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The trade also moves the Spurs significantly closer to getting under the luxury-tax threshold, though Buford said that is not a priority.
Spurs acquire forward in trade: Swap of reserves lands Ely, sends Williams to Bobcats
Web Posted: 02/13/2007 10:37 PM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...y.1b79ff0.html
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — In a move that is more likely to impact the Spurs' inactive list than the balance of power in the Western Conference, the team acquired Charlotte forward Melvin Ely on Tuesday in exchange for Eric Williams and a 2009 second-round draft pick.
Ely, 28, averaged 2.9 points and 1.6 rebounds in 10.2 minutes over 24 games with the Bobcats this season. He is expected to join the team during this weekend's All-Star break.
Williams, who was acquired from Toronto in last summer's trade for Rasho Nesterovic, appeared in 16 games for a total of 88 minutes. He performed well during his longest stint on the floor, scoring 14 points and making 4 of 9 3-pointers in 18 minutes in a loss against Milwaukee, but was never given much of an opportunity in games to earn a spot in the rotation.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said two weeks ago if the team decided to make a trade, it would involve only a "peripheral player."
"As I said, I wasn't going to make a trade for our top eight, nine, 10, 11 guys, but Eric was on the injured list," Popovich said. "We traded an injured-list guy for an injured-list guy."
Ely, who requested a trade in mid-December, is 6-foot-10 and athletic, giving the Spurs another big man. While Ely is considered a respectable low-post scorer — he averaged a career-best 9.8 points and 4.9 rebounds in 57 games last season — he also has shown to be a poor defender and rebounder, two areas in which the Spurs are already lacking.
"He's another athletic big (man) for us to take a look at," Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said.
Popovich said Ely first needs to improve his conditioning.
"He's not in shape," Popovich said. "He hasn't played much at all in Charlotte. Once he gets in shape, we'll see what we have."
Ely's $3.3 million contract expires at the end of the season. Because Williams is making $4.3million, the Spurs agreed to pay Charlotte the pro-rated difference between the two.
The trade also moves the Spurs significantly closer to getting under the luxury-tax threshold, though Buford said that is not a priority.
Williams, who didn't return a message left on his cell phone, attended shootaround with the Spurs on Tuesday morning before Popovich notified him of the trade at the team hotel. The deal was finalized midafternoon, and the team was told on the bus ride from New York.
"We were not thinking there would be changes," Manu Ginobili said. "But we know that when the season is not going good, something may happen.
"Probably for both, it's a good thing. Eric was not playing much, Ely there either."
The Spurs also inquired about Portland center Jamaal Magloire before agreeing to the deal with Charlotte, and Buford said the team would "continue to evaluate opportunities as they present themselves" before the Feb. 22 trade deadline.
The Spurs, however, lost one of their better assets in Williams' expiring contract, decreasing the likelihood of them making a bigger trade. They could conceivably trade Ely by the deadline but only in a one-for-one deal.
Briefly: Matt Bonner has been cleared to play, but Popovich opted to "err on the side of caution" and keep him on the inactive list. He could be in uniform tonight.
The trade also moves the Spurs significantly closer to getting under the luxury-tax threshold, though Buford said that is not a priority.
^^Expect RC to be fired in the morning.
L O Lll
I forgot Pop said that but I hope he at least gets some playing time.
If he's in shape and willing to work hard, I don't see how you can not give him some time.
Put it this way, if Ely is in shape, you can at least expect he will give you as much as the anemic tandem of Elson and Oberto is giving right now.
Not a ringing endorsement ... but then again Pop said Rasho's job was safe when they traded for Nazr.
Jamal Magloire was a better option. why it didn't work out?Ely is not a good defensive player.
well...
I'm sure the Magloire trade didn't work out because he is making $8.3 mil this year & matching salaries would definitly be tougher to accomplish. We didn't have enough expiring contracts & I'm sure Portland did not want to take any contracts that lasted more than this year.
God I wish you people would stop pushing that bull.Ely is not a good defensive player.
well...
He is a pretty good defender, in fact, its one of his selling points.
If Pop places this guy on IR and doesn't play him, then I might join the faction of fire pop protesters.
Expwess-Mews spreading 'mo lies.
Here is another opinion.
Power Rankings: Ely of the tiger? Motivated Melvin can help S.A.
By Tony Mejia
CBS SportsLine.com Staff Writer
Updated Feb. 13
San Antonio, it's time to meet your potential savior.
Gregg Popovich is frustrated with his team's play in the paint.
His name is Melvin Ely, and he toiled in relative obscurity with the Bobcats and Clippers, a former lottery pick heavy on potential and light on production.
A decade ago, Sports Illustrated called him the nation's most sought-after high school post player. He was a terror at Fresno State, finishing as the school's all-time leading scorer and shot blocker.
For the Spurs, he's just what the doctor ordered. He has the talent to be a difference-maker at center, a position that has been a problem spot. He's a potential spark for a team that needs to regain its swagger.
