LMA is gone!

[cd021]

If they go they won't go for nothing - it'd create $50+ mil of cap space, which can then be used for FAs or for selling it for bad contracts and picks. Getting a 2027 2nd rounder for Gay, for example, isn't worth as much as keeping a rotation player for the rest of the season.

I don't necessarily agree with that logic. If the Spurs weren't going to re-sign them anyways, can they really view 50+ million in cap a positive result of not moving those players when under contract?

If Gay isn't likely to be brought back; getting a potentially good future second rounder isn't a bad return, especially when considering the Spurs had Lyles that they could plug in there as well as getting Luka some developmental minutes. The Spurs probably wouldn't have been made much worse had such a deal happened.

I do agree that having a lot of cap space can be useful but probably not so much to the Spurs. They desperately need a four, unless they can get Collins or Markkanen then there are pretty slim pickings that can be had, limiting the usefulness of cap. They can rent out cap space for picks but will they, actually? That requires them to be proactive and make trades.

[cd021]

I mean, if anyone needs evidence that this is a positive thing for player relations, just listen to what Dejounte had to say:

But I don't think anyone really wants their mind changed from the fact that what the Spurs are doing benefits anybody, not even when their own player applauds them for doing it.

Murray is happy to see his friend being able to move on to a better situation, ok. Its not like the Spurs don't already have a rep for doing right by their players for decades.

My issue is that they waited too late to move Aldridge, they could've moved him last deadline or in the off-season--especially after it became clear that Poeltl was the starting center of the future. Instead they brought him back, possibly hoping to try and move him at the deadline but Aldridge's value dropped significantly and he ended up getting benched until he asked out.

[Teamduncan21]

Murray is happy to see his friend being able to move on to a better situation, ok. Its not like the Spurs don't already have a rep for doing right by their players for decades.

My issue is that they waited too late to move Aldridge, they could've moved him last deadline or in the off-season--especially after it became clear that Poeltl was the starting center of the future. Instead they brought him back, possibly hoping to try and move him at the deadline but Aldridge's value dropped significantly and he ended up getting benched until he asked out.

They wanted a first round pick. Or a good young player. There is no point trading for a long contract if they want to make a run for collins or lauri. 2nd rounders rarely make a dent anyway. Again no point trading for the sake of trading. You trade to become better. If there's no trade to become better. Then just let lma walk.

Spurs is not trying to tank. (At least seems so) they won't trade for a longer contract. Now did they get first round or good offers that they missed? That's another story. But as of now it seems they wanted a first round. A trade which makes them better. And not a trade for the sake of it.

For instance. Trading lma for myers lenard and a 2nd round 2027 (for simplicity sake) doesn't really add value to spurs. And has almost no difference to letting him walk or hope a better deal comes along.not saying they shouldn't do it. But it's horizontal by nature and can hope for better deals without losing much. (at worst he walks)

Spurs are a small market. They are conservative. Cause a long term mistake can be costly. Unlike a lakers where they magically get lebron even after making mistakes we can't afford that

[poopbox]

There’s always deal to make specially last season. The Grizzlies traded a worse looking Marc Gasol who had been quarreling with his coach on a horrible tanking Grizzlies team (and Conley) and launched themselves into a rebuild that just the immediate year after saw them improve. They are nowhere near great but their team is very young and Jackson is always injured apparently that’s bad luck. They got a lot of miscellaneous vets and veterans they rerouted to other teams the season after and got pieces they wanted to keep. Heck they traded the untradeable albatross that was Chandler Parsons who had not played in two years and was awful when he did and who was refusing to rehab in the gleague... There’s no one telling me there weren’t deals. They likely did overvalue LMA (them picking his option supports this). They just haven’t been savvy making deals to improve the team... and that’s likely to stay the same as long as they have the same management.

still hoping for a trade though.

Pretty sure getting getting Morant had more to do with their rebuild than anything else.

[DeRozan m8]

It's pretty fitting the Aldridge stint finishes like this tbh

Hes quit on the team before and has had too many diva tendencies

[John B]

It's pretty fitting the Aldridge stint finishes like this tbh

Hes quit on the team before and has had too many diva tendencies

Yeah it sounds like Pop had it with this guy. “You want out?, okay.” And the same as before, Aldridge is not getting much of a return. But this time, Pop is not convincing him back. It’s not the best poker play, not even trying to hide to get any leverage. As much as PATFO are great at scouting, drafting and developing players, they suck in trades . I mean it’s not like they had a lot of experience doing it. That GH for Kawhi was more like knowing who to pick. Besides that, I don’t remember a successful trade. Dennis Rodman was before this PATFO. Jefferson? Yeah for an expiring Bruce and Thomas, but it didn’t work out. At this time, I’m expecting no more than a buyout. I like the PATFO to prove me wrong

[JuneJive]

Otto Porter Jr. -- LMA swap would be nice.

