Spurs free agency targets

[td4mvp2k]

How is the Brook Lopez thing supposed to work? He signs with the Spurs to come off the bench? You stick Zach Collins on the bench? You want Brook Lopez to not play for a contender, one of the most valuable role-players in the league?

no way spurs add another center especially since he's no better and older than collins. they need to focus more on spending on the guard or wing who can run an offense at a high level.

[spurraider21]

i've been a proponent of adding a big center who can anchor like poeltl or lopez. also figured it was somewhat likely given that timvp previously reported that the spurs, when planning for the possibility of wemby, didnt want to move poeltl because they loved his fit.

but that was also at a time when collins wasnt proven, and he did finish the season pretty damn well. pop spoke highly of collins and already said that he's earned the starting role... "he's made it. he's going to be the guy at 5 for us"

would be pretty weird to make a statement like that and then go sign a veteran to start in place of collins. starting to think its less likely than i initially thought. naz reid is an option who can come in and be the backup (i dont hate bassey, but frankly cant rely on him yet), but he's also not that burly type on defense that we would want to throw at opposing centers. plumlee came off the bench for the clippers behind zubac, so he's another vet option who should be willing to back collins up

[Chinook]

no way spurs add another center especially since he's no better and older than collins. they need to focus more on spending on the guard or wing who can run an offense at a high level.

Lopez was much better than Collins last year. It's one thing to not want him or want to lose, but people don't seem to appropriately judge the Spurs players in the context of the rest of the league. They have a lot of bad players, and most of the non-bad ones are mediocre

[jesterbobman]

Lopez was much better than Collins last year. It's one thing to not want him or want to lose, but people don't seem to appropriately judge the Spurs players in the context of the rest of the league. They have a lot of bad players, and most of the non-bad ones are mediocre

I mean, we were bad. Lopez could have won DPOY, Collins was a back up centre / then starter for the worst defence in the history of the league. Decent season, developed offensively and the skillset is useful...but Lopez is way better.

Some people seem to have Raptors fan disease where they were a lottery team with 5 all star level players who are all worth 18 unprotected picks in a trade.
I think we have some promising young players, but promising is not the same as good.

[JuneJive]

Like Lopez would ever sign here. Jesus.

How about we entertain some realistic proposals. Not that there are many. Mainly because I think the Spurs won't shake things up. They just got their centerpiece and it's all about figuring out what and who works best with him within the current roster.

[spurraider21]

Lopez shot the same 3pt% as Collins but with more volume, though its also fair to recognize that it was Brook's career high in 3pt% at age 34

[Dejounte]

Tbh I think we are going to sign like three point guards this offseason and see what sticks. Starting to believe the depth at C is fine: Collins, Mamu, Bassey, Barlow, Sochan in a pinch.

[td4mvp2k]

Lopez was much better than Collins last year. It's one thing to not want him or want to lose, but people don't seem to appropriately judge the Spurs players in the context of the rest of the league. They have a lot of bad players, and most of the non-bad ones are mediocre

you add collins to that bucks starting lineup and he's adding equal to if not better numbers compared to the spurs lineup.

[Mr. Body]

Tbh I think we are going to sign like three point guards this offseason and see what sticks. Starting to believe the depth at C is fine: Collins, Mamu, Bassey, Barlow, Sochan in a pinch.

If there's the right PF type in the second round I think they'll grab him. But agree they're going to see what they already have.

[Ariel]

Like Lopez would ever sign here. Jesus.

How about we entertain some realistic proposals. Not that there are many. Mainly because I think the Spurs won't shake things up. They just got their centerpiece and it's all about figuring out what and who works best with him within the current roster.

The Spurs have more than enough money to throw at Lopez if they so choose, enough to make him "an offer he can't refuse". The problem is, why should the Spurs make him such an offer (lets say, north of 20M annually) when he's not going to be around by the time the team actually contends. I'd look elsewhere, either for younger players with potential, or cheaper veterans to fill gaps in between. Besides Pop already said Zach Collins is the starting five, so I'd be surprised if they targeted a high profile C.

[Chinook]

you add collins to that bucks starting lineup and he's adding equal to if not better numbers compared to the spurs lineup.

No. Lopez is one of the people who contributed to Milwaukee's success, not just benefitted from it. Guys like Middleton were hurt. No idea why it's hard to accept other teams have good players.

[mookie2001]

Lol man ST only wants the oldest, most past their prime veterans available.

patty mills
















Chris Paul



Brook Lopez stop it

[td4mvp2k]

No. Lopez is one of the people who contributed to Milwaukee's success, not just benefitted from it. Guys like Middleton were hurt. No idea why it's hard to accept other teams have good players.

the bucks are one of the deepest teams in the league and you could argue lopez is no more valuable than portis is to that team but dont mistake that lopez is the reason why they finished first.

