The Oberto Dilemma - Oberto declines his option/becomes a free agent

[AFBlue]

I know the Finley opt out has been mentioned, but has he made it official? He has until the end of the week right?

[whottt]

There's so much speculation about what his buyout was ($3M, $9M, $15M), and what his actual contract demands were (seperate from buyout $$ or buyout $$ included) that I honestly don't think you can assess how much he was really asking....but my guess is that it's less than the $4M/yr that Oberto will likely get.

Hm...you think the unproven Scola is better than Oberto, because of that, your opinion is suspect IMO....on paper, Rasho and Nazr are better than Oberto too.

I don't get this one.

Join Date: 07-24-2006

He's a talented guy that deserves a shot to play in this league and he was pissed off when he didn't get that opportunity. I look at him as being compe ive, not as being a jerk. Plus, if he truly is a -talker, let him try to back it up wiht play...

He talked the night we drafted him and hasn't stopped talking it since...

I mean the idea of adding him to the team is intriguing...but he's not a must sign in any way shape or form. Meanwhile...Oberto just started for an NBA champion and his performance was universally lauded.

True, he can't play C, but the other bigs on the Spurs are versatile enough to...so he can play with them. I don't know whether or not he's a better defender, but he's at least a legitimate option on offense.

I look at Oberto alot like I look at Vaughn. Both play extremely hard and utilize their limited talent to the utmost...but in the end, there are just better options out there.

Join Date: 07-24-2006

[Kori Ellis]

Subs ute "coincidence" for "magic" and yeah, that's kinda what I think.

Well it's not a coincidence. The Spurs have intentionally not been offering contracts past next summer for a reason. That's the summer of big named free agency and they wanted to be in mix.

Anyway, a 3M/year contract to Oberto won't ruin that.

I'm guessing the Spurs will offer their standard 3 year/$9-11M contract that they offer most of their role players and then if he walks (ala SJax) they move on.

[whottt]

With what money? Maybe you can ask Santa.

Draft or Trade..............


SF is not the need position in the NBA...it's the surplus position in the NBA...

[ChumpDumper]

Who has all the surplus 6'9"+ SFs to give away?

[picnroll]

They could. Depends on what the cap comes in at. I have them at around $42M on the books right now. If the cap comes in at $55M (which would be a couple million dollar jump in two years), that'd be enough for a max FA.

Conceivably Duncan can opt out and sign a longer deal with less yearly money increasing the Spurs cap space.

[Slinkyman]

i wonder if the spurs will offer him a contract first or let another team give him a deal and then decide to match or not.

[whottt]

Is that the same opinion that thought the Cavs would win in five?

Yeah...but it's different now.

[AFBlue]

Hm...you think the unproven Scola is better than Oberto, because of that, your opinion is suspect IMO....on paper, Rasho and Nazr are better than Oberto too.





Join Date: 07-24-2006





He talked the night we drafted him and hasn't stopped talking it since...

I mean the idea of adding him to the team is intriguing...but he's not a must sign in any way shape or form. Meanwhile...Oberto just started for an NBA champion and his performance was universally lauded.





Join Date: 07-24-2006

If your best rebuttal is stating when I joined the Spurs Forum as if I was born on 7-23-2006, you're not worth debating. I don't know if it's ever occured to you that I lived in San Antonio my whole life, followed the Spurs my whole life, and didn't find this little community of Spurs fans until I was forced to live outside the Beloved State of Texas and had to seek out fellow Spurs fans on the internet.

Contrary to the opinion of Whottt the reject, I was NOT born yesterday...

[timvp]

Draft or Trade..............


SF is not the need position in the NBA...it's the surplus position in the NBA...

There's no SF in the draft that the Spurs can get that fits that mold.

Trade who? The Spurs don't have much to entice teams to give up a player who would fit on the Spurs as a Long Three.

Step out of fantasy world and enter real world.

Tanks.

