LMA is gone!

[FutureMan]

Any salary the Spurs take back needs to end after the 2022 season to retain Walker and DeRozan’s extension going into the 2022-23 season. We also probably wouldn’t sign anyone this off-season which would be disappointing to say the least.

[Seventyniner]

I don’t mind taking on a bad contract for a couple years if there is good first round draft compensation. One thing Spurs FO is good at is drafting. They may not hit the home run, but they can usually sniff out the busts. I still think this team is nowhere near a le contender. We need new blood for our current new guys to mold in the hopes we get a true #1 option in 2021 or 2022 draft.

imo draft picks are probably more valuable to the Spurs than cap space. Especially given the relative weakness of the 2021 free agent class (DDR will be the best player on the board), the Spurs' great player development program means the team is probably better off using cap space to absorb a bad contract for extra picks rather than trying to sign big-name FAs.

Expiring contracts are nice when trying to get under the tax, for example, but the Spurs have a ton of cap space lined up, and would even have some left if they take on a longer deal for Aldridge, assuming that the other vets leave. And if the Spurs re-sign DDR while taking on that bad contract, they wouldn't be much over the cap (again, assuming Gay and Mills leave), allowing them to use the MLE.

[cd021]

No. We signed a FA approximately 6 years ago, got 3 All Star appearances out of him, and his contract is expiring. His game is also expiring. Why trade him earlier? Are we lacking draft picks and young players? Nope. He’s also never been good enough to fetch a top pick, so you would have been trading him for more picks in the range of the ones we’ve had already. You also send the signal that FA signees will be dumped when convenient.

The Spurs got good production out of Aldridge, that's not the point that I was making. My point is that they had two chances to move him when it made logical sense to do so but they either didn't want too or overplayed their hand.

Why even bring him back when it seemed that the plan was to re-sign Poeltl and Eubanks and eventually have them be the center rotation? Aldridge was always going to leave, they had a chance to move him for an asset or two but didn't. Now they have no leverage and are probably going to end up having to buy him out or waive him.

You're acting as though the Spurs are flush with picks, they have all of their own picks going forward (minus the 2022 2nd). They are good position in terms of draft picks not to the point of diminishing returns, and while they have a bunch of solid young players, none of them are exactly stars. Getting an extra pick in that range meant another chance at finding one or packaging picks to move up to get in position to try and do so.

The Spurs wouldn't be signaling anything had they traded Aldridge in 2020 after signing him in 2015.

On the other hand, Brian Wright is developing a reputation as a bad GM.

[cd021]

LMA to GS for Wiggin and the Warriors 2021 1st rounder top 10 protected makes some sense for both sides.

Still though, its a ton of salary to take on for a mid first even in a stacked draft.

Spurs would be taking on $65 million in salary for what is likely to be the 15th pick in the draft.

Would have to be at least two firsts and the Spurs would probably have to at least like Wiggins somewhat for them to even consider that deal.

[Kurgan]

This. Never a good look when players want off a team in playoff position. Remember LMA’s last year was partly guaranteed, they could have not picked up the option last offseason, but they pick up the option super early. Spurs got played.

If the Spurs end up buying out LMA after already doing him a favor by fully guaranteeing his salary this season, it's safe to call them one of the worst front offices in the league. Outside of drafting, they can't do anything at a competent level. Brian Wright and company are glorified scouts pretty much.

[cjw]

Spurs would be taking on $65 million in salary for what is likely to be the 15th pick in the draft.

Would have to be at least two firsts and the Spurs would probably have to at least like Wiggins somewhat for them to even consider that deal.

This. They’re not going to trade for Wiggins to sit on the bench. Also, do people want him taking minutes from KJ/Vassell/Luka? Because that’s what he’d do.

[Philthemage]

If the Spurs end up buying out LMA after already doing him a favor by fully guaranteeing his salary this season, it's safe to call them one of the worst front offices in the league. Outside of drafting, they can't do anything at a competent level. Brian Wright and company are glorified scouts pretty much.

