I was referring to the Spurs propensity for taking guys that don't fit in anywhere and making them into key contributors (Diaw, Mills, Neal, Green, Speedy Claxton etc.) Like I said, it's not like Ayers was terrible, but you couldn't put him in for 15-20 minutes without dropping off significantly from whoever he subbed in for.

[This message has been edited by aggie_2001_2005 (edited 7/7/2014 8:44a).]

[This message has been edited by aggie_2001_2005 (edited 7/7/2014 8:45a).]

But no, he doesn't have a bad contract. He just brings nothing to the table besides his pulse and height.

I largely agree with you, but posts are the most expensive relative to their value players in the league. Finding a serviceable one that accepts the MLE may prove difficult.

I can see Gasol, McRoberts, Frye and possibly even Marvin Williams all getting offers for more than the MLE. All those guys could be looking at a Diaw type salaries or even closer to Splitter type salaries approaching $10 million. A stretch four/point forward is not a common skillset. And what true center outside of Gasol is attainable with MLE and provides much more than Baynes can give you?

A backup SF is possibly more attainable with the MLE than just adding a scrub post.

I think you go fishing for value on quality posts first with the MLE, but if you have no luck and a much more valuable SF comes available then you take that and re-sign Baynes or Bonner depending on if you plan on starting Diaw or Splitter during the regular season.

Sure that isn't a perfect situation in the post, but it was good enough for a championship.

Unless we get someone that has no business taking the MLE like Gasol, I would rather get a 3/4 than a 4/5.

I'd be totally fine with rolling the dice on Bonner (vet min) and Baynes (assuming his price tag doesn't go up much) at post. Either of them can give you 10-15 minutes of good enough play per game and do very well on certain match ups.

The Spurs small ball championship run last year never really saw a dominant frontline.
There really aren't a ton of teams that could kill the Spurs in the post as currently constructed, but Gasol going elsewhere could change that.

I would worry about any decent playoff team if they were to add Pau Gasol:
OKC (Gasol, Ibaka, Adams, McGary)
Miami (Bosh and Gasol)
Dallas (Dirk, Tyson Chandler and Gasol) Houston (Howard and Gasol)
Memphis (Gasol, Gasol and ZBo)
Portland (Lopez, Gasol and Aldridge)
Clips (Gasol, Jordan, Griffin)

I want Gasol on the Spurs as much to keep from playing against him, as I do him helping a weak spot of the Spurs.

I wish we could get another big man to replace Ayres. Someone who at least has the potential to develop a future here. Not sure that will be able to happen though.

The Spurs will offer Gasol the MLE and sit patiently but that's a long shot. Other than that, it wouldn't surprise me to see the Spurs sign another guard (or just see what they have in Cotton).

With Daye surprisingly staying on the roster (for now) I am kind of expecting only 1 of Bonner/Baynes to return. At this point, I'm not sure which one they favor.


As stated though, The Spurs are still comfortably below the tax line, even if they use the full MLE on somebody so waiving a player to create a roster spot is still a likely scenario in the case they get somebody else to sign. The Spurs have done this before (Guaranteed Malcolm Thomas' contract only to later waive him 2 weeks later). So it wouldn't necessarily surprise me to see someone like Daye or to a lesser extent Ayres waived if the right opportunity presents itself.

I agree that one of Baynes or Bonner is the likely scenario. I don't see them going with another guard unless Patty's surgery goes poorly.

I would love to cut Ayers and go with some combo of:
Gasol with MLE, Bonner and backup SF at minimum.

Stretch four with MLE, Baynes and backup SF at minimum

SF with MLE, Baynes and Bonner re-signed at minimum.

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I don't see them going with another guard unless Patty's surgery goes poorly.

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The surgery was last week and the deal is still on.

Patty had surgery already but its a 6-8 month recovery time leaving only 2 PG's on the roster. I find it hard that the Spurs at least don't have another PG on the roster until Patty returns in January/February. Someone like Cotton who can bounce back & forth between SA and Austin would work best.

