No Big Baby Offer, McDyess Still the Primary Target

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Many of you have read this by now but, just in case you haven’t, Jeff McDonald of the Express-News has confirmed that this report by Gary Tanguay of CNNSE was premature:

Though the Spurs have contacted Davis since free agency began last week, they have yet to discuss an offer with his camp. In addition, the two sides have not talked since Wallace committed to the Celtics on Sunday.

McDonald also confirmed that Antonio McDyess remains the Spurs top FA target now that Rasheed Wallace is off the market.

  • TrueFan

    Whew….

  • drew

    Who else is targetting McDyess? Not to long ago we were eyeing Rasheed, but he ended up going to Boston. So, if not the Spurs, where would McDyess end up?

  • SAJKinBigD

    I haven’t heard or seen anything about McDyess being associated with anyone else. Has there been interest from some other teams?
    I’d personally LOVE to see Brandon Bass with the Spurs (I live in Dallas and the dude’s got a motor that doesn’t quit!). Plus taking a piece from the Mavs and adding it to our team has appeal, no? :)

  • http://www.48minutesofhell.com Graydon Gordian

    From what I’ve heard, the Pistons and Cavs are also interested in McDyess. Although he played with the Pistons last season (seemingly giving them an advantage), the general assumption is he wants to play for a contender, which the Pistons will not be next season.

    I also think it is possible that the Magic, who are looking to make another addition to their frontcourt, may also be interested.

  • Travis

    Does anyone know (by chance) a time frame for a McDyess decision?

    Have the Spurs even contacted McDyess’s people?

    ‘Sheed moved off the market pretty quickly, do we anticipate the same for McDyess?

  • SAJKinBigD

    With Lebron’s status for an extension still up in the air, it doesn’t look like any FAs want to go there and end up stuck if/when he leaves…

  • SAJKinBigD

    And I’ve heard that BASS is Dirk’s best buddy on the team. Wonder if that’ll nix that possibility?

  • Tristan

    I would love it if we get Mcdyess. But what about Gooden. I haven’t heard anybody interested in him. Maybe we sign him? And what about Bruce Bowen, can we get him back? Good backup to Jefferson. What about Channing Frye or Chris Wilcox? I don’t think we should go back after Oberto, not efficent enough. I hope we get Mcdyess, but Gooden is good too.

  • http://fundamentally-sound.blogspot.com Jaceman

    I wouldn’t be surprised if the Magic are quietly courting the idea of trying to sign McDyess.

  • Rowrbazzle

    Why not David Lee? According to John Hollinger, “…Lee ultimately may be forced to take a qualifying offer to play for barely more than the biannual exception.

    …[Jason] Kidd turned down a hefty offer from Lee’s current employer because he got a better one from Dallas, one that would pay him about 12 times as much as Lee’s qualifying offer — which is still the only concrete one Lee is known to have received.”

    Sure, Lee wants a lot more than the Spurs have, but why not see if he can be had for one year at the MLE? If he’s stuck taking a one-year deal in order to become an UFA next year, why not take advantage of it? The Spurs are planning to bring Splitter over next year anyway, so losing Lee after a year shouldn’t hurt. Isn’t Lee a better player than McDyess?

  • Dafydd

    I like the Lee idea but surely if someone offers him a 1 year deal the Knicks would match it. As long as they dont eat into 2010 cap space they’ll do anything to keep him.

  • Mike T

    I’m surprised by the lack of interest in David Lee, too. I’ve heard that he is a very poor defensive player. I wonder if there will be more interest in him around the league once the dust settles in the next couple of weeks. Lee may not be a better player than McDyess depending on what a team is looking for. McDyess is a very good rebounder like Lee, but he is also a very good defender.

  • rikiddo

    Lee isn’t a good defender at all, though he’s a good rebounder and shooter. We have enough offense on this team already with the Big 3 + RJ – the Spurs’ primary need now is somebody to help Timmy plug the middle on D. Dice seems to fit that bill extremely well, and I have to say I’m pleased about the Big Baby reports not coming true.

  • idahospur

    The players on the Spurs’ radar all know that the only offer available is the MLE. Big Baby Davis seems to be the contingency if McDyess (and previously Sheed) does not sign. But I could see the FO make the move for Davis if McDyess drags his heels on making a decision as I can see the Spurs wanting to decide on their line-up sooner rather than closer to opening day.

  • Jonathan

    A qualifying offer can only be made by the team who owns a free agents rights. David Lee is a restricted free agent, and the Knicks own his rights. Therefore the Spurs can’t make a qualifying offer for Lee. The Knicks dream scenario is that someone will sign lee to the mid-level exception, which they would certainly match.

    Big Baby is in the same boat, except the Celtics probably wouldn’t match since the Wallace signing.