Agreed. And i would even argue that to a certain degree its the player development and systems of the coaching stafg which really bring out the best in our guys.

[K...]

a first round pick isn't great for the spurs. They have to build a team for the current core and a rookie doesn't help. They already did a moonshot pick on Luka. they have their own picks for future cost controlled assets. Getting decent young players that are imperfect or under the radar and getting the right vets to replace gay and maybe millls is the probably best we can hope for.

[Joseph Kony]

a first round pick isn't great for the spurs. They have to build a team for the current core and a rookie doesn't help. They already did a moonshot pick on Luka. they have their own picks for future cost controlled assets. Getting decent young players that are imperfect or under the radar and getting the right vets to replace gay and maybe millls is the probably best we can hope for.

Spurs can always try and flip the pick as well. a 1st has plenty of value in that context for the Spurs

[Dverde]

I don’t mind taking on a bad contract for a couple years if there is good first round draft compensation. One thing Spurs FO is good at is drafting. They may not hit the home run, but they can usually sniff out the busts. I still think this team is nowhere near a le contender. We need new blood for our current new guys to mold in the hopes we get a true #1 option in 2021 or 2022 draft.

[LCM]

Players with multiple years but all end in the 2023 offseason.

1) Kevin Love
2) Andrew Wiggins
3) Danilo Gallinari
4) Bogdan Bogdonovich
5) Harrison Barnes (2022 - Team USA)

There are many trades that can be thought up for the Spurs with these players. If the Spurs are worried about salary bleeding into their plans in the offseason, they are looking to bid on someone. Of all the FA this upcoming offseason, the two players that fit the Spurs biggest need at PF are Lauri Markkanen and John Collins.

If you trade for Wiggins with LMA, will the contract keep the Spurs from bidding on Markkanen or Collins, because Wiggins is a more expensive lateral move than keeping DeRozen. Plus you have KJ already. And if you add a pick or Wiseman, for argument sake, they are too young to be major help on POP's time frame. He'll move past Don Nelson next year, and don't think Pop doesn't know that.

You could trade for Collins with Atlanta but you'll be using DeRozen to do it, not LMA, and would be taking Bogdan to help make the money work. Here's the rub. Do you put DeRozen through this trade to a town he may not want to go to, right after he buries his dad. You could say it's a business, suck it up. But if DeRozen went after Toronto FO for the trade to the Spurs, what is he going to do to Pop and the Spurs on his way out under those cir stances? And is Collins werth that to the Spurs??

My opinion, the Spurs have a big bullseye target on Lauri Markkanen in the offseason. They don't want to jeopardize their cap space because between Collins and Markkanen, Atlanta would match Collins and trade Bogdan away to help the roster. The Bulls on the other hand, thanks to the play of Thad Young, drafting Pat Williams, and gearing toward Lavine's next contract, won't match Markkanen if the Spurs overpay a bit for him. He can start with Jakob and play 5 with Samanic on the floor. Is he a China doll, yes!! But he's played in this league, and would fill a major hole in the SL. Plus I think the Spurs tried to trade Aldridge to get in the top 10 in a draft after Aldridge requested a trade, preferably in the top 5 and couldn't. Markkanen was chosen 7th in that draft by Timberwolves and packaged with Lavine to Chicago. I think Markkanen has been a target for Pop for a while and the FO doesn't want to extend itself with a trade now and in the end LMA and DeRozen will walk. LMA now, because he's an ass. DeRozen later so he can choose where he gets his last contract.

Windhorst mentioned the deals being offered. There is interest, so the Spurs FO has choices. LMA is most likely GS, but is Wiggins, Wiseman, and a pick werth more than what Markkanen can do for you at the 4, is less expensive, would mesh with Jakob and Samanic, and has experience in this league. Or trade DeRozen to Atlanta for Collins, and deal with the fallout. If DeRozen is back before the trade deadline, the Atlanta deal is dead. If LMA walks, Markkanen is the target in the offseason. But those salaries are the only ones that would fit LMA or DeRozen salary wise and end in 2023.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

The more I think about a buyout vs. picking up a bad contract, even with a draft pick kicker, I'm just not loving the idea of paying off someone else's bad deal. It would have to be a of a pick. Just buying LMA out is ok.

