The $500K isn't a big deal. Throw in the cap hold, and roster spot, and there's a little more math there. I know a lot of people (here) think it terms of throw-away roster spots. But I still think that even those last couple of spots should be players you're developing. Cunningham and Pondexter aren't that, then replace them with someone who is.



But the biggest thing is handing a 4-year contract to a known 2-year player. He's not like a Dereck White, that they don't know if he'll be ready after one year of G-League. They know that Okeke will almost certainly be two years from making the roster at best. Right now there's a lot of talk that teams don't want to throw a first round contract at him, but that he'll probably go early in the second round. If the Spurs were somehow able to buy the 30 pick for cash, what I said is probably exactly what would happen - with the possible exception of offering him less than $900K.



Throw in TIMVP's list of "why-not's" and a 2-year deal would hedge a lot of bets, but give the option of being able to hang onto him if he pans out (because of the Bird Rights). If you look at all that and still think it's better to give him a guaranteed rookie contract, then you should probably be saying "This is my guy for the 29 pick". He was my guy before the injury, but it's hard to pass on the possibility of drafting another Dereck White with that pick, while taking a kid who won't possibly be on the roster until his third year.