[Vince Carter's ankle]

How many tears, snot and accusations against management were on this forum last summer when Darius Days signed with Miami?
What will happen this time?

[CGD]

I mean, we were bad. Lopez could have won DPOY, Collins was a back up centre / then starter for the worst defence in the history of the league. Decent season, developed offensively and the skillset is useful...but Lopez is way better.

Some people seem to have Raptors fan disease where they were a lottery team with 5 all star level players who are all worth 18 unprotected picks in a trade.
I think we have some promising young players, but promising is not the same as good.

Sure, but in the same breath there are folks who want to bring back Jakob who started at C for most of that “historically bad” defense. In my view it’s unfair to put that on a particular player: bad D had more to do with the irregular lineups, injuries, rookies being rookies, and low key tanking.

I say give Collins the starting nod. He’s a fighter and spreads the floor. And then bring in a vet or a reclamation project like Mo Bamba to compete for the backup slot. So additional size would also help (PJ Washington?).

[cd98]

Not a good free agency market. Past their prime players don’t tie up long term salary and provide leadership and professionalism to young players. They are also still good enough to teach execution of offense in last couple of minutes of a close game. So I’m ok with Chris Paul or Lopez. They help for a year and heck I’d take Paul for a year and then release him to join a contender at the end of the season.

[Chinook]

the bucks are one of the deepest teams in the league and you could argue lopez is no more valuable than portis is to that team but dont mistake that lopez is the reason why they finished first.

Dude was second on the team in on-off. He was literally the best defensive center in the league according to RAPTOR. Dude was really good. To put it into perspective, he's a less offensively versatile but more mobile version of Pau during his first couple of years in SA. For all the people who seem worried that Wemby won't be able to get anything from Tim, having a guy next to him like Lopez who can show him not only defensive concepts but also how to move around the perimeter as an NBA center could really help his development.



No, Zach Collins isn't doing this. Very few centers in the NBA are. Dude's a true three-and-D role-player at his position, maybe the only one in the league besides Horford. Just incredibly valuable. , even if you want to buy futures in Collins, Lopez would be a great big for him to learn from as well. Zach has a lot of work to do, but if he can get to this level, he's going to have lucrative back-half of his career.

[intlspurshk]

Why would a player like Lopez play for a rebuilding team? There are contending teams with cap room

[Chinook]

Why would a player like Lopez play for a rebuilding team? There are contending teams with cap room

There aren't really contending teams with cap space. There are some hopeful clubs that could let their bigger free agents walk to make a chunk, but it's arguable if they'd still even hopeful contenders if they did that. He could take less to sign with those teams. But it's not clear if winning a le is his primary goal at this point. Money might be the goal, or playing for Pop, or getting to see Wemby up close or extending his career. We don't know if other teams would see the same benefit from signing him. Like LAL has Davis who's at the point in his career where he really should be playing the bulk of center minutes. Cleveland needs to clear up center minutes more than add to that log jam. Dallas could really use him and may sign him, but only if Kyrie walks, in which case I don't know that they're more compelling. They're also limited in how much they can offer, seeing as they would need to find a new starting guard.

If Lopez doesn't reup with MKE (which is probably the likeliest outcome by a fair margin) I think it'll come down to issues the Spurs can definitely compete on. I know I might be coming off as a big Lopez stan, but in reality I am standing on the table this much because I want STers to open their minds beyond fantasizing that this specific collection of players is going to be the new Big Three that drives the team to success for the next two decades. It's mythologizing that era of the team by looking at their legacy as an inevitable result of the starting pieces rather than the dynamic and honestly sometimes slap-dash series of transactions or improvements the team made and failed to make over the course of more than a decade. In an extremely short span of time (from 2000-2004), the Spurs ran legit risks of losing each of the three at least once, and as second and third contracts came up for negotiation, it wasn't always clear the core was going to stay together. It's only after everyone got old and won multiple les did the inertia really kick in and it became more likely than not that the players would take whatever discounts to make it work as a trio. Even then you had Tony's trade speculation in 2011 and Manu's flirting with Philly in 2016.

That's a long-winded way of saying the Spurs need to make moves to help accomplish their goals in 2023, with only a vague sense of what they mean for 2027. Those future moves will be made then, not now.

[Davidicus]

Lopez would be the best signing of the offseason for us, in my mind. Throw money at him while we have the cap space over next couple of years. No point in bringing in a superstar now, our window starts in 2 years probably. Lopez would do all the dirty work while Wemby learns and grows. Collins is good yes but WHEN he gets injured we can’t have Wemby out there fending for himself (and Bassey, cmon).