    McDyess would be best…I would rather have Channing Frye than Big Baby.

  • Jason

    According to the 4 letter network, McDyess only commanded a salary of 600K in Detroit last year. Given that
    1) This year’s free agency is a buyer’s market
    2) The desire of McDyess to go to a contender
    3) He’s a year older
    4) The relative lack of interest of other teams

    What are the chances the spurs are really going to spend ~$5.8Mil on this guy? Can’t we sign veterans to minimum contracts up to like 1.6Mil a year? Doesn’t the league even pay a portion of the Vet’s minimum? Not to mention our LLE exception is worth even more (Depending on if Hairston gets it, but he could also get the vet’s min).

    I’m just saying, that if McDyess is our #1 target, aren’t we gonna have a good chunk of money left over? We probably will be able to sign McDyess and Bass or perhaps we’ll use some of our left over $ on a contract with Leon Powe now that he’s a free agent, knowing that he’d be a contributor in the 2nd half of the season, he could be a steal.

    Or we could give Marion the MLE and McDyess the LLE/Vet’s Min… maybe missing out on Sheed was a blessing in disguise.

  • Nick (Italy)

    I think that losing Sheed the Spurs basically lost their only possibility to land a FA 4 who can make this team rise to the top of the Western Conference.

    McDyess is a nice veteran big off the bench, who provides grit on D and does not totally kill you on offense. But I think he’s got a mobility issue and he cannot play alongside Tim against teams that have a mobile big (the Gasols, Odoms, Lewis and Nowitzkys of this world). Help D is also a concern to me.

    Davis is little more than a project, Bass is too undersized and does not appear to have the highest bb IQ ever.

    David Lee may be a quality big, but we do not have the assets for a sign and trade with NY, he would be surely overpaid because of his D’Antoni inflated numbers and he would be a defensive liability.

    The only option is trying to deal for somebody.

    I can see Memphis giving up Marc Gasol, after the acquisition of Randolph. While MGasol clearly lacks the footspeed to guard fast 4, I think he is better than McDyess in this aspect. I think he’s worth a look because he is a good young post player on both sides of the floor, he’s cheap and he can contribute way longer than McDyess.

    Maybe, giving up on Roger Mason Jr., one among Bonner and Finley and a draft pick we could find a way to convince Chicago to send us Tyrus Thomas, who clearly they don’t love any more.

    Shifting the attention to the other hole in our rotation, i.e. the one to take those 20/25 min off the bench at the 3, what about Paul Harris (Syracuse)?

  • Alex

    I would love to see the FO pull out that kind of a deal Jason. But the spurs have never make a splash in free agency, even the Jefferson trade is a little out of character. For some reason the FO just likes to sign players that are underappreciated or in their last legs looking for a contender to finally get the championship in their resume. I expect a McDyess signing, and if that doesnt pan out probably an under the radar player that makes us go who??? Just like Roger Mason, Matt Bonner, Bowen, and I could go on for a while.
    I think we should just lay back and wait for everything to unfold, because as much as we like to think that we know which player is going to contribute right away, at the end of the day we really have no clue, not even the slightest idea. Just remember that the FO is trying to build a championship team, not a fantasy team. 4 tittles in a decade is pretty impressive, means the FO knows what they are doing. So lets just sit back and let them prove to all the haters that think we dont have enough to win it all how wrong they were.

  • Joe

    I think everyone is cold on Lee because he’s restricted — NY can match any offersheet, and they almost certainly would match a 1-year, MLE offer. Lee would be better off just taking the qualifying offer from NY to become unrestricted next summer when a lot more teams have money. I don’t think he’s an option for us barring some unforeseen sign-and-trade scenario.

  • ananuri

    I have been reading 48moh for a while, but have never posted anything. I decided finally to contribute my two cents.

    Really glad that our FO isn’t going for big baby, McDyess is a much better option. However, I’m not sure if he is the best option available.

    Everything in NBA is matchups (or almost everything), and we need to mutchup against best teams. Out of those, LA is our top priority. I will assume that everybody is healthy, since if somebody is hurt (especially one of the big three), than this discussion is moot – we are not contenders and that’s it.

    Only problem we have with lakers is front court – Gasol-Bynum-Odom. I think that we need somebody really big, and not sure if McDyess helps. I am much more in favor of Rasho – he is 7′, big body and can play the center. We need for him clog the lane and to take care of the Bynum on defense, and put some (not much, but some) pressure on him on offense. I think that he is capable of doing it, and he can hit occasional mid-range shots and FT, if needed. That leaves Tim on Gasol, and if Tim healthy, I really like our chances here.
    Backcourt: Kobe is good and difficult to defend, but whom would they put on Parker? They could not defend Brooks, who had almost no help after Yao went down, and now, without Ariza, they have nobody even to slow Parker down. And Kobe ought to extend some energy on defense now, since he cannot cheat off anybody. And once Odom comes in, hopefully one of our new/young bigs (Hairslip, Mahinmi, etc.) will be able to keep him occupied. In addition, Rasho is always good against Shaq and Yao. We ditched Rasho because he was awful matchup against Mavs in 2006, but now that we have athletic players (against whom Novitzki traditionally struggles), he will not be needed that much against them.

