Predicting GM R.C. Buford's Next Moves for the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs general manager R.C. Buford is no stranger to making a late-season move, and he'll certainly keep a watchful eye on potential additions during the stretch run of the 2014-15 campaign.
Buford signed Patty Mills and Boris Diaw in March 2012, added Tracy McGrady in April 2013 and acquired Austin Daye in February 2014.
This time around, Buford appears to be content with the current roster since he hasn't tinkered with the team yet, but the 13th-year GM likely hasn't removed the Spurs from all transaction discussions. Additionally, he has a few important decisions to make in the near future.
The three items listed are arguably the most critical and are organized in an expected chronological timeline.
Dangle Cory Joseph on the Trade Market
If the point guard maintains his current production level, Cory Joseph is going to get paid in restricted free agency.
He's averaging 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 0.8 steals per game, numbers best matched by Patrick Beverley, Rodney Stuckey and Donald Sloan. Joseph does boast a 16.8 player efficiency rating, which easily leads that faction.
The issue, of course, is San Antonio probably won't be shelling out the money. The Spurs tied themselves to Mills through the 2016-17 season, locking up the sweet-shooting guard for approximately $10 million over three years.
Consequently, Joseph—who holds a qualifying offer of $3.2 million—could enter the offseason looking for a larger raise, or Buford could move CoJo before the Feb. 19 trade deadline.
Buford won't necessarily swap Joseph, but that doesn't mean the Spurs shouldn't entertain potential moves from teams like the Toronto Raptors or Chicago Bulls.
For example, the Bulls might be in the market for a reserve point guard since the Kirk Hinrich experiment continues to fail miserably. After all, Aaron Brooks cannot solely lead the backcourt in Derrick Rose's absence, and Tony Snell isn't even playing over the 2014-15 disaster that is Hinrich.
With that being said, Joseph's expiring contract certainly isn't worth a first-round pick, and Chicago just can't part ways with Hinrich. So, unless San Antonio is willing to take on projects in Snell or Doug McDermott or will accept multiple second-round picks—looking at you, Sam Hinkie—meaningful trade pieces and viable landing spots are at a minimum.
Buford's best option is likely hanging on to CoJo and letting the season play out. Nevertheless, Joseph's value may never be higher, and it would be foolish to ignore serious trade offers for a backup.
Lock Up Kawhi Leonard
Re-signing the small forward to a long-term deal should be Buford's No. 1 priority. Before he spends a penny on anyone this summer—other than maybe Tim Duncan, maybe—Buford absolutely must lock up the 23-year-old.
Put simply, the Spurs cannot afford to lose such an important piece. Perimeter scorers have dominated San Antonio in Leonard's 13-game absence due to a hand injury, and seven guards have tallied 25 or more points during that span.
What's more, opponents have managed just 94.5 points per game with Leonard in the lineup but netted 103.8 with "The Claw" sidelined.
The Spurs have struggled mightily without Leonard, yet his eventual return provides a glimmer of hope for the squad. Just imagine San Antonio not having the possibility of Leonard suiting up for the team.
Yes, Buford needs to get this contract signed quickly, and it's fair to expect negotiations to both resume and end swiftly after San Antonio's quest for a second consecutive title concludes.
Decide on Danny Green's Future
The biggest question mark is Danny Green, a starter in his contract season. Green's 2014-15 campaign has only bolstered the sizable payday he was already set to receive in the summer.
But how much is Green worth? Well, he's one of five players in the league who have managed 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block per game, scoring the second-most points of the company at 12.5.
The others, you ask? DeMarcus Cousins, Draymond Green, Josh Smith and Gorgui Dieng. That diverse group poses a major problem, though: Green's value has no precedent.
Cousins is worth every bit of his $13.7 million (and rising) deal to carry the Sacramento Kings, and the Detroit Pistons overpaid for Smith ($14 million per season) before cutting him. Lastly, both Green and Dieng are on their respective rookie contracts, earning a combined $2.3 million right now.
Draymond is Danny's best comparison, and the Golden State Warriors forward is likely headed to an eight-figure salary when he hits free agency this summer. B/R's Zach Buckley addressed Draymond's contract situation recently.
"One league scout told Bleacher Report's Ric Bucher in November that Green will command "approximately $8 million per year in free agency." That same month, former NBA coach and current ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy said during a Warriors broadcast that he felt Green could collect "$10 to $12 million," per Comcast SportsNet's Monte Poole.
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Granted, Draymond is three years younger than Danny, is capable of being an offense's catalyst and can guard bigger defenders with fewer problems. The Warriors' Green is undoubtedly worth more than the Spurs' Verde, though not by a ridiculous amount.
Danny probably isn't worth $10 million to the Spurs considering his role, but other NBA franchises might think the versatile guard is for their squad. Buford must decide if paying Green to keep him from leaving the River Walk is in the best financial interest of the team moving forward.
To be frank, that decision might entirely depend on Manu Ginobili. Should the sixth man retire, it officially frees $7 million in cap space that could be spent on Green.
But if Ginobili elects to play one more season and asks for equal money, San Antonio could be searching for a sharpshooter—one who needs to replace the flexible contributions of Green, too. Good luck with that, Mr. Buford.
Unless otherwise noted, stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and are accurate as of Jan. 12. Contract information via HoopsHype.
Follow Bleacher Report NBA writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR
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