We've got so much talent in the pipeline that I want to make sure the Spurs can pay and keep, that dedicating a bunch of the cap to pay off a dud would just be irksome.

[PhantomDashCam]

Spurs can always try and flip the pick as well. a 1st has plenty of value in that context for the Spurs

I’m with you on this JK.
It’s not something we’re accustomed to the Spurs doing but it’s a viable option.
If you could accrue picks, package with a large, expiring contract and a young, established upside piece - that’s how you potentially land a Superstar.

[exstatic]

The Spurs got good production out of Aldridge, that's not the point that I was making. My point is that they had two chances to move him when it made logical sense to do so but they either didn't want too or overplayed their hand.

Why even bring him back when it seemed that the plan was to re-sign Poeltl and Eubanks and eventually have them be the center rotation? Aldridge was always going to leave, they had a chance to move him for an asset or two but didn't. Now they have no leverage and are probably going to end up having to buy him out or waive him.

You're acting as though the Spurs are flush with picks, they have all of their own picks going forward (minus the 2022 2nd). They are good position in terms of draft picks not to the point of diminishing returns, and while they have a bunch of solid young players, none of them are exactly stars. Getting an extra pick in that range meant another chance at finding one or packaging picks to move up to get in position to try and do so.

The Spurs wouldn't be signaling anything had they traded Aldridge in 2020 after signing him in 2015.

On the other hand, Brian Wright is developing a reputation as a bad GM.

Sometime between the shutdown last March, and the bubble, there was a fundamental organizational change in SSE. I think PATFO sat down and assessed the team to that point in the season, and figured that if they were going to miss the playoffs, they might as well see what they had in the kids. The bubble was the perfect Petri dish to perform their experiment. I believe they had already decided to move on from LMA, and told him to stay home. They wanted to retain DD, though, thinking they might get him at a discount, so they let him participate. Players they had no plans for didn’t play or didn’t play much. Forbes didn’t play at all, and Patty played coach. Marco only played a couple of games to cover minor injuries. The rest of the minutes were covered by the draft picks between 2015 and 2019, and the players they wanted to go forward with minus Luka. They liked what they saw.

After the offseason, they tried to move LMA, and almost did. Bad luck. They didn’t get DD to agree to an extension, but that was always a possibility. They had to pay a bit more for Poeltl than they wanted to, but that turned out to still be a bargain. They began the season,and things were better, but still not optimal. LMA’s defense had fallen off a cliff. It became apparent that he couldn’t start and have us be successful. He refused to come off the bench, so they invented the hip thing while shopping him. The Spurs were rolling, bouncing between the 4 and 6 seeds. Then, COVID. They played through it, but between the weird roster, and the continuing recovery/restart, there was some ground lost.

The point of this long telling is that when you make a fundamental change, sometimes you have to cut away the wreckage. That includes LMA, via trade or buyout, and possibly DD, at this point,although only a trade in that case. You don’t throw good money after bad. You don’t make a trade just to make a trade. You make a trade if you get some good , and don’t have to take too much bad . There are apparently no offers of that type currently on the table for LMA, which is why you wait it out to the deadline.

[exstatic]

Players with multiple years but all end in the 2023 offseason.

1) Kevin Love
2) Andrew Wiggins
3) Danilo Gallinari
4) Bogdan Bogdonovich
5) Harrison Barnes (2022 - Team USA)

There are many trades that can be thought up for the Spurs with these players. If the Spurs are worried about salary bleeding into their plans in the offseason, they are looking to bid on someone. Of all the FA this upcoming offseason, the two players that fit the Spurs biggest need at PF are Lauri Markkanen and John Collins.

If you trade for Wiggins with LMA, will the contract keep the Spurs from bidding on Markkanen or Collins, because Wiggins is a more expensive lateral move than keeping DeRozen. Plus you have KJ already. And if you add a pick or Wiseman, for argument sake, they are too young to be major help on POP's time frame. He'll move past Don Nelson next year, and don't think Pop doesn't know that.