[baseline bum]

That Pau contract is overly emphasized (on the site in general, not necessarily your point.) Pau had a player option that he was likely to take. The Spurs wanted to make a run at Chris Paul and needed Pau to opt-out so they cold afford CP3. Then they colud re-sign Pau to a new contract with his Bird rights. Obviously, they had to make it worth Pau's time to opt-out so they gave him a richer contract. Unfortunately, CP3 blew off the Spurs for Houston. When he did that, the Spurs, being honest people and knowing if they renegged on their verbal agreement to Pau it would quickly become well-known in the market, gave him the agreed upon new contraact. Of course, it was bigger. Pau had to be incentivied to opt-out.

Everyone always wants the Spurs to swing for the fences, and this was a case of them trying to do it by getting CP3 price-be-damned, and why it isn't usually prudent to do so. You can argue it was a mistake, but it was a calcualated gamble that just didn't work in the Spurs' favor. It's not like PAFO were just morons or handing out loyalty contracts as is often asserted on ST. You roll the dice and sometimes you lose.

Gasol even after opting out would have counted like $15 million against the cap until either renounced or signed. So they couldn't have had Paul and used Bird Rights to give Gasol the contract he got. He either would have had to be renounced or signed to a bargain basement deal before that cap space would have opened up to give Paul. This precise scenario you're talking about going over the cap to sign your own free agents after using up your capspace was eliminated I think in the 1999 Collective Bargaining Agreement, maybe even earlier by placing cap holds on teams' free agents. The way you explain it is how Bird Rights initially worked in the 80s and early to mid 90s though. My best guess is Gasol said if you offer me three years at $16 million a year if Paul says no I'll opt out, and if he says yes Gasol would have left. Risk $16 million to more than likely get $48 million was likely what he was thinking at the time. And really, it was more like risk $6 million since he would have almost certainly got $10 million a year on the open market.

[DAF86]

Otto Porter Jr. -- LMA swap would be nice.

THIS. THIS. THIS.

The salaries matchup perfectly and Porter is pretty much the type of player we are missing. A 6'8" 3 and D guy. If you asked me, which player would you choose to fill that gaping hole we have at the 4, it would be Porter Jr.

-6'8"
-40% 3pt shooter.
-lifetime positive impact player on both sides of the ball.
-Only 27 years old.

PATFO needs to do something right for once in a mid-season trade and get this guy. This would be such a perfect trade that I'm tempted to start a thread about it.

[cjw]

THIS. THIS. THIS.

The salaries matchup perfectly and Porter is pretty much the type of player we are missing. A 6'8" 3 and D guy. If you asked me, which player would you choose to fill that gaping hole we have at the 4, it would be Porter Jr.

-6'8"
-40% 3pt shooter.
-lifetime positive impact player on both sides of the ball.
-Only 27 years old.

PATFO needs to do something right for once in a mid-season trade and get this guy. This would be such a perfect trade that I'm tempted to start a thread about it.

It also lets you ship out Gay (+ Lyles’ expiring salary) for value too. Porter + Luka can absorb all of their minutes.

It’s just hard to see why Chicago would do that deal straight up given Porter is expiring, unless they plan to keep LMA. And LMA can drag his feet and not go there by forcing the trade kicker (trade numbers still work).

And Spurs would have to unload at least Lyles to stay under the tax. Bulls are fine on the tax it seems.

[BlackAndWhite]

33 pages later and LMA is still on the team

[pad300]

Gasol even after opting out would have counted like $15 million against the cap until either renounced or signed. So they couldn't have had Paul and used Bird Rights to give Gasol the contract he got. He either would have had to be renounced or signed to a bargain basement deal before that cap space would have opened up to give Paul. This precise scenario you're talking about going over the cap to sign your own free agents after using up your capspace was eliminated I think in the 1999 Collective Bargaining Agreement, maybe even earlier by placing cap holds on teams' free agents. The way you explain it is how Bird Rights initially worked in the 80s and early to mid 90s though. My best guess is Gasol said if you offer me three years at $16 million a year if Paul says no I'll opt out, and if he says yes Gasol would have left. Risk $16 million to more than likely get $48 million was likely what he was thinking at the time. And really, it was more like risk $6 million since he would have almost certainly got $10 million a year on the open market.

