State of the Cap: San Antonio Spurs

[ducks]

State of the Cap: San Antonio Spurs
By Josh Redetzke
6/8/07


2007/08 San Antonio Spurs Payroll: $60.9 million
2007/08 Estimated NBA Salary Cap: $55 million
Roughly: $5.9 million over cap

http://nbadraft.net/profiles/largepics/tduncan04.jpg
Tim Duncan

The Good: The Spurs are in the Finals yet again thanks to their talented core of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili. You’d better get used to it since that group is locked up for at least three more seasons.

Tim Duncan is one of the highest paid players in the league, getting $19, $20.5, and $22 million over that span. The future Hall of Famer earns every penny. After dipping last season, Duncan is back to scoring 20 points a game to go with his 10.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks. To top it off, he shot 54.6% from the field, his best since his rookie year. The most efficient player in the league still has a lot of game left in him.

Duncan’s backcourt teammates also kept their play at a high level. Tony Parker maintained last year’s stellar numbers and vastly improved his three-point shooting to nearly 40%, although he hardly shoots them anymore. His preference is to get to the rim and finish, which he excels at. Despite not starting, Manu Ginobili still managed to play the same amount of minutes and improve his numbers. His 16.5 points per game and 39.6% three-point shooting were both career highs. Manu always saves his best for the playoffs and he is a big reason the Spurs are where they are right now. Each player will be paid between $9 and $12 million a year the next three seasons and together with Duncan, they are almost unstoppable.

Bruce Bowen is considered by some to be the best defender in basketball and San Antonio gets to keep him one more year for a measly $4 million. Bowen’s offensive game is limited to corner threes, but he knows what he does well and sticks to it, allowing the stars to do their thing without getting in their way. Bowen should get a nice pay raise next summer as other teams with be foaming at the mouth for a chance to take away one of the Spurs’ best role players.

The Bad: The days of Big Shot Rob are pretty much over. He’ll still make the occasional big play when it counts, but why does he even show up for the regular season? Horry sleepwalked his way to 3.9 points in 16 minutes a game. At least he is only due $3.6 million next year.

The Future: Simply put, the San Antonio Spurs are the flagship franchise in the National Basketball Association. They represent what every other team in the league should be trying to achieve. They win, they play smart, team oriented basketball, they are well-coached, and their salary cap is fiscally sound. Sure, they were lucky to land Tim Duncan in the draft lottery, but they made their own luck by drafting Parker and Ginobili and by making intelligent front office moves like acquiring Bruce Bowen and Michael Finley. Even after all their success, the Spurs will still be le contenders in the foreseeable future. That’s a major credit to their management.

The only concern I see is the depth of their frontline. Fabricio Oberto, their best big sub, could become a free agent this summer. The smart, efficient Oberto has a chance to produce better numbers with a larger role on another team and he’s likely to receive some offers. If Oberto leaves and Robert Horry retires, the only frontcourt players left are Francisco Elson and Jackie Butler. The Spurs will need to give Duncan a little more help down low. Of course, when you are the Spurs, filling a need seems to be an easy task.

Free Throw: After watching the Spurs dismantle Cleveland in game one of the NBA Finals, I started to wonder. How many championships will they win by the time Duncan calls it a career? Sure, the West is tough and they’ll have to fight through Phoenix and Dallas the next couple of years, but they’ve proven they can beat both of those teams. They are on their way to their fourth championship in the Duncan era and I wouldn’t be surprised if they won two more by the time he is through. Matching the great Michael Jordan for championships would be incredible and it appears to be within reach.

Grade: A

Main State of the Cap Page

http://nbadraft.net/2007stateofthecapsanantonio001.asp

[Marcus Bryant]

Well, the Spurs will have their MLE to use to go after some interesting free agents (Pietrus and Posey come to mind). Also there is a group of other potential free agents who depending on the price might be nice to tap to add some experienced depth (Pat Garrity, Grant Hill, Vitaly Potapenko, Devin Brown, Earl Boykins, Michael Doleac, Chucky Atkins, Joe Smith, Bonzi Wells, Matt Barnes, Jerry Stackhouse, PJ Brown). Then there are guys who would take a sign and trade but you never know (Nocioni, Gerald Wallace, and Primoz Brezec). Lastly, the Spurs can always tap some of the international players they have rights to if they so desire (Scola and Javtokas being the most NBA ready) and I guess they could always shock us and draft a NCAA player in the 1st round. I have a feeling that even if the Spurs are successful in this round we might see a fairly active Spurs offseason.

[ducks]

I hope people read this before making stupid fa suggestions

[ducks]

I heard spurs wanted to save the mle for this year that is why they did not use it last year
they also have the lle right?

[Marcus Bryant]

I heard spurs wanted to save the mle for this year that is why they did not use it last year
they also have the lle right?

They should.

[Slinkyman]

I heard spurs wanted to save the mle for this year that is why they did not use it last year
they also have the lle right?

the spurs used the MLE last year on elson and butler, btw you can use it every year.

