2020 SPURS FREE AGENCY THREAD

[G R E Y]

So because there has not been a word from local media about DeMar or any other PO, RFA, UFA status players and decisions, I looked around the board to other teams' forums whose players have POs, and on the Celtics forum a poster said the PO date has also been pushed back, date TBD. So I guess we wait...

[G R E Y]

A recent Bleacher Report offers FA suggestions for each team, and for us they list Jakob (yes), Serge Ibaka (hard no for me there), and Harry Giles III (interesting).

Harry Giles III is the more likely add-on option. San Antonio, as a team that doesn't project as a contender, should be able to afford him and Poeltl without entering the tax. (Ibaka may also command more than the MLE.) Giles' passing from the top of the key should fit nicely within the Spurs' half-court offense, and he introduced some more long twos into his game last season, a stretch element that could let him work in concert with Aldridge.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2914124-every-nba-teams-2020-free-agency-big-board

He averaged 7/4 in just over 14 minutes per game. He's listed as a PF but we need to shore our front court with Rudy and LMA expiring after this upcoming season. He doesn't shoot the 3. At all. Perhaps not yet, perhaps not at all. A bit of a concern, that. But depending what it'll cost, and depending which players surround him on a given line-up, he may be a an option for us.

The ESPN+ article projects Giles at around $4-$6M (per@saspurstalk21).

[G R E Y]

Some financial projections for a couple of players we could pursue - Wood and Baynes - in addition to retaining Jakob:

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I can't recall where I read it, but there's word that the issue with Wood has been his attitude. Does his improved play indicate a shift in attitude? Maybe. Trey didn't have the best reputation coming to us and it shadowed him early in his career, too. He admitted to mistakes, said he's matured, and proved it with his improved play and being a solid teammate. But it's something to keep in mind about Wood. I'm sure we'll do our due diligence, especially after last off-season's series of fiascos.

Baynes looks like a very reasonable signing.

[G R E Y]

I've mentioned Jae Crowder (ESPN+ also projects him around $8-$10M per @saspurstalk21) before and still think he would be an option at the 3. He could be what we hoped asshat Morris and hoodwinker Carroll would be. After his showing in the post-season, there are likely several teams that will be after his services.

Also, how about this as an option at C:

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Aussie connection with Patty, he said he wants to explore his NBA options:

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He's a 6'11" 25-year-old C, averaging 11/4.4 in 20 minutes per game this season. He also drastically improved his FT% this season from Jakob levels to 82.1% on more attempts . So it IS possible, Jakob!

Good efficiency, and can hit the occasional 3, too.

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He has some solid post-up moves, can finish through contact, seals his man well, nice touch around the rim, can P&R, pick & pop, has a nice J (a slightly slow release, and it could just be the angles of the video, but his body looks a little bent when releasing. It works for him, though I wonder if we could tweak it), and gets after rebounds. He does look a bit slow running down the court and his footwork is a bit plodding, not very crisp, but he still manages to finish around the rim. Also, these highlights are solely on the O end, so there's that caveat. He'd be a better option than Zeller, surely. He has a nice all around game, and I like his energy, too. You need guys who provide that extra gear and raise team spirits when it's needed.

[imagump1313]

Seeing Wood up close with my own two eyes and blocking out what all the armchair experts say about him, I like his game.
Granted, he was gifted an opportunity with Detroit trading Drummond and Griffin being hurt but he made the most of it. He is only 25(I thought he was older).
He's a good scorer, decent rebounder and can block some shots from what I saw. If we can get him at a decent price I would be all for it.

Ibaka? GTFOH! NO NO NO NO NO!

Poetl? Pretty much have to sign him but please don't overpay. If we can get him to come out of his shell and play aggressively he is ok.

Baynes? For 6-8 million he is more than worth it but by the time we are good again he won't be.

Giles? The guy plays well sometimes but totally disappears for long stretches also. He's another one with some talent if you can get him to be aggressive.

Crowder? Im ok with him on a one year deal as filler. 2022 bye,bye

This Jock guy? I've honestly only seen him on the video you posted. If he is cheap and we have a roster spot, give him a go.

[G R E Y]

FA dates:

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EDIT to add:

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[G R E Y]

Boom!

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25-year-old Texan, 6'7", SG, lefty, shoots 3s at 41%, FTs at 89%. Has to be a cheap Bryn and Beli potential replacement.

