Thursday, April 23rd, 2009...12:54 pm
Tiago Splitter News
The name on the front of Tiago Splitter’s jersey is TAU Ceramica. That’s also the name–as you might have guessed–of a prominent Spanish ceramics company. TAU is very proud of its floor tile. This is all commonplace stuff—European teams are like race cars. They have sponsors. And those sponsors are not immune to the hardships of a slow economy. Saski Baskonia is the actual team name, and they’re located in Vitoria, Spain.
There is an interesting thread at SpursTalk (thanks to 48MoH reader Will for bringing it to my attention) that reacts to recent news that Baskonia will no longer be sponsored by TAU. If you follow all that, you might still yawn. Sponsorships come and go. Someone else’s name will adorn Baskonia jerseys in the coming months. But there might be something here to file away for future reference.
Does this mean that Vitoria is in a “let’s cut some payroll” bind? Are they amenable to negotiating a contract buyout with Tiago Splitter, freeing themselves from his hefty contract? Perhaps. I suspect that they’ll just collect another sponsor and move along with business as usual. But maybe the hard economy will shine favorably on San Antonio in the form of a talented Brazilian center.
During the course of the aforementioned thread something else is suggested that should catch your attention. A board member named Bruno, a SpursTalk regular and trusted friend of this writer, cites section Article VIII, Section 2 of the CBA and notes that the Spurs are capable of signing Splitter for an amount greater than the rookie scale beginning next summer (2010). The section in question reads:
…a First Round Pick who does not sign with the Team that holds his draft rights for any portion of the three (3) Seasons following the NBA Draft in which he was selected (and who did not play intercollegiate basketball during such period) may enter into either (a) a Rookie Scale Contract in accordance with Section 1 above, or (b) if the Team has Room in excess of the applicable first-year Rookie Scale Amount, a Contract covering no fewer than three (3) Seasons that provides for Salary plus Unlikely Bonuses in the first Salary Cap Year up to the amount of the Team’s Room and increases or decreases in Salary and Unlikely Bonuses in subsequent Salary Cap Years in accordance with Article VII, Section 5(c)(1).
I was able to run Article VII, Section 2 past a CBA expert who is under the employ of a trusted 4 letter network. In his estimation, the Spurs may in fact work outside the rookie scale to sign Tiago Splitter, but they have to wait until next summer to do so (as the section stipulates). Not bad, considering that’s when Splitter has his first buyout option. As our readers likely know, the Spurs will have plenty of cash to spend next summer, more than enough to offer Splitter something in excess of the rookie scale. Considering Duncan’s age, this should be welcome news to all and sundry.
So, in review, help could well be on the way. There is a remote chance Splitter lands a buyout due to Baskonia’s financial hardship. Remote. But a fairly strong chance he joins the Spurs in 2010. That is, if they want to pay him.
I continue to believe that the Spurs window is much longer than people expect. Adding Europe’s best center as he is entering his prime can’t hurt. In other words, zombie-up. It’s gonna be a long night.
(HT: mogrovejo and Bruno)
17 Comments
April 23rd, 2009 at 1:55 pm
I hope this happens but after following Scola’s European and International career and eagerly waiting his arrival in San Antonio only to see him in a Rockets uniform, I won’t get my hopes up this time.
April 23rd, 2009 at 8:40 pm
Jacob has a point. By the way, how old is Splitter? Also is he really that good? To command a lot of money? Plus, the 2010 free agent class is deep. If I rememeber correctly, Ginobili will be looking for some money too. Whatever happens, it should be fun to follow.
April 24th, 2009 at 4:42 am
Guys,
He’ll be 25 in 2010. He is very good for Europe and would likely be–aiming low–an above average back up center in the NBA. His game is ideal for San Antonio. Here’s part of the Draft Express profile:
Read the rest here.
April 24th, 2009 at 7:56 am
We would have a good group of big men with him, an old Duncan, Gooden. Anything Mahinmi brings is extra.
The ‘10 free agent class is deep, but teams wallets aren’t. I’m hoping a bunch of good players will settle for modest contracts. I’m thinking a lot of guys will take small 1 or 2 year contracts in hopes that the market gets better.
April 24th, 2009 at 10:40 am
How confident are we that the Spurs will still have their cap space in 2010? Other than Bosh, who is a Texas native, I’m not sure that the Spurs can reasonably expect any of the top FAs to choose San Antonio over the bigger market teams like the Knicks, Nets, Bulls, and Mavs who might also have cap space. Don’t they at least have to consider trading Manu and his expiring contract for another star guard (maybe they revisit the Carter trade, or maybe they try to do a sign-and-trade for Ben Gordon) that limits their ability to do much in 2010?
April 24th, 2009 at 11:11 am
I’ll assume that they’ll have the cap space until they don’t, if you know what I mean. But in theory, you’re correct. They could decide to take on a big contract and eat their 2010 cap.
April 25th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Tiago Splitter in action
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rq7f7dt-kOU&hl=es
April 25th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
Ruben,
Any word from Splitter regarding the CBA provision?
April 26th, 2009 at 8:48 am
I guess Spurs must triplicate Splitter´s assigned salary to make it equal to his current contract. And maybe he needs even more to be able to pay his buyout, because NBA teams aren´t allowed to pay over 500.000 dollars -i think- and he probably will have to pay more than that.
May 13th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
there is no other way the spurs can be competitive without a bunch of fresh faces on their roster -the formula is youth, aggressiveness and production. all of this built on a solid foundation of team defense. this is waht is happening with san antonio right now – good enough defence but no bench scoring – a good defensive must score pointsto get ahead and win. we just cannot ignore the present situation where only tony, manu and tim are scoring. it should be a well balanced team – i.e., portland or cleveland, where the supporting crew can score points to help the starplayers. the spurs should wake up, good team defense is not potent without a well balance attack and consistent scoring.
May 13th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
break the piggybank guys, and GET SPLITTER ASAP. i think he is an excellent investment in the long run….a good heir to duncan. i think he can continue the spurs winning ways in the next ten years. a solid player – and hopefully he does not an ego.
you must let anthony tolliver back to san antonio, why? because he is really a damn good player. gutsy, and he will definitely excite the fans in san antonio.
just imagine this front line MAHINMI, TOLLIVER, GIST, SPLITTER, GOODEN, DUNCAN
May 18th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Blogroll links aint that great
but i am not the admin… 
… Just Telling 
June 7th, 2009 at 4:19 am
I’m not so sure the Spurs will just be getting a backup center here. This is no Fabrcio Oberto, no disrespect to him. Splitter will be capable of putting up Scola like numbers or better. Scola is playing with Yao in his prime and Splitter, if he plays, will be playing with a Tim Duncan who is in his decline. He is the top center in a the top European domestic, the ACB of Spain.
June 21st, 2009 at 9:49 pm
[...] rights could help a trade proposal go through. If Splitter is not tied to the rookie scale, as we’ve previously argued, one would think his rights would hold some value, certainly more than we assumed a year [...]
August 28th, 2009 at 7:56 am
[...] We’ve previously discussed that Tiago Splitter can join the Spurs next summer, and without the complications of a rookie contract. But where would he fit on the roster? Are the Spurs in a position to absorb his minutes? [...]
September 4th, 2009 at 8:18 am
[...] worry about Tiago Splitter, either. A little known rule states that players drafted in the first round that don’t sign within three years of being [...]
October 13th, 2009 at 9:18 am
[...] there. Bruno is a trusted friend firmly situated in France, where he is able to make all sorts of smart observations about the Spurs, the NBA, and their various relationships in the international bas…. For the upcoming season we’ve asked a few friends of 48MoH to serve as international [...]
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