Spurs to offer Duncan at least $11M per year

[Mark in Austin]

Nah, the trump card is Duncan saying: "Shortchange me and I'll go win a couple championships with the Miami Heat while being a hop, skip and jump away from St. Croix. Meanwhile, Spurs fans will boycott the team like after George Gervin left when they hear how little you offered me to stay despite all those championship trophies I brought to San Antonio."

That, my friend, is game, set and match if Duncan wants to actually negotiate. With that leverage, Duncan basically can get whatever he wants, tbh. If Duncan leaves in a messy way, the franchise value depreciation alone would be a lot more than whatever money the Spurs "save" by letting Duncan walk.

There is really only one way this can work. The FO sits down with Duncan and says basically, "Tim, right up front we want you to know there is no way we can pay you what you're worth in terms of everything you've done for the Spurs organization. Even at you current salary you are underpaid. We basically worked up three scenarios for you - we think one is better than the others - but we want you here and you'll never hear us complain no matter which one you choose.
1. $5M/yr for X years. Gives us the ability to go out and get you serious help. We want you to retire with at least 1 more ring.
2. $11M/yr for x years. We can still go after a MLE player and are committed to doing so.
3. $15M/yr for X years. We'll still be a great regular season team but realistically we won't be contenders anymore."

[ElNono]

Some people need to put this into perspective... There's another alleged franchise player well past his prime that is going to get paid $30m/season ($15m/season after marital deductions) for the next two seasons.

When you look at that, a $12m/season or so deal for a couple of seasons feels almost like low-balling...

[Leetonidas]

Some people need to put this into perspective... There's another alleged franchise player well past his prime that is going to get paid $30m/season ($15m/season after marital deductions) for the next two seasons.

When you look at that, a $12m/season or so deal for a couple of seasons feels almost like low-balling...

didn't think of it like that tbh this makes me feel better

[eric365]

Duncan's level of play this year is worth $10M/$12M per yr IMO

But he is already old and will play less and less minutes for this next contract.
His actual worth for the next 2 or 3 years should be around $8M/yr IMO. I don't even think he could play more than 20 min per game for 65 games the 3rd year

But since it's Duncan and for everything he has done for the spurs, I would not be mad up to $15M/year even if it hurt the spurs.

[lurker23]

This debate is actually really simple.

As a Spurs fan, you want Tim Duncan to take as little money as possible.

The Spurs, as an organization, know that it makes both business and basketball sense to give Duncan whatever the heck it takes to sign him.

If you're Tim Duncan, you have to figure out where on the spectrum between $1m and $23m you want to be paid. Anyone who thinks it's a simple or easy decision is fooling themselves.

[DPG21920]

It's a very tough spot for Tim, the FO & the fans. Before the variables changed, this type of talk was widely viewed as an obvious money grab by the Spurs front office: Delay actually rebuilding & knowingly not contend all to keep fans in the seats for a few extra years.

It's an incredibly tough decision for all parties involved, but clearly the worst option of the 3 (Pay Tim a lot and not contend, Tim take lower money and possibly help add pieces or let Tim walk and rebuild) is letting Tim walk.

[SilverSpur]

I put him at 5 to 8 mil per year. We are always asking older players to come here and play for less and guess what? Tim Duncan is an older player.

[Texas_Ranger]

I'm a huge Tim fan and cause of him I'm a Spurs fan. I would pay him $30M if I could, but cause he'll be 37 next year and if we all want the Spurs to still be a great team our first choice should be signing a star player. If that means that we can offer Tim just a $5M contract, then that should be it. Tim does deserve more money than that, but if he wants help, take less money. If the team doesn't get him help under the basket, then I wouldn't mind if he'd sign with Miami or just retire.

[Ditty]

Depending on how the Spurs do in the playoffs will effect his decision imo. I think if we make a solid late season playoff run, and he sees we need another piece or two, I think he end up signing for about 8 million. If we have another early playoff exit I wouldn't blame him taking 11 million + , as the front office has barely helped him in the front court these past few years .

[Agloco]

Offer Tim 5M, resign Neal for a nice 4-year 27 mil contract or something like that. Amnesty and we'll still have a little under 20 million to offer someone like a Howard. If Duncan refuses to resign for that amount he's not a team player and he can walk, I'm fine with that.

So Neal is worth more than Tim now?

[Cane]

Duncan's still one of the better bigs and leaders in the league and will be paid accordingly.

