Rasho and Nazr will not be Spurs...

[Marcus Bryant]

...at this time next year. The writing is on the wall. These are still Holt Cat's Spurs. They've grown accustomed to having overspending teams subsidize their payroll through the luxury tax system. They just signed a center for $7.5 mil over 3 years. That's a great deal better than the $30 mil over 4 they are on the hook for to Radoslav or the $50+ mil over 5 or 6 years that Nazr is bound to command in free agency next summer.

Rasho will be dropped for anything. I would not even be surprised if they waive him under the lux tax amnesty clause. The Spurs will either be outbid in free agency next summer for Nazr (they might handle that DA-style) or they will move him before the trade deadline.

Why pay Rasho or Nazr $7.5+ mil a season to do what Oberto will do for $2.5?

We're the Spurs.®

[Marcus Bryant]

Beyond the contracts and CBA, neither Nazr nor Radoslav fit what the Spurs have in mind for a bigman playing alongside TD. They want someone mobile and agile, a deft passer who can get to the rim and who will run the floor. Oberto fits that description much better than either current Spur center.

Oberto is going to be a crown jewel for the Spurs, a starting center who they have on a cheap contract for 3 seasons while Erick Dampier is averaging $10 mil a season and Nazr is breaking someone else's bank.

[nkdlunch]

Oberto is going to be a crown jewel for the Spurs, a starting center who they have on a cheap contract for 3 seasons while Erick Dampier is averaging $10 mil a season and Nazr is breaking someone else's bank.

Everybody is expecting great things from Oberto. Let's take it slow and see how he adjust to NBA game before claiming his greatness. Not everyone will adjust as easy as Manu did. But as a Spursfan I hope you're right.

I suspect it's gonna take him a while to adjust and early in the season ppl will be crying like little b...s in this forum that Oberto sucks and trade Oberto.

[SWC Bonfire]

early in the season ppl will be crying like little b...s in this forum that Oberto sucks and trade Oberto.

In 5....4....3....2....

[spur219]

Nazr will be asking for too much money. Look for Oberto to be the starting center for a couple of years while Nazr and Rasho get moved.

[Marcus Bryant]

Everybody is expecting great things from Oberto. Let's take it slow and see how he adjust to NBA game before claiming his greatness. Not everyone will adjust as easy as Manu did. But as a Spursfan I hope you're right.

I suspect it's gonna take him a while to adjust and early in the season ppl will be crying like little b...s in this forum that Oberto sucks and trade Oberto.

I'm not expecting him to be great, but he should be able to start in the NBA, which makes both Nazr and Rasho expendable. If not for Oberto, then we'd probably see the Spurs committed to keeping Rasho and then moving Nazr for the best available deal before the trade deadline. The Spurs dealt for Nazr first and foremost because it removed one bigman with a long term guaranteed deal from their books. If you have another guy who can start for you at the 5 and you have TD as your backup 5 why carry yet another on the roster?

Oberto has the potential to save Holt Cat et al a ton of jack.

[SWC Bonfire]

If you have another guy who can start for you at the 5 and you have TD as your backup 5 why carry yet another on the roster?

Reason #1: right ankle
Reason #2: left ankle

[usckk]

But when the deal happened, Rasho was going to be the starting center for the next 4 years. They just wanted Nazr as a cheap 2 year rental.

[Marcus Bryant]

Reason #1: right ankle
Reason #2: left ankle

Reason #3: bad back

Right? Chronic injuries to key bigs haven't influenced the Spurs' personnel moves before.

The Spurs brought in Oberto this summer and will bring in Scola the next. Beyond that they will use some of their international bigs and/or cheap NBA bigs to fill out the rotation.

[Marcus Bryant]

But when the deal happened, Rasho was going to be the starting center for the next 4 years. They just wanted Nazr as a cheap 2 year rental.

Then they found Oberto at $7.5 mil over 3 seasons...

[Sense]

Reason #3: bad back

Right?

