 6' 10'', long arms, physical, and someone who can body-up while also challenging the shot. Foster's probably the only player I've heard suggested that about meets that criteria.

I think you also have to prepare for the Bynum of mid-season last year. Sure, he's got to prove that he's capable of staying healthy but he's a guy that's definitely capable of punishing smaller defenders. He's pretty calm in his moves and able to absorb contact while finishing over smaller defenders. Guys that don't pose much of a threat to his release don't seem to bother him much when he's playing the way he's capable. Really, both Pau and Bynum are skilled and coordinated enough to finish over just about anyone when they're on their game, but with the what the Spurs have on their current roster, I'd like to see one more 6' 10'' (or greater) banger.

[bigdog]

Any interest in Chris Mihm?

I'll take Gooden before Mihm. Mihm hasn't been healthy in forever.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Any interest in Chris Mihm?

If we want a guy for 6 fouls, I think an ex-Spur (Rasho, Oberto) would be a better fit for the min.

[poeticism707]

If we want a guy for 6 fouls, I think an ex-Spur (Rasho, Oberto) would be a better fit for the min.

Let's go with Rasho!!!