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Interesting... but if Hakim Warrick cant get on the court and contribute for a team playing run and gun and with very few offensive sets - with his athletisicm - then i cant see contributing to this team.
Pietrus i would like
We've all explored this subject quite a bit over the past couple of years. Especially in light of Pop's declaration that the Spurs would be looking for the so-called "Derrick McKey"-type of player. Well, we have yet another candidate.
ESPN.com produced a list of top 10 players most likely to be traded before the deadline. Two of which are young swingmen, who could figure prominently as potential long-term solutions at this position. One in particular, is a long three, who is talented, has length, and could be had for a very low, cap-friendly salary.
http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insid...deWatch-071213
Who?
Hakim Warrick, Grizzlies
Vitals
Born: July 8, 1982
Philadelphia, PA
Height: 6-9
Weight: 219 lbs. Age: 25
Pos: F
College: Syracuse
Drafted: 2005, 1st round, 19th pick by Grizzlies
Career Stats:
8.6 pts, 3.6 rebs, 0.3 stls, 0.3 blks
2008 Salary:
$1,376,040
Why he may be available?
After a five-game stretch in which he played very little, the Grizzlies have been showcasing him to a degree in their past two games as word has circulated around the league that the third-year forward does not fit into the Grizzlies' long-term plans. There are still plenty of teams willing to take a shot on Warrick's upside, which means Memphis can get true value in return.
Who?
Mickael Pietrus, Warriors
Vitals
Born: February 7, 1982
Les Abymes, Guadeloupe
Height: 6-6
Weight: 215 lbs. Age: 25
Pos: GF
Drafted: 2003, 1st round, 11th pick by Warriors
Career Stats:
9.0 pts, 3.3 rebs, 0.6 stls, 0.4 blks
2008 Salary:
$3,470,771
Why he may be available?
He will be an unrestricted free agent next summer after taking the Warriors' qualifying offer a few months back, and he has become little more than a bit player in coach Don Nelson's ever-changing rotation. Pietrus has the right to veto any trade because he would lose his Bird rights (which allows teams to exceed the salary cap to re-sign their own veteran free agents) if dealt, but he'd accept a deal if it sent him to a franchise that would let him get enough playing time to enhance his value -- much like Vladimir Radmanovic did two seasons ago when he accepted a trade from the Sonics to the Clippers.
On one hand, the Spurs rarely make moves during the season. Seeing as how they are already stacked at that position and judging how long the incubation period is for an incoming player, I doubt the Spurs would make any moves that would alter their current swingman rotation until the offseason.
On the other hand, they certainly know the swing position is one of critical need for next year. There may not be many attractive or affordable options available this summer. Obviously if one or the other was acquired before the deadling, neither would be able to help them much this year. This would be more of a move for next season.
Last edited by SenorSpur; 12-15-2007 at 11:23 AM.
Interesting... but if Hakim Warrick cant get on the court and contribute for a team playing run and gun and with very few offensive sets - with his athletisicm - then i cant see contributing to this team.
Pietrus i would like
i was a big pietrus fan for a while, but after 4+ years in the league, he still plays like a rookie. he is about as smart as a bag of skittles. zero basketball IQ. and while he has the ability to play defense, he doesnt have the mind. he misses rotations on a regular basis and gets burned by ball fakes far too often for a 4+ year player. he also has a problem with fouls because of this (2.43 fpg over 21.2 mpg career) and has always had an ast/to ration well below 1.0 (0.7 ast/to career).
now another warrior, azubuike, i might like to take a chance on. not the mythical "long three", but a decent sg prospect.
They filled the 'swing' position with I'm Okedokey. No more room at the inn for Pietrus.
Pietrus would be great with the Spurs...
Warrick played well under Fratello and might be a decent fit in our half court system. He's a better than average rebounder for his size. But I''m not sure where he would get minutes, if the Spurs would be willing to pay his salary (which would take us into the lux tax) or if we could get him for trade exception money, which I doubt. If not, who do you trade to get him--Elson or Bonner? Memphis is not going to bite.
Pietrus is not bright enough to play in San Antonio.
Warrick is a power forward in a small forward's body. His perimeter guard skills are lacking to consistently play the 3. He'd be a better fit with a team like Phoenix where he can mostly play the power forward spot.
agreed, which makes this odd - aren't they trying to do the same in memphis?
I always had prayed they had drafted him that year...he was ALMOST available.
what about ron artest? he's currently earning $8million a year for the kings. he can opt out of his contract next year and we will have empty seats on the bench next year. possibilities? or should we not even consider him?
pros:
*will definitely up our defense with him guarding the post.
*adds someone who can post up.
*he wants a championship.
cons:
*kings will definitely match any offer that is reasonable. he's severely underpaid at $8million
*past history.
*tendency to demand the ball.
the big issue of course is cap space.
Too risky!
I think the Spurs learned there lesson last time when they tried Dennis Rodman out for a couple of seasons.