The Spurs brought in Oberto this summer and will bring in Scola the next. Beyond that they will use some of their international bigs and/or cheap NBA bigs to fill out the rotation.

Yeah and They'll bring
SAR too....


right?

[Marcus Bryant]

If bringing in SAR helps them trim down the commitment they currently have to Rasho, I would not be surprised to see them make a run at him.

[timvp]

Oberto has the potential to save Holt Cat et al a ton of jack.

True. If Oberto works out and can start, he'd save the Spurs $100M+ when you look at Rasho's contract and the contract they'd have to give Nazr.

If Oberto pans out, I wouldn't be surprised if the rotation is eventually Oberto and Duncan with Horry, Scola and Javtokas/Mahinmi/VeteranCenter backing them up.

[Sense]

If bringing in SAR helps them trim down the commitment they currently have to Rasho, I would not be surprised to see them make a run at him.

I thought they would get him this offseason....


That was my point...

I know these seem to be your opinions and "facts" make you look legit.. but you never know what happens in the long run..


For all we know Rasho and Nazr are signing right now.

[Marcus Bryant]

They're trying to drop Rasho for nothing. The primary desire in moving Rose was the length and amount committed to him.

The "facts" fit.

[SWC Bonfire]

Reason #3: bad back

Right? Chronic injuries to key bigs haven't influenced the Spurs' personnel moves before.

They didn't have 2nd & 3rd "stars" when DRob went down. It was also pretty obvious that he was done for the year, whereas everyone knew Timmy would (try to) be back.

[ChumpDumper]

Maybe they won't be back -- alot depends on future revenues and the cap, and how much Nazr might end up wanting as a free agent.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

he Spurs dealt for Nazr first and foremost because it removed one bigman with a long term guaranteed deal from their books.

While I agree with the original intent, the Spurs got themselves a player - a pleasant surprise - and you don't know that their plans haven't changed.

The fact they are shopping Rasho while E-N insiders are saying Nazr is our starting center for next year leads me to believe they'd like to keep the guy.

Perhaps they've already reached a handshake deal with him and his agent to give him more money than the 40 mil he could have gotten signing an extension this summer?

[CaptainLate]

Nazr will be asking for too much money. Look for Oberto to be the starting center for a couple of years while Nazr and Rasho get moved.

If Oberto is working out and we still have Rasho, I'd think we could trade Nazr in February to a lottery team for a FRP. (First Round Pick)

[CaptainLate]

I'm not expecting him to be great, but he should be able to start in the NBA, which makes both Nazr and Rasho expendable....If you have another guy who can start for you at the 5 and you have TD as your backup 5 why carry yet another on the roster?

Because Rasho does well against Yao and Shaq, neither of whom TD desired to have to deal with.

[SWC Bonfire]

Perhaps they've already reached a handshake deal with him and his agent to give him more money than the 40 mil he could have gotten signing an extension this summer?

I doubt any front office puts much weight on a handshake deal in the NBA anymore after Carlos Boozer.

[Sense]

If Oberto is working out and we still have Rasho, I'd think we could trade Nazr in February to a lottery team for a FRP. (First Round Pick)

Nazr for a first round pick?


WTF?

[Marcus Bryant]

Why keep Nazr for $50+ mil over 5 or 6 seasons when you have a guy making $2.5 mil a season who can do the job? The Spurs haven't always had two relatively young centers who can start on the roster in addition to TD. That was just for the last half of last season.

As much as Holt Cat ed about TP's extension last summer, is it going to be surprising that they drop a potentially expensive non-star role player? Rose was run out of town because he had too much guaranteed salary over too many years.

These are still your San Antonio Spurs...

[boutons]

"when you have a guy making $2.5 mil a season who can do the job"

so far and until at least Christmas or beyond, that's only wishful thinking.

[Marcus Bryant]

They didn't have 2nd & 3rd "stars" when DRob went down. It was also pretty obvious that he was done for the year, whereas everyone knew Timmy would (try to) be back.

I was referring to the time when the 6'5" Malik Rose was backing up DRob and occassionally starting in place of him due to said bad back.