Spurs acquire Richard Jefferson from Bucks for Bruce Bowen, others

by John Bena (aka CavsBlogger) on Jun 23, 2009 3:57 PM CDT in Roster Moves

The first big shot was fired in what looks to be an active NBA Draft and start to free agency when the Milwaukee Bucks shipped SF Richard Jefferson to San Antonio for SF Bruce Bowen, PF Kurt Thomas and C Fabricio Oberto.

For the Bucks, the deal was purely financial. All three players coming back to Milwaukee are in the final year of their contracts, taking some $15 million dollars off the books for Milwaukee next summer. Even better, Bowen and Oberto are guaranteed only $3.9 million of the $6.35 million they project in contract salary. That means the Bucks can release them, giving them even more flexibility this off-season.

For San Antonio, Jefferson provides the type of wing scoring threat they really haven't had. Now the Spurs have a dynamic scoring threat to go along with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. The rich do indeed get richer.

As for how this impacts the Cavaliers, it takes some options of the table. While Jefferson simply wasn't a fit in Cleveland, there had been talk about the Cavs making a run at Charlie Villanueva, or even Ramon Sessions, two of Milwaukee's restricted free agents. It was widely believed that the Bucks could not afford both, but with the newly created financial freedom Milwaukee could, instead, choose to try and build around Villanueva, Sessions and Michael Redd.

Every deal made makes the next one that much more valuable, that much more difficult. Expect more of these types of cost-cutting deals to be made in the coming days and weeks as the true impact of the economy starts to take its' toll on the NBA.

Tweet Comment 5 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Bucks

for sale. Seriously two years in a row selling players off for nothing.

Baseball is God's sport! All Truth Goes Through Three Stages 1.It is ridiculed 2.It is violently opposed 3.Finally, it is accepted as self-evident. kinesiologist

by E5 on Jun 23, 2009 7:36 PM CDT reply actions

In an effort to clear more salary cap space, the Detroit Pistons have sent forward Amir Johnson(notes) to the Milwaukee Bucks for newly acquired Fabricio Oberto(notes), a league executive told Yahoo! Sports.

The Pistons plan to buy out Oberto’s deal and make him a free agent. The San Antonio Spurs sent Oberto to the Bucks as part of a four-player trade for Richard Jefferson(notes) earlier on Tuesday.

Oberto is expected to re-sign with the Spurs.

that means the spurs trade only bowen and kurt thomas for richard jefferson..

Oberto, Duncan, Ginobli, Jefferson, and Parker..

pretty good line up..

weoweoweo .deviantart .com

by Anton Tabuena on Jun 24, 2009 12:17 PM CDT reply actions

Yeah, that’s nice. People were wondering if the Spurs run as championship contenders under Duncan and Pop was coming to an end, but this trade should put them right back near the top of the league again next year.

by Buckeye Brad on Jun 24, 2009 12:46 PM CDT up reply actions

from here:

All three players the Bucks picked up in the trades have expiring contracts and it saves the team the $15 million Jefferson was owed for next season. Bowen’s contract is partially guaranteed so the moves could save the Bucks around $5 million this season if they cut Bowen.

The trades, it seems, were aimed to free up money to re-sign restricted free agents Ramon Sessions and Charlie Villanueva. The Cavs are said to be targeting Villanueva, a young and talented power forward, as an option to get younger on their front line depth. It was believed that the Bucks might be willing to let Villaneuva go because of their deep salary commitments. Now those have been eased.

so cavs’ chances of getting Villanueva lessens.. plus bowen might also get cut for them to save even more money…
Guess where he’ll go if he does get cut…

That would make it a kurt thomas for jefferson trade..

weoweoweo .deviantart .com

by Anton Tabuena on Jun 24, 2009 1:19 PM CDT up reply actions