Ginobili: ‘I don’t expect a contract extension’

by

From Clarin:

“Ya ni espero que el equipo me ofrezca una extensión del contrato.”

¿Te dan señales?

“No, no hubo ninguna señal. La última fue antes de lesionarme el año pasado y no se habló más del tema. En este punto de la temporada no sé si extendería el contrato, depende de la oferta. Pero estoy muy mentalizado para sentarme el 1° de julio con mi agente y mi mujer y ver qué ofertas tengo.”

Translation provided by Las Espuelas of PtR:

“I no longer expect a contract extension.””

Do you have any hints that this is the case?

“No, there has been no hints. The last one was prior to getting hurt last year, and we haven’t discussed the topic anymore. At this point in the season, I don’t know if I would accept an extension, it would depend on the offer. But I have made my mind to sit down on the 1st of July with my agent, my wife and evaluate what offers I have.”

Well, this is certainly shocking news, although the financial impact of the Jefferson trade made this day foreseeable (whether we were willing to acknowledge it or not). I am not prepared to say that this will be Manu Ginobili’s last season with the Spurs; there are too many variables to say that definitively. But it would be hard to take Manu’s remarks seriously while remaining optimistic about his chances of donning the silver and black next season.

  • Martin

    This is certainly going to bite the Spurs back…if he cannot get what he wants in SA, he will sign with LA or whatever other contending team is out there.

    For all the love I have to the Spurs, I can’t help to salivate on the idea of Kobe and Manu on the same team…best back court ever!

  • SpurredOn

    Too soon to worry. Manu has to look out for his future, Spurs have to look out for the franchise and it’s too soon and the wrong timing for either to make such decisions. So long as it’s not a distraction, the concern around this should be put to the future when there will be plenty of time to sweat.

  • dingo

    If keeping Jefferson means losing Manu..ah, don’t want to think about it, I’d be too upset.

  • VP of Common Sense

    This sucks.

  • LasEspuelas

    As Wayne Vore points out in the PTR trade. Manu never says that he will not re-sign with the Spurs or that he will play for another team. He just states that he does not expect an extension and expects to have to make a decision regarding where he ends up in July.

    I think it sounds worst than it is, but I definitely feel that Manu and his agent are trying to start a little bit of a ruckus and try to develop some leverage. The Spurs currently have all the leverage. Injury prone player, getting older and reduced performance recently.

    I truly hope that San Antonio offers Manu what is fair when the time comes.

  • LasEspuelas

    Sorry, I meant thread above.

  • Will

    I see it as Manu and his agent starting to put pressure on the Spurs via the fanbase. I think the Spurs want to sign him to another contract, and Manu wants to stay in SA, and they might even already agree on how much he’s going to be paid. The real question is when? And the Spurs have strictly no incentive to bring this issue forward at the time being, given injury risks, lack of knowledge (e.g. about luxury tax and so on) and even Manu’s own decisions for the future.

  • Rodrigo

    In that news he also said that he’s realistic and knows that he is not a nº 1 option for any team , I think that if he can’t sign with the Spurs he will get the midlevel exception with the team he wants.

  • Martin

    He mentioned (I believe in one of the answers in the manuginobili.com forum) that he would like to play with one of the other Argentine players in the NBA in the same team.

    Houston will have tons of Salary Cap next year due to T-Macs contract and they have no 2 guard. And Scola is there.

    He is putting enormous pressure on the FO right now with his statements, which I think are fair since he has always been the best bargain in the NBA, it’s time for him to make it big.

  • Rodrigo

    Do you guys see the FO trading him before the deadline?

  • rj

    if the rj trade hinders us from resigning ginobili thanthis offseason acquisition was a failiure. jefferson has not produced enough to earn his bloated salary and in comparison to manu’s production this season, well, there is none. i guess that’s what happens when you role the dice…

  • Alger Hiss

    Really? How can you be too upset over this? Look at his career trajectory, based on similar players. Their skills only continue to decline. He’s going to be asking for a lot more than he’s worth.

    Honestly, I think our best bet is to see what kind of value he brings at the trade deadline. You were talking about trying to get a Kobe-stopper the other day. Well, Iguodala-for-Manu is starting to sound awfully nice.