[spurraider21]

Dude was second on the team in on-off. He was literally the best defensive center in the league according to RAPTOR. Dude was really good. To put it into perspective, he's a less offensively versatile but more mobile version of Pau during his first couple of years in SA. For all the people who seem worried that Wemby won't be able to get anything from Tim, having a guy next to him like Lopez who can show him not only defensive concepts but also how to move around the perimeter as an NBA center could really help his development.



No, Zach Collins isn't doing this. Very few centers in the NBA are. Dude's a true three-and-D role-player at his position, maybe the only one in the league besides Horford. Just incredibly valuable. , even if you want to buy futures in Collins, Lopez would be a great big for him to learn from as well. Zach has a lot of work to do, but if he can get to this level, he's going to have lucrative back-half of his career.

myles turner is another, though not as sound defensively

[td4mvp2k]

Dude was second on the team in on-off. He was literally the best defensive center in the league according to RAPTOR. Dude was really good. To put it into perspective, he's a less offensively versatile but more mobile version of Pau during his first couple of years in SA. For all the people who seem worried that Wemby won't be able to get anything from Tim, having a guy next to him like Lopez who can show him not only defensive concepts but also how to move around the perimeter as an NBA center could really help his development.

No, Zach Collins isn't doing this. Very few centers in the NBA are. Dude's a true three-and-D role-player at his position, maybe the only one in the league besides Horford. Just incredibly valuable. , even if you want to buy futures in Collins, Lopez would be a great big for him to learn from as well. Zach has a lot of work to do, but if he can get to this level, he's going to have lucrative back-half of his career.

look at who's playing with in the lineup 2 of the best defensive players in the league and not just defensively but all nba level players.. considering who the coach was it's not surprising how lopez was used scheme wise in their offense and defense. I agree that he is like pau but a weak version even at his best and he's 35 likely going on the decline who was exposed in the playoffs who's not mobile enough compared to a collins which imo would be a lateral move when it comes to production. I think the depth at both PF and C is good enough for now on the spurs sure theres no seasoned vet but that can be had at a minimum on the market and i believe they will get that at some point. With Duncan and Pop already in place for wemby's development is a good start and no reason to spend poeltl like $ on an old center who cant play alot of minutes in the PO's not that he even puts the spurs in the PO's. No thanks i'll take a HOF to mentor the franchise guy without using a chunk of the cap.

[Ariel]

There aren't really contending teams with cap space. There are some hopeful clubs that could let their bigger free agents walk to make a chunk, but it's arguable if they'd still even hopeful contenders if they did that. He could take less to sign with those teams. But it's not clear if winning a le is his primary goal at this point. Money might be the goal, or playing for Pop, or getting to see Wemby up close or extending his career. We don't know if other teams would see the same benefit from signing him. Like LAL has Davis who's at the point in his career where he really should be playing the bulk of center minutes. Cleveland needs to clear up center minutes more than add to that log jam. Dallas could really use him and may sign him, but only if Kyrie walks, in which case I don't know that they're more compelling. They're also limited in how much they can offer, seeing as they would need to find a new starting guard.

If Lopez doesn't reup with MKE (which is probably the likeliest outcome by a fair margin) I think it'll come down to issues the Spurs can definitely compete on. I know I might be coming off as a big Lopez stan, but in reality I am standing on the table this much because I want STers to open their minds beyond fantasizing that this specific collection of players is going to be the new Big Three that drives the team to success for the next two decades. It's mythologizing that era of the team by looking at their legacy as an inevitable result of the starting pieces rather than the dynamic and honestly sometimes slap-dash series of transactions or improvements the team made and failed to make over the course of more than a decade. In an extremely short span of time (from 2000-2004), the Spurs ran legit risks of losing each of the three at least once, and as second and third contracts came up for negotiation, it wasn't always clear the core was going to stay together. It's only after everyone got old and won multiple les did the inertia really kick in and it became more likely than not that the players would take whatever discounts to make it work as a trio. Even then you had Tony's trade speculation in 2011 and Manu's flirting with Philly in 2016.

That's a long-winded way of saying the Spurs need to make moves to help accomplish their goals in 2023, with only a vague sense of what they mean for 2027. Those future moves will be made then, not now.

The discussion is fine, but there's a 2% chance Brook Lopez signs with the Spurs. IMO he's either staying in Milwaukee, or going to Houston. Cir stances are better for him there, with Ime at the helm they're going all in right now, because they owe the next 3 picks to OKC (1 swap), meaning they can't afford to not be compe ive. They need a defensive anchor and culture changer, he's a perfect fit and they'll probably throw everything but the kitchen sink at him, they're that desperate. He means more to them than to us.

[Atl Spur]

How many tears, snot and accusations against management were on this forum last summer when Darius Days signed with Miami?
What will happen this time?

Lol……. #facts

[Atl Spur]

Ol’ Patfo have us sitting in the catbird seat right now but you’ll never hear some speak on that but surely will drink the milk!