Ryan Richards and Spurs Training Camp
It's been written for what feels like two years now that the San Antonio Spurs need a mobile big man that score and play some defense. After seeing some of his highlight reel, a lot of people thought 2010 second round pick Ryan Richards could, in time, be that guy. Then, when Richards turned up on the Spurs Summer League team in July, people thought that time could be sooner rather than later. Richards had his ups, downs and meh's, mostly meh's, but enough ups to maybe get an invite to Spurs training camp.
Yet, here we are a day away from the start of camp and Richards' name is nowhere to be found on the Spurs' roster. Instead, their are undersized, mobile forwards like Derrick Brown, Tyler Wilkerson and Josh Powell. So what's the hold up? Did the Spurs not see enough in Richards to give him an invite? Even if he isn't good enough to make the Spurs' roster wouldn't the Austin Toros be the perfect place for him to go? The short answer is yes, but it's not that simple.
Sending a guy to Austin but keeping his exclusive rights is what the Spurs might want to do with Richards, but it's actually a tricky process to get him there and make sure no one else can get to him without giving him an NBA contract (and roster spot). As Scott Schroeder of Ridiculous Upside wrote last March, the Oklahoma City Thunder went through a similar process with second round pick Ryan Reid in 2011. The Spurs can't invite Ryan Richards to camp without giving him a roster spot because if he's cut, they lose his rights.
Schroeder laid out the alternatives with Andrew McNeill of 48 Minutes of Hell. First, they could have Richards enter the D-League draft, assuming they get a high enough draft pick to take him. That still might be too risky. Alternative number two is to wait until after the draft and have him sign a D-League contract when the Toros are at the top of the waiver wire. Then the Spurs would keep his NBA exclusive rights.
Schroeder and I also talked briefly about this during Summer League and he told me that there's nothing to keep Richards from working out at the Spurs' practice facility up until training camp if the team is serious about keeping him in the program. That may or may not have happened, we don't know for sure because Coach Pop won't let us use any of old CIA surveillance equipment to monitor the practice facility. Just don't think the Spurs have given up on Richards, they probably haven't. Short of signing him to a guaranteed contract, there just isn't a quick, clear cut way of getting him to Austin without risking another team plucking him from the Spurs' system. So patience friends, you could be hearing more about Richards as the leaves begin to change colors in the coming months (figuratively of course, since leaves in South Texas don't really change colors).
JUST THINKING. IT PISSES ME OFF THAT THE SPURS INVITE A NEVER WAS HAS BEEN TO TRAINING CAMP, AND CANT INVITE A BIG ATHLETE WHO CAN HELP TIMMY DEFENSIVLY
@nanaboomadie You have no way of knowing who all they invited tbh..Promising guys get invites from multiple teams you know..They get to pick where they want to go. And Im sure most bigs knew that even if they DID make the team, their PT would be little or none. There was no big out there that would play before TD, Diaw, Splitter, Blair or Matt. Guys want to play. And there were VERY few big athletes left out there.
@nanaboomadie I'll tell you right now without hesitation that if he was invited to camp there is no WAY he could have beat out nearly EVERY other guy in camp. Tyler, Powell, Brown and probably even CURRY would have played better..maybe the others too, but I havent seen much or any of them play. But I DID see Richards, and Wilkerson in Summer league and Tyler was better and it wasnt even close! I expect Derrick Brown to be the guy that impresses in camp and stick. Best to wait until Toros get to top of waiver wire and make him a toro then..I would say that using euro contacts to get him on a team in a REAL league (Spanish) to get him experience against actual good competition would be best, but it sounds like there is no interest in him there either knowing that he would leave just as soon as spurs showed interest. Why waste the time and $ on a guy they know doesnt want to be there. Plus, he hurt his rep jumping around to teams too much too imo. He said right when we got him that he would prefer to go straight to Toros..if he still does, Spurs should do it asap.He'd get more experience/learning there than some Swiss league team thats for sure..
@Spursfan66 @nanaboomadie I think Richards is done in Europe. From everything I've read he didn't like it and it didn't like him. Really do expect to see him in Austin before the end of the year, though that's nothing more than an educated guess at this point.
@yowhatupT @nanaboomadie I absolutely agree..I think we may have read the same things..lol..Obviously there IS a way to get him on the toros and Spurs are definitely savvy enough to know how to get it done
Patients or patience? J/k, typos happen. Good read. I'd like to see this guy come over.
