Luis Scola & Jackie Butler GONE?!

[chachi]

Don't know if this has been said yet, but just read on MySA.com they have been traded to the Houston Rockets.

[Solid D]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b....6be36230.html

Spurs trade Butler, Scola for Spanoulis

Greek guard acquired, but likely to stay in Europe

Web Posted: 07/12/2007 07:04 PM CDT

Johnny Ludden
Express-News staff writer

The Spurs have agreed to trade center Jackie Butler and Argentine forward Luis Scola to the Houston Rockets for guard Vassilis Spanoulis, a future second-round pick and cash considerations, an NBA source said Thursday evening.


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Spanoulis, who played sparingly for the Rockets last season, is expected to remain in Europe.

The Spurs don’t figure to spend much time on introductions when they open training camp in a little more than two months.

Hoping to keep intact the roster that won them last season’s championship, the Spurs re-signed guard Jacque Vaughn and forward Matt Bonner on Thursday. After center Fabricio Oberto also re-signs in the coming days, all 12 members of the team’s playoff roster will be under contract.

Bonner received a three-year contract worth about $9 million while Vaughn received a two-year deal totaling around $2.5 million.

Bonner, 27, averaged 4.9 points and 2.8 rebounds in 56 games after joining the Spurs a year ago in a trade that sent center Rasho Nesterovic to Toronto. His role could increase this season if the Spurs decide to continue cutting back Robert Horry’s minutes.

Bonner, who stands 6-foot-10, is the type of big forward with 3-point range team executives now crave during the league’s small-ball era. He quickly won over coaches and teammates – not to mention the Spurs’ fans – with his hustle and every-man personality, and appeared to carve out a spot for himself in the rotation before injuring his left knee midway through the season.

Vaughn, 32, replaced Beno Udrih as the team’s primary backup point guard because coach Gregg Popovich valued his hustle and toughness. He averaged 3.0 points and 2.0 assists in 64 games.

The Spurs also had interest in signing Detroit forward Amir Johnson, but he re-signed with the Pistons on Thursday.

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[FromWayDowntown]

That's an interesting move.

[Kori Ellis]

They traded them for another guy who is going to stay in Europe.

[timvp]

WTFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF FFf

[Solid D]

Props to chachi. Wow, just like that.

[FromWayDowntown]

Lindsey's taking over.

[timvp]

SPANOULIS ISN"T EVEN GOING TO COME TO AMERICA HE GAVE UP AND IS STAYING IN GREECE FOREVER WTFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFf

[Leetonidas]

[Switchman]

wtf.

If the Spurs didn't win so many championships, I would seriously question their moves haha.

[FromWayDowntown]

Well, we now know that there's a roster spot available.

[Kori Ellis]

At least they got a roster spot open

[samikeyp]

[kolko]

wow

[timvp]

Spanoulis says he won't return to Rockets

By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

After one largely disappointing season with the Rockets, guard Vassilis Spanoulis said there will not be another.

Spanoulis said Wednesday that he and his agent have told the Rockets many times he will not leave Greece for a second season in the NBA, or to play for another team in Europe.

Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said on Tuesday that the Rockets still want Spanoulis back for next season and have no plans of releasing him from his three-year contract. Spanoulis cannot sign with any FIBA team, which includes the teams in the Greek league, unless released by the Rockets. Morey had no further comment on Wednesday.

"It's something very personal," Spanoulis said. "It's family problems.

"I'm not disappointed. In life, you never know how things are coming. Some things you expect when you sign a contract, you go there, something happens, and your decision has to change. When we are so far away from home, the culture and life and all these things are different. It's very difficult to know what will happen.

"I want to stay in my country. My hope is to play for one team in my country."

Spanoulis played in 31 games last season, averaging 2.7 points and .9 assists in 8.8 minutes per game. He made 31.9 percent of his shot, 17.2 percent of his 3-pointers.

Spanoulis' agent, Miodrag Raznatovic, said he and Spanoulis have told the Rockets 10 times since the end of the season that Spanoulis will never return to play for the Rockets and that nothing would change his mind.

"He told them 10 times 'I am not coming back,' " Raznatovic said. "In the beginning it was between him and Jeff Van Gundy. Now it is not. He didn't adjust to the American way of living. 'I cannot survive. I must stay at my home.' I do not understand how they cannot understand. It's something serious.

"I've been trying for one month and a half to make them understand. This is crazy. Believe me, he sold everything, his car, his apartment. He is not coming back. I don't understand how they don't understand. He said, 'I cannot live there. I thought I can. I was very happy when I signed the contract. After eight months, 10 months, I don't want a single second more.'

"It's not about money. It's not about playing time. It's not about anything else. They could trade him to San Antonio and he could be the starting point guard, and he would he would say, 'No, I cannot.' "

Raznatovic said Spanoulis, who earned $1.8 million as a rookie last season, would repay the $350,000 buyout the Rockets paid Panathinaikos last season out of his next contract.

He said Spanoulis has told him he would not play for any team outside Greece again.

"They could try Miami, New York, L.A., it would not matter," Raznatovic said. "Maybe he goes to Spain and (would) feel different, but we'll never know. He said, 'No, no, no. I cannot leave Greece.'

"He is looking for an escape. He calls me every day. His mother calls me crying, saying, 'Get my son back.' This is serious. If they want to send a message to all international players that if (they) come and cannot adjust, they cannot go back, that they have to stay there like a slave, that won't work. If he comes back, what can he do? Can he be a good player? Of course not. It could be a disaster."

The Rockets have repeatedly called to try to convince Spanoulis to return, with Morey, Rick Adelman and Yao Ming each calling. But Spanoulis said his decision is not about basketball.

"It was very hard," Spanoulis said. "This life was very different. I expected it to be a lot different. I am very close with my family. I prefer to be with my family than to play in the United States. It is very difficult for me to make that step, to be away from them and live there.

"From the basketball side, I had a very tough season with Jeff. That year was 5, 10 percent what I had in my mind. Now this is past. I respect all the people there. I respect the new coach, Rick Adelman. I respect him as a person and as a coach, and the new GM and the people of Houston. But to me, I cannot come back."

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[Leetonidas]

If only they had included Beno...

[picnroll]

Looks like Mahinmi will stick.

[Spurs Brazil]

TERRIBLE trade

[barbacoataco]

Seems to me like we kind of gave away two talented, young, Big players for not that much. Butler I kind of understand, but Scola has to be worth more?

[samikeyp]

Maybe this is a pre-cursor to another move?

[hoping beyond all hope/]

[timvp]

To The Freaking Rockets At Least Trade Them To The East This Is Going To Be The Worst Trade In Spurs History Omg Shoot Me Now

[chachi]

Thanks solid D for the props

[FromWayDowntown]

Wait a tick -- if Spanoulis is under contract, though, there won't be a roster spot available, even if he's in Europe, right?

So this move didn't even open a roster spot immediately.

[Spurs Brazil]

I think Ian is a lock now

[timvp]

Wait a tick -- if Spannoulis is under contract, though, there won't be a roster spot available, even if he's in Europe, right?

So this move didn't even open a roster spot immediately.

Spanoulis wants out of his contract. He'll gladly walk away from it Derek Fisher style.

[leemajors]

To The Freaking Rockets At Least Trade Them To The East This Is Going To Be The Worst Trade In Spurs History Omg Shoot Me Now

yeah i can't believe they traded these guys in the division.