Kyle Lowry: Because of 2008, I believe Lowry will want a bigger contract than Mike Conley. Chris Paul: I agree that the Spurs would be his best landing point as a contributing member of a team to win a ring, but I also believe he will opt out and then resign, staying in LA or possibly going to a major market. I actually see the Clippers keeping most their pieces together. Jonathan Simmons: I believe some other team is going to offer him a big contract based on these playoffs, but the Spurs can match if desired. Many Grizz fans want the FO to go after him, but it would be a major overpay situation, and I would rather stay away from any role player that thrives in the Spurs system, because chances are, it won't be replicated anywhere else. However, I do believe he will get a nice offer from someone. Patty Mills: He is not expendable (as mentioned above). He will make some major cash this offseason. I would choose Patty over the older, more fragile George Hill, and about any other FA PG not CP3, Curry, or Kyle Lowry (I would have to think about it on Teague and Holiday), including the oft injured Derrick Rose. See Fizdale's comments on Patty Mills below. David Lee and Pau: Yes they are flawed, but you would be replacing them with other flawed players who probably either cost more or aren't as good. LaMarcus: People frustrated with LaMarcus need to just look at their Tim Duncan poster, and accept that for the rest of their lifetime, every post player wearing a Spurs uniform is going to fall well short of Duncan, and just appreciate how spoiled they got to be watching Duncan's greatness. There is a very small pool of players you can replace Aldridge with that makes the Spurs better, and those players probably aren't attainable.
Patty is 100% expendable if you get Lowry or Paul. He's a great cultural fit and a great spark plug off the bench but he is super streaky and not a fantastic defender. I think by the end of next year, Murray will be a better player. Maybe two years.
Simmons may get some big offers, but being a RFA, a team is really going to have to break the bank for a wing that doesn't have a good 3 point shot. It's not James Harden in an Elimination Game bad, but it isn't a strength. To replace Tony Allen, maybe the Grizz don't care.
I don't think the Clippers stay together. They have had 6 years together and they have three first round exits and three second round exits. At some point you have to realize you gave it your best shot and it didn't work.
If you keep Paul at 32mm (discount from the 36mm he could make) Blake at 28mm (discount from the 30mm he could make) and Reddick at 15mm, you are looking at something like 135-140 in salary. That puts you 15-20mm into the Luxury Tax without improving your team. Does Ballmer want to pay $180mm for a team that is getting knocked out in the 1st or 2nd round? Add another $25mm to that if they qualify for the repeater tax. I don't know how you can do that as an owner or GM.
I haven't watched as much NBA in the past couple of years as I used to, so what is going on with LMa? I remember he was great in Portland, so what is happening with him in San Antonio?
I haven't watched as much NBA in the past couple of years as I used to, so what is going on with LMa? I remember he was great in Portland, so what is happening with him in San Antonio?
My thing is, the extra year is worth about $55 million extra over the life of the contract. While that is nothing to sneeze at, if he were to sign another contract after his 4 year deal with the Spurs, he likely would get 15-20 million in the first year of that new contract, which would make the same five year span worth closer to 170-175. That's still turning down 30-40 million over the course of 5 years, but that's realistically the price to win a championship right now, in his prime.
His legacy is dependent on him winning a title in his prime. If he takes the Clippers money, and then jumps on with Lebron and friends when they are in their late 30's, his inevitable title will be sort of meaningless playing 3rd or 4th fiddle. That's just the way I would see it. If Karl Malone won a title for the Lakers at 40 when he was barely worth throwing out there, people would remember that he didn't really earn that ring.
On the flip side, if he takes the clippers money, he can set his family up for success for generations. That's worth something.
Great discussion here about next year. I smiled when I read the bolded part. It makes me happy that that piece of sh-t never got a ring, earned or unearned.
This break feels like a ridiculously long one. Lets hope Kawhi's ankle agrees. It would be incredible to see the Spurs reel off four straight. Media heads would explode.
It isn't likely, but if Kawhi comes back at peak and Spurs dominate the boards they can get back in this.
This break feels like a ridiculously long one. Lets hope Kawhi's ankle agrees. It would be incredible to see the Spurs reel off four straight. Media heads would explode.
It isn't likely, but if Kawhi comes back at peak and Spurs dominate the boards they can get back in this.
If both teams sweep, there will be 8 days without basketball before the finals start.
I guess it's better for your season to conclude because your star had an injury than have your star pull a Roberto Duran no mas in overtime of game 5 with the series tied 2-2
