Ludden: Spurs find spot for Scola, Butler — Houston

[Kori Ellis]

I wanted them to look at Amir Johnson and I believe they did. But they probably wanted to pay him under a milliion a year.

I'm not against Udoka, but I'd also like them to look at Singleton as well as Matt Barnes, who isn't getting any contract offers for higher than $2M a year, it seems.

[milkyway21]

I'm happy for Scola he finally made it to the NBA.
But I'm sad he's leaving the Spurs.
I'm sad he's on the WC/same division team-Houston.

I'm sad Butler didn't make it to the roster this season but at 22, he can grow more and play more minutes with another team bec Spurs is already loaded and he doesn't fit in with the Spurs' kind of play. Good luck.

I hope this Udoka -

With Johnson off the market, the Spurs could turn their attention to Portland free-agent swingman Ime Udoka. Udoka, who turns 30 in August, averaged 8.4 points and 3.7 rebounds while starting 75 games for Trail Blazers.

Udoka is a rugged defender and a dependable 3-point shooter, skills he shares in common with Bruce Bowen, the player he would most likely back up.

.. will be an asset to the team.

I hope.

Oh no. Houston now is loaded with talents and BIG men.

[Marcus Bryant]

They had hoped to also sign Detroit forward Amir Johnson to an offer sheet, but he agreed to take less money (three years, $11 million) to stay with the Pistons.

[ploto]

So we are supposed to actually believe that the Spurs offered 3 yrs and $12 M to him?

[Mr. Body]

So we are supposed to actually believe that the Spurs offered 3 yrs and $12 M to him?

It's hard to swallow. That's practically Brent Barry money.

[koopa]

The Holt Cat 2007-08 San Antonio Spurs

1st Team.. 2nd Team .. Sport Coat Rotation
Oberto..........Elson........Mahinmi
Duncan.........Horry........Bonner
Bowen...........Barry.........? ? ?
Finley............Ginobili.......Barry
Parker...........Vaughn......Udrih

i think horry is gonna be the nba version of roger clemens next season, so bonner will be off the bench before horry........... damn, the spurs are the nursing home of the nba

[picnroll]

So we are supposed to actually believe that the Spurs offered 3 yrs and $12 M to him?

gfy

[mystargtr34]

Amir Johnson looks like a meaner tougher Kirilenko. He only just turned 20 :s

[Budkin]

I still can't ing believe we just made this trade.

[milkyway21]

quote from Houston:

Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said he expects Scola to help his team immediately.

"He adds experience and toughness at a position of need on our roster and is an NBA-ready player with a very high basketball IQ," Morey said in a statement.



Scola is coming to the NBA this year people!

[mystargtr34]

rub it in

[ploto]

Still a horrible trade but the Spurs can make it palatable if they go out and bring in another player.

Even if they bring in another player, can it really make it palatable? There are a number of other ways to find a roster spot or cut salary.

[ploto]

Notice of course, the painting of Scola in a bad light and the Spurs trying to come off as the good guys who are letting him into the NBA.

[JamStone]

I'm a self admitting Isiah Thomas apologist. But, I must note that there were plenty of Spurs fans--and fans of other teams as well--that thought the Spurs had taken Isiah to the shed again by "stealing" Jackie Butler from the Knicks with Isiah not wanting to match the offer the Spurs made. Some fans even went so far as to say Jackie Butler would end up being the Spurs starting center at some point last season. Turns out Jackie Butler was no more than a one year lease that couldn't even get off the inactive list on most nights, and he wasn't missed in New York.

I know Isiah still has made plenty of blunders and has been one of the worse GMs in the NBA, except perhaps when it comes to drafting players and getting good value where he drafts them. But, I want to make this note that not matching the Spurs' offer to Jackie Butler does not belong on some list of examples of how the Spurs FO outsmarted Isiah, even if Butler ends up being a solid NBA player down the line.

Again, just a Detroit-biased Isiah apologist making a note. And, Malik Rose's contract, David Lee, and Mardy Collins for Nazr Mohammed wasn't too bad for the Knicks as well, even though it wasn't bad for the Spurs either.

[Mr. Body]

Isiah has a true eye for talent. Watching his summer league team proves it (Randolph Morris was punishing Spencer Hawes, by the way). There's been some revision of the Mohammed trade, especially given what Isiah's turned the draft picks the Spurs spent to make the deal happen - David Lee or Balkman would be great now. Marty Collins would be great right now.

