Woj:San Antonio's Tim Duncan exercises player option

[DPG21920]

It would be crazy, but there's so much money chasing so little talent. We're going to be updating the list of worst contracts ever over and over again this summer.

First off: good to see you again

Secondly: I agree. I'm done making assumptions. I'm not one for semantics usually and I'm all about making educated guesses but we are in uncharted waters and as we learned with all the stuff that doesn't seem logical (yet) things are going on that we are just missing. That plus the market has not been set yet. We literally have no baseline now and old baselines are rendered mostly useless.

[DPG21920]

Does Milutinov count towards the cap at his rookie number until they cosign a letter that he'll stay overseas? I think that's the ticket.

What I'm wondering is if the Spurs decide to operate as an above the cap team, not renouncing exceptions & such, does that mean they can still sign Milutinov to a rookie deal without having to dip into an exception? Does he just equal a first round pick like any over the cap team that might have two firsts (just subbing in Milutinov and Murray for this scenario)?

It's really a formality with regards to his cap hold unless he tries to force his way over. But the waiting for the letter part is true but should not be an obstacle with the moratorium period.

To your 2nd part, that is correct from my understanding.

[timtonymanu]

None of this makes any sense at all to justify Carter-Williams.

Also, Plumlee sucks. Period. Sucks. Sucks so bad that he could barely get run with a team in Milwaukee.


He's a white Jeff Ayres.

So he's a white, better version of Malik Rose?

[Chinook]

Does Milutinov count towards the cap at his rookie number until they cosign a letter that he'll stay overseas? I think that's the ticket.

Forgot to answer this. He doesn't. Apparently that hold is gone as long as the player is under contract with another team. Now, I don't know how the league views a player securing a late buyout so his NBA team can use cap space and THEN get his exception. But that's how it work in general.

[JuneJive]

It's all a guessing game right now.

But as it stands, it's pretty clear PATFO has some insight into Durant's decision.

Tim wouldn't "get in the way" if they thought Durant might be coming over.

[Seventyniner]

Look at what Charlotte did. They gave Lamb a new contract and then eight months later offered a first-rounder for someone to take it off their ledger. And I bet that NO REALLY wishes Asik were on another team right now. What I think is hard is for good players to be on bad contracts. But bad players will still be able to sign bad contracts.

Fair enough. The rising cap masks some of the pain, I guess. But we're going to have a league chock full of capped-out teams with terrible contracts again in one or two years, just like old times.

[-21-]

I'm so confused right now. I guess at this point my hope is that he comes back.

[Sean Cagney]

It's all a guessing game right now.

But as it stands, it's pretty clear PATFO has some insight into Durant's decision.

Tim wouldn't "get in the way" if they thought Durant might be coming over.

^^^^ This, plus saying they will retain Diaw in all probability. That shows me right there he is not coming, as if most of us didn't know already. I see him back in OKC.

[DPG21920]

I think they're both back at this point. Duncan just doesn't seem like the type of person who will take millions to not play. If they are both back, then that second step in my post is much easier. You just keep Duncan, let Boban walk and re-sign Manu with the room exception. After that, you don't need to worry about a getting another two-guard until 2017, so there's no trade. Roster would look like this:


PG: Parker, Mills, Murray
SG: Green, Manu, Simmons
SF: Leonard, Anderson, Bertans
PF: Aldridge, Diaw, LJC
C: Gasol, Duncan (or flipped; I don't care), Lorbek (though Cady makes a lot more sense than before with the center rotation being older)

So now you think he stays? I thought originally you thought a 1+1 and him exercising the option meant he was gone. If he's playing how on Earth does it make sense to opt in?

[TheGoldStandard]

So now you think he stays? I thought originally you thought a 1+1 and him exercising the option meant he was gone. If he's playing how on Earth does it make sense to opt in?

He's tired of Danny, Boris and Patty and thought this was the passive aggressive way to get rid of them?

[r0drig0lac]

He's tired of Danny, Boris and Patty and thought this was the passive aggressive way to get rid of them?

fair

[lefty]

For sake, just retire already

[NASpurs]

[cjw]

I guess if he had opted out, he still would have gotten that bonus and the $750k would have been dead money?

[Chinook]

So now you think he stays? I thought originally you thought a 1+1 and him exercising the option meant he was gone. If he's playing how on Earth does it make sense to opt in?

I think he's going to change his mind. It's one thing to intend to retire in a year. It's another thing to actually do it. As the off-season goes on, I think the open invitation he has from his contract will get to him. Retirement is forever.

[Chinook]

I guess if he had opted out, he still would have gotten that bonus and the $750k would have been dead money?

Nah. He got $750k extra last season, too. His cap number was $6 Million.

[SASdynasty!]

Tim Duncan can do whatever he wants at this point, he and Ginobili have been playing at a discount rate for years now.
It is clear that he feels that another discount is not needed from him while "head of the snake" is sitting on 30 million bucks when he should have also been on a discount rate.
This makes me think that is very unlikely that Manu returns to play for the minimum.

When Parker's production drops to Tim/Manu level, he can take a paycut.

[SupremeGuy]

One more year

[DPG21920]

I think he's going to change his mind. It's one thing to intend to retire in a year. It's another thing to actually do it. As the off-season goes on, I think the open invitation he has from his contract will get to him. Retirement is forever.

You can retire and come back

But man, if he plays don't you think he's going to regret opting in vs giving the team an easier path to flexibility and losing out on some money (if he signed another 1+1, then retired next year)?

[Budkin]

So he's a white, better version of Malik Rose?

Damn, hating on Malik? He did the dirty work for us for years. Was pretty big during our 2003 run especially.

[Chinook]

You can retire and come back

But man, if he plays don't you think he's going to regret opting in vs giving the team an easier path to flexibility and losing out on some money (if he signed another 1+1, then retired next year)?

I don't think he will. What he might regret is losing a teammate because the team needs the money. If provided they stay within their means and Durant chooses someone besides SA for non-cap reasons, I don't think he'd care.

[DPG21920]

I don't think he will. What he might regret is losing a teammate because the team needs the money. If provided they stay within their means and Durant chooses someone besides SA for non-cap reasons, I don't think he'd care.

Perhaps you are correct - but man, it just seems like opting in was the worst decision if he's playing (that does not make it a terrible decision, just the worst of the options IMO).

[TheGoldStandard]

Perhaps you are correct - but man, it just seems like opting in was the worst decision if he's playing (that does not make it a terrible decision, just the worst of the options IMO).

Maybe, just maybe the FO isn't that smart

[DPG21920]

Maybe, just maybe the FO isn't that smart

Was not the FO choice. I think Tim is truly waffling and the only way to get his money in the event he does retire was to opt in.

I think he knew that if he ended up playing the decision was questionable but that was an acceptable risk with him truly undecided.

I think after seeing RC's comments, no one really actually knows what Tim is doing.

[TheGoldStandard]

Was not the FO choice. I think Tim is truly waffling and the only way to get his money in the event he does retire was to opt in.

I think he knew that if he ended up playing the decision was questionable but that was an acceptable risk with him truly undecided.

I think after seeing RC's comments, no one really actually knows what Tim is doing.

Perhaps but it's not like the Front Office wouldn't assure Tim that he would get compensated regardless.. As you've outlined in some of your posts there were ways that the Spurs could have compensated him regardless if he chose to play or not after they locked up potential FA to improve the roster.

I know a lot of people are okay with striking out this offseason and gearing up for next year but that influx of cap money will make next years deals even worse and expectations for questionable talent still getting paid a huge amount. With some flexibility this offseason the Spurs could have at the very least addressed some bench issues with better than next seasons salary expectations.