RJ's Contract Details

[Chomag]

Why even put in a player option? Like he is ever going to walk away from 11mil... not.

ing terrible contract.

This mofo better be fan- ing-tastic for the next four years... the problem is, we all know he won't excel, he'll be just as patchily house as he was for most of last year. He'll be the same average ing player, only losing his legs a little each year as we pay him more.

WTF was the FO thinking? This is the sort of crappy move they usually avoid. What's worse, that contract is completely untradeable. Welcome to the declining years of RJ in a Spurs uniform.

This really pisses me off.

I wonder if they are already pre-clearing up a spot in the rafters for his jersey retirement.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

So we overpay and extend our two biggest playoff chokers.

I'm with DPG on this one, subbing in scrubs for RJ's minutes would not have made any difference from the le-perspective.


What we've witnessed with Spurs securing Bonner and RJ for four years is this FO realizing we are not contenders and just want to continue to be a playoff team. They're content with us being in the playoffs and not winning les. That is the goal from now on.


Can't really blame them, I can sense the pragmatism behind their logic. But please stop kidding yourself thinking they are making these moves with les in mind.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Spurs fans really need to understand something when it comes to the thinking behind this team.

There
Is
No
Long
Term

You have a coach who will likely retire when his main star retires within 3 years. You have the franchise who will more than likely retire within 3 years. You have a point guard who may very well leave for a new challenge in a year. You have a lot of young players who could possibly fill roles, but no true prospect to become the franchise outside of your point guard who may shortly leave as mentioned above. You have an owner who likely wanted very much to avoid the luxury tax this year and would rather pay 40 million over 4 years than 20 million over one year.

Overpaying could come back to bite the Spurs this year. There's no doubt about that. Maybe even next year, but there is also no doubt that the Spurs could not replace RJ with anything better than Malik Hariston and that was a worse option than taking a shot again with RJ.

DPG you can argue the opposite all you want but everyone you mentioned picking up for the LLE or something similar earlier this off season signed for more than we could have given them.

It comes down to the Spurs being in a ty situation and maximizing their chances this year at the cost of years 2-4. You guys may not like reality, but reality is what reality is.

There
Is
No
Long
Term.

This is true. It's hard to accept, but we are what we are. These moves were made to maximize possibilities for maximum success the rest of the Duncan Era. It's just hard to swallow we're not swinging for the fences every FA these days to make a le run.

[NRHector]

So we overpay and extend our two biggest playoff chokers.

I'm with DPG on this one, subbing in scrubs for RJ's minutes would not have made any difference from the le-perspective.


What we've witnessed with Spurs securing Bonner and RJ for four years is this FO realizing we are not contenders and just want to continue to be a playoff team. They're content with us being in the playoffs and not winning les. That is the goal from now on.


Can't really blame them, I can sense the pragmatism behind their logic. But please stop kidding yourself thinking they are making these moves with les in mind.

this, they are thinking about saving money

[Chomag]

yeah cause 2014 will matter

What do you find so funny about mediocrity? Is there something that says all life for the spurs has to end when TD retiers? Although the odds are against it who is to say that the spurs wont be a good team after the Duncan years?

I choose life my friend, and life does go on.

[MannyIsGod]

If this is true it is by far the worst FO move since the Scola fiasco.

. Way to lock the team into mediocrity.

I know you're a drama queen but this is over the top even for you. Duncan's decline along with injuries have locked this team into mediocrity.

[TJastal]

Seriously though...wtf? Who exactly are the Spurs competing with for his services?

Themselves?

[DPG21920]

There is no short term either. This team has no legit shot at a le.

[benefactor]

I'm still trying to figure out how RJ is a win now move...to the point where they thought he needed almost 40 million. Oh yeah, players get better their second year.

[MaNu4Tres]

Laugh it up, . The FO just locked us into mediocrity for the next 4 years.

How did it lock the Spurs into mediocrity?

Are you aware if Spurs let R.J walk, Spurs wouldn't have enough cap space to sign a significant player in the next 2 years anyway (mainly due to Duncan and Manu still being under contract at a very expensive price)? Only significant player they would be able to sign is Parker because of his bird rights; and Spurs will still be able to sign Parker even with Jefferson.) So he doesn't necessarily lock the Spurs into mediocrity.

There's still a chance the deal is partially guaranteed. It would be nice if this can be clarified because so far we are hearing different things from different sources.

JMcDonald_SAEN
Which reports? I trust our sources. RT @AirAlamo some reports are saying that the last year is a player option, what's the deal?

If that is the case, going into his third season R.J's expiring will be a tradeable asset to a team trying to shave money off their cap or to a team in contention for a le. (Teams will value his expiring).

[MannyIsGod]

Its not about who the Spurs were bidding against. Anyone with half a brain instantly can see that this offer was what it took to get RJ to opt out in order to save Holt luxury tax money. We've all been mocking RJ for opting out this entire time but he obviously had this offer before he did so. This is likely why we didn't hear of much interest for RJ. RJ showing up with a 40 million dollar price tag isn't going to look very good at all.

Sure, after it was apparent there was no market for him the Spurs could have reversed Boozered him but I think we know the Spurs are far too professional for that.

[MannyIsGod]

There is no short term either. This team has no legit shot at a le.

Probably not, but they're rolling the dice with Jefferson because thats a better option than Malik Hairston starting as your 3.