Butler's a good player and was a steal last summer, if he didn't pan out. The Spurs pissing him away for luxury savings shouldn't mean much, but no, the Spurs are not a smarter team at this point than what Isiah has been doing.

[drmvp]

Just saw this trade...

As a Rice University alum who had the orgasmic pleasure of watching up close and in person that part-beast, part-ballerina otherwordly virtuoso known as Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon, let me for one moment take off my Spur's sombrero and slip back into my Rocket's hat. From deep in the heart of my fond memories of beer and barbeque at Drexler's World Famous BBQ & Grill on 2300 Pierce, let me give a big shout out to those goddamned mother ing idiots known as R.C. Buford and Peter Holt:

Bwwwwaaahhhahhhaaaaaaaahhhaaaaaaaahhaaaahaaaahhhhh haaaaaaaahhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaa aahhhhahahahahhhhhhahhahahahhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaahahahha!

You've just been PWNED by CIA Morrey and his Lindsay plant.

[Marcus Bryant]

Isiah has a true eye for talent. Watching his summer league team proves it (Randolph Morris was punishing Spencer Hawes, by the way). There's been some revision of the Mohammed trade, especially given what Isiah's turned the draft picks the Spurs spent to make the deal happen - David Lee or Balkman would be great now. Marty Collins would be great right now.

Butler's a good player and was a steal last summer, if he didn't pan out. The Spurs pissing him away for luxury savings shouldn't mean much, but no, the Spurs are not a smarter team at this point than what Isiah has been doing.

Howard
Lee
Collins

The FO knows what it is doing.

[Quasar]

DId the Spurs just hire Isiah? This is the most stupid trade i've ever heard of!

2 players with a lot of potential for a player who's not gonna play and a SECOND round pick?

What's going on? They are preparing excuses just in case they don't repeat?

And they trade the players to the SAME division?!!

[Streakyshooter08]

They tradet then within the same division? That is even worse. If Scola comes over THIS year Houston will be once a again a dangerous team:

Ming
Scola
McGrady
Batier
Alston

I am officially pissed now!!!!!

[mystargtr34]

wow lol Isiah looks like Jerry West compared to RC right now

[drmvp]

They tradet then within the same division? That is even worse. If Scola comes over THIS year Houston will be once a again a dangerous team:

Ming
Scola
McGrady
Batier
Alston

I am officially pissed now!!!!!

Rockets GM Morey sounds like he is very confident in signing Scola this year.

Also, don't forget about the Mike James trade, and their first round pick Aaron Brooks has looked tremendous in the summer league (pick #31 Carl Landry is doing well too).

[mikekim]

I just read the news of the trade. I'm pretty shocked. Actually I think I'm too shocked to stay awake...I'll sort it all out in the morning. I'm sure it'll make sense then.

I'm thinking maybe Butler was really worth nothing (at least in the Spurs system)...and the Spurs did intentionally force-feed him the ball in summer league to raise his value a lot. The Spurs know more about Butler than any of us on here. So I guess I can convince myself to trust them on that (for now).

And scola? I wasn't a big fan of the whole "scola, the savior of the spurs" thing. And I had more doubts than praises of his effect in the NBA.

But man...is this really all we could've gotten for those guys? I'm sure we could've gotten more... wow... This feels like the "oh " moment after you make an ill-advised trade in fantasy basketball which felt 100% right at the time you made the trade.

It'll all feel better in the morning. It'll all make sense in the morning.

[milkyway21]

They tradet then within the same division? That is even worse. If Scola comes over THIS year Houston will be once a again a dangerous team:

Ming
Scola
McGrady
Batier
Alston

I am officially pissed now!!!!!

i hope that rumor about Francis returning to Houston is officially dead right now.:

[drmvp]

Rockets GM Morey sounds like he is very confident in signing Scola this year.

Also, don't forget about the Mike James trade, and their first round pick Aaron Brooks has looked tremendous in the summer league (pick #31 Carl Landry is doing well too).

Oh, and I almost forgot that Spurskiller Bonzi Wells is back, and now has those happy-smiley warm fuzzies after being reunited with his daddy, Rick Adelman.

[MannyIsGod]

Scola better ing suck.