Credit to Bruno for this one, which he has been advocating throughout the offseason.
Spurs would do this to shore up the front court. While, yes, the front court has been significantly improved over last season, a lot rests on an aging, injury prone Theo Ratliff and DeJuan Blair to back up TD and McDyess. Foster provides a starting quality rebounding big for the rotation, one who can step in to the starting lineup if need be. We've seen what Bonner logging heavy minutes in the rotation can do to the team's defense last season (though without him the team would have fared worse during the regular season). I think the benefit of Bonner's outside shot is less valuable now as you have another big in McDyess he has enough range on his J to space the court for TD. Adding Foster would have the effect of not putting too much pressure on Blair too soon. While, yes, he looks like the real deal, he's yet to play a 100 game season and he does need work on his D. The Spurs didn't really want Finley back this season. While yes, it's nice to have a veteran shooter like him in the backcourt, it's more of a luxury at this point. This would also allow the Spurs to retain both Hairston and Williams.
Pacers would do this primarily for Finley and Bonner's expiring contracts. In Murphy, Granger, and Dunleavy, they have some rather big contracts for a team which is still in rebuilding mode. Not sure if they are close to paying the Lux Tax, but if they are then this deal would make much more sense for them. Such a trade would also be Caucasian neutral, which apparently is quite important in Indianapolis.
I think the biggest concern for the Spurs would be the impact to team shooting, the loss of experienced depth in the backcourt, and that Foster's deal would extend past the end of the season. Allowing Finley and Bonner's contracts to expire would help them to mitigate the significant increase in team salary which the Jefferson trade and the McDyess signing have created.
Definitely my personal favorite trade possibility.
Has enough in it to make it realistic for both teams.
IMO, addresses the areas of greatest need, rebounding and post defense.
Plug him into Bonner's 15-20 minutes and see a significant improvement.
Cueing MaNu4Tres
Won't happen. Bonner's three point threat (if you can call it that) is what keeps him on the Spurs. He opens up the floor for Tony and Manu and doesn't get in the way of TD. Also, Pop's man love for Finely will never allow them to part ways.
As far as I think Foster would help us, our swingman rotation would look like
SG: Roger Mason, Manu Ginobili, George Hill
SF: Richard Jefferson
Mason and Hill does not have the size to play the 3, plus if we have to rely on Hairston, Bogans and Haislip to fill up the rotation, then the Spurs backcourt will be weakened. Besides, I think the Spurs would not want to add extra salary as they want to use their LLE and MLE next season.
Last edited by Chieflion; 10-24-2009 at 11:04 AM.
I also can't help but think that Bonner and Finley have been showcased a little this preseason.
Where's Bogans, Hairston, and Williams? Not to mention Haislip.
Bogans is a swingman, though he sucks.
One of them is going to be cut, should be Williams. No way Hairston gets playing time over those guys (could be sent to Austin). Bogans has been an offensive liability. He cannot even buy a basket. Besides, the Spurs would be giving cap relief to the Pacers without incentives. I doubt the Pacers would be willing to add a protected first.
Prospective swingman rotation minutes
Ginobili 25
Mason 25
Hairston/Bogans 10
Jefferson 30
Haislip/Williams 6
And of course Jefferson and Mason could take more of the 16 which would go to Hairston, Bogans, Haislip, or Williams.
Actually, both Bonner and Finely had a good preseason. So, if their play continues in a limited role they could prove to be invaluable both on the court and fiscally.
Meh, I prefer to have Bonner and Finley than Foster.
What is there to showcase? People know what Fin/Bonner bring.
Never, ever, ever will happen, Pacers are trying to rebuild image after Brawl and just now are rewinning the community, Foster is a fan favorite and the fans would be devastated and the Pacers would have a net loss by trading Foster. Last year they were offered a First + Klezia (expiring) and wouldn't do it, and he was just signed to a long term deal when his highest trade value was an expiring decent bigman. With a team suffering from attendance pre-recession, there is no way they would do this deal.
Bogans is to provide perimeter defense in spot situations.
