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  1. #1
    #1 Spurs Fan TMT's Avatar
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    Default [RUMOR]: Al Jefferson to Spurs?

    The NBA trade deadline journalism racket is a tricky minefield to navigate. The business is driven by rumors, many of which are founded in truth, others of which are utterly fictitious.

    Distinguishing between the two differentiates the good basketball Web sites from the bad sites.

    But figuring out who is available is not rocket science if you speak to the right people, and I speak to a lot of plugged-in people on a regular basis.

    Here is the latest they are telling me: The San Antonio Spurs are the front-runners to land Al Jefferson in a trade with the Utah Jazz – and they are frontrunners like Secretariat was in the 1973 Belmont Stakes.

    Here’s why, followed by a how.

    “Those teams are practically incestuous, they are on such good terms internally,” one NBA source told me Wednesday.

    Indeed, Spurs assistant general manager Scott Layden left Utah prior to this season after spending several seasons as an assistant coach for the Jazz and joined R.C. Buford’s staff in San Antonio’s secrecy vault front office. Also, former Spurs assistant GM Dennis Lindsey is now doing the legwork for Utah’s grand pooh-bah, Kevin O’Connor.

    The Jazz do not want to lose Jefferson for nothing when he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer, and they have a former overall No. 3 pick, Enes Kanter, ready to step in and fill the void that would be left by Jefferson’s departure.

    Yes, Jefferson makes them a better playoff team. But no, the Jazz are not fooling themselves into believing they are championship material at this point.

    And if Dwight Howard is not available on the free agent market this summer, Jefferson immediately becomes the No. 1 center available.

    So the time for the Jazz to move him is now, and the team with the biggest need for an upgrade at center is the Spurs. The inability to protect the rim was one of the prime reasons for their collapse in last year’s Western Conference finals when they had won 20 in a row and had a 2-0 lead on the Thunder, only to lose the next four.

    Next: The Jazz need a point guard, and the Spurs have two of them not named Tony Parker. So you can expect Patty Mills (who Lindsey is familiar with and fond of) to be the preferable choice over Nando de Colo.

    The Jazz also need some value coming back in this trade, and the Spurs have one last Eurostash asset in Erazem Lorbek, who has been profiled on this site by writer A.J. Mitnick.

    Presumably they’d also ask for Tiago Splitter, because somebody would need to back up Kanter, and because Splitter is having an improved season in the year his contract expires – meaning Utah would not be taking on any long-term financial obligation.

    San Antonio throws in Stephen Jackson for salary-matching purposes (almost an exact match), and voila. Captain Jack will love Salt Lake City, hunh?
    Link to the article


    Sheridan is essentially proposing an Al Jefferson for Patty Mills, Stephen Jackson and Tiago Splitter trade.

    Personally I would not pull the trigger on this. Jefferson isn't as much of a defensive centerpiece as this guy is making it seem. He would be another guy who we could give the ball to down on the low block which could essentially give us more versatility offensively but that's not exactly an area the team is looking for a complete change up in. He has also mentioned he wants close to a max deal, while we could keep Splitter (RFA) this upcoming summer for cheaper. This Spurs team is already clicking on all cylinders chemistry wise and already holds the best record in the NBA. Spltter has come into his own this year and starting him next to Duncan (and even filling in for Duncan when he's injured) he has proven to be very effective. I also feel like he can be just as good or even better than Al Jeff on the defensive end for the most part. Shipping out S-Jax kills our Kawhi Leonard insurance, and not to mention depletes us of a clutch playoff performer. Patty Mills is a great guy to have on our bench and could obviously have a bigger role elsewhere with teams that aren't as point guard heavy.

    Overall I would say no, unless we could somehow keep Splitter in which case the Jazz could look somewhere else for a better pay off.

    What do you think ISH?

  2. #2
    Local High School Star CakeorDeath's Avatar
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    Default Re: [RUMOR]: Al Jefferson to Spurs?

    Something else would have to go down to make this work, as I'm pretty sure the Jazz are carrying a full 15-man roster, so we couldn't take back 3 players for Big Al. I guess we could just buy out Jackson and Splitter, if the centerpiece of the trade for the Jazz truly is Mills and/or the Jazz are worried that both Jackson and Splitter would walk at season's end anyway, but it seems like the Jazz could/should get more for Jefferson than just Mills.

  3. #3
    Winning>Stats
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    Default Re: [RUMOR]: Al Jefferson to Spurs?

    The bit where it said Jefferson could help the Spurs protect the basket was the funniest but. No thanks Utah.

  4. #4
    7-time NBA All-Star Droid101's Avatar
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    Default Re: [RUMOR]: Al Jefferson to Spurs?

