2010 Roster: Current Status, What to Expect by Trade Deadline, Playoff Matchups, and Ian Mahinmi
Hey guys, Happy New Year!
I'm starting a thread to address the common questions about our roster.
I know a lot of people are wondering:
1) Are we going to make any trades before the deadline?
2) Should a good veteran be waived, would we be able to pick them up?
3) What's going to happen to the rotations once Michael Finley and Matt Bonner return? (I will address each player individually)
4) Why don't we see more Theo Ratliff?
5) What's up with Ian Mahinmi?
If you any of you ambitious and forward-thinking SpursTalk members wish to add a Q&A to this thread, please do? I only hope that this thread can shed light onto the reality of our roster situation and what kind of flexibility is available to us.
First of all, we all must understand the roster regulations of the NBA. I'm no expert but I've checked into this a bit(NBA.com, wiki, other threads, etc.) What I understand to be fact is that there is a roster limit of 15 players. The Spurs have a full 15 player roster right now. Teams are allowed to have a maximum of 12 players active in uniform and available to play for each game. Teams may change which 12 players they use each game but may not exceed 12 active players per game.
To sum things up:
-The NBA roster limit is for the season 15 players(total at once). The San Antonio Spurs currently have 15 players.
-The NBA roster limit per game is 12. Since the Spurs have 15 players on their roster there will be 3 players inactive for each game.
This should answer a lot of people's questions as to why they haven't seen much Theo Ratliff, Marcus Haislip, and Ian Mahinmi(his complete absence will be addressed later)
This is the current Spurs Roster(sorted somewhat by rotation) list:
1. PG- Tony Parker
2. SG- Keith Bogans
3. SF- Richard Jefferson
4. PF/C- DeJuan Blair
5. PF/C- Tim Duncan
6. G/F- Manu Ginobili
7. G- George Hill
8. PF/C- Antonio McDyess
9. G- Roger Mason Jr.
10. PF/C- Matt Bonner
11. G/F- Michael Finley
12. C- Theo Ratliff
13. G- Malik Hairston
14. F- Marcus Haislip
15. C- Ian Mahinmi
Now that we've established our roster and the NBA regulations we should be able to understand what it will take to make a trade.
I will answer the first question only in this post. If I discussed all topics this would be way too long. I will reply or start new threads with the other questions.
1) Are we going to make any trades before the deadline?
I don't think we make a trade this year. Our team is coming together. It took from October to January but our team is putting forth an intenser defensive effort. We are expanding our playbook, finding more productive rotations. We've found ways to develop talent all way down to the 12th spot on the bench. I don't see us putting all this work in and then starting over again. We are not trading anyone from the "big 4" so there will be no blockbuster trades. And our mid-level guys aren't going anywhere-McDyess, Mason, Bonner are finding ways to contribute. Pop knows what he wants and can get from these guys and he's not going to want to start the process again. Who can we trade? Ian? Ian is the only player that we are truly not using. Are we going to trade Hairston or Haislip? I don't think so. A lot of people are hoping we trade Ian. We really can't get anything for Ian. He has no trade value.
a)I don't think anyone wants Ian Mahinmi. He has no trade value. We haven't 'showcased' him ever. He's played like 20 minutes in his career. We haven't even given him garbage minutes. This year he was supposed to have a chance and he hasn't. We haven't picked up his option for next year. Could we trade him for a draft pick? Nah, I think any GM besides Chris Wallace will realize they can just grab him after the season instead of giving away a pick mid-season. Ian's salary is so low we can't get anything worthwhile in return
b) If we did a multi-player deal with Ian, who would we trade? Finley? No way. There's no way we "Dis" him like that in a "dump deal". Finley's vet-experience and "Corporate Knowledge" is way too valuable to just drop for another player on the inactive list. Finley himself may find a way to the inactive list but not on the trading block.
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Now, I'm sure there are people who disagree with me or still think there's a way for a trade to happen. I'm not saying I don't wish we had a young stud center who was a beast at blocking shots but you have to consider the reality of our situation.
We have ZERO roster spots available. Should we make a trade, we would not be able to receive more players than we send. For example, we can not trade Ian Mahinmi and Michael Finley for Marcus Camby, Craig Smith, and Rasual Butler because we would have 16 players and exceed the NBA limit of 15.
Also, the salary of the player(s) being traded out must be relatively similar to the salary of the player(s) coming in. The exact guideline is the team may not receive more than 125%+$100,000 of what the send out.
For example, Ian Mahinmi makes $1,079,640. The highest salary we could accept for him would 125% of $1,079,640($1,349,550) + $100,000 =$1,449,550. I repeat, the highest salary we could take for Ian is $1,449,550.
There's been talk about Chris Kaman, Marcus Camby, Troy Murphy, Brendan Haywood, Antawn Jamison. Unfortunately, even if their respective teams agreed to let them go we wouldn't be able to acquire their salaries.
Jamison=$11,641,095
Murphy=$11,047,619(little known fact he's the highest paid Pacer)
Okafur=$10,538,937
Kaman=$10,400,000
Camby=$7,650,000
Haywood=$6,000,000
Who could we get for that money that
a)is worth acquiring mid season to throw in the rotation and make a significant impact?
b) another team is willing to give up in exchange for Ian Mahinmi?
