Spurs 2018 offseason thread

[SpursDynasty85]

People are too keen to assume there's something PATFO is missing that they can see. But I also think it's a lazy answer to say that Huestis must have been the better choice is PATFO picked him. Blossomgame is still a younger player and stockier, and he's unable to try out for any team but SA unless he forces the issue. My concern with how PATFO has been handling two-way deals is not necessarily that they've been missing out on the better players (though you could make that argument). Rather, it's that they've seem really player-unfriendly by not signing guys they draft. Back when they only had 15 slots, it made sense to look for guy who could contribute or who had real potential. But two-way deals have two purposes: Making it easier to live on a d-league salary and reducing the instability that comes with the call-up system.

I feel like the Spurs missed the mark on both of those purposes last year, and they are running a similar risk with Eubanks this year. They shouldn't feel en led for guys they draft to work at d-league wages for years and then end up falling out the system. While second-rounders are not guaranteed anything, there is or should be a level of trust that's fostered between a team an all of their draftees that the team intends to sign them at some point. If two-way deals are supposed to make it so guys can stay in country much more easily, then there's less excuses for asking draftees to take less. The Spurs obviously didn't prefer Costello to Blossomgame last year, or else they would have taken him instead. But they paid Costello significantly more (like $200k more), and they look to be planning on doing the same thing with Eubanks. It's messed up, and while it's not illegal, if I were a potential Spurs draftee, I'd want my agent to discourage PATFO from taking me.

The team has just been low-key bad for draftees for a long time. They used to try to screw first-rounders out of money every year (Deeks wrote an article back when he was still doing Sham Sports about how rare it was to not give a player 120-percent of the rookie scale, and the Spurs had like half of the total instances in league history). Yes, they've paid from surgeries (which I don't think is rare except maybe in cases like Robertas Javtokas where it wasn't an basketball-related incident), but they've also repeated passed on giving guys training-camp invites unless they force the team's hand. When the guys actually come over, they seem reluctant to pay real value for them (which I completely understand but which is still a bad thing from a player-relations perspective). Bertans took less money to come over; Hanga didn't. I think we're just seeing the next way that inherent combativeness has manifested. I didn't like it when they tried to give Hill less than the minimum 10 years ago, and I don't like it now.

Blossomgame I was fine with giving a chance because he seems like a nice guy but when has 2nd rounders needing to be pampered and shown loyalty ever been a thing? Most on here complain about how the Spurs loyalty contracts suck (some do) but now we need to cater to 2nd rounders? Not a good strategy when Spurs always are thin in top half rotation and need to make every ounce count in the bottom half. Honestly reflecting back, isn't Dante Cunningham a near identical body and athleticism but with actual 3 point skills and playoff experience? Blossomgame is expendable because he is not the type of wing we need. Huestis is a better fit because he is more of a perimeter defensive threat.

[RD2191]

Get it done RC. "Potential" can gtfo. We need proven players now.

[RD2191]

Someone post the birdman cash money gif for s sake.

[bklynspursfan]

Nets, Knicks, Clippers... Per Woj

[RD2191]

Nets, Knicks, Clippers... Per Woj

Fuuuuuucccckkkkkk

[NASpurs]

Nets, Knicks, Clippers... Per Woj

The three teams everyone guessed

[RD2191]

Doesn't mean though. Wolves will send him wherever they can get the best return.

[r0drig0lac]

Nets, Knicks, Clippers... Per Woj

big 4 in ny = butler, porz, irving and kawhi

[bklynspursfan]

The three teams everyone guessed

haha.. this gotta be killing Thibs

[NASpurs]

big 4 in ny = butler, porz, irving and kawhi

I wouldn't mind seeing that.

[szkorhetz]

The three teams everyone guessed

I can somewhat understand LAC, but the NY teams? Really?

[TimDunkem]

I can somewhat understand LAC, but the NY teams? Really?

He's only been linked to NY for a year now.

[Dex]

Come on Thibs, the Timberbulls dream is still alive!

[bklynspursfan]

Doesn't mean though. Wolves will send him wherever they can get the best return.

Of course. But you're likely to get more back if the team you're dealing him to knows they'll get him to re-sign.

This feels all too familiar, not sure why....

[NASpurs]

Come on Thibs, the Timberbulls dream is still alive!

Thibs would be fired immediately after the trade is done.

[RD2191]

What do any of those teams have to offer though? Tbh. Clips and nets are all trash and the Knicks ain't trading porz.

[NASpurs]

I can somewhat understand LAC, but the NY teams? Really?

$$$$$

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2...ew-york-knicks

"Those three teams have the maximum salary-cap space to sign Butler as a free agent in July."

[RD2191]

I can somewhat understand LAC, but the NY teams? Really?

Supposedly he and Kyrie want to team up in NYC.

[RD2191]

$$$$$

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2...ew-york-knicks

"Those three teams have the maximum salary-cap space to sign Butler as a free agent in July."

So the dude wants to get paid.

[cd98]

Doesn't mean though. Wolves will send him wherever they can get the best return.

Yes, but I'm done with a one-year rental. I prefer to develop our young players than to trade them for a 30 year old that hasn't been that good in a few years and has a bad at ude and wants to go join a superteam in a year.

[TimDunkem]

Nothing to see here, tbh. He goin' to NY.

[Clipper Nation]

So the dude wants to get paid.

It's Melo all over again. He's so desperate for big-market money that he'd rather gut his next team's roster now than wait a few months.

I don't want him on the Clippers, so hopefully Dolan does one of his usual dumb panic moves.

[marinoman]

If he’s willing to resign id give patty, white and picks but he prolly isnt so mills and pau for him

[BillMc]

Of course. But you're likely to get more back if the team you're dealing him to knows they'll get him to re-sign.

This feels all too familiar, not sure why....

[FireMicoHalili]

I just think it sets a bad precedent to not sign the guys you draft. Blossom would have made a lot of sense as a two-way guy, and I'm sure that money would make a huge difference to his quality of life. Last year, Costello ended up being utterly useless, even though I actually do think he showed some skill. The team ended up not even tendering him, so that shows how much they liked him. Metu removes the need to an emergency center taking up a two-way slot. If Eubanks had shown something in camp, I could see making an exception, but without giving others a chance to compete?

The team essentially have all 17 spots spoken for, with the possible exception being if Pon falls flat on his face. For a team pretty much rebuilding their rotation from scratch, not having any real camp battles just doesn't make sense. Even Cunningham and his increasingly bizarre contract should have been a battle but ended up being an ironclad spot instead.

From a fan’s perspective, it does. Let’s develop our own draft picks and hope they deliver on the purpose of drafting him. But what team is actually obliged to sign their own second round picks? How many 59th overall picks in the past 10 years have stuck around? The sad reality is that some players outside the draft perform better than those selected.