MARCH 29: The Spurs have made it official with Dieng, announcing in a press release that they’ve signed him to a new contract.
MARCH 28: Free agent center Gorgui Dieng will sign with the Spurs once he clears waivers, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. The Knicks, Suns, Clippers, Sixers, Raptors, Heat and Nets also reached out to Dieng, sources tell Stein (Twitter link).
San Antonio doesn’t have an open roster spot, so Marquese Chriss will be waived to make room for Dieng, as Shams Charania of The Athletic first reported (via Twitter). Chriss, who is out for the year with a broken right fibula, was acquired from the Warriors on Thursday. His $1.8MM contract expires at the end of the season.
The Spurs have officially released Chriss, Marc Stein of The New York Times tweets.
The Grizzlies waived Dieng on Friday after failing to find a taker for him by the trade deadline. His $17.3MM contract limited the options for Memphis on the trade market.
Dieng has played in just 22 games this season and was averaging 7.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per night. He had fallen behind Xavier Tillman in the rotation and didn’t appear to have a future with the Grizzlies.
Dieng will officially clear waivers at 5pm today. The 31-year-old will provide another veteran front court option for San Antonio, which reached a buyout agreement with LaMarcus Aldridge on Thursday.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Well here we go, a situation were a buyout guy, who didn’t get traded because of his massive salary, gets waived and signs with a 7 seed and not a 1-3 seed. Things are looking up.
took the words out of my mouth
so the guy who’s actually been better than blake AND aldridge this year goes to … the spurs
where, ironically, aldridge could barely crack the rotation before he was bought out
we need buyout reform immediately
What I don’t understand with the Aldridge haters is that Blake and LMA are literally just replacing Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince, but Allen + Prince > Griffin + Aldridge by a million billion miles this season.
Harden replaced LeVert, which is yeah a big W, but the other two are huge step downs from the guys they’re replacing. Credit to BK for replacing the depth they lost, but they aren’t getting superior players to the ones lost. NBA media has put too much onus on washed up former stars right now.
Spurs can pay him $6.8 million max
If 76ers pay him 4 million max
Tax = 2×3.25 + 2×4.25
Total $15 million
Why was he cut by grizzlies? Stats look good on paper and he can stretch the floor seems like an upgrade over Aldridge
Should be a nice pickup for them.
In the Chriss trade post:
“formerlyz • 3 days ago
This is lowkey a great trade for the Spurs. They get a player at a position of need, potentially for next year that fits into their current roster.
Marty McRae • 3 days ago
He’s a free agent, Spurs won’t keep him.
Procedural move does not equal a future player for the team.”
Another ice cold take by @formerlyz who also proved they dont know what lowkey means.
Was there an advantage to the Spurs trading for Chriss? It’s only a minimum salary, but they still have to pay it for the rest of the season. Why did they need to do this?
They saved money, as did GSW, so it was win-win on that front. Chriss most likely will re-up with GSW, as many insiders have predicted.
That’s what I wonder, how did the Spurs save money? They’re paying his salary.
Somebody said that the Spurs probably received a few million dollars more than Marquis Chris was owed. The Spurs benefited from receiving that extra cash. LOL.. it’s probably enough to pay this new guy here…
After waiving chriss the spurs saved 1.2 million from the trade.
How so?
The Warriors sent the Spurs $1.85MM in the trade — well beyond what Chriss was owed for the rest of the season.
Oh Marty you are so smart. You must be a genius. We all admire your brilliance so much.
Thank you. So please stop replying with stupidity if I am being so brilliant. You do realize if you argue brilliance, that makes you stupid by proxy, right?
That’s interesting
Wow I thought Pops wanted to work with Chriss. Good addition for the playoffs. They needed the depth. Thought my Knicks had a good chance with Dieng. Since he would probably get more mins now that Mitch is down.
It’s probably because Chriss could be out for the season. Spurs are in playoff contention they need a live body. Plus I think this guy is better than Marquese Chriss.
Not sure I’ve seen this before in buyout history. Spurs (a playoff team) buyout LMA, and then sign Dieng (another buyout guy). If Dieng can provide depth, so could LMA. Financially it’s (almost certainly) a wash. Lose Bird rights on LMA, don’t have them on Dieng.
Spues probably did not know Dieng would be available to them, but it looks like the Warriors gave enough money to pay his remaining salary. So the Spurs are a little bit of head in the long run.., or short run I guess. Am I reading this whole situation correctly or off base?
True, they didn’t necessarily know Dieng was available.
I was commenting on LMA’s release. Chriss being released (for Dieng) didn’t surprise me. Chriss’ contract had no value. Whatever they got from the Warriors for taking it, they got.
Except Dieng has been the superior player this season
and projects to be a much better backup than LMA.
Also Dieng FWIW is 4 years younger, so Spurs may have an interest in re-upping him long-term, as opposed to LMA who was almost certainly gone after this season.
Much better backup? LMA doesn’t have a long history of being a backup, but I’d imagine he’d be quite good at it if his heart was in it (Popovich swore his attitude was great). We’ll see, I don’t think he’s going to start for the Nets. I think he’ll be at least as effective as Dieng.
He is younger (but hardly young). Certainly, less baggage. No bird rights on Dieng. But I guess they do get to look at him in their system.
True we will see with both LMA and Blake how much of their early season performance was based on being older and on non-contending teams, as opposed to actual decline.
Also, I’d have to imagine the buckets will be easier to come by with Harden and Kyrie on their teams than in DET and SAS
Hello,
Can you fix Marquese last name? it should be ‘Chriss’ not ‘Chris’. Please & thank you.
“The Spurs have released ‘Chris'”
Teams should claim guys off Waviers and work out a Trade with Team.
So SA just wanted a live body for the playoffs and Dieng popped up…. I wonder if Chriss was always going to get waived or if they jumped at singing Dieng after he got bought out
Was hoping the raptors would acquire him, but it doesn’t look like they will make the playoffs. I can’t fault Gorgui for wanting to be on a playoff team.
Spurs needed a live body and are currently 7th seed. They needed depth at center don’t have a backup. So it’s best to cut a player out for season. Seems easy enough. Chriss was looking good with Warriors to me. I see him as a 4 not a 5. Looked like he might finally get it. I too thought Spurs would want to develop that next yr. Chriss was a lottery pick (8th pick 2016) hadn’t really panned out. They could still sign him, he’s a FA now.
Dieng should of signed with Knicks. Would of got more mins now. Knicks were probably late to talk with him. As of now I’m waiting and hoping Whiteside gets bought out.