Web Posted: 07/09/2008 12:15 AM CDT
Jeff McDonald
San Antonio Express-News
The NBA's moratorium on free-agent signings ended Tuesday night, with Elton Brand and Corey Maggette making quick headlines. Brand agreed to join the 76ers, while Maggette has agreed to join the Warriors, according to published reports.
Staff writer Jeff McDonald breaks down how it affects the Spurs:
Q. So it appears Maggette is a Warrior. What now?
A. With their top free-agent target now a Warrior, the Spurs move on to other options. They are believed to have some interest in Denver guard J.R. Smith and Toronto guard Carlos Delfino, both of whom they’ve inquired about in the past and both of whom could be available despite their restricted status.
Delfino appears to be an odd man out after a roster reshuffling in Toronto, while the Nuggets would have to take a serious luxury tax hit to match any substantial offer for Smith.
Q. What others have the Spurs been linked to so far?
A. The Spurs have been in contact with Detroit forward Jarvis Hayes, Washington guard Roger Mason Jr., Denver swingman Yakhouba Diawara and Denver forward Eduardo Najera.
All of those players should command a cheaper price than the $5.8 million mid-level exception the Spurs were said to have offered Maggette.
Q. Don’t the Spurs have a few free agents of their own to worry about? What happens to them?
A. The Spurs have expressed interest in bringing back some combination of Kurt Thomas, Brent Barry, Michael Finley and possibly even Robert Horry. Of those four, Thomas is probably most critical to the Spurs’ plans for next season.
With former first-round pick Tiago Splitter opting to re-sign with his Spanish League club, the Spurs are in need of bulk on the front line. That, combined with a relatively weak free-agent class of big men, would seem to make re-signing Thomas a priority.
Thomas has received interest from other teams — most notably Miami and the Lakers.
Q. How does Maggette’s apparent decision to join Golden State affect Barry and Finley?
A. These two Spurs guards were the two players most likely to lose minutes if Maggette came to San Antonio.
Of course, they still could lose minutes if the Spurs successfully land another swingman via free agency. So both players’ futures in San Antonio remain in limbo for now.
Of the two, Barry has garnered the most interest on the open market. Phoenix and the Lakers have talked to him, and the Houston Rockets have dubbed him one of their top free-agent targets of the summer.
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