Spurs: Team will buy NBDL's Austin Toros

[naico]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA062807.austintorros.e-n.22cb7d48.html

Good news...Great project!

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

"Spurs: Team will buy NBDL's Austin Toros"

Web Posted: 06/28/2007 02:17 PM CDT

Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer

The Spurs have reached agreement to purchase the Austin Toros of the NBA’s developmental league, an NBA source said Thursday afternoon.

The agreement means the Spurs will become the sole affiliate of the Toros and will be responsible for hiring the team’s management and coaching staffs.

The Toros are expected to continue playing in Austin for the foreseeable future, the source said.

The Los Angeles Lakers are the only other NBA franchise to own a D-League team.

Former University of Missouri coach Quin Snyder was named the Toros coach last month, replacing the late Dennis Johnson, who died midway through last season.

James White became the first Spurs player to play for the Toros last season.

NBA teams are allowed to assign first- and second-year players to the D-League up to three times per season.

[picnroll]

Great. Maybe they'll draft some players to stock it with.

[CubanMustGo]

James White!

[T Park]

FANTASTIC!!

This paves the way for guys like Mahinmi, Sanikidze, and others to play on the team and get "the system" built in.

Way to step up Holt

[yavozerb]

excellent!!Now we can really get some work in on our young players. Great move for the spurs..

[VaSpursFan]

this is great news...instead of stashing players overseas, they can now bring them to the NBDL and get them used to the system, specifically the defensive sheme.

great move by the spurs

[yavozerb]

Even players not signed by the spurs could be brought to play for the toro's for a closer look if needed. Also, I wonder if we integrate the Spurs system of defensive basketball to the team to bring along younger players faster to the system

[L.I.T]

Smooth move. Hopefully this will allow the Spurs to further leverage their scouting department and avoid situations where their foreign draft picks sign long-term deals.

[GINNNNNNNNNNNNOBILI]

Just load the team up with a couple of popular ex-horns and sell cheap beer, and you might be able to build a fan base and make some money

[timvp]

Sounds good. I wonder how the rules work. I'm assuming the Torros couldn't go out and sign the Sanikidzes and Karaulovs of the world in a way that it cir vents the rules.

However, it should be nice to have a place for players who aren't quite good enough to be on the Spurs but good enough to watch develop. Very nice

First order of business should to fire Quin Snyder and hire a real coach.

[naico]

Even players not signed by the spurs could be brought to play for the toro's for a closer look if needed. Also, I wonder if we integrate the Spurs system of defensive basketball to the team to bring along younger players faster to the system

Good thought! Trying to bring in the same schemes would really help to get the younger players used to pop's system

[yavozerb]

Next years toro's:
Koponan,Bellineli, White, Traore,Mahinmi

[Darkwaters]

The Toros should definitely play a similar scheme to the one the Spurs play. I imagine a lot of former Longhorns will be on the team to sell tickets like someone said. We could really ship players down to this team and they could learn the Spurs system even while they're not in SA. Great idea.

What does an NBADL Max salary look like? Could we legitimately sign a player like Sanikidze on a Toros (not NBA Spurs) contract of say 1M a year and stash him in Austin? I'm just thinking outside the box here... If a player is not likely to crack the rotation of the Spurs...but still close to joining the team...and not really gaining anything from either their weak league abroad or their lack of PT...could we pay them a decent salary to play in Austin and we trained in our system and style? This scenario screams Ian Mahinmi. If he would spend his whole rookie season in the DL anyways, why not salvage the roster spot for a vet and pay him in Austin instead?

[ChumpDumper]

Sounds good. I wonder how the rules work. I'm assuming the Torros couldn't go out and sign the Sanikidzes and Karaulovs of the world in a way that it cir vents the rules.

I'm not sure. That whole Ricky Sanchez situation really makes me wonder. I mean, I guess he can't be called up by anyone else because the Nuggets still own his rights -- so would it be different if Denver owned the Stampede?

This brings up alot of questions, but it's pretty awesome. Hopefully they don't turn over the entire staff so I'll still know folks there.

[samikeyp]

Great idea.

Now get Snyder's ass outta there and it will be perfect.

[naico]

Toros Roster


2006-07 Roster
NUM PLAYER POS HT WT FROM
25 Justin Bowen F 6-7 210 Illinois-Chicago
22 Brad Buckman F 6-9 245 Texas
55 Marcus Campbell C 7-0 280 Mississippi State
15 Kris Clack F 6-5 225 Texas
20 BJ Elder G 6-4 205 Georgia Tech
44 Anthony Fuqua F 6-11 225 University of Texas-San Antonio
30 Cheyne Gadson G 6-2 205 Oklahoma State
7 Brock Gillespie G 6-2 190 Rice
6 Jamar Smith F 6-9 235 Maryland
Trent Strickland F 6-5 200 Wake Forest

[T Park]

first order of business.

Hire a former head coach thats now a low assistant, and knows the system to a point to coach the team.

Mario Elie?

Someone along those lines. Maybe a Paul Pressey.

[yavozerb]

Hmmm, a purchase such as this on draft day. Expect not to see any of our draft picks from this year on the roster for 2007-2008.

[Borosai]

This is a direct result of the man... yes, that one.

[samikeyp]

Elie would be a great choice.

[Mr. Body]

Can other teams pay to place their players on the team or something?

[ploto]

Sounds good. I wonder how the rules work. I'm assuming the Torros couldn't go out and sign the Sanikidzes and Karaulovs of the world in a way that it cir vents the rules.

My first thought- the Spurs basically through the Toros sign Ian- instead of his multi-year guaranteed first round contract from the Spurs, they get him to sign with the Toros and play there cheap. Then they don't have to waste a year of his rookie contract in the NBDL. Can they do that? Seems like they should not be able to...

[T Park]

Elie makes sense.

hes got coaching experience, he knows the system, he is a perfect Avery Johnson like player that had alot of adversity to deal with to teach the youngins.

It makes too much sense for him not to be the head coach.

Quinn Snyder makes Flip Saunders look like Red Auerbach and Phil Jackson rolled into one.

[ChumpDumper]

Toros Roster


2006-07 Roster
NUM PLAYER POS HT WT FROM
25 Justin Bowen F 6-7 210 Illinois-Chicago
22 Brad Buckman F 6-9 245 Texas
55 Marcus Campbell C 7-0 280 Mississippi State
15 Kris Clack F 6-5 225 Texas
20 BJ Elder G 6-4 205 Georgia Tech
44 Anthony Fuqua F 6-11 225 University of Texas-San Antonio
30 Cheyne Gadson G 6-2 205 Oklahoma State
7 Brock Gillespie G 6-2 190 Rice
6 Jamar Smith F 6-9 235 Maryland
Trent Strickland F 6-5 200 Wake Forest

The way the rules work, four of those players can be retained.

Bowen and Gadson would be definite keepers IMO. Smith and Elder could come back too if they don't go to Europe.