Free Agent: Ime Udoka

[Marcus Bryant]

Ime Udoka | SF
Born: Aug 9, 1977
Height: 6-5 / 1,96
Weight: 220 lbs. / 99,8 kg.
College : Portland State
Years Pro: 2

Info

[Marcus Bryant]

It appears the Blazers and Udoka are miles apart in reaching an agreement. According to league sources, Udoka's agent -- Erin Cowan -- has informed the Blazers that a Western Conference team has offered him a three-year, $12 million contract.

link

[Marcus Bryant]

The Spurs would never do something so rash...would they?

[timvp]

This is one of the players who I think would fit well. As I posted earlier in the summer:

As far as unrestricted free agents, the two I like most for the Spurs are James Posey and Ime Udoka. Posey for a starting salary at around $3M would be nice. However, he probably gets more.

Udoka would be an absolutely perfect Bowen replacement ... except for the fact that he's 6-foot-5. Udoka can defend, rebound a little bit, decent pass, doesn't turn the ball over and is a +40% three point shooter. He's had the same type of career that Bowen had before joining the Spurs and he's the same age that Bowen was when the Spurs signed him.

Portland has said they want him back but after they drafted like 38 players, I'm not sure they have the room. If the Spurs could get him for a couple million, he'd be a pretty decent signing. His only drawback is his height, but if he were 6-foot-7 he'd cost two or three times as much.

Another thing about Udoka is he shoots most of his shots from the corner threes just like Bowen ... and Udoka hit those shots at a 42% clip this past season.

3-years, $12M wouldn't be too bad for him. Signing him would also be easier now that Ludden has badmouthed James White to the point that Spurs fans will accept letting him go.

[El_Mago]

I don't accept James go.

Udoka has intrigued me the past couple of years.

I have claimed the Spurs should look into him if things fail with White or they trade off one of the other SF's.

Udoka can shoot the three, and leaves it on the floor. He can play defense, but is not extremely quick. He is not afraid to bang around and get physical. Appears to be a team player.

A cheaper version of Pietrus, Posey, Nocioni and every other pipe dream Spurs fans have around here.

(just extremely under the radar and nobody ever saw him play in Portland)

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

The Spurs would never do something so rash...would they?

They probably ran to the phone after watching the Williams/White debacle in the LV summer league.

[Marcus Bryant]

3 years, $12 mil seems like a bit much for the Spurs to offer. If that is a Spurs' offer, perhaps there's a team option on year 3 or it's partially guaranteed.

[timvp]

3 years, $12 mil seems like a bit much for the Spurs to offer. If that is a Spurs' offer, perhaps there's a team option on year 3 or it's partially guaranteed.

Yeah, looking at it with the Holt Cat glasses on, only way the Spurs offer that is if they are able to unload both Barry and Butler for nothing. No way the Spurs pay $6M this year for Udoka to be the fifth wing.

[Marcus Bryant]

Spurs' 2/3 rotation as of now:

Guaranteed contracts
Finley
Ginobili
Bowen
Barry

Unguaranteed/nonexistent
White
Williams

Assuming 2007-08 is Finley and Barry's final season, losing White wouldn't be that smart. The worst case should be that he starts the season on IR and with the Toros. But then that leaves Williams. Do the Spurs give up on a pick so soon? There is likely one spot on IR for a swingman development project. If it's White or Williams, I'd say White, but are the Spurs ready to admit a mistake or make another one to cover it up?

[Marcus Bryant]

Picking up a potential Bowen backup/replacement this summer would be very nice, but do the Spurs really face a significant luxury tax bill to do so?

[Marcus Bryant]

If they found a way to dump Barry and signed Udoka, then you'd have...

Finley
Ginobili
Bowen
Udoka
White

as your opening day 5 man 2/3 rotation and that would allow the Spurs to let Williams spend a season with the Toros on IR. The Spurs could extend Bowen this summer but they haven't. As it stands there is a lot of uncertainty regarding the Spurs' swingman spots past 2007-08 with Finley, Barry, and Bowen all set to become free agents. Assuming the Spurs want to continue to have their small forward be the primary perimeter defender and primarily a spot-up shooter, Udoka makes a lot of sense.

[Solid D]

His defensive abilities are not a secret to GMs, I'm sure. He's in a small group of tough, physical defenders at SF that gave the Spurs some trouble. Ron Artest, Raja Bell, Ruben Patterson, Josh Howard and Ime Udoka.

[Mr. Body]

That's a lot of jack for a guy who is undersized for the wing and already 30. I like the player, but don't see this as a good move.

[mystargtr34]

Nab him i say. If he 'said that he was offered $12 mil over 3 years" then it looks like a bit of a cat and mouse ploy, he would most likely settle for something in the $10 mil range over 3 years. That is probably market value for this sort of guy.

That would make him 1/7 of the player Rashard Lewis is.

[Marcus Bryant]

His defensive abilities are not a secret to GMs, I'm sure. He's in a small group of tough, physical defenders at SF that gave the Spurs some trouble. Ron Artest, Raja Bell, Ruben Patterson, Josh Howard and Ime Udoka.

The Spurs could have some trouble of their own past next season with their 2s and 3s if they don't proactively move this summer. Hopefully the signs of a Butler salary dump, if true, are due to some foresight.

[Marcus Bryant]

That's a lot of jack for a guy who is undersized for the wing and already 30. I like the player, but don't see this as a good move.

Yeah, but the Spurs are potentially looking at 3 spots to fill next summer. Bowen isn't the ideal small forward size but that's worked out pretty well.

[mystargtr34]

Sh*t hes 30

[mystargtr34]

Still young enough to be Bruce's kid

[mystargtr34]

Yeah, but the Spurs are potentially looking at 3 spots to fill next summer. Bowen isn't the ideal small forward size but that's worked out pretty well.

What do u mean, height or weight? Hes 6'7" but he has longer arms than most making him play bigger.

[Marcus Bryant]

Nab him i say. If he 'said that he was offered $12 mil over 3 years" then it looks like a bit of a cat and mouse ploy, he would most likely settle for something in the $10 mil range over 3 years. That is probably market value for this sort of guy.

That would make him 1/7 of the player Rashard Lewis is.

Portland can't carry 20 players next season. They just landed James Jones.

[Marcus Bryant]

What do u mean, height or weight? Hes 6'7" but he has longer arms than most making him play bigger.

Height and weight.

[mystargtr34]

He is a little on the lean side. I dont think the 'ideal' forward is a long 6'9" type that most seem to have in mind. 6'9" is getting up there, it gets harder and harder to move laterally and you start losing mobility at that height. I still say the perfect height for a SF would be a 6'7" guy with long arms, possibly 6'8".

The only reason is if a team goes with three guards and 2 bigs for example, i cant see a 6'9" guy chasing after a small guard yet he wont have much of a chance guarding a post player... its hard to get both.

Although Artest is one who is perfect.

[Marcus Bryant]

Although Artest is one who is perfect.

Save for the sanity issue.

[mystargtr34]

lol yeh i didnt mean for the Spurs, i ment as a defender. Quick enough to stay with most smaller two guards and big enough to guard anyone up to 6'10.

[mystargtr34]

So yeh, i guess i am meaning for the Spurs