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it's been discussed weeks ago
http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insid...winners-100726
Nice read - Spurs part
San Antonio Spurs
I put the Spurs here because they got under the luxury tax while signing the best free-agent contract of the summer, Brazilian big man Tiago Splitter's three-year, $10 million deal. Splitter could start at center for a good chunk of the league's teams right now, but in a summer in which Brendan Haywood got $55 million, San Antonio got Splitter to cross the pond for relative chump change.
On the other hand, they got under the tax solely because Richard Jefferson opted out of a final year on his deal that would have paid him $15 million. This one raised eyebrows in front offices around the league, many of which suspected that there was a prearranged deal between the two parties.
This isn't an outlandish premise, given that:
• Jefferson told reporters in April that it might be worth it to opt out if he could get a four-year, $40 million deal (he said it right here on April 11).
• That's almost to the dollar the deal he received in July.
• Doing so got the Spurs out of the luxury tax and allowed them to sign Splitter at a discount.
• There didn't appear to be any kind of serious bid from another team to drive up Jefferson's price.
That said, we have no smoking gun that there was any kind of prearranged deal between the Spurs and Jefferson. We don't even have a smokeless gun. All we have is the cir stantial evidence above, as well as two other pieces of information:
1. The Spurs don't sign bad contracts.
2. This is the worst contract of the summer.
Seriously, four years and $39 million for Richard Jefferson? Did Isiah Thomas take over the franchise and not tell anybody? Wings who depend on athleticism have a rough time in their late 20s and early 30s; Jefferson just turned 30. He wasn't a $10 million per year player two years ago, and sure as heck isn't going to be one two years down the road.
Follow the money, however. Jefferson's opt-out and lower-salaried return means the Spurs will save about $17 million in salary, luxury tax and tax distributions this year (if one presumes Splitter was coming regardless). Jefferson's new deal cost $31 million after this season, which is all we care about since the Spurs were paying him in 2010-11 either way. Subtract $17 million from $31 million and you end up with Jefferson's deal as a three-year, $14 million extension, which seems eminently reasonable … if you were going to prearrange such a thing.
So the Spurs ended up with both the best and worst contracts of this offseason. But on balance, they're paying $13 million a year for the next three years for a Splitter-Jefferson combination. I'd take that deal any day, and between it and drafting James Anderson, I think the Spurs are in much better shape for next season than many people realize.
it's been discussed weeks ago
Yes, but Hollinger is absolutely right. The RJ deal was most likely pre-arranged (so all the whining about overpaying RJ is unjustified), and getting Splitter + RJ for $13 million per season really isn't that bad, if Splitter lives up to the hype.
Too bad Trollinger knows about Haywoods contract. He should have check it better before trying to trash.
And i have no idea why Splitter didnt ask for the full MLE over 3 years...
Deja Vu...I'm pretty sure I saw this here a few months ago...
Anyway, yes I think it was a good summer. But if JH is behind us, watch out...we may tank the season
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