ESPN INSider has article on "Spurs' miss tops worst moves"

[doldrums]

Anyone know what it was in reference to: AK47?

[Sobe_Kucks]

Typical ESPN BS... They say they have no idea how negotiations with Min. Went but thebSpurs could have offered them way more money than Brooklyn with their MLE. Um.... Deeeeer. The idiot doesn't realize we probably hadn't announce our signing because we were still working on a deal, but talks broke down. It's ain't worth the read.

[Big P]

I give the Spurs an "incomplete" score...yes I would have liked for them to have signed AK47 during the off-season, but we now know that was never really going to happen....can't give a real score until the trade deadline is over.

[deibero]

Listen people ak47 deal is a fraud and nothing we could do to fight against russian mafia

[bthewigwam]

Yeah it's about AK. It's one section of an article that also talks about other teams. Basically says what everybody here has been saying, 'not sure how talks went, missed the boat on scaring other teams with a capable 3/4, wasted the MLE on two players.' Nothing in that section that hasn't already been addressed here.

[suitedkings]

who's article did they steal?

[chrhawk]

It's basically just assuming that since AK-47 signed with the Nets, the Spurs could've signed him for the full MLE.

[SanDiegoSpursFan]

That includes the Spurs, the team most linked with Kirilenko during free agency. I don't know how their talks with Kirilenko went. He may have balked at playing for the non-taxpayer midlevel exception ($5.2 million) or San Antonio may have decided it needed to add multiple players with that money. (The Spurs split their MLE between guard Marco Belinelli and forward Jeff Pendergraph.) I do know that San Antonio could have made a much larger offer than Brooklyn if the team still had its MLE. I also know that the prospect of a Spurs team with Kirilenko flying around off the bench at both forward positions was a scary one for West opponents that will not come to fruition.

So he thinks that the Spurs made a mistake by not saving the MLE for Kirilenko, but doesn't take into account the dirty Russian human trafficking money that Kirilenko is receiving.

[BatManu20]

It's basically just assuming that since AK-47 signed with the Nets, the Spurs could've signed him for the full MLE.

I'm African-American and I find this EXTREMELY offensive. The word is spelled with an 'S,' not a 'Z'.

[spursnatic]

It didn't take long after Kirilenko signed a bargain deal with the Brooklyn Nets for their mini midlevel exception ($3.2 million) for rivals to begin carping about Kirilenko's relationship with Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov, as reported on Twitter by Grantland's Zach Lowe. It's understandable that Kirilenko would want to play for his countryman, all things equal. Their connection dates back to Kirilenko's days playing with CSKA Moscow, the Russian club Prokhorov supported financially.




Unless additional information surfaces, however, the notion that Kirilenko left a bunch of money on the table to play for the Nets is unjustified. He made a mistake by opting out of the second year of his contract in Minnesota, which would have paid him $10.2 million, but that money was no longer available. The teams with the resources to make a substantial offer to Kirilenko simply went in different directions.




That includes the Spurs, the team most linked with Kirilenko during free agency. I don't know how their talks with Kirilenko went. He may have balked at playing for the non-taxpayer midlevel exception ($5.2 million) or San Antonio may have decided it needed to add multiple players with that money. (The Spurs split their MLE between guard Marco Belinelli and forward Jeff Pendergraph.) I do know that San Antonio could have made a much larger offer than Brooklyn if the team still had its MLE. I also know that the prospect of a Spurs team with Kirilenko flying around off the bench at both forward positions was a scary one for West opponents that will not come to fruition.

[cjw]

It's basically just assuming that since AK-47 signed with the Nets, the Spurs could've signed him for the full MLE.

Which is a very faulty assumption. Pretty sure this was a wink and nod between the two Russians before AK47 even opted out. Kind of like when he who shall not be mentioned opted out ... oops

[fleggy2k2]

It didn't take long after Kirilenko signed a bargain deal with the Brooklyn Nets for their mini midlevel exception ($3.2 million) for rivals to begin carping about Kirilenko's relationship with Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov, as reported on Twitter by Grantland's Zach Lowe. It's understandable that Kirilenko would want to play for his countryman, all things equal. Their connection dates back to Kirilenko's days playing with CSKA Moscow, the Russian club Prokhorov supported financially.




Unless additional information surfaces, however, the notion that Kirilenko left a bunch of money on the table to play for the Nets is unjustified. He made a mistake by opting out of the second year of his contract in Minnesota, which would have paid him $10.2 million, but that money was no longer available. The teams with the resources to make a substantial offer to Kirilenko simply went in different directions.




That includes the Spurs, the team most linked with Kirilenko during free agency. I don't know how their talks with Kirilenko went. He may have balked at playing for the non-taxpayer midlevel exception ($5.2 million) or San Antonio may have decided it needed to add multiple players with that money. (The Spurs split their MLE between guard Marco Belinelli and forward Jeff Pendergraph.) I do know that San Antonio could have made a much larger offer than Brooklyn if the team still had its MLE. I also know that the prospect of a Spurs team with Kirilenko flying around off the bench at both forward positions was a scary one for West opponents that will not come to fruition.

Thanks

and yeah, this was basically a Sparknotes version of the past two weeks here.

[tbear280]

Hilarious

[TimmyDuncan21]

I'm African-American and I find this EXTREMELY offensive. The word is spelled with an 'S,' not a 'Z'.

Im with BatManu Take that off

[TimmyDuncan21]

on a side note....That pig Zimmerman wont last very long if he stays in Florida.

Would LOVE to beat his ass tbh

[Budkin]

What a bull article. AK makes under the table deal with Nets = Spurs made the worst move of the offseason??

[Leetonidas]

on a side note....That pig Zimmerman wont last very long if he stays in Florida.

Would LOVE to beat his ass tbh

you'll end up shot in the chest and he'll walk tbh not worth it

[therealtruth]

Well certainly if the FO could have gotten Kirilenko for Bellineni money then they messed up.