2021 SPURS OFF-SEASON ROSTER NEWS - CHANGES, RUMOURS, TRADES, SIGNINGS

[Tomjas]

Sixers fan here

Pop is an admirer of Simmons and San Antonio might be an ideal spot for him

IF DeRozan is on the way out then a simple S & T for Ben could work for both teams

[imagump1313]

Is your brass looking to move on from Smart? I haven't heard anything of that, but don't follow the C's as closely. I heard he's clashed at times with Stevens but he may thrive under Udoka.

Smarts due a new contract, not necessarily looking to move him, but if the spurs weren't sold on Murray, the thought occurred they might be into it. Pop seems to value Smarts leadership and intangibles from their Team USA run. For the Celtics, Murray is already locked in and it would save some risk that Smarts asking price on an extension is more than they want to pay him.

Sounds like generally you guys/the spurs are still high enough on Murray that you wouldn't move him in a lateral trade really.

I don't see Boston making that trade - either we'd keep Smart or deal him for help at a different position. My thought was that if Derozan leaves - a Fournier sign and trade that lets the Spurs move on from Dejounte's money could work.. although you could also just poach Fournier outright.

I fully admit to not being the biggest Dejounte Murray fan yet, but Fournier???? YUCK! I wouldn't give you an open box of stale crackers for Fournier

Murray's contract is pretty team friendly for us IMO

[imagump1313]

Sixers fan here

Pop is an admirer of Simmons and San Antonio might be an ideal spot for him

IF DeRozan is on the way out then a simple S & T for Ben could work for both teams

This deal I would accept in 2 seconds. Maybe less!

[Andrew McCeltic]

Smarts due a new contract, not necessarily looking to move him, but if the spurs weren't sold on Murray, the thought occurred they might be into it. Pop seems to value Smarts leadership and intangibles from their Team USA run. For the Celtics, Murray is already locked in and it would save some risk that Smarts asking price on an extension is more than they want to pay him.

Sounds like generally you guys/the spurs are still high enough on Murray that you wouldn't move him in a lateral trade really.

I don't see Boston making that trade - either we'd keep Smart or deal him for help at a different position. My thought was that if Derozan leaves - a Fournier sign and trade that lets the Spurs move on from Dejounte's money could work.. although you could also just poach Fournier outright.

I fully admit to not being the biggest Dejounte Murray fan yet, but Fournier???? YUCK! I wouldn't give you an open box of stale crackers for Fournier

Murray's contract is pretty team friendly for us IMO

Murray's contract is good, that's why I don't understand the trade rumor. But Fournier seems like a poor man's Derozan - scoring 17-20, some playmaking - worse defensively but a better perimeter shooter - younger, and cheaper.

[Tomjas]

Sixers fan here

Pop is an admirer of Simmons and San Antonio might be an ideal spot for him

IF DeRozan is on the way out then a simple S & T for Ben could work for both teams

This deal I would accept in 2 seconds. Maybe less!

I honestly don’t understand some of the rumours surrounding Murray & White or some of the Simmons trades proposed by Spurs beat writers that effectively gut the roster

A DeRozan-Simmons s & t is complicated by the Sixers cap position but makes sense for all parties and doesn’t involve the Spurs giving up assets that will be there next season

Simmons, Murray, White, Vassell, Walker, Poetl, lottery pick, Johnson, resigned Patty is a bloody good start and leaves money over

Tony Bradley of OKC played at the Sixers last season, was very impressive and costs virtually nothing so there’s your backup 5

There’s other ways of doing it other than entering an arms race and especially when the core is so young

[SpreeS]

If SAN wants start from the start

GSW Wiggins Wiseman Poole 7th/14th picks, two future 1st rnd picks

SAN Keldon, White, Murray, Poeltl

[imagump1313]

If SAN wants start from the start

GSW Wiggins Wiseman Poole 7th/14th picks, two future 1st rnd picks

SAN Keldon, White, Murray, Poeltl

Not trying to be rude but this is the worst trade offer in the history of trade offers LOL.

