Mystery Disease Kills Thousands
Gay Marriage Vote Puts Heat On Christie
In the never-ending search for Tim Duncan's perfect frontcourt partner, Tiago Splitter has been a name most thrilling to Spurs fans of late. Splitter, a Brazilian beast who just won the Spanish club title (and its Finals MVP trophy), was picked by San Antonio late in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft. Like so many international Spurs picks -- see Robertas Javtokas and Luis Scola -- Splitter stayed in Spain, developing his post game and body before considering the NBA.Javtokas, a Lithuanian livewire, was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident one year after being drafted by the Spurs and never ended up in the NBA. Scola waited until San Antonio traded his rights to Houston to make his NBA sojourn. Unlike those two, the Spurs will get Splitter in the black and silver, having reached an agreement to bring the Brazilian to the team next season, according to 760-AM radio in San Antonio.
Splitter may be the best big man in Europe right now; he certainly made his mark in the ACB, where his Baskonia squad ran through the super-talented and deep Barcelona team led by Ricky Rubio and Juan Carlos Navarro. In San Antonio, he joins a frontcourt anchored by former MVP Duncan and which includes veteran Antonio McDyess, DeJuan Blair and Matt Bonner.
Share Yes, Bonner, an unrestricted free agent, will be back in black, agreeing to a four-year deal with the Spurs, according to the Red Rocket's hometown paper, the Concord (N.H.) Union Leader. Bonner's annual salary is said to be slighty more than the $3.2 million he earned last season. Bonner is the team's designated big sniper, a stretch-4 more likely to nail an open three than battle for a tough rebound. This isn't to say the Red Rocket is soft -- he can bang a bit -- but this has been the Spurs' recent frontcourt strategy: Have a guy who can shoot available, and let Duncan and the others do all the dirty work. Keeping Bonner long-term extends that tactic for the forseeable future. This also proves the Spurs still aren't afraid of old age: Bonner will be 34 years old by the end of his new deal, assuming all four seasons are guaranteed.
The arrival of Splitter and re-introduction of Bonner also mean that French free agent forward Ian Mahinmi, a 23-year-old Spurs product who has never been able to break into the regular rotation for Gregg Popovich despite gobsmacking per-minute numbers in the NBA D-League, will almost assuredly not be back in San Antonio next season.
Pressure Mounts On Mortgage Giants To Pursue Principal Reductions
Washington Gay Marriage Legislation Signed Into Law By Governor Chris Gregoire
House GOP Offers Deal In Big Fight
Officials Confirm: Prescription Drugs Found In Whitney Houston's Room
U.S. Green-Lights Google's Massive $12.5 Billion Purchase
Syrian Rebels Fight Off Attack On Key Town
Obama Budget Signals Shift From Austerity Measures To Campaign Promises
How Long Will Santorum's Surge Last?
When Will The New iPad Be Announced?
Afghanistan Base Named 'Aryan' Raises Objections From Soldiers
WATCH: CPAC's 'Best In Show'
WATCH: Fox News Pundit's Disturbing Comments About Rape
Apple Announces Investigation Of Foxconn Factories
Obama's Birth Control Rule Will Hurt Homeless Veterans, Warns GOP Congressman
Debt Ceiling Showdown 2: Coming This Fall, In Time For The Election, Only Worse
WATCH: 25 Million Tons Of Japan Tsunami Debris Headed Directly Our Way
GOP Candidates Out Of Step With Catholic Church On Unemployment
Topless Protesters Target 'Gas Gangsters'
Supreme Court Justice Robbed
It's Only Getting Worse: Economists' Latest Dire Prediction
Huff TV: WATCH: Arianna Weighs In On Tony Bennett's Call To Legalize Drugs
WATCH: Anderson Cooper's Hilarious Adventures With Adele
WATCH: Bill Maher Rips GOP Concept Of 'Elites'