[ducks]

oh

[Marcus Bryant]

Also, there are Jackie Butler and James White who are tantamount to recent draft picks. The author of the article is correct in that the Spurs could see a lot of turnover in the frontcourt. But then again, Oberto could stay and Horry might decide to hang around for one more season with Butler getting a spot in the rotation to keep Horry's regular season minutes down.

[ducks]

spurs need a long three this offseason IMO

[Marcus Bryant]

Spurs also have Barry and Beno with contracts that will expire after the 2007-08 season which, when combined with a draft pick or the rights to one of the Spurs' international assets could provide the Spurs with a nice trade opportunity. As much as the Spurs seem to be down on Udrih, there seems to be a view in the league that he could be a nice player elsewhere. As much effort as teams expend looking for a quality point guard, he could draw some interest.

[Marcus Bryant]

spurs need a long three this offseason IMO

Well, they do have a nice prospect in James White. They also could go after Pietrus, Posey, and/or Nocioni. In addition Grant Hill is available.

[milkyway21]

Spurs also have Barry and Beno with contracts that will expire after the 2007-08 season which, when combined with a draft pick or the rights to one of the Spurs' international assets could provide the Spurs with a nice trade opportunity. As much as the Spurs seem to be down on Udrih, there seems to be a view in the league that he could be a nice player elsewhere. As much effort as teams expend looking for a quality point guard, he could draw some interest.

i agree to that.

[MrChug]

In some wierd way, it seems to be destiny the Grant will end up here. Old, but still good-a great guy deserving of a championship.

[Big P]

I dont think the Spurs should be interested in Posey, unless he plays for the LLE, no way he is worth a MLE contract & the Spurs FO is smart enough not to offer him a MLE contract. The best case scenario IMO would be the Spurs trade:

Scola
Beno
Barry
Butler and
pick(s)

to the Bulls for

Nocioni
Duhon and
Khrypa

Then we would still have the MLE to fill a need or two like getting another PF or a center or maybe both..maybe split the MLE between Melvin Ely, Joe Smith, PJ Brown, or Doleac.

[Despot]

Spurs also have Barry and Beno with contracts that will expire after the 2007-08 season which, when combined with a draft pick or the rights to one of the Spurs' international assets could provide the Spurs with a nice trade opportunity. As much as the Spurs seem to be down on Udrih, there seems to be a view in the league that he could be a nice player elsewhere. As much effort as teams expend looking for a quality point guard, he could draw some interest.

I don't understand why people think the Spurs will trade the expiring contracts. Don't the Spurs creem themselves over expiring contracts, and now that they have a few of their own, why would they trade them away unless it was for a player that they would target in FA?

I do expect Beno to be traded though.

[Marcus Bryant]

Posey would be a nice fit in SA. Can play the 3, defend, run the floor, good outside shot and only 30.

[timvp]

What will be most interesting to me is whether the Spurs add another other players to their long term plan. Right now after next season, only Duncan, Parker and Ginobili are on the books (plus they have an option on Butler).

Will the Spurs limit everyone to one-year contracts like they have in the past or will their main goal be a 2008 championship?

We'll see.

[Marcus Bryant]

I don't understand why people think the Spurs will trade the expiring contracts. Don't the Spurs creem themselves over expiring contracts, and now that they have a few of their own, why would they trade them away unless it was for a player that they would target in FA?

I do expect Beno to be traded though.

Why not use those if they can take back better talent?

[timvp]

Posey would be a nice fit in SA. Can play the 3, defend, run the floor, good outside shot and only 30.

It's eerie how much Posey 2007 = Bowen 2001.

[Big P]

Posey would be a nice fit in SA. Can play the 3, defend, run the floor, good outside shot and only 30.

For the LLE not a MLE contract.

[milkyway21]

what about Finley? is Cuban still have one more yr to pay him?
I think the Spurs needs to pick who shld stay- Finley & Barry.

and add a Bruce Bowen understudy, he's almost 36 yrs old. They need to train a young SG and Bruce show him the works.

[Big P]

I would rather aquire a SF through a S&T, someone like Nocioni or Pietrus & us the MLE on other position(s) of need.

[Big P]

what about Finley? is Cuban still have one more yr to pay him?
I think the Spurs needs to pick who shld stay- Finley & Barry.

and add a Bruce Bowen understudy, he's almost 36 yrs old. They need to train a young SG and Bruce show him the works.

Finley will be the one that stays, they will probably use Barry's expiring & Scolas rights as the centerpiece to a S&T for a SF

We need a young SF more than we need a SG, but I would take Pietrus(he can play both) if we cant get Nocioni.

[milkyway21]

I don't see why the Spurs are thinking of extending Duncan's contract.

isn't it a little bit early to extend his contract this yr?

[Despot]

Why not use those if they can take back better talent?

I guess I am of the belief that the Spurs '08 plan is to find the next Spurs saviour.