    Since lakers frontcourt is our biggest problem right now, I think that Bass is not a good fit at all – we need really tall player playing defense.

    And I really do not think that lakers are so much superior to us. Obviously, they are champions and deserve more credit, but they are beatable, and they got lucky last year when teams who matched really well with them (Houston, Boston, Orlando) got decimated with injuries. If spurs remain healthy and get quality big man (star is not needed), I think they will have good chance against lakers.

  • Greg

    And we can throw out the idea of getting Marion. According to Marc Stein, the Mavs are in heavy discussions to work a sign and trade with Toronto to try and acquire Marion. I don’t think that Marion was on our radar anyways, but looks like that option is now gone. Although that does make Dallas an interesting team. We keep talking about LA being our biggest threat in the West, but Dallas beat us last year with a roster that wasn’t that impressive. I know we’ve gotten better and younger, but they still bring back Dirk (who we still have no matchup against), Damp, Kidd, Howard (who we also struggle with), Terry then add Marion, and Gortat….

    I think from reading everything that Tim and Graydon have told us, a few things have become pretty obvious :

    1. McDyess is the # 1 option. If we sign him, it will be for the full MLE. No less.
    2. We’re not getting David Lee, nor going after him. He is restricted and it just doesn’t work.
    3.The only other way the Spurs make a big splash this offseason would be by a trade. And that seems unlikely because I doubt Finley would resign and then waive his Bird rights to go somewhere else. Plus, we all saw how much Pop loved playing him last year.

    I know that we’re all amped up and the Spurs great offseason has gotten us excited for the next big move….but I think we have to have a brief reality check as well. The FO has done an amazing job of retooling and getting younger, while not hurting the short term goal of competing for a Championship. But the only additional moves that are going to be made will have to be within the confines of the MLE or a trade of matching salaries. I know we’re still all hoping for a home run, but lets just be grateful that the front office is still up there swinging for the fences.

  • SAJKinBigD

    Greg: Good analogy. But remember, small-ball wins games too! As has been stated, our team has the superstars, they need help in specific roles; consider it small ball to fill those roles. The Spurs are often about meshing parts together in the best way possible as opposed to being a fantasy leaguer’s dream.

  • Rowrbazzle

    Thanks for the info on Lee. I didn’t really understand his contract situation. Now that it’s been explained (along with his apparent defensive limitations), I understand why he isn’t a target for the Spurs.

  • Drew

    Honestly McDyess does seem like the best option, we’ve gotten a lot younder this offseason, and he would bring that veteran experience that has always been reliable. Also if there is going to be any trade, I say the Spurs go after Marcus Camby! He was the defensive player of the year about 2 seasons ago, and would go great along side Timmy.

  • Drew

    younger*

  • Cory Clay
  • g7997

    I’ll say this until the end, the Spurs need to do what it takes to get Marcus Camby from the Clippers. Even if we give up Bonner, Mason, Finley and swap next yrs. 1st rd pick for their 2nd rd pick(obviously Spurs can work with any pick). We would still have the MLE and Bi-annual to attract back up SF and SG(Shawn Marion and Von Wafer??)

  • hobson13

    I like Nick’s idea of trading Mason or Bonner to Memphis for Marc Gasol. At this point Rasheed had all three things the Spurs were looking for in a center: 1. Spacing the floor with range. 2. The size to match up with the Bynums and Gasols of the world. 3. The ability to help Timmy on the boards

    Now with Rasheed gone, who are the Spurs gonna get that fit this criteria. McDyess, Bass, Big Baby, even David Lee are all undersized PF that are either 6′ 8″ or 6’9″. That doesn’t help much against the bigs. None of these guys can come close to Sheeds range. Now they would all help Timmy on the glass, but anyone of these players is a just a replicate of Blair. What immediate advange would the Spurs have in signing any of these cats?

    Marc Gasol, who will see his playing time cut in Memphis, averaged 12pts, 7.4 rebounds, and just over a block/game. He doesn’t have the range to spread the floor, but he does have the size and ability to rebound. That is 2/3 of the requirements the Spurs are looking for. Plus he’s only 24. With his cheap salary, we could easily trade Bonner or Mason (but only 1) to get him. This would be a great deal IMO.