As for improving the roster next season....Spurs should try and lure another big and wing from overseas (Lorbek?) and give them Splitter/Neal sized contracts. Amnesty or somehow get rid of RJ and make a move for a decent player or two. Easier said than done but if the Spurs end up being a convincing first round exit, I think those kind of moves will be made

[SenorSpur]

As Tim's skills have declined over the past 2 seasons, it's obvious that as long as he continues to play, that situation will only get worse.

The best approach is to incrementally upgrade the frontline talent around him so as to mitigate that decline.

[benefactor]

wrong.

Here's the thread about Duncan's extension. You posted five times in that thread. Strange that you're three years off about when it happened.

http://spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80437

And with that, I think I'll lump this cat in with TJastal...lol didn't read...scroll'd on past.

[benefactor]

This debate is actually really simple.

As a Spurs fan, you want Tim Duncan to take as little money as possible.

The Spurs, as an organization, know that it makes both business and basketball sense to give Duncan whatever the heck it takes to sign him.

If you're Tim Duncan, you have to figure out where on the spectrum between $1m and $23m you want to be paid. Anyone who thinks it's a simple or easy decision is fooling themselves.

At the end of the day I'm sure there will be a reasonable outcome.

[Ditty]

Neal is under contract next season. I think we end up letting Green go as he will be demanding more money, and bring back Anderson who we can sign for cheaper for at least one more season.

[silverblk mystix]

I don't really have good words to say how dumb this ing take is. You seem to hit new levels every time I log in.

You pay Tim Duncan...period. Saying stupid like the above drivel is a slap in the face of a player that made this team what it is today. He is the franchise, no matter how old he is. Stop ing looking at him from role player/production = worth standpoint and remember what he has done for this city and this team. Who gives a if the Spurs can't contend over the next few seasons? He's Tim Duncan. Tim. ing. Duncan.

Pay him.

Emotion.

Nothing to do with reality.

I would hope that in my job, I could get a huge raise for the next 10 years, based on what I did 10 years ago.

Let's say that currently in your job...you accomplish a lot less than you used to....take extra sick days because your body is old....you sometimes get embarrassed by younger employees who are twice as productive as you are...

but because 10 years ago you were employee of the year...you want to make more money than others who are doing twice the work you do because ...ten years ago you were awesome!

Sure,this makes sense.

[benefactor]

Horrible analogy is horrible.

[DesignatedT]

12 million a year is completely fair. Would you rather he retire/leave? uhhhhhhhhhh no

Some of you are really anxious to start losing and "rebuilding" as if it's going to be some easy task to do.

[TimmehC]

Simple solution: give him a 1-year deal at a high dollar amount, and re-negotiate both his and Manu's deals next summer, if they still want to stick around.

[DesignatedT]

Simple solution: give him a 1-year deal at a high dollar amount, and re-negotiate both his and Manu's deals next summer, if they still want to stick around.

and what if he doesn't want a 1 year deal?

[thispego]

Emotion.

Nothing to do with reality.

I would hope that in my job, I could get a huge raise for the next 10 years, based on what I did 10 years ago.

Let's say that currently in your job...you accomplish a lot less than you used to....take extra sick days because your body is old....you sometimes get embarrassed by younger employees who are twice as productive as you are...

but because 10 years ago you were employee of the year...you want to make more money than others who are doing twice the work you do because ...ten years ago you were awesome!

Sure,this makes sense.

Duncan is currently the best big man on the team!
stat-wise, leadership-wise, everything-wise! damn you're dumb

[DPG21920]

At the end of the day I'm fairly confident they will do what's fair to all parties. Like Bruno said, TP took a contract that shows he wants to contend still. I'm sure they all want to win.

[Keepin' it real]

There's a saying in my house (and maybe yours too): "Whatever Baby wants, Baby gets."

So I'm wondering if the real question here is: What's the least amount of money Mrs. Duncan will allow her husband to play for?

[TimmehC]

and what if he doesn't want a 1 year deal?

Then give him what he wants, with the knowledge that the team around him will slowly turn to crap.

[therealtruth]

Simple solution: give him a 1-year deal at a high dollar amount, and re-negotiate both his and Manu's deals next summer, if they still want to stick around.

I believe the new CBA allows you to renegotiate contracts any time. I wonder how teams will start to use this. Potentially you could renegotiate a lower contract for someone who isn't worth their contract.