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No, they aren't, tbh..
Sheridan: Al Jefferson to Spurs?
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By Chris Sheridan
February 06, 2013 at 2:00 PM
The NBA trade deadline journalism racket is a tricky minefield to navigate. The business is driven by rumors, many of which are founded in truth; others of which are utterly fic ious.
Distinguishing between the two differentiates the good basketball Web sites from the bad sites.
But figuring out who is available is not rocket science if you speak to the right people, and I speak to a lot of plugged-in people on a regular basis.
Here is the latest they are telling me: The San Antonio Spurs are the front-runners to land Al Jefferson in a trade with the Utah Jazz — and they are frontrunners like Secretariat was in the 1973 Belmont Stakes.
Here’s why, followed by a how.
“Those teams are practically incestuous, they are on such good terms internally,” one NBA source told me Wednesday.
Indeed, Spurs assistant general manager Scott Layden left Utah prior to this season after spending several seasons as an assistant coach for the Jazz and joined R.C. Buford’s staff in San Antonio’s secrecy vault front office. Also, former Spurs assistant GM Dennis Lindsey is now doing the legwork for Utah’s grand poohbah, Kevin O’Connor.
The Jazz do not want to lose Jefferson for nothing when he becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, and they have a former overall No. 1 pick, Enes Kanter, ready to step in and fill the void that would be left by Jefferson’s departure.
Yes, Jefferson makes them a better playoff team. But no, the Jazz are not fooling themselves into believing they are championship material at this point.
And if Dwight Howard is not available on the free agent market this summer, Jefferson immediately becomes the No. 1 center available.
So the time for the Jazz to move him is NOW, and the team with the biggest need for an upgrade at center is the Spurs, whose inability to protect the rim was one of the prime reasons for their collapse in last year’s Western Conference finals when they had won 20 in a row and had a 2-0 lead on the Thunder, only to lose the next four.
Next: The Jazz need a point guard, and the Spurs have two of them not named Tony Parker. So you can expect Patty Mills (who Lindsey is familiar with and fond of) to be the preferable choice over Nando de Colo.
The Jazz also need some value coming back in this trade, and the Spurs have one last Eurostash asset in Erazem Lorbek, who has been profiled on this site by writer A.J. Mitnick.
Presumably they’d also ask for Tiago Splitter, because somebody would need to back up Kanter, and because Splitter is having an improved season in the year his contract expires — meaning Utah would not be taking on any long-term financial obligation.
San Antonio throws in Stephen Jackson for salary-matching purposes (almost an exact match), and voila.
Let’s have a look in the ESPN trade machine:
Have the two front offices discussed this particular trade? I cannot say that, so I won’t. (Layden will give me advice on what to order at Dominick’s on Arthur Ave. in The Bronx, but he DOES NOT talk out of school about NBA matters. He still hasn’t given an interview about his time running the Knicks, nor will he ever do so, from what I am told.)
Do I suspect they’ve discussed a trade like this? Yes indeed.
Just something to chew on and watch for in the 15 days before the trade deadline. Sort of like the upcoming Will Bynum trade by the Pistons that I tipped you off to yesterday.
http://www.sheridanhoops.com/2013/02...rson-to-spurs/
No, they aren't, tbh..
If Al Jefferson signed an extension, I'd see this as a massive win for the Spurs. But I expect Splitter would sign an extension with the Spurs, so if you traded for Jefferson without extending him, you're basically trading your future center for a half-season rental of a better center.
Firm pass if Jefferson doesn't sign an extension.
Firm yes if he does.
Jefferson improving the interior defense? What? We'd get totally destroyed on the PnR with him and Duncan in the middle. Also suggesting the Jazz would center their trade on our 3rd string PG who is actually a SG is laughable, as is Splitter backing up Kanter. On top of it all, there are teams who would offer significantly more than this package for Jefferson. Bull .
This thread is going to be a ten pager full of nothing isn't it?
Maybe the Spurs will make a trade with Wolves but not for Jefferson, just a name thrown out there as smoke (CIA Pop).
Pure quota filling crap buy Sheridan. Dude most be bored.
Of course you can't. This rumor is utterly fic ious.By Chris Sheridan
February 06, 2013 at 2:00 PM
The NBA trade deadline journalism racket is a tricky minefield to navigate. The business is driven by rumors, many of which are founded in truth; others of which are utterly fic ious.
Have the two front offices discussed this particular trade? I cannot say that, so I won’t.
Saw this a bit ago, it has to be a false rumor.
Agreed, Splitter's improved play is a big reason that we are as strong as we are. Al Jeff is good but it would wreck our chemistry if we acquired him in mid-season.
We'd lose alot of our toughness trading Splitts and Jack, so do not want...
Sounds like complete horse sh1t. Jefferson is slooooow footed and would not help defensively. Splits is much more mobile. I do like AL's offensive game though. Also, doesn't Mills have a no trade clause too?
I wouldn't do that trade. Jefferson is a horrendous defender. He's probably a top five worst pick-and-roll defender. Putting him next to Duncan would make the Spurs too slow. On offense, Jefferson isn't a great fit either. He needs a lot of post touches ... but the Spurs don't emphasize post-ups much anymore.
Splitter isn't necessarily always > Jefferson ... but he is for the Spurs at this point in time.
Can't help but laugh at the article. Al Jefferson a defensive presence, Tiago backing-up Kanter after how productive hes shown to be with starter minutes, ect. And if the Jazz don't want to lose Jefferson for nothing in the offseason, why would the Spurs jump at the chance to do the exact same thing? I hope this was just a slow day and a quota article
We'd also have no backup SF.
So OKC didn't want Jackson, Bonner and Blair for Durant? Damn.
that's for sure
but it's an improvement, we are not talking anymore of Durant for Bonner.
beat me
I would hate this.
I'd do it. Would prefer somebody other than Splitter but he isn't as good as Al Jeff. They are both the same age as well. Although it would depend on if he signs an extension and how much that extension is worth.
Duncan - Jefferson is a bad fit, the only big man worth parting with serious assets is Garnett because he'd make the defense even better for sure.
Al Jefferson and Tim Duncan seem to genuinely like and respect one another. This isn't like a Kevin Garnett long-headed alien ass(said to Tim 'Happy Mother's Bay Mother@#%$@#' knowing full well Tim's Mom had died) or Kenyon Martin (booty-giving-up-convict with NBA pedigree - oh, you assumed those red lips were female?!?). However, I think this might blow up the season, I don't want Tiago or Stephen Jackson to leave. I like Patty, too, he could possibly be an X-Factor in the playoffs, I just wish he got more playing time. I am worried about what Stephen A Smith said, but I think Kawhi might cover some of Manu's health issues).
Ha ha. Only because they'd be worried about losing Blair for nothing in the offseason
Would NOT trade splitter for this guy. period. Al is over all better, but not on defense. We need tiagos defense for a championship. Besides, isnt Utah trading a big because they have to many bigs?? There isn't a point in Utah trading a big to get another big. So I think we trade mills, jack, and green. Utah improves at point guard, defense, and 3 point shooting. That is their weakness anyway.
But lets say they for some reason want a big. I see us giving up a package of bonner/blair or diaw before we drop tiago
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