Potential Acquisition: Lamar Odom

[scott]

Because his desire to play for the Spurs would be significantly deminished when we tell him that we'd like for him to play for us, but only after our top options are no longer available. Especially when the guy we go after is a long shot. It is akin to saying "There is little chance we get this guy, but we want him so much more than you we are going to take a chance on him."

You scenario assumes that Kidd wants to play for so badly he is willing to be the ugly best friend while the Spurs pursue the girl of their dreams, Elton Brand.

The problem is that Kidd isn't an ugly best friend.

[Ghost Writer]

I don't buy that.

The Spurs can be aggressive in getting their big man.

It's called priorities, pal.

the Spurs need Brand more than Kidd. If Kidd really wanted to join the Spurs for the max, I'm sure he could understand us seeing about Brand's availability as we talk to him about a contract, too.

Kidd is a businessman and the Spurs show no hard feelings as he listens to the Nets and the Mavs, so I'm sure he wouldn't be offended by the Spurs looking at all possibilities.

I will repeat myself:

Kidd will get the max from the Nets if he wants it at any point this summer, regardless of what the Spurs do or the timing of the situation.

Quit trying to find flaws in my logic to justify your ludicrous "work out a sign and trade with Sterling in one afternoon" proposal.

If the Spurs were serious about Brand, they'd offer him a deal just like Utah is, regardless of Kidd's feelings.

If Kidd wants to be a Spur, he'd ask for an offerfrom them if the Spurs were expressing interest in Brand as well.

He'd most assuredly wait to see if the Spurs landed Brand before being "forced" to re-sign for the max with the Nets.

If Kidd really wanted to be a Spur, 2-3 weeks of waiting for the Brand offer to be taken or matched wouldn't stop him from keeping the Nets on the line.

My way puts the Spurs in control.

[Gridmed]

GW,

Nice initial post on Odom. I really like this guy's prospects and have had an eye on him as being a break through type player as soon as he got away from the underachieving undirected uncaring Clippers' dirty hold. He is small and needs muscle, but would make a good addition.

Now, we must have an ample big guy in the center. And I'm not talking about a Nesterovich. Someone with real size and athletic ability. Yes-> The 'Kandiman is who I speak of...
Even Riley wants this guy, and we all know about Riley's track record with an eye for compe ors and potential overachievers. He's got the size and athleticism to compete with the big dogs in the west (Barring subsequent injury). Is there some monumental reason why the spurs are steering clear of him? They think Denver will give more moolah, or just don't believe in his track record?

Finally, I don't think it would be the end of the world if we didnt sign a franchise player this year. After all, if we have the spare cap, Garnett is free next year. It's quite a pipe-dream, but could you imagine a TD/Garnett combo....

I think I just wet myself. :shock

Just some ideas....

-Grid

[Archie]

Odom is such a long shot thanks to his restricted status and his price range. I think it would be a good gamble. Would the Spurs really want him though?

[SanAntonioBard]

I think that if we want to sign Kandi AND another RFA from the Clips, we'd better sign the RFA first, and see if they match. Sterling would take too kindly to being twice raped by the same team.

[Ghost Writer]

I wonder if Ford is talking out of his @ss. I want to see someone else report that the Spurs are interested in Odom.


P.S.

I guess scott's silence means he finally sees why offering Brand a contract wouldn't hurt our negotiations with Kidd if the PG really wanted to come to SA.

[scott]

Or maybe scott's silence means that he realizes you are a dumbass who isn't worth trying to reason with.

[Ghost Writer]

Terrific comeback, scott — author of the idea that Kidd would rush to re-sign with the Nets if the Spurs negotiated with Brand.

[scott]

Because we all know how excited multi-millionaires get about the idea of being someone's second choice.

Quit living in your fantasy basketball world, Ghost. This is reality.

[Ghost Writer]

Second choice?

The Spurs should be negotiating with all the best free agents this offseason!

You think Kidd is going to have his feelings hurt when J. O'Neal re-schedules his visit to SA?

Utah is talking dollars and cents with Brand right now and we should, too.

You've gone from insisting that we look into a sign & trade immediately to refusing to talk about a deal outright with Brand just because we're also wooing Kidd.

I think you just like to argue and refuse to admit when there's an alternative to your way of thinking.

[scott]

If Kidd really wanted to play for the Spurs, he'd wait the 2-3 weeks to see how things shook out between Sterling, SA and Brand.

That is the flaw in your logic, Ghost. Kidd doesn't want to play for the Spurs more than anything else in the world. He is currently torn between San Antonio and New Jersey. The Spurs telling Kidd he isn't their top priority is all the help Kidd needs to make his decision easier.

[picnroll]

I'm warming to the idea of using a Brand offer on Kidd in the sense of telling Kidd we can't wait forever, we need to know by Friday or we want to move on and put out an offer to Brand. That way if Kidd's using the SA offer to leverage the situation in NJ they have limited time to work through things like signing Mourning, dealing with Martin and Harris, etc..

[Ghost Writer]

Give me a friggin' break. The spurs already offered him the max!

So is Jermaine O'Neal gonna immediately re-sign with the Pacers because the Spurs are in talks with Kidd, too.

No!

O'Neal will listen to the Spurs pitch.

I am tired of beating a dead horse. With Kidd deciding wher eto spend the rest of his career and it coming down to two choices — SA or NJ — there's no way that he's going to rush into any rash, emotional decisions based on who the Spurs are talking to.

Give it up.