Myself and Grey were kind of on board last year for a DeRozan for Wiggins deal but that was if we could lose DeRozan who we weren't going anywhere with anyway. Not gutting our entire roster.

I don't think the Spurs think they are in position to blow anything up really or start over. I think that they think they are well on their way to being playoff regulars very soon with the young guys we have and adding something in FA plus getting lucky in the draft. They aren't by any means going to blow it up at this point IMO.

[imagump1313]

Sixers fan here

Pop is an admirer of Simmons and San Antonio might be an ideal spot for him

IF DeRozan is on the way out then a simple S & T for Ben could work for both teams

This deal I would accept in 2 seconds. Maybe less!

I honestly don’t understand some of the rumours surrounding Murray & White or some of the Simmons trades proposed by Spurs beat writers that effectively gut the roster

A DeRozan-Simmons s & t is complicated by the Sixers cap position but makes sense for all parties and doesn’t involve the Spurs giving up assets that will be there next season

Simmons, Murray, White, Vassell, Walker, Poetl, lottery pick, Johnson, resigned Patty is a bloody good start and leaves money over

Tony Bradley of OKC played at the Sixers last season, was very impressive and costs virtually nothing so there’s your backup 5

There’s other ways of doing it other than entering an arms race and especially when the core is so young

I like this! I was also thinking we could make a run at Mortiz Wagner who is getting better every day and coming into his own.

Lets face it, The Spurs are not going to make a super team. They are going to have to trade smart and get super lucky somewhere.

[G R E Y]

Sixers fan here

Pop is an admirer of Simmons and San Antonio might be an ideal spot for him

IF DeRozan is on the way out then a simple S & T for Ben could work for both teams

This deal I would accept in 2 seconds. Maybe less!

I honestly don’t understand some of the rumours surrounding Murray & White or some of the Simmons trades proposed by Spurs beat writers that effectively gut the roster

A DeRozan-Simmons s & t is complicated by the Sixers cap position but makes sense for all parties and doesn’t involve the Spurs giving up assets that will be there next season

Simmons, Murray, White, Vassell, Walker, Poetl, lottery pick, Johnson, resigned Patty is a bloody good start and leaves money over

Tony Bradley of OKC played at the Sixers last season, was very impressive and costs virtually nothing so there’s your backup 5

There’s other ways of doing it other than entering an arms race and especially when the core is so young

Yeah there's a conflation of ideas that often and too quickly happens on social media. The report that DJ and Derrick 'could be gettable' is worlds away from our wanting to trade them. We know their value, and it's likely higher to us than to other teams. We didn't do a reported LMA-for-Kemba deal being discussed (who knows how far along that went); it stands to reason that if we were taking on the mammoth contract we'd want some sweeteners added. Anyway, it didn't happen. The point being, even when we were struggling, we knew the value of the players we had and didn't allow ourselves to get swindled in trades. If we did that for vets, how much more so for the young guys we've developed who are starters for us now?

I like the DD-for-Simmons as a foundation for a trade for us, too, but would Philly? And would DD want to play there? He's a bucket getter which Philly needs, and their team D could hide DD's issues there. And though, like Simmons, he doesn't take 3s, he gets to the FT line very well and makes them at a good rate. His career-best assist season shows his facilitating growth, too. That he wouldn't need to be the #1 option would help his game. But his lack of floor spacing could be an issue for 76ers.

And so now Shams is reporting that Philly is looking to trade Simmons:

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76ers reportedly want a big package centered around an All-Star caliber player. The thing with Simmons is that he's signed for several more years so it's going to up his price despite his flaws. I think a change of scenery will do him some good. Depending on the price, I'd be intrigued by that scenery being SA - that's IF he can make an attitude adjustment and be willing to change the way he does certain things off the court. He's said to be quite insular with family training and influence, etc., and while we've seen that before, we're also excellent at maximizing players' strengths.

As Tomjas said, we don't need to gut our roster, but we have a good collection of talent that can surround an All-Star talent to raise our collective game. Simmons is excellent in transition which fits our burgeoning style. I also find it interesting that we are working out mostly guys outside our current draft range, be it higher, or many more lower towards the end of the first round. Which teams have picks there? Currently Philly has #28 and Lakers have #22. Two potential S&T DD destinations? Interesting.

