The San Antonio Spurs have made Tiago Splitter available in trade talks as they look to clear cap space. The Spurs have strong interest in signing LaMarcus Aldridge to a max contract.

The Spurs reportedly rejected draft night trade interest involving Splitter.

Splitter is due $8.5 million next season.

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/238468/Spurs-Make-Tiago-Splitter-Available-In-Trade-Talks

I think Splitter could be a good defensive pressence, particularly if the Knicks sign Monroe.

Maybe Monroe, Splitter and Afflalo?

Not sure if we could afford that, but maybe if we stretched or traded Calderon.

Sixers have zero guards and make cap room trades all the time to get picks and also to get salary for their roster. Calderon could be a steadying pressence in Philly and help them feed their bigs. Philly literally needs to acquire salary to get to the salary floor aka they need to spend at least 90% of the cap.

We could offer them Calderon for a second round pick.

We trade Calderon and we'd have ~$35M in cap room.

Maybe get the Spurs involved in a three way deal - Spurs send us Splitter, we send Sixers Calderon, Spurs and Knicks send Sixers some assets for helping facilitate, Spurs get cap room to sign LMA. Knicks get Splitter for Calderon as basically a cap neutral move.

fishmike wrote:We have nobody on the roster... but I would think SA might be open to sending us Splitter and Green (S&T) for cash considerations and a 2nd round pick in 2173. Obviously that hinges on their ability to land a big fish but with Mano and Timmy unsigned things could get interesting fast. Splitter is a nice piece... a bit more skilled that RLopez.

They'd likely keep Green and try to get a vet Center to back up. Nazr maybe? They would really need Green's floor spacing a defense. Basically what the Spurs would be doing is moving Duncan into Splitter's role and LA into Duncan's.

This does look like a chance to get Joseph out of SA though.

http://www.poundingtherock.com/2015/6/27/8857289/san-antonio-spurs-free-agency-primer

What's the most cap room the Spurs could have?

If they renounce everyone

If they renounce all of their free agents, including Kawhi Leonard and Tim Duncan, the Spurs could have around $33.5 million in cap space. That's not going to happen.

If they renounce everyone but Duncan, Ginobili, Leonard and Green

The Spurs wouldn't have any cap room. Cap holds for those four players would eat up all of their cap space. That's why the first thing the Spurs need to do is figure out what they are going to do with Duncan and Ginobili -- who will command lower salaries than their cap holds -- while waiting before re-signing Leonard and potentially Green, as those two will command a salary bigger than their cap holds.
Can the Spurs keep all four and add LaMarcus Aldridge?

It's possible but it would take complex cap gymnastics as well as sacrifices by some players. First, the Spurs need to get Tim's $15.5 million figure down. Mike Monroe reported that it is believed around the league that Tim will sign a 2-year deal with the first year in the $6-7 million range. Let's split that and use a figure of $6.5 million for Tim. Then the Spurs would have to convince Manu Ginobili to return for the room exception, worth $2.8 million. If they do that, they can renounce Bird rights to him and clear his cap hold.

With Duncan slotted to make $6.5 million, Manu completely off the books and cap holds for Green and Leonard accounted for, the Spurs would have $55.041,975 in committed salary, plus $2,100,372 in roster spot charges for a total of $57,142,347. That means they would have $10 million in cap space, a solid amount to add a free agent but only slightly more than half of what a max contract would pay Aldridge.

If the Spurs trade Tiago Splitter and don't take any salary back, they would have $49,167,440 on their books or $18 million in cap room. Again, a max salary for Aldridge starts at $18.9 million, so they are still short. It's possible but unlikely that Aldridge leaves money on the table to join the Spurs. So they would also have to trade someone else to fit him under the cap.

If they move Patty Mills without taking any salary back, they would have $46,113,586, giving them $21 million in cap space and finally allowing them to offer Aldridge a max contract.

dwiley20 wrote:we have nothing to offer...No assets

the knicks have assets but I doubt they want to use them.

yellowboy90 wrote:If the Spurs turned down draft day trades I doubt the Knicks can make a run at him. Plus I would rather go with Ajinca for less money. Splitter is on a nice contract but he is already 30 with injury issues.

Ajinca would be nice but he might get a contract similar to what Asik got. In otherwords north of the Full MLE. Splitter is more likely because he can be had in a trade if SA is looking to save $8.5mil on the cap and if we somehow get rid of Calderon in the deal. All for it. Plenty of ways to improve this team without going after all the big money free agents and throwing them together and hoping they fit. It is very important that the Knicks think every single move through and do their homework. And I'm confident they will

gunsnewing wrote:

yellowboy90 wrote:If the Spurs turned down draft day trades I doubt the Knicks can make a run at him. Plus I would rather go with Ajinca for less money. Splitter is on a nice contract but he is already 30 with injury issues.

Ajinca would be nice but he might get a contract similar to what Asik got. In otherwords north of the Full MLE. Splitter is more likely because he can be had in a trade if SA is looking to save $8.5mil on the cap and if we somehow get rid of Calderon in the deal. All for it. Plenty of ways to improve this team without going after all the big money free agents and throwing them together and hoping they fit. It is very important that the Knicks think every single move through and do their homework. And I'm confident they will

I doubt Ajinca will get more than $5m. With Ajinca vs Splitter its also about the fit with Monroe. Ajinca can shoot the rock and will not crowd the paint as much.

I think New Orleans would be a nice place for Splitter but I am not sure the Spurs would do that

crzymdups wrote:

TPercy wrote:Splitter is a good defender?

according to the advanced stuff here, he is. he's also a good offensive player and his skills would fit the triangle.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/splitti01.html

Splitter's defensive stats on 82games aren't better than Greg Monroe's numbers. At best, you can say that Splitter gives up about as much as he produces: http://www.82games.com/1415/14SAS17.HTM He's also injury prone and averages about 62 games a year for his career. I'd pass.

Calderon has negative value after his debacle of a season, plus his contract and age. Nobody wants him. There should be a ban on proposing trades that involve Calderon unless he has a major resurgence this upcoming season by some miracle.

mreinman wrote:

H1AND1 wrote:There is no way on earth the Spurs take Calderon and a measly 2nd rounder for an actually valuable piece with a very decent contract in Splitter. No frigging way.

why not? everyone else lets us take advantage of them

LOL. You're right. What am I thinking. Half the league is banging down our door to try to pry Calderon from us. We just haven't given him up yet to get the bids up. Major mind games from the Zen Master.