You could trade for Collins with Atlanta but you'll be using DeRozen to do it, not LMA, and would be taking Bogdan to help make the money work. Here's the rub. Do you put DeRozen through this trade to a town he may not want to go to, right after he buries his dad. You could say it's a business, suck it up. But if DeRozen went after Toronto FO for the trade to the Spurs, what is he going to do to Pop and the Spurs on his way out under those cir stances? And is Collins werth that to the Spurs??

My opinion, the Spurs have a big bullseye target on Lauri Markkanen in the offseason. They don't want to jeopardize their cap space because between Collins and Markkanen, Atlanta would match Collins and trade Bogdan away to help the roster. The Bulls on the other hand, thanks to the play of Thad Young, drafting Pat Williams, and gearing toward Lavine's next contract, won't match Markkanen if the Spurs overpay a bit for him. He can start with Jakob and play 5 with Samanic on the floor. Is he a China doll, yes!! But he's played in this league, and would fill a major hole in the SL. Plus I think the Spurs tried to trade Aldridge to get in the top 10 in a draft after Aldridge requested a trade, preferably in the top 5 and couldn't. Markkanen was chosen 7th in that draft by Timberwolves and packaged with Lavine to Chicago. I think Markkanen has been a target for Pop for a while and the FO doesn't want to extend itself with a trade now and in the end LMA and DeRozen will walk. LMA now, because he's an ass. DeRozen later so he can choose where he gets his last contract.

Windhorst mentioned the deals being offered. There is interest, so the Spurs FO has choices. LMA is most likely GS, but is Wiggins, Wiseman, and a pick werth more than what Markkanen can do for you at the 4, is less expensive, would mesh with Jakob and Samanic, and has experience in this league. Or trade DeRozen to Atlanta for Collins, and deal with the fallout. If DeRozen is back before the trade deadline, the Atlanta deal is dead. If LMA walks, Markkanen is the target in the offseason. But those salaries are the only ones that would fit LMA or DeRozen salary wise and end in 2023.

Al Horford, too.

[Dejounte]

I kind of think that if the Spurs were interested in Lauri, Pop would have been more active during the Bulls game. He didn't look more attentive than he usually does. I think if he was interested in a guy, he wouldn't waste his last (is there another game with the Bulls?) opportunity to see him first-hand to see if he would fit with the team and if his skills were worth investing in.

[scott]

Sometime between the shutdown last March, and the bubble, there was a fundamental organizational change in SSE. I think PATFO sat down and assessed the team to that point in the season, and figured that if they were going to miss the playoffs, they might as well see what they had in the kids. The bubble was the perfect Petri dish to perform their experiment. I believe they had already decided to move on from LMA, and told him to stay home. They wanted to retain DD, though, thinking they might get him at a discount, so they let him participate. Players they had no plans for didn’t play or didn’t play much. Forbes didn’t play at all, and Patty played coach. Marco only played a couple of games to cover minor injuries. The rest of the minutes were covered by the draft picks between 2015 and 2019, and the players they wanted to go forward with minus Luka. They liked what they saw.

After the offseason, they tried to move LMA, and almost did. Bad luck. They didn’t get DD to agree to an extension, but that was always a possibility. They had to pay a bit more for Poeltl than they wanted to, but that turned out to still be a bargain. They began the season,and things were better, but still not optimal. LMA’s defense had fallen off a cliff. It became apparent that he couldn’t start and have us be successful. He refused to come off the bench, so they invented the hip thing while shopping him. The Spurs were rolling, bouncing between the 4 and 6 seeds. Then, COVID. They played through it, but between the weird roster, and the continuing recovery/restart, there was some ground lost.

The point of this long telling is that when you make a fundamental change, sometimes you have to cut away the wreckage. That includes LMA, via trade or buyout, and possibly DD, at this point,although only a trade in that case. You don’t throw good money after bad. You don’t make a trade just to make a trade. You make a trade if you get some good , and don’t have to take too much bad . There are apparently no offers of that type currently on the table for LMA, which is why you wait it out to the deadline.