[G R E Y]

Not surprising we're going to take a shot at Collins:

Collins, who is set to become a restricted free agent this summer, is expected to receive interest from several teams including the Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves, The Athletic's Shams Charania reports.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-free-agency-mavericks-heat-spurs-to-show-interest-in-hawks-big-man-john-collins-this-summer-per-report/

He's shown some great games in the playoffs, but also that he needs a solid PG feeding him in P&Rs and kick outs. We have the most money available to offer him, and hopefully our situation of a young up and coming team with a more transitional style appeals to him.

He said he'd like to stay with the Hawks, and the owner would like it, too, but has already made qualifications about the cost to keep him:

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I was not sure about his attitude in games I watched him versus us and in the playoffs, but then I read this article and liked him more:

https://www.si.com/nba/2019/05/27/john-collins-hawks-memorial-day-weekend-trae-young

[G R E Y]

gump you're the first person I thought of when I heard this:

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Initially DeMar said he was willing to stay with us for max term in money and years, but we were only willing to do money at a shorter term. My sense is that he looked around and either got feedback that he wouldn't get that max anywhere else either or it was a team with cap space and willingness but the fit for him wasn't great.

And so if he can't get the full max with us and doesn't want to play just for the money elsewhere where he's not competing, he weighed his options and is making a declaration of sacrificing the money (to an extent) for trying to win it all.

There's been whispers of mutual interest between DeMar and LAL, but unless there's a S&T or unless LAL somehow clears tons of space, he'll have to take quite a cut. I'm not sure we'll be accommodating in a S&T as it's long been clear we've been carefully preserving this season's cap space with the contracts we signed, the buyouts we agreed to, and the trades we didn't make for the sake of 'get at least something' before losing FAs 'for nothing'. Well it's not nothing when you have a goal, stay disciplined to reach it, and have plans with it. So let's see where we pivot.

It will be ironic if we build an exciting team with burgeoning talent that needs a mid-range piece, but I feel we have guys who can hit that shot well enough. We are now short our best and highest scorer but in a position to replace it both through the FA/RFA market and with our guys stepping up more.

It doesn't sound like DeMar will be returning, so I want to thank him for his professionalism, openness, and steadying presence that helped us through a turbulent time. In terms of character, he was the perfect fit and just what we needed, and that cannot be overstated. Best of luck to him going forward, unless of course, when we play against him

[G R E Y]

And while the Collins whispers have been addressed, they only seem to be getting louder:

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So offering a contract that would make the Hawks think twice with one less potential competitor is a good step forward.

Now it's a matter of convincing Collins to sign an offer sheet. I think we can make a compelling case.

[G R E Y]

Looking at mock updates, Mobley is now consistently third. Cavs say they want to pair him with Allen though I have no idea why. Mobely is BPA for them but then Allen looks to be redundant in this scenario. Allen is also RFA. I do wonder about extending an offer to a transition running, rim protecting agile big. He almost never shoots 3s so there's that to deal with, but gets to the FT line 4.5 times per game. Had a poor 69% from the FT line but it was an outlier year as he's normally in the seventies so there's room for improvement.

Jakob did an interview with Austrian media and he talked about how he, Pop, and Derrick discussed his role further, how obviously FTs are important to work on but so is being consistently aggressive. If Jakob could tap into this part of his inner self more it would be a great help.

I'm not sure Allen is the answer, but we do need to shore up our 5. We have Drew, but with Dieng a UFA we must strengthen the position with talent. There's the draft, a trade?, and RFA has at least this option.

[JeffReal]

...

Now it's a matter of convincing Collins to sign an offer sheet. I think we can make a compelling case.

The main case the Spurs can make to Collins is $. Lots of cap space, if the Spurs wish to use it there. They can also offer him a chance to play in the west, and a virtual guarantee of playing time. Unfortunately, the Spurs can’t team him with a star like Young or assure him of a winning record. I don’t know enough about Collins to know what he would find persuasive.

Collins could be a good player for the Spurs but the team has many needs.