Even after such a trade, the Spurs would still have a top 3 swingman rotation of Ginobili, Jefferson, and Mason. As it stands, the Spurs' top 3 frontcourt rotation is Duncan, McDyess, and Blair. Not to mention that the Spurs' leading scorer is a perimeter player starting at the 1. This is still a big man's league. The Spurs need more up front, even after acquiring McDyess and Blair.
I think their expiring contracts would be put to better use around the trade deadline, after we've seen what areas we need improvement in. Better players than Foster should become available at that time as well.
I've got an interesting fact about Foster: he is one of the 6 players in league who have never get traded in the past 10 years.
Others are: Kobe, Duncan, Dirk, Ilgauskas, and Pierce.
I think the Spurs definitely need another big man. That is the biggest hole. We will have to see who is available and what the cost would be. I would be all for getting a big (like Foster) if it meant it just cost expiring contracts (Fin+Bonner).
Another thing to consider would be upping the talent level and going for a guy like Camby, or a versatile player like Tyrus Thomas (who could certainly help guard guys like West/Dirk). That would bring additional costs (such as giving up Hill or Blair) and you never know if the Spurs even have enough assets to realistically pursue players such as these.
It will be interesting to see what happens, especially if the Spurs find their big man rotation to be lacking against the likes of Boston and LA to the point where they think internally that they cannot realistically have a shot at a le unless they improve.
Another factor to consider is that there is a strong possibility of Splitter being that help next year.
BONNER AND FINLEY ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!! Move on to something else already..
FWIW
The 7 bigs currently on the roster have a total salary of 33.5M
If Splitter signs a Scola-sized deal starting at 3M, the cost in 2010-11 for Duncan, McDyess, Foster, Blair, Ian and Splitter will be 36.1M
would doing this keep us in the tax next year? thought we might let booner or fin expire and use the cash to sign spitter?
that's why they don't want to do this. not just that they will get better offers, they commandment #1 for any rebuilding team is picky and/or young players. cap relieve is all nice and yes, they might have problems to stay under the threshold next year and also yes, at almost 33 Foster isn't exactly a cornerstone for a rebuilding team. but he also doesn't have the most cap killing contract either and he is a fan favorite and life long Pacer. if the let him go, it won't be without getting either some talent or a 1st round pick in return. (they won't do it just for 2nd rounders)
another other point is, the Pacers will be much weaker with Fin and Bonner instead of Foster. they are rebuilding, but they will still try to make the PO, it's not that they have already duped the season.
what Bonner could give them , they already get 2 times from Murphy. (add McRoberts, another option for the Bonner role)
what Fin could give them, they don't need. they have very good shooters in Granger, Rush and Head. but in Foster they lose their best interior defender. neither Murphy, Hibbert, Jones can compensate for this.
sometimes it makes some sense to look at the other teams needs, before explain why they will do a move.
they would do it if Spurs trow in either:
Indi kid Hill.
Blair.
the 2011 1st round pick.
the Splitter rights.
I would be fine with Manu, RJ, Mason and Bogans as rotation as SG/SF but if you are worried about the loss of Finley, there are several solutions:
1) Finley could be waived by Pacers and re-sign with Spurs 30 days later.
2) Wally Z is still a freea agnet.
3) Bonner+Mahinmi+Williams for Foster works salary wise: http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine
Jeff Foster is 6-11. So he has height and can play the center position against the Bynums/Dampiers/Nene's in the west. The real interesting thing about is his rebounding. Last season he averaged 6 pts 7rbds 2 ast a game in 25minutes per game in 74 games. Those rebounding Numbers are all real. Considering he plays next to 2nd leading rebounder Troy Murphy. So that means he actually works to get boards unlike Biedrins or Lee who rebounding numbers are bloated cause' they play with 4 guards and can get as many rebounds as they desire. In SA he would only play 20-25 minutes anyway, so those are the numbers we can expect from him of he were to join the spurs. And he also is a pretty good defender and hustles obviously. Remember back when Detroit / Spurs / Pacers were the top Defensive teams in the league, in Indiana Foster was right there with the Defensive team that went to the ECF in 2004.
And they still wouldn't do it to an overall loss of goodwill to the community.
He is from San Antonio anyway. The pacers are rebuilding which means he wont get a ring with them unless he plays till he is 45. He is 32/33. His career is at the point where he is thinking about a ring. What better organization than the Spurs to go to.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