I would like the Spurs to sign another big (Gasol, McRoberts,Frye) while unloading Ayres. Keep Baynes and let Cotton (or another G) be the 15th man.

My dream scenario at least.

[This message has been edited by Sher Thing (edited 7/7/2014 9:39a).]

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The Spurs small ball championship run last year never really saw a dominant frontline.

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I kind of disagree to an extent. The combo of Duncan / Splitter / Diaw pretty much owned every team the Spurs played outside of maybe Dallas (though Dirk never really did a lot so you could say they did a damn good job owning Dallas too). If either Splitter or Diaw had gone down in the playoffs, the Spurs could have easily lost to any of the 4 teams they faced. They had no one to provide any kind of depth if one of those two goes out with an injury. Just because they didn't all play at the same time doesn't mean they weren't dominant. From a depth standpoint, they were.

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There really aren't a ton of teams that could kill the Spurs in the post as currently constructed

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Maybe they wouldn't get killed, but if Diaw or Splitter gets hurt it would take away any advantage the Spurs have at those positions, which is a big deal. Maybe Baynes will demonstrate significant improvement with another year, I kind of doubt that though. Duncan can't be expected to play 40 mpg even in the playoffs. Neither could Splitter or Diaw if the other goes out with an injury. In that situation, Kawhi or Baynes would have to play the 4 for close to 20mpg and against OKC, MEM, LAC, POR, which would probably cause the Spurs some problems against those teams.

I realize the market isn't huge for a decent big at the MLE, but they've got to exhaust all options there before throwing that money at Kawhi's seat warmer (especially when they may have already found a decent player for that in Anderson)

[This message has been edited by aggie_2001_2005 (edited 7/7/2014 9:48a).]

Gasol to OKC could create some problems for the Spurs but other than that I don't see a team where his presence would affect the Spurs very much.

If not here, preferably he goes east but definitely anywhere but OKC.

Do the CLippers have the MLE also, or have they already used it / gotten too close to the hard cap to use it?

Gasol to the Rockets would not make me excited either though.
Beverly-Harden-Parsons-Gasol-Howard is a pretty damn solid starting 5, though they wouldn't have much past that. I'm also not sure Gasol wants anything to do with Howard.

[This message has been edited by aggie_2001_2005 (edited 7/7/2014 9:55a).]

Clippers used the MLE on Hawes. Rockets have not been reported as interested and Gasol doesn't want to play with Howard again.

Yeah, as long as that's the case, then I agree that OKC is the only destination that Gasol signing could hurt the Spurs.

My guess right now is that he ends up in either Chicago or Miami (if big 3 stay), unless Melo shockingly chooses LA. Then I could see him staying in LA.

I don't know, those two options (Heat-Lakers) seem so far apart:

1. Be on a losing team watching a washed-up Kobe and Carmelo Anthony playing iso and jacking shots all day, but getting to stay in the city you've lived in for the last few years and making a little bit more money that other places would pay you.

2. Go to Miami and sleepwalk into the finals for slightly less than what LA could pay you.


Either he wants to win it all, or he cares more about living in LA and making 2-3 million or so more per year. To me it's kind of cut and dry between these two. LAL isn't winning with Kobe / Melo / Gasol. Miami isn't losing (in the East) with Wade/Lebron/Bosh/Gasol.

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2. Go to Miami and sleepwalk into the finals for slightly less than what LA could pay you.

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This is the issue. We just don't know right now what Miami has to offer. There are conflicting reports everywhere on what kind of cap they will have available to offer.

I agree OKC and Miami create the biggest obstacle with a Gasol signing. They both would be much tougher than last year and both would have solid inside and outside players.

I think Dallas would be damn tough as well and they have the space to get him. Some combo of Felton, Harris, Ellis, Dirk, Chandler, Marion and Gasol would be a pretty darn good rotation, especially with Carlisle coaching.

As stated the rockets would be tough if Gasol went there and they found a coach. Bev, Parson, Gasol, Howard and the Beard could be really good if they found a coach and played defense.

