David West opting out

[SAGirl]

He's worth the MLE to any team except the Spurs b/c he & Diaw are redundant. It's essentially the Patty/CoJo scenario except D-Worst is washed up.

Him and Diaw are indeed redundant together and Diaw is guaranteed for at least 3 mill. He came out saying Spurs were aiming to keep him.
Then Boban is also getting paid and needs playing time now that he'll be compensated adequately. On top of that we are getting Bertans, maybe others (Cady?). As they are, minutes at the 4 are too short already to justify even D west in the roster, unless he is played as a center and he wasn't very good and was exposed even through the season as a center.
I'd say no to D west if he wants a raise. He will get paid elsewhere.

[Ice009]

Ideally though why try to contend if it's not with pieces that will be there long term. I'd rather tell him kick rocks, bring in a rookie and let him get experience.. Cheap rookie deal plus experience and maybe suck enough to get a good draft pick. Cap space plus potential 15-20 pick and a core to build around. Why prolong the inevitable rebuild by retreading old fogies?

You don't flush a 67 win team down the toilet and rebuild it like you're projecting to be a lottery team, especially when the Spurs had a real chance at knocking out OKC. If Tim and Manu come back, you don't do that to them. If you don't like it, leave, start rooting for one of those lottery teams if you want to watch a rebuilding team. I'll never take a 67 win team for granted and ask for it to be broken up and rebuilt (unless it can be upgraded by doing so).

I'd rather take a chance and do the best job possible and tweak the roster to try and make another run at a championship (even if we can't get another big FA). I don't think a lot of fans around here know how crappy it's going to be once the team isn't in contention anymore.

[TheGoldStandard]

You don't flush a 67 win team down the toilet and rebuild it like you're projecting to be a lottery team, especially when the Spurs had a real chance at knocking out OKC. If Tim and Manu come back, you don't do that to them. If you don't like it, leave, start rooting for one of those lottery teams if you want to watch a rebuilding team. I'll never take a 67 win team for granted and ask for it to be broken up and rebuilt (unless it can be upgraded by doing so).

I'd rather take a chance and do the best job possible and tweak the roster to try and make another run at a championship (even if we can't get another big FA). I don't think a lot of fans around here know how crappy it's going to be once the team isn't in contention anymore.

The way you stay in contention is you start to rebuild when the time is right and the time is right. Just because we won 67 games means absolutely nothing once the playoffs begin if we can't get over the major hurdles of beating teams that always give us problems. Duncan has two bad knees now and is 40, Manu is ancient and can't be our 6th man running the bench. Parker looks like a s .. The bench is ancient considering the players that actually get run in the playoffs.

The rebuild needs to come sooner rather than later because eventually the fall off is going to happen and then what? Let's piecemeal a team together without a year or two of preparation while our best player approaches his prime. Spurs presently constructed can't beat GS in a 7 game series.

[DPG21920]

The way you stay in contention is you start to rebuild when the time is right and the time is right. Just because we won 67 games means absolutely nothing once the playoffs begin if we can't get over the major hurdles of beating teams that always give us problems. Duncan has two bad knees now and is 40, Manu is ancient and can't be our 6th man running the bench. Parker looks like a s .. The bench is ancient considering the players that actually get run in the playoffs.

The rebuild needs to come sooner rather than later because eventually the fall off is going to happen and then what? Let's piecemeal a team together without a year or two of preparation while our best player approaches his prime. Spurs presently constructed can't beat GS in a 7 game series.

Look, SA was very very close and a legit contender. There are so many things that can happen (Curry injury, Durant leaving, etc..) that you don't rush to blow up great teams.

[Ice009]

The way you stay in contention is you start to rebuild when the time is right and the time is right. Just because we won 67 games means absolutely nothing once the playoffs begin if we can't get over the major hurdles of beating teams that always give us problems. Duncan has two bad knees now and is 40, Manu is ancient and can't be our 6th man running the bench. Parker looks like a s .. The bench is ancient considering the players that actually get run in the playoffs.

The rebuild needs to come sooner rather than later because eventually the fall off is going to happen and then what? Let's piecemeal a team together without a year or two of preparation while our best player approaches his prime. Spurs presently constructed can't beat GS in a 7 game series.

1. We don't know if Tim's knee injury is something he can rehab during the off-season, so don't go saying that he has two bad knees without knowing the extent of his injury and the condition of that knee. I'm pretty sure it was just an injury to his good knee and not chronic degeneration that's going to get worse. He was playing very good up until he hurt that knee. If we had that Tim Duncan in the playoffs, I think we would have beaten OKC. I really don't think age had anything to do with his decline in the second half of the season. It was pretty much that knee injury IMO. He got plenty of rest during the season. I don't think it was age or decline. It was mostly the knee injury IMO, but I guess we will see.

2. I disagree about a rebuild. If you can't make any big moves like getting KD or someone like that, then you can sure as tweak a team that won 67 games the year before and have another shot at it. Of course, it all depends on Tim's knees and if he comes back or not, but if he's good to go, then you should be taking a look at shoring up the weaknesses on the team rather than trying to rebuild it. Plenty of time for rebuilding later.

[Sean Cagney]

You guys are crazy, West is way better than a minimum salary player. He's easily worth $5 million+. Just because he gave the Spurs an unreal bargain last summer doesn't mean he should be stuck there at minimum. Don't get me wrong, I was hoping he'd stay on the deal he had so the Spurs would have more cap space, but he has earned another contract after a strong year.

5 mill I let him walk tbh.