[JeffReal]

...

I'm not sure Allen is the answer, but we do need to shore up our 5. We have Drew, but with Dieng a UFA we must strengthen the position with talent. There's the draft, a trade?, and RFA has at least this option.

The point against Allen is his cost. He’d cost as much as Poeltl it appears, and even more. I don’t think I watched a whole Cavs game all season so I can’t comment on how Allen plays, but by the advanced stats Poeltl is a better defender and shot blocker, so Allen doesn’t look like a better starter. And too expensive for a backup. Signing Dieng again would be the direct solution if he’s available.

[G R E Y]

...

Now it's a matter of convincing Collins to sign an offer sheet. I think we can make a compelling case.

The main case the Spurs can make to Collins is $. Lots of cap space, if the Spurs wish to use it there. They can also offer him a chance to play in the west, and a virtual guarantee of playing time. Unfortunately, the Spurs can’t team him with a star like Young or assure him of a winning record. I don’t know enough about Collins to know what he would find persuasive.

Collins could be a good player for the Spurs but the team has many needs.

Hey, yeah there's a reason we've been carefully preserving this year's cap space and the Collins whispers is but one avenue we could go. I think it's not just money we could offer. We were six games over .500 with LMA not fitting well and on his last legs, with two starters out of position, and two starters not taking 3s. Then Covid struck the team and the wheels fell off. So even with things not really all turned over to how we want to play we made it work. Imagine it with guys that work in a system we fully want to embrace?

We want to move into a more transition style game, but with DeMar as our dominant scorer we were still a 2s-dominant half-court team. Now we're likely losing his scoring and Collins can slide into a more prominent role than he has on the Hawks.

So it's money, plus style of play, plus fitting the timeline with our young guys who are another year more experienced, plus a bigger role. I think that's a very solid package. Front loading that contract will probably help, too

[G R E Y]

...

I'm not sure Allen is the answer, but we do need to shore up our 5. We have Drew, but with Dieng a UFA we must strengthen the position with talent. There's the draft, a trade?, and RFA has at least this option.

The point against Allen is his cost. He’d cost as much as Poeltl it appears, and even more. I don’t think I watched a whole Cavs game all season so I can’t comment on how Allen plays, but by the advanced stats Poeltl is a better defender and shot blocker, so Allen doesn’t look like a better starter. And too expensive for a backup. Signing Dieng again would be the direct solution if he’s available.

Yeah I hadn't really thought it through that carefully, just started thinking off of noticing Mobley being at #3 on most mocks and the pairing with Allen not really jiving.

The plus of Allen is the transition style we want to play more fully. Lobs, dunks, rebounds. Jakob's not really that guy but he's adjusted to the starting role through the year (having run more with the bench unit) and has been given some things to work on over the summer. When I look at league contracts I can't believe how inexpensive Jakob's is so for sure the financials of having a back up likely making more is weird. Besides, he's already averaging more minutes, FGAs, points, rebounds per game than Jakob and started as many games.

I like Dieng and he'd so far be our only floor spacing C with his range. Not sure we retain him, wouldn't be against it, but with Jakob, Drew, Dieng it still feels like a piecemeal rotation. Depends, too, on what we surround it with which can mitigate needing much more from them than what we're getting.

EDIT to add:

p.s. I just looked it up. Allen is seeking a $100M contract. One hundred million dollars! Oof. Nope

[G R E Y]

Weird. But it falls comfortably into the 'rumours' category. This has a red herring feel after all that recent paycut-to-play-home talk. Perhaps the balance of the two got tipped too much into the paycut direction? If DeMar wants that amount from the Wiz I think he'd have to do a S&T with us.

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[G R E Y]

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Overlap with draft news (Hollinger has us taking Sengun) but also links us to several bigs in free agency. Even if we do draft a big and go after some more in the market, it's checking fit and talent boxes. We are getting great D from the 5 spot from Jakob, but are sorely under using it on O. Better balance; more options.

[G R E Y]

HOT RUMOUR ALERT: Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat??! It's actually the Spurs who turned that down from the audio. Get ****, Morey!!!

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