I would say Miami, OKC, Mavs and Rockets would be the top four threats in order if they added Gasol. I really hope Gasol goes east or to a non-contender.

I'm not sure Miami will be a threat again with Spoelstra. Their payroll has caught up with them and Lebron's talents have consumed their offense... I don't think he's selfish with the ball, the coach just isn't strong enough to make sure everyone gets touches or come up with a system that has better options than Lebron making things happen. Bosh should have been a much bigger factor than he was. Why should Gasol be any different?

Poor PG play was a huge reason for the lack of ball movement and touches. I think adding Napier and an improved focus on ball movement (you will see this across the league after the Spurs clinic) will make Miami contenders again.

I wouldn't be too fast to dismiss a team that has gone 2-2 in finals appearances and has the best player in the league and a hall of fame GM.

Many probably questioned why the Spurs didn't make any big offseason moves last year and look how that turned out. If the heat add a piece and adjust some things they will be formidable again. By your logic you might as well just gives the Spurs their sixth title.

I see Miami, OKC, the Spurs as the clear tier 1 teams, with Mavs, Clips, Rockets and Warriors in that order, having a decent chance to make a run. Once again the east is terrible and the west is loaded.

[This message has been edited by GatorAg03 (edited 7/7/2014 10:38a).]

Spoelstra is not a great coach. I think now that Wade's production has gone down considerably, people might see it.

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I see Miami, OKC, the Spurs as the clear tier 1 teams, with Mavs, Clips, Rockets and Warriors in that order, having a decent chance to make a run. Once again the east is terrible and the west is loaded.

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The Spurs had it won in 2013. The Heat averaged a 14 point loss in the most lopsided Finals ever by a comfortable margin. I'm not going to put Miami in tier one unless they make some real changes. Lebron in the East = Finals appearance, but you can't get beaten down like that and claim to be a contender.

SA and OKC are the only teams that are already contenders. The Clips are close and the Mavs and Warriors are looking pretty salty; any of those teams could wind up on the short list of "teams with a chance" at the end of the regular season. Everyone else, including Miami, has a lot of questions to answer.

[This message has been edited by Ulrich (edited 7/7/2014 11:00a).]

Kawhi on covers of SLAM.

I would put the Rockets above the Mavs.

Nice Sher. Here are the covers from the SA Express News.

I want to see the Rockets final roster. There's no telling what they end up doing. They might end up with something pretty nice, and they might end up with a top heavy monstrosity of a roster with no bench or skills outside the top 3-4 players.

That is a great contract for Diaw. I don't know how much he could get elsewhere, but he's that valuable to the Spurs. I think his presence allows them to be the diverse team they are. He'll earn the money no doubt. And its not a huge contract so I'm good with it. I assumed he'd get about $8million/yr so this is slightly under that.

Considering Frye just got 4 years 32M, Diaw's contract looks pretty nice.

3 year 22.5 with 18.5 being guaranteed is a pretty solid deal for Boris considering how valuable he is to the Spurs.

Spurs have announced they have officially signed Bryce Cotton to a Summer Contract. He will play Summer League and be In training camp.

Contract seems to be un-guaranteed and the Spurs have until the end of training camp to either guarantee his contract (full 2 years) or cut him loose.

The heat sign mcroberts and granger for a bargain price. Must be nice.

I don't think many other people would have payed more than that for Granger tbh.

McRoberts for the full MLE seems like a fair deal but looking at what Frye got, it might be a little bit of a bargain but not much.

McRoberts is a steal. I've thought he was underrated for a while now. He makes them better. Granger? He's probably a non-factor. But I could see him trying to fit in as a corner three ball shooter. For 2years at 4million is worth the gamble. Supposedly he's a good locker room guy as evidenced by the Pacers imploding right after trading him.

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Supposedly he's a good locker room guy as evidenced by the Pacers imploding right after trading him.

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That had more to do with one teammake bonking another teammate's girl according to my friend at a big sports magazine.