Seriously - time to blow it up?

[portnoy1]

It's becoming increasingly clear that the time to amnesty RJ is next offseason, if ever. Nearly all of the veteran SF FAs are off the board, and there are hardly any players worth using a full MLE on.

BTW, amnestying RJ now does get the Spurs under the tax by enough to use the full MLE.

Next offseason, if the Spurs amnesty RJ, their cap situation would be:

Ginobili  14,107,492
Parker    12,500,000
Splitter   3,944,000
Bonner     3,680,000
Leonard    1,861,920
Anderson   1,526,499
Joseph     1,105,560
Blair      1,054,000
Neal         854,389
-----------------------
TOTAL     40,633,860

That's about $17.4M under the projected cap of $58M (this year's cap, and likely to be next year's too). Duncan's decision on whether to retire or how much money to take if he doesn't will swing things. If Duncan wants the max for 2 years, I'd say give it to him, he's more than earned it. It would hamstring the team's ability to improve, though.

Let's say Duncan takes $9M, and the Spurs get the 23rd pick in the draft, signed for $1.2M. This leaves about $7.2M for free agents (whoever is signed will take the 12th roster spot and eliminate that roster hold), enough to beat an MLE offer and perhaps acquire a rotation-level big.

Then, with the new CBA, teams with cap room get a 2-year $2.5M "MLE" to use even after they use their cap room. This could be used to bring over Lorbek or Richards.

Seeing Bonner as the 4th highest paid Spurs next season simply makes my blood boil

[baseline bum]

If we are not gonna get a big, then yes, we should do SA and the big 3 a fav and trade them.

TD to Okl where he gets another ring for - Serge, Harding, Maynor, cash and Draft picks.

Manu- To the Clips for future picks and Bledsoe

TP- Houston for picks, Patterson, Thabeet and cash.

Everyone wins, we get young talent and picks in a very strong draft next year, plus we will have good cap space next year when TD and RJ are off the books.

If we dont get a big, we need to make a deal and bring someone in.

[baseline bum]

Hasheem ing Thabeet? I wouldn't trade Bonner for him. I wouldn't trade Sidney Green for him. I would have to think hard about trading Alfrederick Hughes for him.

[#41 Shoot Em Up]

No, I'm am and will always be a "true got member of the Spurs Faithful". Because of what the big 3 have done for this team, and the fact that they still are very good players, I don't want to see the team blown up. Although a 5th ring is highly unlikely, I'm okay with letting TD, TP, and MG, play out the string. When they do blow it up, so be it, but because TD still can be a force, albeit not like earlier in his career, he deserves to walk away on his own terms.

[Bill_Brasky]

If we are not gonna get a big, then yes, we should do SA and the big 3 a fav and trade them.

TD to Okl where he gets another ring for - Serge, Harding, Maynor, cash and Draft picks.

Manu- To the Clips for future picks and Bledsoe

TP- Houston for picks, Patterson, Thabeet and cash.

Everyone wins, we get young talent and picks in a very strong draft next year, plus we will have good cap space next year when TD and RJ are off the books.

If we dont get a big, we need to make a deal and bring someone in.

ing seriously? I would kill myself before I would root for my team to make these re ed moves and tank for a pick.

[objective]

good lord

[024]

spurs seem to be content staying on a burning ship that's slowly sinking, hoping they can somehow find land.

[Russ]

Given the situation today, the best - the only way, to avoid destroying this team might be blow it up sooner rather than later.

What's the rush? There's always time to blow up the team. And when you do it doesn't really dicatate when you get good again. You could be bad for a few years or a decade plus. Getting back is mostly luck, a little FO skill and a whole lot of serendipity.

Hasheem ing Thabeet? I would have to think hard about trading Alfrederick Hughes for him.

An Alfrederick Hughes reference? As someone once remarked, they must have ed the nachos in San Antonio.

[GSH]

I've got a couple of serious questions on this subject.

1. IF the Spurs somehow managed to pull off a trade for a decent big at the deadline, could he learn the system quick enough, and could the Spurs assimilate the related lineup changes in time for the playoffs in a short season? I've got my doubts.

2. I read a post from someone recently (sorry, can't remember who) that said there is no reason to blow up a team just because it can't reasonably contend for a le anymore. It made me think. Is it okay to just coast along, maybe with first round playoff exits, and just enjoy seeing the guys we love finish their careers? Or is winning a championship the only reason to play the game?

The first question has a lot to do with whether this team could actually win another championship. But the second is really more of a key to whether it should be blown up. Maybe it's something that shouldn't be discussed, no matter what our chances are in the post-season.