    Sours.

  5. #5
    Decent college freshman Dbrog's Avatar
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    Default Re: [RUMOR]: Al Jefferson to Spurs?

    Quote Originally Posted by Droid101
    Sours.
    I was thinking it

  6. #6
    Local High School Star TheCalmInsanity's Avatar
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    Default Re: [RUMOR]: Al Jefferson to Spurs?

    Quote Originally Posted by Droid101
    Sours.
    DAMN IT beat me to it!!

  7. #7
    In Morey We Trust! brantonli's Avatar
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    Default Re: [RUMOR]: Al Jefferson to Spurs?

    I think the Spurs should do it. Here's why.

    The Spurs aren't getting younger. The FO knows that and they also know that they won't be able to luck their way into another superstar that easily. Plus the Western Conference isn't that easy to get out of. To win the champ you have to go through Durant, Kobe (maybe) and LeBron, so the Spurs will need all the help they can get, and I don't see any major downside in adding Al Jefferson. Gives you an extra option downlow plus if he does work out, he might want to stick around for a few more years. Plus Jefferson is only 28 (not an old 28 either, his birthday was last month).

  8. #8
    Local High School Star Basketbolero's Avatar
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    Default Re: [RUMOR]: Al Jefferson to Spurs?

    the team with the biggest need for an upgrade at center is the Spurs.
    Wow, this guy has no idea what he is talking about.

    The Jazz need a point guard, and the Spurs have two of them not named Tony Parker. So you can expect Patty Mills (who Lindsey is familiar with and fond of) to be the preferable choice over Nando de Colo.
    So they need a point guard and decide to pursue Patty Mills of all people and want to trade Al Jefferson for him...ok... is Hollinger running the Jazz now, too?


    The Jazz also need some value coming back in this trade, and the Spurs have one last Eurostash asset in Erazem Lorbek, who has been profiled on this site by writer A.J. Mitnick.
    Lorbek is 29 years-old and is not going anywhere.

    [QUOTE] Presumably they

  9. #9
    Very good NBA starter chips93's Avatar
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    Default Re: [RUMOR]: Al Jefferson to Spurs?

    [QUOTE]So the time for the Jazz to move him is now, and the team with the biggest need for an upgrade at center is the Spurs. The inability to protect the rim was one of the prime reasons for their collapse in last year

  10. #10
    good scorer Rose's Avatar
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    Default Re: [RUMOR]: Al Jefferson to Spurs?

    I'd think about if I was SA. Let's look at this way: Big Al isn't a franchise player, but you can probably win with him as your second best guy. And nobody can match him and Timmy on the frontline.

    Second, Patty Mills isn't going to be more than a nice bench guy for his career. And Tiago Splitter, is nice. And will be a starter one day but I don't think you stop trading for an all star caliber big man over him. Which leaves Captain Jack, who is kinda expendable I think.


    Then IF you can re-sign him after his deal expires (which I think they can), you've got one of the few low post guys left in the league to build around for the next 5-7 years.

  11. #11
    NBA Finals MVP Haymaker's Avatar
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    Default Re: [RUMOR]: Al Jefferson to Spurs?

    OKC proved that when you shut down Tony Parker, the Spurs offense is ineffective. Jefferson would provide us with a solid scoring threat in the post, but I thini Utah will ask for either Kawhi or Green plus many other assets.

  12. #12
    Serious playground baller Jolokia's Avatar
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    Default Re: [RUMOR]: Al Jefferson to Spurs?

    Al Jeff, the next Timmy Duncan.

  13. #13
    Very good NBA starter
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    Default Re: [RUMOR]: Al Jefferson to Spurs?

    Well this is pretty much a no brainer for the Spurs. Splitter's ceiling won't be as good as Al Jefferson. I'm laughing pretty hard at the thought of Stephen Jackson in Utah though

    Works for the Jazz too. Clears the big man glut and if they let Milsap go in the offseason you can do a lot worse than a 3 headed monster of Kanter, Favors and Splitter

  14. #14
    NBA Finals MVP Haymaker's Avatar
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    Default Re: [RUMOR]: Al Jefferson to Spurs?

    Spurs should go after Greg Monroe IMO.

  15. #15
    Very good NBA starter chips93's Avatar
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    Default Re: [RUMOR]: Al Jefferson to Spurs?

    Quote Originally Posted by longtime lurker
    I'm laughing pretty hard at the thought of Stephen Jackson in Utah though

    if this trade does go through, id bet the jazz buyout jackson immediately, and he re-signs with san antonio, like when the cavs traded away ilgauskas to the wizards in the jamison tradr, washington bought him out, and big z was back playing for cleveland within a couple weeks.

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