Spot on. But this is also why I think we should be buyers (for whoever), not desperate sellers. I know everyone hopes we'll sign Collins in FA... I just don't see it. He will get interested from multiple teams most likely, why would he pick this one? Reminds me of the dream to get Corey Maggette that I doubt we ever really had a chance for.

The only way we are getting that second piece to Demar (if that's what we want) and Dejounte is to trade for one. Do it now while there is a solid young core around them getting better every day.

[TD 21]

Here's the rub. Do you put DeRozen through this trade to a town he may not want to go to, right after he buries his dad. You could say it's a business, suck it up. But if DeRozen went after Toronto FO for the trade to the Spurs, what is he going to do to Pop and the Spurs on his way out under those cir stances? And is Collins werth that to the Spurs??

LMA is most likely GS, but is Wiggins, Wiseman, and a pick werth.

They'd work with DeRozan's representation to trade him to a place (and for the umpteenth time, he'll have a limited market) he'd be comfortable re-signing because no one is giving up a sizable asset for him to be a rental.

DeRozan was upset with the Raptors because they inexplicably lied to him. He rightly thought he was owed the truth, but shady Ujiri/Webster thought otherwise.

There's a zero percent chance the Warriors would even consider that trade. Wiseman is being overhyped because of who he plays for, but they're not trading him for anything less than a Beal type player.

[LCM]

Al Horford, too.

Didn't see Horford, thanks for catching that. Really like your posts.

[LCM]

I kind of think that if the Spurs were interested in Lauri, Pop would have been more active during the Bulls game. He didn't look more attentive than he usually does. I think if he was interested in a guy, he wouldn't waste his last (is there another game with the Bulls?) opportunity to see him first-hand to see if he would fit with the team and if his skills were worth investing in.

Bulls come to SA, March 27. Enjoy your posts!

[LCM]

They'd work with DeRozan's representation to trade him to a place (and for the umpteenth time, he'll have a limited market) he'd be comfortable re-signing because no one is giving up a sizable asset for him to be a rental.

DeRozan was upset with the Raptors because they inexplicably lied to him. He rightly thought he was owed the truth, but shady Ujiri/Webster thought otherwise.

There's a zero percent chance the Warriors would even consider that trade. Wiseman is being overhyped because of who he plays for, but they're not trading him for anything less than a Beal type player.

LMA by himself isn't werth all that, absolutely! Wiggins is the main component of any trade with SA not Wiseman. But is Wiggins werth getting because of his salary taking away the possibility of getting a starting 4 for this team in the offseason? To me he's not. If that's the case I think LMA walks.

I also think you're right in the front office talking to DeRozen. That's why he's not back. Yes, DeRozen is taking care of family during a difficult time. I'm 45, lost my dad at 8. My mother almost 3 years ago. All my grandparents are gone. Handling the death of loved ones takes time. Dealing with my mother's funeral in Texas pre COVID was no picnic much less California and all their COVID stipulations and family considerations. The Raptors blindsided him, the Spurs won't. But the longer DeRozen is away the Spurs will be in talks to deal him, and he'll know and possibly sign off. I think if he returns to play before the deadline, then DeRozen isn't being dealt. Appreciate the feedback!

[XDT76]

The ST board is getting amusing by the day. The posters cannot wait to get rid of LMA thinking he is a liability to the team but expect other teams to throw 1st round picks for him in trade.

[BWS-1994]

Woj did say that he doesn’t expect anymore trades this week. That Monday will be pretty busy, and that will increase in rapis fire until the trade deadline.

[Thomas82]

Windhorst is pretty plugged in around the league especially the cavs for what it’s worth lmao

X

[mo7888]

The ST board is getting amusing by the day. The posters cannot wait to get rid of LMA thinking he is a liability to the team but expect other teams to throw 1st round picks for him in trade.

I don't think anybody on the board expects LMA to bring back a 1st... some think he can bring back a 1st or young player if we take on a bad enough contract...