Let's change the subject —

Do you think the fact that the Spurs have made no overtures towards Brand — talking a contract with him or a S&T with Sterling — should tell us that they're simply not interested in pursuing him?

The Spurs seem to have taken themselves out of the running for Brand.

Why?

Question.

[scott]

Second choice?

The Spurs should be negotiating with all the best free agents this offseason!

You think Kidd is going to have his feelings hurt when J. O'Neal re-schedules his visit to SA?

Utah is talking dollars and cents with Brand right now and we should, too.

You've gone from insisting that we look into a sign & trade immediately to refusing to talk about a deal outright with Brand just because we're also wooing Kidd.

I think you just like to argue and refuse to admit when there's an alternative to your way of thinking.

When you extend an offer sheet to a restricted free agent, you are immediately saying he is your first choice.

There is no recinding the offer. If he signs it, and it isn't matched, we MUST sign him.

Attempting to work a sign and trade is a different matter, because you can arrange the timing. Kidd can ask the Spurs why they are trying to work a S&T with Brand, and the Spurs can say it is in the event they can't get a deal done with Kidd.

There is no explaining away an offer sheet though. If the Spurs extend an offer sheet to Brand, they cannot make Kidd an offer- because they have no cap room to sign him (Brand's offer sheet counts against the cap). It because obvious the Brand is the first choice. Kidd's future depends on what happens with the Spurs and their first choice. Since Kidd is torn between the two, being the second choice for the Spurs makes his decision easier.

Never once have I suggested we not go after Brand like this- in fact I prefer becuase I don't want Kidd.

But when we extend an offer sheet to Brand, Kidd will sign with New Jersey. This is a most probable outcome, and there is no ignoring it just because you don't like it. We either go after Brand and risk not getting either him or Kidd- or we take the safe bet and sign Kidd.

[scott]

Do you think the fact that the Spurs have made no overtures towards Brand — talking a contract with him or a S&T with Sterling — should tell us that they're simply not interested in pursuing him?

The Spurs seem to have taken themselves out of the running for Brand.

How do you know they haven't had any talks with Brand's people or Sterling?

It's often reported that Brand would be tops on the Spurs list if he weren't restricted- perhaps the Spurs are walking carefully on dangerous ground in order to give themselves the best chance of getting him (or some superstar).

[Ghost Writer]

scott, you stubborn sunvabiyatch.

Even if the Spurs extended an offer sheet to Brand, there is nothing stopping Kidd from waiting to see if Brand accepts or Sterling matches!!! The max money will always be there to be taken from his only other alternative — the Nets! How dumb do you think he is? If he truly wanted to leave NJ for SA, he'd see how things shook out between SA and Brand, because it's not like NJ won't be waiting there with open arms regardless!

Incredulous.

[KoriEllis]

No one should assume that the Spurs' brass aren't doing something or attempting to do it just because you don't read about it in the press.

A lot of Spurs' activities you never read about.

[scott]

If he truly wanted to leave NJ for SA

O?!?!?!?!?! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?!?!?!

He doesn't want to truely leave NJ for San Antonio. It isn't a no-brainer decision for him. He is torn, which means in his mind, the two decisions are just about equal.

All else equal, would you rather go where you are the first choice, or the second?

[Ghost Writer]

Kidd says he's torn. Boo-hoo. He's going to ulitmately go where he wants to go. The Spurs can't clear the entire slate for him and let all other opportunities pass them by to protect his ego, scott.

C'mon, man.

Shouldn't O'Neal have rushed to sign with Indy by now since the Spurs already wooed Kidd and offered him the max?


The Sours don't have to extend an offer sheet to Brand. They can't for a couple weeks anyway. They can talk about a deal with him now just like Utah is and exaclty like they did the other day with Kidd.

Get a grip.

[scott]

Talking about a deal with Brand now isn't going to tell us anything we don't already know. He'll say "yah, I'd love to play for you for the max."

Then what?

We extend an offer sheet on July 16 and wait two weeks.

With O'Neal, we can still explain things away.

ONeal: "Why are you meeting with Kidd."

Us: "In the event we can't get you."

You cannot explain away your extending an offer sheet to a RFA, though- you cannot make deals to anyone else while the offer is waiting to be matched because you have no cap room. You cannot take your offer off the table for the RFA either.

[timvp]

Brand and all the other big name FA's seem like a moot point.

The Spurs are going after Kidd. He is the only person on their list now.




Interesting.

[Ghost Writer]

The fact remains that the NEts will still be there waiting for Kidd with open arms and max money should he wait and see what becomes of a Spurs/Brand scenario.

He's not going to act like a little b1tch and immediately re-sign with the Nets like you insist.

If he did that, then he really wasn't serious abot the SPurs in the first place.



I'd love to know why the Spurs aren't at leats talking to Brand like the Jazz are.

[timvp]

The Spurs have been in talks with Brand, Sterling and David Faulk since July 1.

They've tried to work out a sign-and-trade, but nothing has transpired as of yet.



I think it comes down to they think that if they offer a Max contract to Brand that Sterling will match.

No much you can do to top that -- so they moved on.





But where have you been, Brand was the person they went after FIRST.

[Whottt]

TimVP, what does Brand think about signing with us next year? (all you guys who want to piss away our future in a lame and futile attempt to beat LA STFU!)

[Ghost Writer]

timvp, I rely on ESPN Insider for most of my information. Could you please post the link to the report that said the Spurs were intalks with Brand and working on a S&T?

I am sure scott would be thrilled to hear about that.