Lin was actually pretty good as a backup. Asik was a very good backup big man for Howard. They lost a lot of depth off a bench that was far below average. They're like Portland but don't have the talent that Portland has in their starting 5.
Jones should be a solid player, but the Rockets are going to need something better in their starting lineup. Harden isn't good enough to be the only bona fide offensive threat. Lin has his problems, but Houston needed to get someone to replace his scoring. The same is true with Parsons, although Ariza should fit in well.
Houston could have easily ended up with an improved roster this off-season even after missing on Bosh. But I don't see them as being a very good team now. They just hemorrhaged talent and added unknowns/scrubs.
Lin was actually pretty good as a backup. Asik was a very good backup big man for Howard. They lost a lot of depth off a bench that was far below average. They're like Portland but don't have the talent that Portland has in their starting 5.
Spurs make formal offer to Gustavo Ayon:
http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap...fer-From-Spurs
I prefer Baynes but either him or his agent is dragging this too long. I think the ship has sailed.
This is his only compe ive advantage, being a body to throw at DHo. Maybe you can argue he has value against Asik, but I'm not that concerned there.
Ayon is a smarter, more nimble, and better skilled player all around. Sign and trade Baynes + Daye for another teams misfit.
Completely disagree with your assessment. See Australia vs Mexico in the FIBA World Cup, and it's clearly evident that Baynes is the more talented center.
Sportando: Gustavo Ayon No Longer Tied to FC Barcelona, Free to Sign with Real Madrid
http://airalamo.com/2014/09/18/gusta...-fc-barcelona/
Was looking for any interesting misfits, but couln't really come up with one (Shabazz Muhammad?). Guess if there is a S&T its for a 2nd rounder anyway.
So Ayon can choose either to play close to home (i.e. Spurs) or some across the Atlantic (i.e. Madrid).
There's more playing time overseas.
More news leaking out, not confirmed yet:
http://www.solobasket.com/liga-endes...el-real-madrid
Looks like a 3 year deal at €1.8M per. Anybody who actually knows Spanish can feel free to correct this gringo if necessary.
Last edited by Dex; 09-18-2014 at 05:58 PM. Reason: €, not $
That's a of a payday for him ($7M/3). Same deal that Teodosic got from CSKA Moscow.
You're right about 1.8M Euro for each of 3 years being about the same as $7M/3, but the Real Madrid contract is all post-tax money, right? So it's more like getting $11.5M/3 in the NBA.
Chinese season ends in March. Baynes can get minutes and money over there and be back in time for the playoffs. He'll only cost the pro-rated minimum and will advance his NBA tenure by one year. Win all the way around.
If he moves on, Spurs likely will too. Jamaal Franklin would be a nice fit in that 15th spot.
Interesting proposition Mel. I don't know whether the logistics of that would work out, but if we could sign a stop-gap 1-2 guard to fill in for Patty while he's on rehab, and then waive him and bring back Baynes toward the end of the season for any advantageous playoff matchups, that would be a coup, I would think. Might solve some problems. Also gets Baynes paid a little better, of course.
While that's the most likely outcome, the Spurs will retain his rights, so he'll be an option if they need to add a big that late in the season.
One other note for this rather unlikely scenario is that Baynes can only sign with the Spurs after March 1st unless they renounce his rights. If you recall, the Spurs needed Portland to renounce Patty's rights before they could sign him in March, 2012.
http://www.basket4us.com/blog/2014/0...rs-137986.html
Basically, it says Ayon told RealGM he has a real offer from the Spurs. Any truth to this?
Old news. He got a better one from Madrid and is going there.
That's a lot of dough for Ayon, but bigs have always been a premium, even more so internationally.
Portland had 15 players under contract already, or they NEVER would have done anything to benefit our roster. Baynes could force the issue by signing with another NBA team after China the same way Patty did with Portland if we sign a 15th, which I consider likely. We would have to cut someone to match an offer, and that's not happening.
No. Baynes would not be able to sign with another team. It has nothing to do with the roster space. Aron would essentially be the NBA equivalent of a ERFA (exclusive rights free agent), except the Spurs would no longer even owe him a tender until the following year. Like it or not, the Blazers really did help the Spurs, but that was probably because they liked Mills enough to do him a solid.
From the CBA FAQ:
http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q44An offer sheet cannot be signed after March 1. If the player does not sign an offer sheet by that date, his only choice is to re-sign with his previous team (or remain unsigned for the rest of the season). This happened with Wilson Chandler, who signed in China during the 2011 lockout and did not return to the NBA until after March 1, 2012. Chandler ended up re-signing with the Nuggets to a five-year contract shortly after returning to the United States.
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