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It's the Spurs.
It's Splitter.
Chances are they won't.
It's the Spurs.
It's Splitter.
Chances are they won't.
Why would you play here when you can play in Europe and get a free house, chef, school for your kids and high net salary?
Because of the higher salary, even higher potential future earnings and the quality of compe ion.
Yes, but that is before taxes and exchange rates.
BS. Splitter makes about the same money of Matt Bonner - net salary in given currency.
Plus, there's no "free house" (or free anything). It's a perk. It counts as part of his salary and is taxed as so.
I am joking. Just doing my KBP impression.
Meanwhile in Spain...
Tellem: hey tiago.. the offseason's almost here again and several spurs fans still think you're gonna play for the spurs
Tiago: LMAO!! it's been 3 years!!
Tellem: ROFL!! give them another verbal commit or something
I'm sure Dennis Lindsey will have a lot to say about what happens with Splitter.
lol and all the s on this forum will be stirred into a new Splitter frenzy..
Yeeeaaayyyy!!! Splitter said he's coming in 3 years, we will be champions in 3 years!!! Wooooo!!!
Splitter is going to dominate when he gets here, CIA POP FTW BABY!!! WOOHOO
Do you honestly think Tiago Splitter had an abrupt change of heart over the course of a few weeks simply because of Pop's coaching philosophy and a potential lack of playing time? I'm pretty sure Splitter knew what the Spurs' roster looked like from the moment he was drafted and he, and his agent, were fully aware that the they were coming off a championship. I don't think he had a sudden revelation of some sort after his visit to San Antonio or after hearing R.C.'s comments. On that note, what do you expect R.C. to say to the media about Tiago? As the GM of the Spurs, he's always going to be politically correct with the press (especially when talking about his players). It would've been flat out disrespectful to Fabricio Oberto and our other bigs if R.C. had said that Tiago would come in and start immediately (even though it was true).
Bottom line...the only thing that changed was Tau Ceramica throwing that fat ass contract in front of him. They knew the Spurs were handcuffed by the rooke pay scale and gave him an offer he couldn't refuse. Combine that with the fact that his sister's condition could've have worsened quickly, it made his decision a no-brainer. He didn't "punk out" and he's not a "backstabber." He did what he had to do and I respect that.
The good news is that Splitter will come; the bad news is he won't sign for more than 2 years.
The NBA is in dire need of quality Centers; they're all getting paid and Splitter knows this.
Pau Gasol just signed an extension for $20 million a year. Marc Gasol will get at least $10 million when he re-ups.
Splitter will sign for 1-2 years at the MLE with the Spurs, then he's free to make $10 million plus.
You say that like you know it for a fact. Hopefully you're right, but honestly, this is like the James situation (only on a much smaller scale, obviously) in that I don't think anyone knows for certain what Splitter is going to do, mainly because he himself probably doesn't know yet. I'm sure he'll sit down with his agent(s) after the season, weigh the pros and cons of coming to the Spurs or staying in Europe and then make a decision from there, once he has all the necessary information to make an informed decision.
If he doesn't come to the Spurs this summer (and I don't care what the situation is, how much more money some European team offers him), then the Spurs should try to trade him either alone or in a package to land a significant piece and in the event they can't land the type of piece they're looking for, I'd tell him and his agent(s) straight if I were the Spurs: you can enjoy rotting in Europe for the remainder of your career because we're not trading your ass, so you'll never get to realize your supposed dream. You screw us short term, we're screwing you long term.
The Spurs need him now, not two-three years down the road when he'll be in his late twenties and the team in a full on rebuild. They're trying to win one last championship before the Duncan era is through and Splitter is probably the most significant piece the team can add in that time. It's not that he's a superstar, but his physical attributes and overall game fit with what the Spurs are lacking on the front line, so he'd be (in theory) a fairly significant piece.
1-2 years makes sense though and would be perfect for both sides, particularly Splitter's. If he turns out better than expected, then with the dearth of quality center's (though he's not a true center, he's really between a center and a power forward, like Duncan, P. Gasol, etc.) he can easily exceed a mid-level salary in two years. For the Spurs, it guards against overpaying him for too many years in the event he turns out worse than expected.
Wish this were true.
I like this.
It's not as if the Spurs have zero leverage in this situation. If the Spurs make a strong offer and Splitter still decides to stay in Europe, the value of his rights goes way down. I'd love for the Spurs to tell him not to expect a similar offer in the future and not to expect them to trade his rights. Tell him that for the rest of his basketball career he can expect a rookie scale offer every year and nothing more. Make a strong offer and tell him take it or forget about ever coming to the NBA.
