Shaq in silver and black?

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AOL Fanhouse’s Chris Tomasson has published a report saying that Shaquille O’Neal’s goal is to play two more seasons, and the team he is targeting is your San Antonio Spurs.

He’d really like to go to San Antonio and team with Timmy (Duncan), and try to win one more title,” said the source about O’Neal, who starred in high school in San Antonio.

Spurs general manager R.C. Buford declined comment.

The source said O’Neal, 38, plans to play two more seasons and then retire. He wants there to be a farewell tour in 2011-12, which he expects would be his 20th and final NBA season.

“He wants to sign a two-year deal,” the source said about O’Neal, who made $21 million last season with Cleveland. “And then the second year will be a farewell tour. He can tell a team that you would sell out all 41 games (that season).”

The story states that there is interest on both sides, from Shaq’s camp and the Spurs front office. But the kicker here is that Shaq is reportedly willing to play for San Antonio for the midlevel exception.

But wait, wasn’t the midlevel exception supposed to go to Tiago Splitter?

Well, yes. The latest on the Splitter situation is that the Spurs have yet to offer the Brazilian a contract. But with the cap figure finalized just last night, and today being the first day that teams can officially sign players to contracts, there’s little rush. The Spurs have exclusive rights to Splitter, they don’t have to worry about another team swooping in and offering him more money. The only deadline they have is a reported July 15 deadline for Splitter to complete a buyout from his Spanish team.

San Antonio’s interest in Shaq is somewhat baffling. Outside of Phil Jackson and Mark Cuban, there has been no greater villain for San Antonio Spurs fans than Shaquille O’Neal.

I’m skeptical that RC Buford and co. have plans to add Shaq to the frontcourt rotation. For a team whose pick-and-roll defense led to its demise this past season, adding O’Neal doesn’t help. At all.

One possibility in this is Tiago Splitter’s camp is looking for the full midlevel exception, while the Spurs front office is only willing to part with a portion of that. Showing interest in signing Shaq to the midlevel may be San Antonio’s way of putting pressure on Splitter and his agent to lower their expectations.

The next few days will tell if San Antonio’s interest in Shaq is genuine, or just jostling for position in negotiations with Splitter. But I think one thing’s for certain, Spurs fans would rather have a 25-year-old Spanish league MVP in Splitter than a 38-year-old Shaq looking for one last ring and a “farewell tour.”

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  • Mike Yarbrough

    thats freakin awesome - tim, splitter, anderson shaq, parker, ginobli, jefferson?, hill + whatever

    i like our chances

  • Jim Henderson

    I don’t.

  • Jim Henderson

    bduran
    July 9th, 2010 at 5:50 am

    “It is a team game, but I it’s well established that most of the production comes from a teams top 1-3 players.”

    “Production” is not all she wrote when it comes to winning championships. For example, many of the role players during the Spur championship years were simply irreplaceable (e.g., Horry, Bowen, etc.), and these were teams whose production was dominated by a handful of players (e.g., TD, TP, Manu, Admiral, S. Jax).

    “They need to worry about the top 6 or 7.”

    No, they need to “worry” about at least the top 8-9. You HAVE to factor in injury issues, etc. You have to account for bad luck as much as possible. It’s part of how teams end up persevering to a championship.

    “Also, I believe that they’ll catch something of a break because players will be willing to play for somewhat less to join the hype.”

    Who wants to play under-market value with a trio of megalomaniacs? Do we all want the easy, bought & paid for way to a supposed title opportunity? Have we really turned into a league of sycophants and enablers just to get a shot at the limelight?

    “I think they can add a couple of decent players with the MLE and LLE (do they have this?) and fill the rest out with resigns and guys coming for the vet min.”

    No, teams under the cap DO NOT have MLE or LLE’s. They are likely to have about 6 million to sign players 6 through 13, with the standard minimum being about 600k for a young 2nd round or undrafted player with no real NBA experience, and 1.4 million for an older mostly washed up vet.

    “One last thing, why is everyone so anti Lebron? I agree that it’s worse for basketball that Lebron is going to Miami. However, would we critize someone for moving to a fun job somewhere else? I’ve always thought that people should spend some time living in another place for awhile. However, we expect Lebron to spend his whole life to Ohio? I would mind getting paid millions to play basketball with my friends in Miami.”

    I guess moral relativism has finally taken over our culture. Your comment is to far out their for me to explain any further.

