V-Span might join Spurs after friendship with Parker

It seemed to be a foregone conclusion that the Spurs' trade of Jackie Butler and Luis Scola to the Houston Rockets for point guard Vassilis Spanoulis was done strictly to clear roster space. Butler was never going to crack the rotation and Scola wasn't about to join a team that didn't have a starting role for him. It made perfect sense, then, to deal both of them. The fact that they were able to deal them for a player who was unlikely to do anything but welcome a buyout was so much the better. It would leave the Spurs room to sign Ime Udoka and possibly one more free agent - like Troy Hudson, for example.

That was all before Spanoulis dropped 15 points and a load of assists against France in international play last week. Now rumors are flying that Tony Parker is lobbying the Spurs to push for Spanoulis to actually join the team. Spanoulis, for his part, is tired of riding an NBA bench when he could be living it up as Greece's biggest basketball star. He has made no secret of his intention to play for Panathinaikos next season. There's a pretty good chance that even if Parker could persuade the Spurs to reach out to Spanoulis they would find him unwilling to return to the NBA - even if it means playing for a championship.

Then again, the word was that San Antonio was going to release Spanoulis by August 7th, which they didn't do. Why not? Is something going on there?

The Spurs have only two roster spots open and one is most certainly going to Udoka, who is working out final details on a contract that has been in the works for several weeks. The rumor mill has either Marcus Williams or Tiago Splitter landing the last spot, though neither is particularly likely. Williams didn't have much of a showing in summer league and is far more likely to find himself with the Austin Toros than the Spurs. Splitter is also unlikely, as the Spurs have no intention of bringing him over from Europe this year.

San Antonio was among the first teams to reach out to Troy Hudson when it came out that the Timberwolves were going to look at scenarios to move out their veterans. They are said to be leading in the bid for Hudson's services, a move that would also rule out Spanoulis' return to the NBA.

In short, it's interesting that rumors have arisen regarding a new kinship between Spanoulis and Tony Parker. Perhaps this is Tony's way of ignoring his new wife's pandering in the media about her desire to have ten kids. It's strange how America fixates of the slightest little thing celebrities say. As for the Spurs, it doesn't seem that they're making room for Spanoulis any time soon.

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lol, hey it sounds like it has a chance. hoopsworld or not. the spurs need a back up pg, theyre the world champs, and parker can convince him

"joins the spurs, ill hook up you up with one of my wifes friends"