I don't know enough Warrick to say if he could really help Spurs but he has an interesting profile. Spurs seems to be happy with their team right now and they are just under the luxury tax. A trade or Spurs signing a 15th player this year is unlikely. Warrick could be an interesting option this summer. Spurs have a trade exception from the Beno trade big enough to take Warrick before the draft. If Memphis want to dump him (like Hornets did with Cedric Simmons), Spurs should take a flyer on him.
I say no to Pietrus, who is a SG/SF and not the SF/PF coveted, because Spurs have still Udoka and because Pietrus sucks. Even if Udoka fails in SA, I rather see Spurs going after a player like Gelabale than Pietrus. Gelabale will be available this summer for a cheap contract and Spurs were interested by him in the past. I don't know if it's still the case. Spurs scout also a lot the D-League this year via Austin and they could maybe find an interesting player in D-League.
Our FA agent wish list should include some or all of the following: a 2 to replace Fin, a 3 to eventually replace Bowen, a bench warming big (maybe Splitter is enough) and possibly a third point (assuming Washington and Parker as definate). There are a lot of players out there, I'd rather the Spurs just set back and evaluated their options and made a move next summer.
The wildcard in all this is that team owners are looking at an incredibly friendly market. It may be the case that someone will be available at a buyer's price and the Spurs take a run at them despite not having a glaring need. For example, if Okafor's value drops, as it is doing now, maybe you trade to clear even more cap (Bonner) and put all your marbles in that basket. These are unlikely scenarios, but who knows.
The current roster is solid. Why fuss with it now?
I would like to see Artest comming to the Spurs if he would sign a reasonable contract which is doubtfull. Him together with Duncan an Bowen would be scary defensively. That said, I don't think it happens.
This is all mere supposition. As stated, the Spurs "rarely" make trades during the regular season. This is not to say they should or should not. This is simply information on potential players, who could fill a long-term need for cheap, and who MAY be available prior to the trade deadline.
Warrick has always struck me as just a skinny version of Stromile Swift: a freak athlete rather than a basketball player.
The Pistons just waived Ronald Dupree to make room for Brezec and Hermann after trading Nazr. The Spurs have gone after Dupree twice before. One time he was claimed off waiver before the Spurs could do so. The other time he ended up being traded to a different team instead of waived.
It's tough to say if the Spurs will still want him. He's done a whole lot of nothing in the last couple seasons. While he's not as tall as you'd like for a Long Three, he's definitely thick and strong enough to fill that role.
This time, the Spurs should be able to get him if they want him. I don't see anyone claiming him off waivers. The only way it'd make sense for the Spurs would be to waive Darius Washington. I doubt the Spurs like Dupree enough to give up on a prospect who also happens to be the third string point guard ... but I guess we'll see.
Marcus Slaughter and Linton Johnson are also free agents.
I wonder if the long 3 is as needed right now as it was once thought (Dirk's vanishing act is obviously the main reason for that.)
I'm happy to give Ime a chance. Dupree doesn't seem like a big step up from Ime.
Also, I doubt Dupree speaks more than one language.
He's probably never thrown down in Affika, either....
get skinny (hakim warrick)
Warrick has really worked hard and has added a nice, reliable mid-range game to his offense. I agree that he started out as another Stro Swift, but he seems to have taken his game to another level.
Sadly, I don't think the Spurs have enough of the right pieces to trade for him.
What I'm not clear about is why Memphis wants to get rid of Warrick. What's the deal there? Wrong style of ball?
About Pietrus...
On first glance, he looks like the perfect fit for the Spurs. He is an international player, has good defensive ability, and fills a potential need for the upcoming off-season playing either SG or SF.
At second glance, he still looks like a viable candidate but not one that you would automatically assume would get a strong look from the Spurs FO. According to many, he doesn't have a strong basketball IQ and still makes "rookie" mistakes. That is not something that will endear him to the FO or coaching staff. He also doesn't seem to have the at ude and work ethic the FO/coach covet.
The Spurs also tend to go for guys that are much more "under the radar" free agents, with the exception of the J-Kidd courting, and I'm not sure Pietrus fits that mold either. As someone suggested earlier, I think the Spurs might be more likely to go after a guy like Kelenna Azubuike, who will most likely opt out of his deal for a bit more money.
Azubuike had to fight for a spot in this league so you know the work ethic is there, is a power guard with a decent shot and good athleticism, and will most likely be a cheaper option to fill a potential void at G/F.
Honestly, I'd be happy with either as both seem like similar players. Of course, it will take both some time to adjust to actually having to play team defense....
I'm also baffled with this one.
It seems to me that he's making strides, improving his game, and making a case for being a solid long-term rotation player.
Then again, this is a whole new regime that is looking to establish a new idenity. I assume that if they thought they'd get "fair value" for Pau, he'd already be gone....and it may still happen.
Warrick would be a nice pickup for any team as he is still on a cheap rookie contract that won't expire for a couple years.
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