[baseline bum]

Blowing the team up won't happen anyways, since it would be economic suicide in a small market. I think if this team was in a big market like Boston, it might have already been done or be on the brink of happening.

[Horse]

This is all so premature. It's way too early in the season to say anything one way or another. We see now Jefferson is gonna be up an down but he's sure been good when he's up. What if Kawi and Tiago continue to improve through the season? And before last night we saw some signs of some D. Let's all relax a little.

[GSH]

Blowing the team up won't happen anyways, since it would be economic suicide in a small market. I think if this team was in a big market like Boston, it might have already been done or be on the brink of happening.

Hmmm. You're talking about the fact that the Spurs don't gain as much, financially, from a Championship as a big market team? I'm asking seriously, not being argumentative.

I've been looking at the financial benefit of getting the most value from players now, rather than using it up on a team that can't win it all. So you don't buy into the "Winning a Championship is the only reason to play" idea? Again, I'm questioning, not arguing.

[baseline bum]

Hmmm. You're talking about the fact that the Spurs don't gain as much, financially, from a Championship as a big market team? I'm asking seriously, not being argumentative.

I've been looking at the financial benefit of getting the most value from players now, rather than using it up on a team that can't win it all. So you don't buy into the "Winning a Championship is the only reason to play" idea? Again, I'm questioning, not arguing.

I mean there isn't enough money in San Antonio for the team to do well without having marquee players, unlike a city like Chicago where they were still selling games out with Brent Barry as option #1.

[wildbill2u]

The Spurs have never attracted a super-star free agent. They never will.

Three reasons:
1. They don't have the money.
2. Even if they made a big money offer, it's doubtful they'd be able to outbid another team in a major market.
3. Even if they were able to outbid a major market team from LA, Boston, Chicago, etc, San Antonio is not a preferred destination by most NBA players, especially super-stars.

[xmas1997]

The Spurs have never attracted a super-star free agent. They never will.

Three reasons:
1. They don't have the money.
2. Even if they made a big money offer, it's doubtful they'd be able to outbid another team in a major market.
3. Even if they were able to outbid a major market team from LA, Boston, Chicago, etc, San Antonio is not a preferred destination by most NBA players, especially super-stars.

I agree, and should further explain why the only way a small market team can get a super star and become an elite team is through the draft.
This argument also is good for NOT "blowing it up" because the team cannot collect the necessary players quick enough, even with a super star on board, except through the draft.

[silverblk mystix]

I've got a couple of serious questions on this subject.

1. IF the Spurs somehow managed to pull off a trade for a decent big at the deadline, could he learn the system quick enough, and could the Spurs assimilate the related lineup changes in time for the playoffs in a short season? I've got my doubts.

2. I read a post from someone recently (sorry, can't remember who) that said there is no reason to blow up a team just because it can't reasonably contend for a le anymore. It made me think. Is it okay to just coast along, maybe with first round playoff exits, and just enjoy seeing the guys we love finish their careers? Or is winning a championship the only reason to play the game?

The first question has a lot to do with whether this team could actually win another championship. But the second is really more of a key to whether it should be blown up. Maybe it's something that shouldn't be discussed, no matter what our chances are in the post-season.

Sequshrimp--- (I am quoting whenever I in' feel like it)

#1) This point is in' moot because Pop is never going to give a about playing bigs....Pop could have Wilt, Shaq, D.Rob on the ing team and he would play Wilt for 10 minutes, Shaq for 3-4 minutes, D.Rob in garbage time...and on top of that---he would play Bonner 30 in' minutes....

Who the ever said that the spurs really are looking for a big? Nobody?
That bull in training camp about not just looking for any big is code for "I am in' senile and the proof is in the Scola, Bonner & RJ decisions that I signed off on"

#2) This is loser thinking....of course you play for rings...but the Spurs are not serious about this because they refuse to notice that their coach went senile about 3-4 years ago...

[therealtruth]

All you guys hoping for them to blow it up. Keep hoping for blowouts and Pop throwing in the towel. Even after debacles in the playoffs the past two seasons it seems the FO/Pop just won't learn. They'll keep thinking the team is better than it is.

[acoelho1]

It's easy to say blow it up but to whom? That's where it get's tougher. Nobody is going to trade a lottery pick for an aging veteran. Also, we are getting younger with Green, Leonard and Splitter which seem to be quality players although not superstars. We definitely need a big to anchor the scoring down low. Utah has too many young power forwards and I would love to steal away Al Jefferson.