The Richard Jefferson trade proves RC Buford and Gregg Popovich passed Business 101

48 MOH proposed a theory that they are going to delve into more in the upcoming days. I found it very interesting and I’d like to hear everyone’s thoughts on why the FO decided to change their stance on not exceeding the tax line.

I have a theory. This past season the Spurs experienced an uncommon financial shock. They received the revenue from only two home playoff games. By some estimates, a franchise can make close to $1 million per playoff home game. Although it would be an enormous gamble, the Spurs may be preparing to defy our expectations and absorb the luxury tax in the hopes that the excess revenue from a deep playoff run will offset the costs. I will do some research and try to find out how much the team made in ‘07, ‘08, and ‘09. If there was a significant drop in the Spurs ‘09 revenue, there may be some truth to this idea. (I’m hardly the first person to propose that this business strategy may work for an NBA team, but I have never seen hard numbers that prove its validity.)

Good post, ATS. I’m just as excited as everyone, and RC’s interview hints at additional surprises.

I know some people will think this is blasphemous, but I think I’d rather have had Carter, as long as Ian or George wasn’t a part of the deal.

You could even look further into what we traded than you did….

Bruce: $4 to keep him or $2 million to cut him…i think we wanted to keep him…Now we’ve shifted his $4 million to a star player’s contract and will resign him at 1.3 which the league will assist you (thanks ATS for the insight on that)

Fabricio: 34 year old coming off of heart surgery owed 3.6 million….also see Bruce above if we resign him…shifting a deal that became bad into money more or less well spent

KT: 4 million to someone who gives us 18 mpg…he came in and defended shaq and we beat PHX like we were supposed to last year but against Dallas this year and even NO and LA last year….we’ve now rolled that unproductive 18 minutes into a 32-35 mpg star SF

10.3 million dollars of un-production just got moved…think about that when you see RJ’s 35 and Bowen’s 20 mpg at the end of the season

and KT….we traded Brent Barry (hurt on a 5 million dollar contract), Elson, and our 25th pick in this draft for him….Barry returned on a better contract after he had healed and that 25th pick would be useful but it didn’t defend shaq last year…basically we gave up Elson and a 25th pick for $4 million dollars of Jefferson and 107 games of KT at a reasonable price

I have the same problem with the Kings trying to “clear” cap space for 2010. How many real big name FA’s are out there that will be a good signing 5 years after the Kings signed them? 5 guys? 10 maybe?

Manu Ginobili isn’t that guy, and I would be hard pressed to find bigger fanboys of Manu than here. But, how many of you believe Manu has 6 good years left at the level he’s played for the bulk of his time in SA? Yuh, me too.

I don’t even think Dirk Nowitzki has 6 high caliber years left either. Yao Ming? (It’s a shame about Yao. I would have loved to see a healthy Yao over a full career as a fan.)

The 2010 FA market is one of the most stupid overrated farces of all time, and considering this is the NBA we’re talking about here, that’s really saying something.

Good points all. I think Jefferson brings things to the table that the Spurs really need. There are some question marks, but I think he’ll overcome most of those by being on a team with proven leadership and coaching.

Thanks for putting this out there, ATS. I too, have wondered why so many talk about 2010 free agency like it is the Holy Grail.

I will say, though, that the front office and ownership didn’t just realize that they could create more opportunities by exceeding the luxury tax limit – the Spurs have been over the limit before. More importantly, they have done an excellent job in working with cap space.

I hate to interrupt this “Business 101” meeting, but the USA is kickin’ world #1 Spain’s butt in the Confederations Cup semifinals. The USA leads 2-0 with about 10 min left. Spain currently has a 35-game unbeaten streak, so this would be a HUGE win!

Vince Carter and 11th Pick for what we traded and Mason is what the Spurs ideal would have been…

We “settle” and I use the term loosely on keeping Mason, not getting the 11th pick, and Jefferson instead of Carter. RC has clearly said that getting into the first round is still a priority. I’m not sure the FO would do Mason for 11th pick straight up.
If they would, I don’t see the Nets doing it.
So let’s say they wouldn’t. That means our FO sees Mason as expendable to some extent to getting someone in the draft. I propose:

Mason and one of the late second rounders to Minny for picks 18 and 28. You could also add one of the bigs (not named Etan Thomas because he is too expensive) they got from Washington for Marcus Williams.

It’s already been that this trade likens the chances that Gist will make the roster. I’d also like to think and hope that trading away 2 bigs likens the chances of us grabbing DeMarre Carrol in the second round…that is if we don’t move up.

Oh by the way great post ATS, as usual.

But Shaq is the only max-free agent ever to win a title with his new team ,and Free Agency is far from a sure thing and I had no delusions of Lebron wearing Sliver and Black, I had a glimmer of hope for Bosh b/c of his Texas roots.

But getting a guy as good as RJ for so little cant be constituted in a negative light, especially if they bring back Bowen and/or Oberto.

Why do you guys keep talking about 2010. There is now way we get somone to come here with our team. This makes us a better team now who can contined even more now for a championship. Not to metion jefferson isnt to bad at d either. At this point in his career i say he about as good at D as bowen was last season. Still better than what finely can bring.

Some of you may dissagree wiht me. This is a good siging if we can get him. In the encomy we have he probaly wont get as much money as he wants. He might even want to come with the spurs for less cause he knows they might have a shot at a title. He can help us get bakc to our deffensive way. Imange a line up of parker,mason,jefferson,duncan,rasheed. I be scared to death if i were a oppent goign up aginst that team. He might be a risk but it a risk worth taking.

He talked about most of the stuff we been talking about in the trade. Somebody asked him the exact question answered in this post, and Pop pretty much gave a similar answer.

I think the journalist’s question to Pop was worded as " Do you think the FO got as good a player as they were targeting in 2010" and his answer was, something along the lines of “I believe so. 2010 they are all gonna make more money than they deserve”.