  • SAJKinBigD

    g7997: I don’t think Camby’s gonna go. AND the Spurs cannot trade out of the 1st round. It’s against league rules for a team to go without 1st rounders in back-to-back years. Thank the Mavs’ fleecing of Denver in the 80s for that!

    I’m starting to like the idea of figuring out a way to get MGasol from Memphis. It’d be nice for the Spurs to get a little payback for how the other Gasol went to LA — plus wouldn’t it be fun to watch them battle it out so often?

  • drew

    My ever fickle opinion is starting to change on the idea of signing McDyess. He’s not getting any younger, and he’s too undersized. (Although I would like it a lot if we got Rasho as well. He has the size we need). I like the Marc Gasol idea. A lot actually. Are there any indications that the Spurs FO is focusing on trade options rather than free agent pickups? Any thoughts?

  • BlaseE

    Gasol would be great, but I don’t see Memphis trading anyone else unless you are willing to take on Jaric’s $7 million dollar contract for the next two seasons to get the player you want. I’m not sure the hottest Victoria’s Secret model at our home games is worth that kind of money and a roster spot. I guess it’s debatable.

  • sydneylla

    I’m sure folks have seen this potentially good news:

    http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/courtside/2009/07/spurs-out-in-fr.html

  • Robby

    sydneylla,

    i’ve read about the yeah i think its good news but just a little hesitant with the contact details.

    I just don’t think the spurs should offer McDyess the FULL MLE… and its a 3yr offer with the last year partially guarranted. if the spurs can offer this kind of money to McDyess with not offer it a younger player like David Lee perhaps….

    Yes McDyess can provide a good veteran presence but he’s getting older…… just a though or maybe i’m wrong….

    i also like the idea of making trade for Marc Gasol… i think it is a much better deal….

    but then again the Spurs F.O. has been great for years so lets hope for the best. Cheers!

  • rocko.texas

    Robby,

    David Lee would be a great addition to the Spurs, however, I believe he is a restricted free agent. If he were to be offered the MLE, the Knicks would likely match that offer in a heartbeat. This would only serve to give them a tremendous bargain because I think Lee’s true worth is more than the MLE (although whether he is worth the $10 million he apparently seeks is debatable).

    Finally, I would be thrilled if we obtained Marc Gasol. However, he is a quality center playing on a cheap rookie contract. Accordingly, I think Memphis would be in no rush to trade him, even if Thabeet makes him somewhat expendable.

  • sydneylla

    Robby,

    I’m w/ Rocko on this one. Lee won’t be signing for the MLE and even if he was willing, the Knicks could match. He’s not an option for us.

    And I believe Gasol is tied down for a few years with his current contract.

    McDyess’s true value may not be the MLE (approx 5.8 mil) but that’s what others are offering. And considering that he’s the best available option on the market right now, we have to pay to play or more accurately, to get him to play.
    Our options are limited right now in terms of what we can afford . A a proven vet who can give us defense, rebounding, a mid-range jumper and unquestioned toughness is not something to be sneezed at.
    Plus, there’s the fact that by signing him, we weaken his other major suitors (Cleveland, Orlando), both title contenders as well. That’s not a reason by itself to sign him. But it’s a nice bonus.

  • SpursfanSteve

    i vote no on camby. yes, hes big and can play D, but hes constantly injured and cant guard more mobile guys like Odom. and even if he could, hes always injured.

    i’m intrigued by Marc Gasol, but i havent ever seen him play.

    as much as i love brandon bass, i think that since we picked up blair, they are essentially the same player. undersized, athletic, big wingspan, excellent defenders. Signing him would be a waste of a roster spot.

    David Lee also gets my attention, but i think hes benefited from D’Antoni. probably is just a system guy.

    Big Baby Davis is kind of intriguing, but i think hes kind of an underacheiver. if we go for a Celtics big, i’d rather see us go for Powe.

    i’ve always loved Tyrus Thomas, but on another post someone (cant remember who) pretty well convinced me it probably wasnt in the Spurs best interest due to low bball IQ and a lack of motivation to reach his potential. Still, if he committed himself, he would be one of the top 10-15 players in the league right now. hands down.

    i think Dice is the best option right now. And Bonner disappeared in the playoffs. If he cant perform then, i think it may be time to cut ties with him while his stock is still kind of high.

    Heres the lineup as i see it now.

    parker/hill/mason
    Manu/Finley/Hill/Mason
    Jefferson/Finley
    Blair/Bonner
    Timmy/Mahinmini.

    Timmy can play center. he has been for awhile. it would be great if we could slide him back over to the 4, but with his knees could HE guard the mobile 4′s like Odom? I think the priority should be a combo 3/4, Timmy at this point in his career may be better suited to play the 5.

    I know i just commited a sacrilege by doubting Tim Duncan. He will probably get chuck norris to kill me, because they are good friends.