[whottt]

Who has all the surplus 6'9"+ SFs to give away?

I'll be happy with 6'8...or 6'7 225lbs+ and under the age of 34.

[ChumpDumper]

I'll be happy with 6'8...or 6'7 225lbs+ and under the age of 34.

So put James White (!) on the Hedo burrito diet.

[timvp]

Yeah...but it's different now.

What's different now? You don't think the Cavs can win in five anymore?

[kris]

Resigning Oberto to another deal seems like a bad move to me. I'll be the first to admit, he was vital to this championship one. He played way above his head and made smart/timley plays throughout the playoffs. But 3m on the books for 3 more years with Oberto isn't wise.

Why I think this:

1. Resigning Oberto doesn't mean the Spurs are in a great position to win the coming championship. The Spurs will probably have to meet Dallas in 07-08 and they barely escaped Phoenix who looks like they are revamping their team. Resigning Oberto keeps the Spurs stagnant, old, and unathletic.

2. Oberto's magic came at the opportune time, but maybe he was looking at it as a contract situation. I don't completely endorse this given his demeanor, but it's a possibility. Also, what if he was playing above his head to win a NBA championship but now that he has one, he relaxes. The Spurs can't forget Oberto was horrible for long stretches before this championship run.

3. He's 32, 6'9'', as unathletic as they come and has no consistant jumper. The truth is he was an overachiever and fortunate even at that to be a starting center on a championship team. Some guys get away with being 6'9'' at center but not without being burly or having some athleticism - at least on a top 7 team.

4. On that note, Oberto can't matchup against certain people/teams. That's a pretty big knock.

5. The Spurs made Oberto and not the other way around. Oberto did what he did because of his surroundings and the great talent stretching system Pop uses. He helped the Spurs with his back tips and by making his open layups, but that can be replaced.

6. The Spurs need a shotblocker. The Spurs defense is awesome, but they would be a lot better if there starting center could block 1.5 shots/game.

Against those points, you can say Oberto knows the system and fits it well, Manu is his friend and plays great with him, and the Spurs have let go of people before and its burned them.

To that I reply other people have known the system and will pick it up again. Manu does have a great repoire with Oberto, but he would probably develop a great passing relationship with a more athletic center. Third, Oberto isn't a clutch young dead-eye like Steven Jackson or a young, hustling Malik Rose that can effectively guard all types of difficult covers - from Shaq to Dirk. Although Rose's value can be questioned, what can't is that Oberto has neither the age or potential of either when the Spurs let them go.

What I don't know is the other available options for the Spurs at center/converted PF. This could change my degree of conviction, but in the end I still believe you let Oberto walk. He won't burn you if he goes to a WC rival and the Spurs have to look to improve at the center spot.

It's not that I disagree with win now mode. It's that I think Oberto is very far from solidifying the win now mode translates to winning in 07-08.

[Bruno]

I think that unless the Spurs let Oberto and Finley walk, there is no way they will use the MLE. Holt isn't going to okay the idea of going millions over the luxury tax threshold.

The luxury tax for next year is a real concern to me too.
I think Spurs will try to do a S&T with Barry for a SF instead than spending the MLE on a fre agent because of that. Trading Beno for a trade exception can too help Spurs.

Somethign to notice about the luxury tax : being above the threshold will be less painfull for an owner than last year because teams won't play less luxury tax next year than alst year. This year the penalty for being $1 above the threshold was $2M, next year it should be around $1M.

[Marcus Bryant]

Resigning Oberto to another deal seems like a bad move to me. I'll be the first to admit, he was vital to this championship one. He played way above his head and made smart/timley plays throughout the playoffs. But 3m on the books for 3 more years with Oberto isn't wise.

Why I think this:

1. Resigning Oberto doesn't mean the Spurs are in a great position to win the coming championship. The Spurs will probably have to meet Dallas in 07-08 and they barely escaped Phoenix who looks like they are revamping their team. Resigning Oberto keeps the Spurs stagnant, old, and unathletic.