Tim Duncan needs a tag-team partner. Ely just became the second most talented post player on the squad. Sounds like the perfect marriage, right?
Not so fast.
A highly connected scout once called Ely one of the mysteries of the league, physically blessed but tragically immature. "He just doesn't get it," was one description of Ely. His work ethic and at ude have long been questioned.
At this point, he's a bust. A bust who just received an opportunity for a fresh start.
The Spurs acquired him Tuesday for Eric Williams and a second-round pick in 2009, taking a gamble that a winning, veteran-laden environment will make a difference in Ely's career, helping him reach the potential he obviously has.
He has been coveted before -- by championship contenders, at that. Phoenix was interested in adding him, a move that made a lot of sense given their need for athletic size and the uncertainty about Amare Stoudemire's knees at the start of the season. Other teams certainly took looks, sent scouts over to Charlotte and inquired, if only to make a more informed decision.
Ely issued a trade demand earlier in the season, when it was clear he wouldn't beat out Emeka Okafor and Sean May for playing time. Strangely, it was a very formal, yet friendly request, in which he promised he would handle the situation professionally no matter what transpired.
Will Melvin Ely help the Spurs?
Yes: He's a good fit
No: Who's Melvin Ely
Now he has a solution, sprung from a losing situation where he wasn't playing to one where he can immediately be counted on to help.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has grown increasingly frustrated with what Fabricio Oberto and Francisco Elson have been able to provide. In three of their last four losses, the Spurs have been outrebounded by double digits. A 46-31 deficit on the boards in Sunday's loss to the Heat set Popovich off again.
"We're still not playing physical enough, tough enough," Popovich said. "We're playing soft for too many minutes in the game. We're just hoping and begging rather than playing our ass off. We were beaten to loose balls, second shots, hard drives, hard cuts. We're too soft."
So here comes Ely, who hasn't played more than 23 minutes a game all year, to provide a potential answer. Maybe his arrival will spark Elson and Oberto. Perhaps Ely's first gig with a consistent winner will light a fire under him.
No one said this was a gimme, but he is a potential savior, because San Antonio needs to shake things up. The Spurs are clearly missing something, but aren't interested in overhauling their roster. This is a tweak with a minimal risk and a potentially huge payoff.
Ultimately, it's up to Ely. Given that the NBA sewing circle has already posted a couple of strikes against him, it would be in his best interest to arrive ready to work.
The trade also moves the Spurs significantly closer to getting under the luxury-tax threshold, though Buford said that is not a priority.
You think he lies?
Well, we've filled our Melvin quota for another year. That's something.
This trade sounds like less and less like a fincancial move. Spurs have decided to stay slighty above the luxury tax by taking Ely instead of a player like Hermann.
Ely fill a need with spurs : a strong bigman. Spurs have now 7 bigmen and i think that Oberto will be traded soon (if a team is interested in him) : I don't see a reason to use him over Elson against mobile bigmen and I don't see a reason to use him over Ely against strong bigmen.
Si,this is the guy who is gonna take as to the WCF?
I guess we all got a little too excited yes ay.
I hope It works out for Williams and ely to see some more playing time.and for the spurs to have another buckup PF.
I'm sure Pop just wants to put his players at ease about any major shakeups, but he's going to great lengths to downplay this deal.
Ely probably won't be the "savior" like the CBS article claims, but this kid has real value.
Pop can be an ass sometimes...
They are not gonna let Him go,eventhough he is not playing big minutes and mostly plays in blow out games.
I was watching on the Argentinians news that Herrmann said ¨coaches told me to take it easy this year¨,and to try to get used to the NBA and the new way of living in the US.
I think they expect him to play some more minutes next year,and developes his game also.
Ely is a rental.
Considering that they've been working Butler since training camp and still don't think Butler is in shape, I think he has little chance of meaningful minutes. Wouldn't surprise me to see Melvin in a suit as Pop's big " you" to his agent.
Why would they go through all the trouble of the trade, if they are just gonna let him expire on the IR all season.
they probably want him to keep Scola´s chair on the bench wormed out till the offseason.
As most of the time, Pop isn't telling the whole truth. I don't think Ely will play right away, but I think as he learns the system a little more and gets into better shape that he will start to play.
Ely and Jackie both need to work their butts out into shape; we need them in the playoffs.
I've said "like Hermann".
My point is that this deal isn't only a financial move. After this deal Spurs are still over the luxury tax while they could easily do a trade to go under even without involving another bocats' player.
A financial move would have been : Charlotte waive Ely and then Spurs trade Williams + cash + 2nd for nothing. Spurs should have given more cash to cover Ely remaining salary but they would have saved more money with this trade becasue this deal would have put them under the tax.
Bottomline is that Ely will be more than a contract for Spurs : it's a gamble and they hope that he will help them this year. Another conclusion is that Spurs will still do another trade to go under the tax : they are now $300k over the tax and if they can lower their payroll by $300K, they will save $2.5M.
....So what's the point then?
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