[G R E Y]

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Tick tock, Quinn...

[G R E Y]

Basically zero risk in giving Cam a try:

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[G R E Y]

Under the radar solid two-way signing:

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25 in a couple of months, SF/PF, 6'8", 7'3.25" wingspan, 229lbs.

Good shot blocker, can defend multiple positions, known to be a hard worker, has some physicality to his game apparently. I was just saying we needed someone that fit this profile! Needs to be a better facilitator. Shot is a work in progress, but has some range. Sounds like someone we can develop...

[G R E Y]

I don't recall this from the draft a couple of years ago, but I've found out that apparently we were really interested in drafting Keita but he went in the selection just before ours and so we ended up choosing Metu.

Well, we finally got our guy in the end. Funny how things work out. Looking at some videos, he's not super athletic, but a big body, co-ordinated, smart, reads plays well, gets into proper spots on both ends. Looking forward to seeing what he can turn into in our development program.

[Phreak50]

The 'guy we can develop' line doesn't quite hold the same weight as it used it sadly.

If it did, we could have had Dedmon at his peak and hitting threes, same for Baynes.

But obviously there were other circumstances with those two and others who we end up losing because they become too good, too soon and we simply can't afford them.

So with that, my biggest disappointment has been Poeltl. He was a guy Raptors fans were sad to lose, even in getting back Kawhi.

Yet he just hasn't panned out to much more than a solid small minutes starter or solid backup.

So the borderline guys with potential we grab from time to time like Keita for example, don't fill me with a lot of hope.

[G R E Y]

Well barring a trade, 2021 and all that cap space was always going to be the impact year. Until then, we pick up guys who we think have some upside. I think we have done well overall in that department. Not directed at you, Phreak, but there's a weird attachment to Dedmon by some Spurs fans on social media, like he's the one that got away or something. He was here for one year! He told the Kings to play him more or trade him - um, ok.

I wanted Baynes for us as a potential FA target, but let's face it, both are journeymen Cs who can help teams that are more ready to compete. Far more so Baynes who already has a job, not least of which because of his attitude.

We've made the decision going forward to green light the younger group and give them bigger roles. I agree that Jakob had an up and down bubble, and he would, too. And his FT shooting woes are so strange, like I just don't understand how a pro is so bad at it (Chip must rub his temples with every attempt). But there's no doubt that he's very important for us defensively, and his on/off and per 100 metrics attest to it.

Also, despite the ups and downs in the bubble, here are some impactful numbers:

Running with a new-look, guard-heavy starting unit in the NBA bubble, Poeltl averaged 8.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks, and earned rave reviews for doing the dirty work necessary from the lone big man in a small-ball group.

https://www.expressnews.com/sports/spurs/article/For-Spurs-Jakob-Poeltl-San-Antonio-is-home-15752370.php

It's easy to see a path towards a 10/10 player as a floor, with just an extra bucket (his efficiency out up to 16 feet is terrific) and a couple of rebounds more per game.

He also led us with 95 blocks this season, and I believe had the second most blocks in the bubble.

That, plus these stats bode well:

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We have yet to see what Jakob's ceiling is without LMA getting the bulk of the C minutes, and with Jakob settling into a starter role more (learning to limit fouls, improving FTs, and I'd love to expand his passing game as well).

On top of that, I think all the vet guys we brought in have improved their games: LMA on D and 3, Rudy on D, DD with efficiency (career bests with us) and less ISO.

Plus, we've also shown we're not afraid to move on from guys who don't project to keep improving: Dedmon, Kyle Anderson (his starter numbers with Grizz are very close to his bench minutes with us, so not worth all the extra money for us), now Metu, Bryn, and Beli.

It's about team needs and context. We brought in Dante Cunningham who started for a quarter of the season for us in a win-now, and then we moved on. We brought in DD when we needed his scoring, vet presence and mentorship, and stability while the young guys were learning the foundations of Spurs basketball and now it's time to start making the transition to giving them bigger roles. We identified Cam and Keita as guys who fit the timeline of the younger group who will have more responsibility and who have some upside.

If either end up flourishing for us, great (and we targeted Keita at the draft, so we have some insight on how he fits). But neither hurt what we have going already and we are still set up well for 2021 and all its cap space possibilities.

This group of young guys with a year under their belt together I believe will be an attractive situation for the right player. And it's a testament to our development that they're coming along the right way together despite all the upheavals that came along the way.