Yet the Spurs' postseason success is predicated on executing well in the halfcourt more than anything else. When it comes to athleticism, I think that matters more on the perimeter than in the frontcourt.

[AFBlue]

If your best rebuttal is stating when I joined the Spurs Forum as if I was born on 7-23-2006, you're not worth debating. I don't know if it's ever occured to you that I lived in San Antonio my whole life, followed the Spurs my whole life, and didn't find this little community of Spurs fans until I was forced to live outside the Beloved State of Texas and had to seek out fellow Spurs fans on the internet.

Contrary to the opinion of Whottt the reject, I was NOT born yesterday...

To piggyback,

On your first statement regarding Rasho and Nazr on paper.....On Paper they made TWICE what Oberto made, so that is what made them expendable. Were Oberto's # that much better than Nazr or Rasho? So that argument is moot.

To your second point....I think Scola is MORE TALENTED than Oberto and he deserves a chance to see if he can be more productive on this level.

If I had a choice between offering a long-term (3yr or more) contract to a 31yr old with no athleticism and limited skill (even if he is a team guy), and offering a similar length contract for likely less money to a MORE TALENTED (and this is NOT speculation, with Oberto himself calling Scola better!) player who is younger and seeing how he'll fit into the system....

I'm taking the younger, more talented guy with the smaller contract....

[whottt]

So put James White (!) on the Hedo burrito diet.

No...because he's still a 2 guard...and I want to see him dunk.

[whottt]

If your best rebuttal is stating when I joined the Spurs as if I was born on 7-23-2006, you're not worth debating. I don't know if it's ever occured to you that I lived in San Antonio my whole life, followed the Spurs my whole life, and didn't find this little community of Spurs fans until I was forced to live outside the Beloved State of Texas and had to seek out fellow Spurs fans on the internet.

Contrary to the opinion of Whottt the reject, I was NOT born yesterday...

Ok...tell me what Scola said the night he was drafted..........after being drafted.

[ChumpDumper]

No...because he's still a 2 guard...and I want to see him dunk.

So who then?

[Solid D]

Chump, I know you said FA. You must still await what presents itself in the draft and stir the results into the soup. Also, I wasn't suggesting Fazekas as a 1st rounder...he may be there at #33 in one of the deeper drafts for college players in recent memory.

[whottt]

There's no SF in the draft that the Spurs can get that fits that mold.

Trade who? The Spurs don't have much to entice teams to give up a player who would fit on the Spurs as a Long Three.

Step out of fantasy world and enter real world.

Tanks.

You're wrong...there are some teams looking to move SF's to fill a need instead of facing playing time issues...and there aren't many teams seeking to aquire one.

I can't tell you right now Chicago has chemistry issues due to their glut at SF. Any of their SF's would be more of a must sign to me than Bonner..or Scola.

[AFBlue]

Ok...tell me what Scola said the night he was drafted..........after being drafted.

Educate me Almight Whottt....

Tell me the thing he said that let you know right then, by that one statement, what kind of character he had....

[ChumpDumper]

Chump, I know you said FA. You must still await what presents itself in the draft and stir the results into the soup. Also, I wasn't suggesting Fazekas as a 1st rounder...he may be there at #33 in one of the deeper drafts for college players in recent memory.

I'd be fine with him at #33 if we got a backup point or a long SF with #28.

[timvp]

Fazekas I never really liked but I watched him some more and his rebounding ability to go along with his shot making ability I think could make him an NBA player. If the Spurs think Bonner's asking price is too high, Fazekas could be a good replacement.

Good point

Yeah, I think Fazekas could fit the Bonner role if Bonner is let go.

Going forward, the Spurs need a bigman in the fold who can replace Horry's ability to spread the floor. Be that Bonner or someone like Fazekas.