Exactly.
Of course, threatening him would be a last resort option. First, they should try to sell him every imaginable reason why he should come over this summer,.
Such as: this could conceivably be the Spurs last chance at competing for a championship and his last chance to play with and learn from Duncan. The Spurs have had a need on the front line for a player with Splitter's physical attributes for a long time and because of this, Splitter could, if not start, for sure see upwards of 20 mpg immediately. With Splitter (and another move, as well as health amongst the big three, but there's no need to tell him that, just go along with making him sound as if he's the sole missing piece because players like to feel wanted) the Spurs could conceivably go from a second tier team to being back amongst the elite.
If this fails, then they need to threaten him and not just bluff, but legitimately follow through with it because like I was saying, big deal if he comes over in 2-3 years. The Spurs need him now and if they're not going to get him now, then he can rot in Europe for the remainder of his career. What do they care if in 2013 he helps them go from 12th to 10th in the conference? That's irrelevant.
I'm not under the illusion that he's a superstar, but I do think he'd be a very good fit on this team and help them fill one of the two glaring needs they have, so if he doesn't come over (barring something completely unforeseen) I'd go as far as to say that you can probably officially rule out the Spurs winning another championship during the Duncan era. Right now the window is open a crack, but this decision could conceivably slam it shut.
I agree. I think it's why thery're really going to regret not picking up Mahinmi's option and letting him go.
We'll at least you guys still have Scol....ah nevermind!
I wouldn't exclude the chance to trade Splitter's rights.
Two reasons :
1) he changed his agent, that's now Art Tellem, and I think he did so for obtaining the more money available, that could exceed (also not for a lot) the MLE;
2) Next year there will not be a lot of available players playing center worth his value...he's young, long, experienced in a good compe ion (euroleague and international championship), very good defensive player and not too expansive 'cause he still have not shown in nba ...he won't command the some money of, for example, an Haywood, but could well be better than him.
Lots of teams with cap space (there are some next year), inmho, exepecially teams with international knolwledge, will offer something very very good for him, expecially teams lacking an interior presence, well knowing that, after the Scola mistake, the spurs f.o. will trade his rights only for an incredibly good package.
The perfect partner could be Oklahoma City : they have good relationship with Spurs (Presti), they already have tons of young players to develop, they have international knowledge (look like Mahinmi has been the last Presti choice), they have the cap space (more than ten millions next year) and they have a lot of stuff to sell (just this year, for example, two first draft choices).
And, more than all, imho they are just a very good defensive big away from being championship contenders for years and years to come.
Signing Splitter for, say, 6/7 millions for three years could be an incredibly good, and rather cheap, solution for them...
OKC already has a Euro stiff (Krystic) signed through next season for 6m, why would they want another?
Why could other teams offer more than the Spurs MLE. Are we legally bound to the MLE offer by league rules? If so, why wouldn't other teams be tied to an MLE offer?
Couldn't we either make more cap space or simply pay the luxury tax. (Simply must be a word that Holt would cringe at after this year's luxury tax debacle)
Someone put out a call for Bruno or one of our salary mavens who know all the ins and outs on salaries to explain this arcane subject.
Spurs own the rights to Splitter, they can pay him whatever they like...but it cannot exceed the MLE due to the Spurs being over cap.
Other teams cannot "outbid" the Spurs for Splitter in his first contract.
Spurs do have Splitter over a barrel of sorts...if he ever wants to play in the NBA, he has to go through San Antonio first (unless they trade or renounce his rights).
You like many others here are likely overrating Splitter. I would not hold too much faith in Splitter being any type of franchise savior or championship difference maker.
First of all I love the NBA and recognize that the physical dimension and pool of talent makes it the best league in the word.
That said, some of you think that playing for a top level euro team is some kind of punishment if you don't go to the NBA... Get serious, the guy is getting paid big bucks and will get even more if he goes to Madrid. He's a superstar in europe plays about 3 times less games than in the NBA and I don't even talk about the time NBA players spend on the road. Not even talking about the culture difference.
Quality life, major fame and big bucks that doesn't sound too harsh of a life.
The article mentions a sign and trade as a possibility.
Who would be a potential partner in this scenario? I would think RJ would be a good chip to dangle out there for this.
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