It is what it is, but the amount of angst generated by a deal is over the top.

[DPG21920]

Also, again, I disagree you are guaranteed a step back w no RJ because there are always trades. I disagree as well that there is no future. If there was no future they would not have cared about paying tax one more year with RJ instead of agreeing to a ltd with him.

[ohmwrecker]

There is no short term either. This team has no legit shot at a le.

it. Let's all go home.

[DPG21920]

Probably not, but they're rolling the dice with Jefferson because thats a better option than Malik Hairston starting as your 3.

It is what it is, but the amount of angst generated by a deal is over the top.

It's not like I am losing sleep . But when dicussing the spurs this deal sucks on all levels. The excuse that he is better than Malik holds no water bc the goal is le or bust.

[MannyIsGod]

Also, again, I disagree you are guaranteed a step back w no RJ because there are always trades. I disagree as well that there is no future. If there was no future they would not have cared about paying tax one more year with RJ instead of agreeing to a ltd with him.

There is no future. When Duncan retires we're a lottery team - Jefferson or no Jefferson doesn't change that. The Spurs don't have much to trade outside of Parker and if Parker is traded then the run is over.

[DesignatedT]

It's not like I am losing sleep . But when dicussing the spurs this deal sucks on all levels. The excuse that he is better than Malik holds no water bc the goal is le or bust.

time to get out of this thread dpg. you have spent to much time in here

[MannyIsGod]

It's not like I am losing sleep . But when dicussing the spurs this deal sucks on all levels. The excuse that he is better than Malik holds no water bc the goal is le or bust.

Nah you're not losing sleep but this thread is pretty damn big and the majority of the replies are OMG THEY'RE SO DUMB.

Its not a great contract but the reasons behind it are obvious to anyone who wants to actually understand it:

1) Saves a lot of money
2) Gives the Spurs the best chance to win this year (I never said it was good - just that it was the best out of ty options)

[MaNu4Tres]

But when dicussing the spurs this deal sucks on all levels. The excuse that he is better than Malik holds no water bc the goal is le or bust.

You obviously are unaware of the reality of the situation for at least the next 2 years.

Read the bold.

How did it lock the Spurs into mediocrity?

Are you aware if Spurs let R.J walk, Spurs wouldn't have enough cap space to sign a significant player in the next 2 years anyway (mainly due to Duncan and Manu still being under contract at a very expensive price)? Only significant player they would be able to sign is Parker because of his bird rights; and Spurs will still be able to sign Parker even with Jefferson.) So he doesn't necessarily lock the Spurs into mediocrity.

There's still a chance the deal is partially guaranteed. It would be nice if this can be clarified because so far we are hearing different things from different sources.

JMcDonald_SAEN
Which reports? I trust our sources. RT @AirAlamo some reports are saying that the last year is a player option, what's the deal?

If that is the case, going into his third season R.J's expiring will be a tradeable asset to a team trying to shave money off their cap or to a team in contention for a le. (Teams will value his expiring).

[Stringer_Bell]

Think of it this way...if RJ is a dud again, everyone will hate him by the time he gets to the 4th year player option. It's 11m by then, but is it REALLY worth it to stick around someplace everyone hates your underacheiving ass when you already made 20m+?

I'm jus' sayin' - think about it!

[DPG21920]

it. Let's all go home.

I am still going to root for them but I am being realistic. Spurs are still a damn good team. I just don't want to hear this all in b.s. bc this team did not go all in. They got themselves under the lt and made no where near the moves they needed to.

I am ok w not going all in, but not somewhat hurting the future at the same time.

[benefactor]

Its not about who the Spurs were bidding against. Anyone with half a brain instantly can see that this offer was what it took to get RJ to opt out in order to save Holt luxury tax money. We've all been mocking RJ for opting out this entire time but he obviously had this offer before he did so.

IIRC, the Spurs FO stated they were surprised that RJ opted out.

[baseline bum]

Why even put in a player option? Like he is ever going to walk away from 11mil... not.

ing terrible contract.

This mofo better be fan- ing-tastic for the next four years... the problem is, we all know he won't excel, he'll be just as patchily house as he was for most of last year. He'll be the same average ing player, only losing his legs a little each year as we pay him more.

WTF was the FO thinking? This is the sort of crappy move they usually avoid. What's worse, that contract is completely untradeable. Welcome to the declining years of RJ in a Spurs uniform.

This really pisses me off.

Yeah, this is the worst case scenario. Jefferson may be somewhat decent in another system, but with the Spurs he's a terrible player who contributes negative utility to the team just like Bonner. There's nothing Jefferson does well for this team, and I hate continually hearing the he's a warm body argument (e.g., he's a SF and better than nothing - bull ). Imagine if the Spurs didn't have the balls to roll the dice and play an unknown named Stephen Jackson when they had a declining once-big-name player in Steve Smith who could have been getting those minutes. Committing four years to this guy is the nightmare scenario. I would have rather lost him for nothing.

[MannyIsGod]

IIRC, the Spurs FO stated they were surprised that RJ opted out.

Link?

Actually it wouldn't matter. Since any agreement for RJ like this to opt out would technically be against the CBA I would expect to hear exactly that from the Spurs front office. They know how to handle these things (like when Barry came back) unlike other franchises whom blabber too much about these things (Dallas - etc).

[DPG21920]

I get it all. I get your points. They just don't add up. I stated why. I'm not the only one.