I see it a little different.
I think the Spurs went to him and said if we sign CP3 to a max, we will have the full MLE left. To sign CP3 to a max, we need you to opt out, and then, if we need to (to sign CP3), we will abandon our bird rights to free cap space. If you do opt out, we promise you a contract worth the full MLE. In support of this, note that the guaranteed portion of the $50M contract that Pau got was the full MLE (spread over 3 years)...

[baseline bum]

I see it a little different.
I think the Spurs went to him and said if we sign CP3 to a max, we will have the full MLE left. To sign CP3 to a max, we need you to opt out, and then, if we need to (to sign CP3), we will abandon our bird rights to free cap space. If you do opt out, we promise you a contract worth the full MLE. In support of this, note that the guaranteed portion of the $50M contract that Pau got was the full MLE (spread over 3 years)...

Only could have worked if they sent out salary in a trade with the Clippers as they didn't have much left after factoring in Paul's contract. Can't just use capspace and then use an MLE too.

[Dejounte]

Likely a buyout, but still crossing my fingers.

[spurraider21]

crofl if we went from potentially flipping him to move from 11 to 2 to just buying him out

[duncan2150]

crofl if we went from potentially flipping him to move from 11 to 2 to just buying him out

This trade with aldridge plus 11 for pick 2 was never serious imo. His value could have been good two years ago but not this year.

[pad300]

crofl if we went from potentially flipping him to move from 11 to 2 to just buying him out

That's what happens when your play drops off a cliff at 36 years old and you pout about being benched...

[Mr. Body]

crofl if we went from potentially flipping him to move from 11 to 2 to just buying him out

That was never happening. Can we let it die already?

[BacktoBasics]

That was never happening. Can we let it die already?

Die? There are some here that think it’s still possible to make some kind of convoluted trade to land Collins, Lauri, Cavs pick or any number of potential top 15 picks because other teams are desperate to shed salary enough to give up a lottery pick.

Good luck with that request in the land of Spurstalk stupidity.

[BackHome]

Lamar Is NOT Gone!

[Mr. Body]

Die? There are some here that think it’s still possible to make some kind of convoluted trade to land Collins, Lauri, Cavs pick or any number of potential top 15 picks because other teams are desperate to shed salary enough to give up a lottery pick.

Good luck with that request in the land of Spurstalk stupidity.

Spurstalk, where LaMarcus Aldridge is simultaneously the worst player in the world and worth a top 3 draft pick.

[spurraider21]

That was never happening. Can we let it die already?

Cope

[Maddog]

Spurstalk, where LaMarcus Aldridge is simultaneously the worst player in the world and worth a top 3 draft pick.

Didn't you know that any Spurs player that gets plug into a trade machine suddenly increases 150 to 200% in desirebility

[Ice009]

Darn, I am sick of hearing about this guy. Hopefully he gets traded or bought out soon. I'm starting to warm up to the idea of Otto Porter Jr.

I don't know how much potential Otto has left, but I remember reading somewhere years ago when Otto was still with the Wizards, that the one major difference between Otto and Kawhi is that Kawhi was drafted by the Spurs and Otto was not. I'm not saying Otto could have become as good as Kawhi if he were drafted by the Spurs, but I'd still like to see what the Spurs could do with him.

If they were to trade for him, how much do you think he'd command in the off-season to re-sign?

[tbdog]

Darn, I am sick of hearing about this guy. Hopefully he gets traded or bought out soon. I'm starting to warm up to the idea of Otto Porter Jr.

I don't know how much potential Otto has left, but I remember reading somewhere years ago when Otto was still with the Wizards, that the one major difference between Otto and Kawhi is that Kawhi was drafted by the Spurs and Otto was not. I'm not saying Otto could have become as good as Kawhi if he were drafted by the Spurs, but I'd still like to see what the Spurs could do with him.

If they were to trade for him, how much do you think he'd command in the off-season to re-sign?

Porter had similar size and a dependable shot. Porter at his peak would be like comparing year 2 Leonard with more responsibility. But by year 3 and 4, Leonard had everything else that Porter didn't have.