I can't think of anyone that isn't a young player who's team is not willing to give up.
Most teams who 'dump' a decent player to a decent team are trying to:
a) lower their salary
b) acquire a promising young player
c) acquire an expiring contract
d) acquire a future draft pick
Whatever team took Ian Mahinmi would really have to think he's b) a promising young player. But aside from a pretty good D-League year he's done absolutely nothing in the NBA. Nobody is going to take him in a trade.
Hope this gives you a realistic idea of what to expect come February. I do expect the Lakers to do something.
1) They have 2 open roster spots
2) They are willing to go well into the luxury tax
3) It's Los Angeles and they're the champs. Waived vets should be lured by the environment
4) They have a small forward with a pinch back nerve, a small forward with a nasty Christmas concussion, and a small forward who's very much underachieved since being picked #3 in 2006.
5) Bynum and Gasol are more and more injury prone. They'll want to back up Odom and Powell(Mbenga doesn't count!)
I highly doubt the Lakers make a move..the only thing they'll do is add somebody if he gets bought out and wants to join their team..I can't really think of any notable players getting bought out though..Big Z is the only guy I can think of that will probably get bought out after he's traded, and he'll probably go back to Cleveland..
We still need another big IMO..that's the primary move I want to see..I can't imagine Pop not feeling the same way..
i dunno why people worry/talk so much about 3rd string players - they are only there for when a better player is injured.
I agree with your premise about why the Spurs are unlikely to make a major trade. It'll be difficult enough being ready for the playoffs with the current team. Adding more change would make it almost impossible.
I think there's a decent chance that Mahinmi gets salary dumped somewhere. If a team would be willing to eat his salary, I think the Spurs would make the deal just to be fair to Mahinmi. Spending an entire year on the bench when healthy is almost homicidal to a young big's future.
I feel bad for Ian I hope he will find a team soon here or in Europe. He needs to play.
I don't see a big move as already stated it is already very difficult to acclimate the new guys, no way Pop takes this kind of decision in february. For Gooden the context was clearly different.
So far the perimeter defense has been good. Bogans/Hill/Manu are doing well on that end. However backline help in the paint is a concern. After you break your man down, who is standing there at the basket? Duncan ofcourse, and then Blair(to short) Mcdyess(to old/short) Ratliff(doesnt play consistently) and Finally Bonner(unathletic). Another 7footer is needed.
C - Troy Murphy is overpaid, not as much as RJ but still. Apackage deal for him would have to include Bonner first and foremost. Murphy is tougher/taller and a better rebounder than Bonner. He can give Tim the space needed to operate and still be a presence in the paint when we play against teams with 2 7 footers. Ok, I'll just say it. The lakers. Which would provide them with a matchup problem.
C - Camby, He is a perfect fit. You can put him at the 4 to guard the mobile PF's in the league that Tim can no longer handle. He is a decent midrange jumpshooter and he can move his feet very well in addition to being long. However he is injury prone.
F - Jamison would be a nice addition, He can play either F position and doesnt need the ball to be effective. So now when Pop plays small ball and puts Jamison at the 4 it wont hurt the team at all. He is 6-9 and can rebound very well. I dont know if he is worth that money though.
In short the roadblock to any trade the spurs would want to make would be RJ's contract. After having your top 3 players being paid $10-20million and your role players kept around $3million throwing a $14million contract in there really closes alot of possibilities. However RJ/TIM/MANU are all playing well. The only guy to trade would be Parker. And thats not going to happen.
Another part of the problem is that we have to send 2-3 players to acquire one player. This is difficult because other teams in question may already be at a 15 player limit and cannot do a 2 or 3 for 1 trade unless they are able to thin their roster through a third team. Any trades like these will almost assuredly require a third team. The difficulty of these multiple team trades often just make it too hard to be completed.
WTF, you just called Camby a better defender than Timmy?
I think Haywood is better than Camby for the Spurs. Haywood is having a great year rebounding and blocking shots, which is exactly what the Spurs need, and he is younger than Camby. It would also be much easier to acquire him given the Wizards situation
I tinkered with this and posted it in the trade specualtion thread:
http://www.realgm.com/src_checktrade...radeid=5368315
But wouldn't this address your post? Wizards get expiring. Spurs don't loose out on continuity with what the team is doing now without Bonner in the lineup yet gives time for Haywood to acclimate to the system prior to playoffs.
This all of course depending on what the Wizards are wanting to do at this point regarding the suspension of Arenas.
Not saying that at all. Camby is more agile and athletic than Tim. Camby can move his feet better than Tim right now. You put them together and you have a solid defensive front court. On any penetration whatsoever you have 2 shotblockers. That combination really allows the guards to play there man tight and force them baseline.WTF, you just called Camby a better defender than Timmy?
Bring Bruce back or we're done.
Bruce says it's time to move on.
I know the Spurs have a rep for trying to be "fair" but if they wanted tobe fair to Ian they should have let him go in preseason. They ought to be rotating some of the bigs on the inactive list so they could POSSIBLY get players like Ian into a blowout game to give him some work and see how he does. You can't play him if he's in civvies on the bench.
Apparently we are so deep 1-12 that Pop can't find any way to get these players 13-15 any minutes. That does say something about their current estimation in Pop's eyes.
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