[TheDoctor]

Ideally though why try to contend if it's not with pieces that will be there long term. I'd rather tell him kick rocks, bring in a rookie and let him get experience.. Cheap rookie deal plus experience and maybe suck enough to get a good draft pick. Cap space plus potential 15-20 pick and a core to build around. Why prolong the inevitable rebuild by retreading old fogies?

- We don't need no rookie. We got Kyle Anderson, and NASA, and habitable planets. You coaching now?

[Clipper Nation]

[therealtruth]

I wouldn't mind seeing him back with the team, but not for more money, and only if Pop plays him right.

That won't happen. Pop can't help himself. He's got to put out bad lineups.

[Sean Cagney]

That won't happen. Pop can't help himself. He's got to put out bad lineups.

Pop falls in love with certain players and overplays them even in a series when it is clear it is not working, it's like he wants to be right so bad he just can't help it and rides it until it's too late.

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

There was literally 0 incentive for him not to opt out. Him opting out doesn't say anything.

[cd021]

Hmm. Only way he could have opted in would have been if the Spurs were sure they'd have no financial flexibility to give him more with him being okay with that. So this is hardly informative. It's better than no news, though. People can stop using his cap space in their salary projections.

Couldn't the Spurs offer him the room exception after they are done spending this summer.

[SAGirl]

There was literally 0 incentive for him not to opt out. Him opting out doesn't say anything.

I just hope him and Boban are not our big FA signings of the summer.
I don't hate Dwest but he's really a PF. Him at C does him no favors and we have way too many PF, with LMA at that position, Diaw likely kept, Anderson plays minutes in Small Ball, and we have Bertans incoming for sure, and maybe Cady if he makes the team who could theoretically be PF/C. Way too many needs at the guard spots and a real center if Timmy retires to resign Dwest and he can't expect a guaranteed role if he resigns in which case, why pay him?

I truly believe he is gone. Its probably the reason Diaw is so confident he will stay with the team too. He will mentor all these young PF we have incoming, which is just as well.

[Chinook]

Couldn't the Spurs offer him the room exception after they are done spending this summer.

Totes.

[TheGoldStandard]

I just hope him and Boban are not our big FA signings of the summer.
I don't hate Dwest but he's really a PF. Him at C does him no favors and we have way too many PF, with LMA at that position, Diaw likely kept, Anderson plays minutes in Small Ball, and we have Bertans incoming for sure, and maybe Cady if he makes the team who could theoretically be PF/C. Way too many needs at the guard spots and a real center if Timmy retires to resign Dwest and he can't expect a guaranteed role if he resigns in which case, why pay him?

I truly believe he is gone. Its probably the reason Diaw is so confident he will stay with the team too. He will mentor all these young PF we have incoming, which is just as well.

West will be our new backup 3 and 4. I got the idea from Bud with Milsap

[SAGirl]

West will be our new backup 3 and 4. I got the idea from Bud with Milsap

[therealtruth]

I just hope him and Boban are not our big FA signings of the summer.
I don't hate Dwest but he's really a PF. Him at C does him no favors and we have way too many PF, with LMA at that position, Diaw likely kept, Anderson plays minutes in Small Ball, and we have Bertans incoming for sure, and maybe Cady if he makes the team who could theoretically be PF/C. Way too many needs at the guard spots and a real center if Timmy retires to resign Dwest and he can't expect a guaranteed role if he resigns in which case, why pay him?

I truly believe he is gone. Its probably the reason Diaw is so confident he will stay with the team too. He will mentor all these young PF we have incoming, which is just as well.

I don't get Pop. Playing Diaw could have been the difference in winning in '13 and certainly made a difference in '14, yet he inexplicably glues him to bench at times. He's like a Draymond Green in that his versatility allows the team to play different ways and cause matchup problems.

[Floyd Pacquiao]

If your a power forward who can't rebound or play perimeter defense, you're useless in today's NBA. So I've heard

[TheGoldStandard]

If your a power forward who can't rebound or play perimeter defense, you're useless in today's NBA. So I've heard

Sounds like someone who's gotten over themselves.

[tbdog]

^ lol

[Chinook]

I don't get Pop. Playing Diaw could have been the difference in winning in '13 and certainly made a difference in '14, yet he inexplicably glues him to bench at times. He's like a Draymond Green in that his versatility allows the team to play different ways and cause matchup problems.

It's not that hard to get. Diaw wasn't 14 Diaw the year before. If he were in that form the whole time, the Spurs probably threepeat all over Miami in 2012-2014. But then again, he wouldn't be a Spur if he had done that.

[Kawhitstorm]

I don't get Pop. Playing Diaw could have been the difference in winning in '13 and certainly made a difference in '14, yet he inexplicably glues him to bench at times. He's like a Draymond Green in that his versatility allows the team to play different ways and cause matchup problems.

There were game where he was playing 20 minutes & grabbing ONE rebound! He was getting steam rolled by Adams/Kanter on boxouts that's why he didn't playing against OKC although he should have started & matched up w/ Ibaka since he doesn't crash the boards.

[tholdren]

PATFO better be on the phone with Joakim Noah or Matt Barnes, bc we just lost the toughest player on the team

He played like a all year. Dude lost his "toughness" 5 years ago when he stopped cleaning the glass and started shooting the elbow j. Good riddance.

[tholdren]

I'll take him as the 5th bigman.

5th big in the regular season, 30mpg in the playoffs. Pop lives for playing underperforming washed up never-has-beens in the playoffs. Cant trust those 1-3 year players.

[TheGoldStandard]

5th big in the regular season, 30mpg in the playoffs. Pop lives for playing underperforming washed up never-has-beens in the playoffs. Cant trust those 1-3 year players.

You can't teach experience.. uh.. it's just basketball