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South for the summer Free agents will flock after Spurs' dollars in offseasonPosted: Tuesday June 10, 2003 7:46 PMEAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- The San Antonio Spurs will soon be the envy of every team in the NBA, and it has nothing to do with the championship that would come with two more wins. It's all about preparing to win next year's championship. Once the finals are over, the offseason will open with the Spurs driving the pace car. San Antonio will have up to $16 million to spend, making it one of the few teams that can offer a free agent a maximum contract. Since players always insist "it's not about the money," there are other perks the Spurs can use, too, such as the lure of playing alongside two-time MVP Tim Duncan, a new arena and training facility, and the financial bonus of Texas not having a state income tax. Put another way, the combination of having one of the best teams and one of the biggest piles of money gives San Antonio the free agency equivalent of the No. 1 draft pick. The Spurs can practically get whatever they want. Question is: What do they want? "Our offseason plan was to be prepared for a multitude of scenarios and to evaluate which scenario fit best once the season is over. Having the season not over yet, we really don't have anything definitive," general manager R.C. Buford said Tuesday. San Antonio will try moving closer to decision time Wednesday night when it faces the New Jersey Nets in Game 4 of the finals. The Spurs lead the series 2-1 and could wrap up the title as soon as Friday night. Playing New Jersey has made San Antonio's offseason plans a hot topic, mostly because Nets point guard Jason Kidd will be a free agent and has talked openly about playing for the Spurs. Whether San Antonio needs him has been THE subplot of this series. Spurs point guard Tony Parker has been great, which some consider proof the team doesn't need Kidd. Their theory is that San Antonio would be better off spending its money on another position, such as replacing David Robinson at center. On Monday, Buford hinted at the idea of signing Kidd to play the point and making Parker the shooting guard. "It's all right," Parker said Tuesday, adding that he occasionally played the position during his four-year pro career in France. "I just want to be on the court. I don't care whatever I do. As long as I'm on the court, I don't care." If San Antonio decides to sign frontcourt help, the elite candidates are Jermaine O'Neal and Elton Brand. Brand, however, is a restricted free agent, meaning the Clippers could match any offer. Another option would be splitting the big payday money on two players such as Karl Malone, Alonzo Mourning, P.J. Brown, Jerry Stackhouse (if he opts out of his deal), Michael Olowokandi or Juwan Howard. Should the Spurs land Kidd, Malone and Mourning might even be convinced to sign for whatever's left. They've already got plenty of money, but both are seeking their first championships. Yet another possibility for San Antonio would be protecting the money, either through one-year deals or even by not spending it. That way the Spurs could pursue Kevin Garnett when he becomes a free agent next summer. "We won't spend the money just to be spending it," Buford said. "If we don't feel like somebody can contribute and fit into the chemistry and culture of our organization, we won't give it away." Among playoff teams, Utah and Indiana are the only others can keep up with the Spurs' budget this summer, and they were both knocked out in the first round. Most of the other teams that will be opening their wallets the widest this summer are in rebuilding modes. So for any free agent seeking a big payday and possibly a big reward, all they have to do is remember the Alamo. "We're pretty much a young group," said Malik Rose, one of the few players signed for next season. "Timmy and I are the oldest guys and we're 27 and 28. The future bodes well. We can keep improving and only getting better." |
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