http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...den/index.html One source close to the team said general manager Kevin Pritchard was swayed toward Oden not only because of the Blazers' needs but also because nearly every GM inquired about making a deal for the right to choose Oden, including San Antonio, which was said to be open to offering Tim Duncan. If rivals were considering trading cornerstone players for Oden, it's hard to blame Pritchard for making that choice.
andre miller brandon roy nic batum lamarcus aldridge tim duncan bayless, fernandez, pryzbilla, webster, and they would probably still have blake and outlaw.
RC Buford: We offer Tim Duncan in exchange for #1 pick, Roy, and Aldridge. Pritchard: LOLOLOLOL *hangs up phone* Several years pass, Oden looks like a bust... Pritchard: It was the right pick! San Antonio offered us Tim Duncan for Oden.
probably what happened i am sure its just a spin move to get the locals off his back as Durant is just lighting the entire league on fire right now. He has to justify this pick somehow
It had to have been something like that. You've got to match up salaries. Duncan has a max contract, probably making around 15 mil back then. That's a lot of salary you've got to match in order to make the deal work.
yah i agree but many believed that oden was going to be the next best dominant big man in the league at only 19 at that time the spurs knew they were getting old(duncan was 31) and believed that oden would have a impact his rookie season and would dominate for the next years to come and continue the dynasty at that time spurs would have alot of salry cap also at that time and would have signed scola besides trading him if you imagine all these players living up to the hype oden scola bowen(was still a shut down defender) ginobili(had a career season the year after the title) parker and alot of salary cap to get good role players thats not bad
It all depends on what you can get for him, and knowing the Spurs they probably asked for something ridiculous (like LMA+Oden+Roy for TD). Honestly I don't know why they bother making such ripoff deals. I remember the Heat offering to trade Wade for Rose+Noah+Tyrus Thomas+Deng
There is no way the Spurs would have traded Duncan. No way. Look, in retrospect it is unfortunate the way Oden's career has unfolded so far. However, if you look at the composition of the Portland roster, they had to take the risk with the big man. When you have the opportunity to take a franchise big man you have to do it. Oden was number 1 or 2 on EVERY team's draft board. This was not a stretch and they certainly were not foolish taking him. The Sam Bowie pick was stretch. Bowie's past was littered with injuries and there were definite flaws in his game. The same was not true for Oden. It is just unfortunate. I think Pritchard is stretching it here. There is no way San Antonio trades Duncan under any circumstance. Duncan & Ginobili are untradeable for that city. For all that they have done, the city would never forgive them. The Spurs organization knows this as well.
It seems that Ginobili isnt going to re-sign with the Spurs, but Duncan isnt going to be traded, I think he will finish his career with San Antonio.
The problem here is every other team weren't privy to the Oden's medical records. Obviously in a vacuum if both players were 100% healthy you'd be an idiot to not take Oden, centers like him don't come often. However according to reports the Blazers already had records which showed Oden had some leg issues beforehand. They chose to ignore it to go chase some twin tower dream and now they're paying for it. All this is just PR from Pritchard because right now Durant's even better than Brandon Roy.
The report is probably true - the Spurs probably offered Duncan - but I'm pretty sure that the Spurs would've been looking to bring back at least Aldridge along with Oden (and future draft compensation?) It's the spin which gets put on it which is unhelpful!