    LasEspuelas hit the nail on the head: “Injury prone player, getting older and reduced performance recently.”

  • JTC

    @Martin…
    Even though I would hate to see Manu go… I would hate it specially if it was the Lakers.

    Our loyalty should lie with the Spurs, not the players. If he decided to sign with the Lakers, I would still not like the Lakers and would hope for the Spurs to beat them everytime.

    Unfortunately, players come and go, but my loyalty lies with the Spurs and SA

    GSG

  • DieHardSpur

    Wow… Iguodala -for -Manu. hard to see the downside in that. Fan base would move to the East.

  • Rodrigo

    Iguodala for Manu ??? Did you see how much money Iggy is making? and he has 4 years left at his contract.

  • Martin

    JTC,

    I am unlikely to remain impartial on this. As Argentine, Manu gave us a lot.

    That said, I root for the spurs because I believe is such a class act that is difficult not to love how the team plays.

    If Manu is traded away or let go in free agency, I will be pissed off with the FO.

    Anyways, I believe the most likely team where he could go and play would be the Rockets, since they have tons of Salary Cap, Scola is there and they lack off a reliable 2 Guard.

  • Alger Hiss

    Rodrigo – you win, you’re right. Better to be moderately over the cap and lose in the Conference Semis, than a little bit more over and contend for the Championship.

  • Cory Clay

    Here is how I would handle the issue if I ran the Spurs F.O., I would offer a Manu a 3 year $21 million extension right now. My reason for this is Manu will always be a great playmaker with an ability to create easy shots for others, his instincts will keep him an above average defender for quite awhile, and even if he doesn’t regain all of his prior explosivness he is still clutch enough for the Spurs to continue running their offense through him in close meaningful games.

    Now if Manu rejected the offer and didn’t have any interest in negotiating, then yes, I would trade Manu Ginobili. It’s a tough sentence to write but too much talent is out their right now to gamble and possibly lose him for nothing.

  • Rodrigo

    Alger Hiss, I don’t think that trading Manu for Iguodala would give the Spurs a Championship.
    I’m argentinian so I’m a little bit biased over this haha, I think that the wise thing to do is wait for the playoffs , see how the spurs do and then make a decition.

  • Rodrigo

    Cory Clay, I’m with you on that one, I think 7 mil x 3 years is a good price.

  • David G

    Manu is my favorite NBA player of all time, but I think anything beyond 2 additional years for Ginobili would be a mistake. IMO the one of the first signs of waning athleticism is the ability to finish around the rim. At first I chalked up Ginobili’s inability to finish off drives as rustiness, but approaching February it looks more and more likely that the Ginobili from 2 to 3 years ago is not coming back.

    Now Ginobili could still be a efficient player because

    1. He shoots pretty well from outside
    2. He’s a great passer
    3. He plays good perimeter defense

    I think the Spurs should pay him like an better version of Michael Finley because that’s what he now is. He’s not a super star any more and that fact is why the Spurs will ultimately lose in the playoffs to the Lakers. If Ginobili wants more than two years after this and can get it from a desperate team that missed out on Lebron, Wade, Bosh, ect…than I’ll hope that the Spurs go in another direction and then I’ll have two must watch teams on my NBA league pass, the Spurs! and Team Ginobili!!! (thats what I’ll call the team that signs Ginobili)

  • Ivander

    Manu and Kobe on the same team???
    Most terrifying thought EVER!
    Stop scaring me!!

  • ThatBigGuy

    Offer him the 3 year/$21 million contract. However, make year 1 and 2 half guaranteed, with games played/minutes played incentives for the balance of the unguaranteed money and have the 3rd year be fully unguaranteed and completely incentive based. If he plays well, he gets paid and the FO gets their money’s worth, if he doesn’t, he still gets something and we aren’t out a bunch of cash.

  • deent

    no no no… not manu!! i love the spurs, but a spur s team without manu!!! he can still produce effectively for 2 to 3 years with his play making, instinct…
    but i guess the spurs FO has to think about the team s futur!
    That would just be heart wrenching!!! just thikin about it heu…. and pls, never ever ever to LA!

  • deent

    but i don t see him going anywhere!! just can t imagine him in another uniform!!
    go spurs go

  • Sauce

    Cory Clay, I agree with you.

