The Spurs Salary Cap Situation Sets Them Up To Continue Their Dominance

Posted Jun 13, 2007 10:00AM By Nate Jones (RSS feed)

Today while doing my usual trek through Forum Blue and Gold's comment threads, I noticed an excellent point brought up by one of the readers there. The reader basically stated that after next season the Spurs will only have four players signed. Those four players are Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Jackie Butler. That means that the Spurs will have the cap space (at least $10M and likely more depending on where the salary cap is before the start of the 08-09 season) to add one or more good to great players to their roster.

Next summer just happens to be the time that disgruntled stars like KG and Jermaine O'neal will have an opportunity to opt out. As well, guys like Elton Brand, Gilbert Arenas, Ron Artest, Baron Davis and Shawn Marion all can become free agents after next season. With tons of cap space, there is a possibility that the Spurs could sign a Kevin Garnett or an Elton Brand. Could you imagine either one of those guys paired with Tim Duncan?

If not moved to a contender prior to the end of next season, Garnett is the most likely to end up on the Spurs, as he's already made TONS of money, and would be more inclined to leave the team that could pay him the most than some of the other guys that are still looking to collect as much money as they can. Garnett wants a championship badly, and pairing him with Parker, Duncan, and Ginobli would almost certainly make that dream a reality. With those four guys, they could pretty much fill the rest of the team with bargain basement vets, rookies, and D-Leaguers and still run over the entire league. No wonder so many people praise R.C. Buford.

For the sake of the rest of the league, I hope Kevin McHale trades Garnett to a location where he'll be happy so that we don't have to deal with the possibility of him opting out and going to the Spurs.

Either way, the Spurs will be in a position to sign someone big.

The number one lesson to be learned from this: Cap management is important. I guess that's why teams were clamoring to sign these front office wiz kids.

Previously at Fanhouse:
All Hail R.C. Buford
The NBA's 'Stat Pack'

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

6-13-2007 @ 11:56AM

Hayden said...

Wow so the rich get richer! They remind me very much of a sports franchise with many shades of similarity....New England Patriots!?!?!
If you think about it they are very similar. Both teams have future hall of fame coaches, they both play a low-profile team oriented game, they both have solidified dynasties, and they both have mentally tough, largely underated centerpieces who care only about winning ball games.
And........going into next season they are both millions below the salary cap. The pats went shopping and got some huge additions we shall see if the spurs will do the same. Either way, it is no stretch to say that both of these franchises could see another championship(s) in their respective sports before the end of the decade!

6-13-2007 @ 12:01PM

Christina said...

To those in charge of AOL and AP: I'm sick and tired of whoever keeps writing these articles about the San Antonio Spurs. I know the person who writes the articles are from AP but they're completely bias. Everytime the Spurs won a game AOL and this AP writer refer to one of the players as "the whiniest in the league" or the "dirtiest in the league." I think journalists need to be objective and stop picking on a wonderful team. There are definitely some whinier and dirtier players in the NBA. Quit picking on a team that has shown a lot of class and dignity throughout the years. They are not sell-outs like many NBA players and they seem to be pretty humble considering they've won a handful of championships. I rarely hear anything good about the Spurs from AOL, which tells me their writers are bias. And not from blogs, which don't have to be objective, but from actual news articles. I hope whoever is in charge of letting these morons write for them needs to seriously evaluate letting them go.

6-13-2007 @ 12:43PM

Nate Jones said...

Christina: Could I ask you a question? What in the world do your comments have to do with this post. If anything it's praising the Spurs front office for being savvy. I think you should actually...you know...read the posts before you post a comment...

6-13-2007 @ 12:57PM

Yeah Christina I must agree with Nate.
Why dont you write something halfway pertinent to the original article. It looks very much as though you didnt even read it. The above article is not in any way downing the spurs, and if I might say so myself, most of the articles throughout these finals have given the spurs credit where credit is due. If you dont have anything intelligent to say then please refrain from speaking!

6-13-2007 @ 4:53PM

Alan said...

that just aint fair man! KG and Tim Duncan on the same team??? How in the world is anyone else going to be able to compete against that? Kevin Pritchard needs to make some deals to get Oden and Durant and the blazers might have a chance but the Spurs could dominate the West coast for years to come

6-14-2007 @ 11:37AM

Roger said...

Never happen...KG and Tim don't get along. Da Kid, or whatever silly nickname he has, "big timed" the Big Fundamental for years and Timmy has no love for him.

I think the Spurs should try to resurrect Jermaine O'Neils flailing career.