  • lvmainman

    Shaq will probably join the Heat again.

    Imagine if their starting 5 was Jason Williams, Dwayne Wade, Lebron James, Chris Bosh, and Shaquille O’Neal!!

    They’ve already got Mario Chalmers, Mike Miller, Joel Anthony, Dexter Pittman, Jarvis Varnado, and D’Sean Butler on the bench.

    The Heat have to be the NBA favorites next year.

  • Jim Henderson

    lvmainman
    July 10th, 2010 at 9:06 am

    “Shaq will probably join the Heat again.

    Imagine if their starting 5 was Jason Williams, Dwayne Wade, Lebron James, Chris Bosh, and Shaquille O’Neal!!

    They’ve already got Mario Chalmers, Mike Miller, Joel Anthony, Dexter Pittman, Jarvis Varnado, and D’Sean Butler on the bench.

    The Heat have to be the NBA favorites next year.”

    BALONEY!

    You guys are in to “star worship” and imaginary teams. Stop buying the hype, and start thinking.

  • Fx

    If Shaq & Timmy are both in at the end of a close game for the Silver and Black, which big guy does the opposing team foul? 😛

    Sorry, I couldna resist… seriously though, we’d been saying all last season that the Spurs needed another 7 footer to help Timmy and their defense. I think the team could make it work with Shaq, and his slow foot speed may not be as evident with the Spurs than it was with Phoenix or Cleveland. Our fast-break pretty much consists of one or two players on rocket fuel anyway…

    But if the Spurs sign Splitter, adding Shaq as well would make for some interesting decisions about who gets the minutes. The good news would be that Timmy and Shaq should be well-rested come playoff time… :)

  • Redge

    Shaq should be
    SIGNED!!!
    AS IN REALLY SIGNED!

    Sign TIAGO SPLITTER for the mid-level
    then DONT SIGN RICHARD JEFFERSON

    then SIGN SHAQ ONEAL! THEN ANOTHER SMALL FORWARD…….. it can be TRACY MACGRADY or other Small Forwards who is well-known in scoring and in defense like T-MAC…

    and if it will happen the SAN ANTONIO SPURS WILL HAVE A 76% in winning over the new MIAMI HEAT, LOS ANGELES LAKERS, AND THE BOSTON CELTICS!

    I hope you will do my comments!

    DO IT

    DO IT

    DO IT!

    IT will really make the Spurs Fans wild then the other teams amazed/ scared to SAN ANTONIO SPURS

    JUST
    DO
    THIS
    COMMENT

    RC BUFORD

    AND MR. Buldenhozer!

    DO IT

    PLEASE

    DO IT!

  • geeiwish

    Tim Duncan, Shak, and while we are at it David Robinson. Now that would be a great line-up

  • JTEX

    I never thought about Shaq coming to the Spurs. If the price is right and we don’t have to sacrifice anyone or especially Splitter, go ahead an let him finish his career with the Spurs. No state income tax. The Spurs with Splitter aboard suddenly become a big team with height. All fat boy Shaq Can do is rebound and put a few back in but rebounds with a taller team, that can still run could really help the Spurs. I just don’t think Pop will want to go for it because he’d immmediately put Shaq on a diet but a leaner Shaq may surprise everyone. I doubt Shaq has the resolve to drop 25-50 pounds. There are better players out there to be had by the Spurs and Shaq would be more of a distraction that’d what he brings to the game.
    Any team that will be able to beat the Heat consistantly will be celebrated around the league! A taller, 3 point shooting team, that can play better defense, is just what the Spurs need. GO SPURS GO!

  • Joe

    Shaquille is at the end of his career. Who needs him?

  • Tom S

    Even though Shaq is at the end of his career, he still has some value that he could bring to a team. It would be funny if the Spurs still ended up with Shaq, even after signing Splitter.

  • Tom S

    I wouldn’t put it past them to still sign him, they have been in talks.

  • Tom S

    I didn’t mean to have so many posts, but for the right price Shaq could be an insurance policy for us at center. Besides, even though we got Splitter, he still won’t be enough. We still need another big body to be able to help us against the lakers.

  • Jim Henderson

    Why would you want Shaq when Lou Amundson, Ilgauskas, J. Anthony, & J. Jefferies are still available? Not only that, do you “Shaq guys” have a plan to usefully utilize a SIX man front line?

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