    If Manu does leave us (the spurs), I hope he is never booed though. His jersey should be on the rafters too.

  • Hobson13

    Since we are half way finished with the season, I think its fair to say that Manu has had ample opportunity to prove he can play at or near his former level. However, if you look at his age, previous health problems, and this years performance, he will command at most the MLE this offseason.

    Quite honestly, Manu is a big reason the Spurs have not quite lived up to hype in the early going of this season. He averages the second lowest points per game only behind his rookie season. His FG% is the lowest of his career and his 3 pt fg% is one of the lowest also. He certainly hasn’t wowed anyone in the last 10 games he’s played! If our hopes for a championship are tied to him playing All-star level ball, I am afraid we are in for disappointment.

    On the other hand, There are teams out there looking to unload good players and their salaries. He is an $11 million expiring contract and might be able to fetch a good young talent in return. We already have Tony, Dejuan, and Hill as great young pieces. I think it’s time to look to the future.

    P.S. Those of you who think Manu is worth $21 mil over 3 years are smoking something REAL good. Please share.

  • Rey

    It would definitely be heartbreaking to see Manu in another uniform, but with the trend that the Spurs are going, I don’t see this being improbable. While he is definitely irreplaceable, the Spurs will definitely find the right replacement for him, and I would definitely spit on the Spurs logo if I don’t see them retire his number in the near future.

    For me, the only acceptable trade for Manu would be for Dwayne Wade. I’m not looking at the possibility of LeBron anymore, so at least I’m fervently praying that if they won’t re-sign Manu, they’d at least trade him for a high-calibre, egoless player.

    And I hope to god Manu won’t be in a Lakers or Dallas uniform.

  • LasEspuelas

    My comment above was not suggesting that the Spurs should not resign Manu. I was merely saying that the front office currently has all the leverage.
    I do not think we can get equal value for Manu in the trade market and I seriously believe that some of the comments here seriously under-value what Manu brings to this team. In term of win shares and PER he is second only to Duncan. Without Manu we could easily have two less Ws.

  • David G

    What do Spurs fans think of this trade?

    Ginobili
    Finley
    Mahinmi
    Bonner
    Ratliff
    Mason

    For

    Jamison
    Miller
    Haywood

    maybe throw a draft pick and have the Wizards waive (wink wink) some guys so they can come back to the Spurs in 30 days…like Finley

  • Cory Clay

    @Hobson13, a 3 year/21 million contract is very in tune with what Ginobili is worth, a lot of teams would offer him the full MLE for 4-5 years without a doubt, very similiar to what the Lakers just did w/Artest this past offseason. And if the Spurs were to offer a contract only around the MLE I think Manu, who has been greatly underpaid for years, would walk on principle alone.

    The variable that we don’t know is what Manu himself feels that he is worth. As great of a player as he is and has been for us he has to realize his insistence on playing Internationally WHILE INJURED has cost the Spurs at least 1 title.

    If he doesn’t take the offer I recommended I would have no problem trading him for Caron Butler, Antwan Jamison, Andre Ig, or another similiarly talented player.

  • AP

    I’d rather lose with Manu than watch the Spurs without him.

  • junierizzle

    THis makes no sense. POP knows he can’t win without Manu. I know its not POPS decision, but come on.

  • Cory Clay

    The Spurs have won and will keep winning with Manu and after Manu!

    Signed,
    A True Spurs Fan

  • Hobson13

    CoryClay I think we’ll just have to agree to disagree. Manu may be worth $7 mil next year, but he won’t be worth that 2-3 years out simply due to the fact that he’ll be 33 by this summer and almost 36 by the time the 3 year contract would be up.

    No way anyone offers the MLE to him for 4-5 years. That contract would take him until he’s almost 38 years old. Won’t happen in this economic environment. Maybe the MLE for 2-3 years. However, I really think it’s possible to shore up the Spurs future by trading Manu.

  • VP of Common Sense

    We should shut down Parker for a month.. Guy is getting as many turnovers as assists.. His plus/minus for the Jazz game was -22.

    There’s going to be some changes soon if we don’t pull it together.

    Bogans, Jefferson, McDyess = pathetic

  • lvmainman

    Correction, Parker’s plus/minus for the Jazz game was -26.

