RICHARD JEFFERSON opts OUT!!

[4>0rings]

Why can't the Spurs go into the luxury tax again?

[ChuckD]

The best news to me about this is the Spurs won't have to dump Tony Parker if Holt tells the front office that he doesn't want to pay lux tax.

They might even extend him now.

[redzero]

What a ing moron. His ass isn't getting anything close to what he already had.

[ducks]

Spurs do get under the cap, but not more than the the value of the MLE so they still only have the MLE to spend at the most.

Hurts the Spurs in two regards: 1) lose a small forward they can't replace in terms of finding a similar caliber of player based on (financial) value and 2) as several have mentioned, they lose Jefferson's expiring contract as a trade chip mid-season.

It wasn't a good thing financial. Probably a good thing in terms of the product on the court.

Jefferson probably sees what Paul Pierce saw in the potential looming changes of the CBA and wants to get a few more years of security as opposed to having to settle for MLE type of money or less when he's a free agent next year. However, the problem with Jefferson is what teams really value him very highly? He may just be pressing the Spurs into re-signing him for a couple additional years since they still have no money to spend.

Best approach I think is to just let him walk, don't even worry about a sign-and-trade, and hope a couple of the lesser free agents don't get much interest and sign a guy like Mike Miller or Travis Outlaw to the MLE.

problem is splitter is going to eat all the mle

[Juanobili]

wow this is going to be a of a summer

[texasqb2]

I feel like this is a good thing for some reason, just don't know why. If Adrian Wojnarowski thinks its good and I just feel like the Spurs have something up their sleeve b/c RJ is not just going to give up $15 million. What's the best contract you think RJ could get on the open market? 4yrs for 32 million? I feel like next year he could get a better contract than 3 for 17 million.

[Das Texan]

Sign and trade for something useful!

[ohmwrecker]

stop bringin up the SF BS. RJ didnt even play SF last season.

You have got to be the dumbest mother er on the planet.

[timvp]

And for the Spurs timvp? Who do you think they'll target now?

That's a good question

I had considered RJ opting out ... but only from RJ's perspective. I'm gonna have to wrap my head around this situation and answer this question a little later.

My first reaction is losing RJ isn't a disaster. I kinda like it, actually. He was such a got damn bad fit it was comical at times.

The question now is whether the Spurs can find a championship-caliber stop gap at small forward.

[bigdog]

WTF. Wow, I wasn't expecting this at all. Free agency hasn't even started and this happens.

[SenorSpur]

Bring back Bruce Bowen for the minimum

or Finley

[JamStone]

The Spurs need that money for Tiago Splitter.....

Wow, totally forgot about Splitter.

"Smokey" Josh Howard for the LLE once Washington doesn't pick up his option!

[TE]

this is good in a way, we can allow players who actually have upside to suit up and play that SF position. Jefferson was a blob who was on fire every 1 out of 10 games. him..

and to make things worse, the couldn't play defensive, was a s of himself athletically, and literally made a whole acre full of house with all the brickery he threw this season.







problematic is, who do the Spurs have that they can bring in?

[EricB]

Im flabbergasted at the amount of smart NBA writers painting this as a good thing for the Spurs...

[Mel_13]

or Finley

[samikeyp]

Ok...I am not a capologist nor do i play one on the radio or the interwebs...can someone explain for those of us who are cap-challenged why its not good for SA? I saw that he opted out so it looked like the Spurs were not on the hook for his $15mil...was it that the $15mil put SA over the cap and now its even?

Cap Confused in Lansing.

[mingus]

Bring back Bruce Bowen for the minimum

i'm all for this.

[ohmwrecker]

The question now is whether the Spurs can find a championship-caliber stop gap at small forward.

For the LLE? Are you serious? And a backup?

[Spurs Brazil]

or Finley

DAMN, if Pop or R.C read this they will do it

[Shastafarian]

Has the cap even been officially set yet? Are the Spurs 100% out of the woods? What happens if somehow they go under the cap by $4 million? They can either use that $4 million or the MLE right? Would they also get the LLE?

[Libri]

Bring back Bruce Bowen for the minimum

Go Bruce!!

[timvp]

WojYahooNBA

Jefferson must have a new deal in place with Spurs to opt-out. Or elsewhere. He can't be blindly doing it.

Would the Nets really promise him money before they try to land LeBron, etc?

It doesn't make sense ... then again, it's the Nets.

[yavozerb]

Quick, trade RJ before midnight to the knicks for chandler+curry..

[SenorSpur]

Believe me, I was kidding. Don't tell Pop. He may just make that phone call.

[EricB]

That's a good question

I had considered RJ opting out ... but only from RJ's perspective. I'm gonna have to wrap my head around this situation and answer this question a little later.

My first reaction is losing RJ isn't a disaster. I kinda like it, actually. He was such a got damn bad fit it was comical at times.

The question now is whether the Spurs can find a championship-caliber stop gap at small forward.

Splitter taking the full MLE makes it even worse.

They are gonna have to BEG someone like Matt Barnes to take the LLE.


With zero tradable assets to get a SF, the Spurs really are screwed...