    Duncan, Hill, Ginobili, McDyess had the same amount of assists as Parker or more.

    The Spurs scored 21 points in a row with Parker on the bench. The run ended the exact moment Parker came back into the game!!

  • TheRed&Black

    McDyess can not for the life of him catch a pass from Manu. I do believe he is lost out there. At least Jefferson can do that. Although he needs to be WAY more aggressive.He had a mismatch with Kirilenko and choose to shot over him?! Bogans has his flashes, but seems to foul/go cold at the worst moments. Hill also seems to go cold from the corner in the heat of the 4th.

  • Cory Clay

    In back to back summers where teams just gave Ron Artest and James Posey 5 year/ MLE contracts, I don’t think Manu getting a MLE for 4-5 years is far fetched at all. A team that didn’t have cap space knowing this would be their best chance to add an impact player would realize that they were getting Manu for a bargain for the first 2-3 years and would likely be over paying for the last 2 years.

  • Hobson13

    I suppose anything’s possible, Cory, but times aren’t that good out there and teams don’t want to overpay. In fact the Spurs weren’t even playing in front of a packed house tonite so I wonder how their revenue is holding up
    .
    Ron Artest is almost three years younger than Manu plus the Lakers have the highest payroll in the NBA. They are willing to pay the luxury tax in a time when most teams are avoiding it like the plague.

    Everyone in the NBA knows the James Posey deal two summers ago was bad. If NO could get him off their books (without trading a big name) they’d do it in half a heartbeat. If Manu stays, they will probably offer a 3 year deal unless he goes Kobe on everyone during the second half of the season. I guess only time will tell, but I bet I’m right.

  • yani lim

    trading manu is like trading our chances for the NBA title to other elite teams .I would rather trade parker for CP3.PArker dominates the ball too much and i believe with that we can resign MANU now.paul a great passer plus manu his backcourt teamate who can finish strong to the basket or i mean a great finisher or closer.that would be a nasty backcourt.paul makes others better.I believe either LAKERS OR CAVS will get MANU if they wont resign him.KOBE likes manu well and Lebron does too.both of them wants to have a great backcourt teamate,that is simply unstoppable and scary to think of.OH MY!if that happens other teams look out.either of the two will cement in the history sa one of the best backcourts ever since jordan/pippen or maybe better.

  • Rodrigo

    Manu´s game yesterday was kind of a stament of thing to come, I can see a more agressive play from him, also, I´m here in Argentina and there was no misinterpretation, he said the exact things that were published in America.

  • Cory Clay

    @Hobson13, you’re right we’ll just have to agree to disagree. While all your points are valid all it takes is one GM to make a crazy offer in order to keep his job and/or attempt to either add that last peace or excite their fan base.
    And while Artest is slightly younger, with his history, no one expected him to get offered a contract for as many years as he did, yet it happened.

  • manufan

    C’mon guys, Spurs FO run off Bruce Bowen and gave McDyes 3 year contract and he is older than Manu. If they cant give Manu aditional threee years of love and hang that number 20 in the rafters I would be realy disapointed.
    That fan cheers at ATT center every time he enters the game are pretty awesome and indicate who they are coming to watch.

  • Hicksy

    Manu has been the heart and soul of this team
    However it happens to even the greatest father time catches you and starts to take things away.
    As it has with Manu things is will this group take some pay cuts to stay together and milk the last of this AMAZING era of ball??

    As has been said b4 I love Manu but love the SPURS more

    GOSPURSGO!!!

  • inmortal

    Guys, trade Manu for Al Jeferson, Manu’s contracted is 11 m for 1 year and Al’s is 12 m for 4. If minesota waives him they save 37million and are close to getting the 1st round pick. Also Al’s Jefferson idlizes Tim Duncan he would love it here.

  • not as good as I once was

    Manu leaving? I tell you I was already mad when they released Bowen. They let Manu go I’ll probably stop watching. I know its a buisness but I feel when you have meant as much to a frachise as Manu has or Bowen for that matter you deserve a little more then being a chess piece. If you don’t believe Bowen was important to the Spurs pay attention to thier defence with out him. Manu is the x factor for the Spurs we do not win the championships we have won without him. Hell we don’t win the championships we won without Bowen. Some players deserve to go out the way they choose.

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