It looks like the Spurs will be able to make a moderate free agent addition in their quest for another title.
Barring an unforeseen snag, Drew Gooden will be joining the San Antonio Spurs later this week, according to NBA front-office sources.
Sources told ESPN.com on Tuesday that Gooden — waived Sunday by the Sacramento Kings before the midnight deadline to be eligibile to play in the playoffs with another team — has made known his intent to sign with San Antonio after clearing waivers Wednesday.
Gooden was pursued by several playoff-bound teams this week, including San Antonio’s divisional rivals in Dallas and New Orleans.
But the Spurs have nearly $1.5 million remaining from their mid-level salary-cap exception to offer Gooden for the rest of the season, as well as a shot at title contention.
San Antonio should be a great fit for Gooden. For years, the Spurs have been looking for another big body to play alongside Tim Duncan. He has his faults, but Gooden can rebound and score a little bit and the Spurs should be able to use him in crunch time. He falls asleep defensively sometimes, but you can bet that Gregg Popovich will have him focused and ready to defend. He will eat into the minutes of Kurt Thomas, Fabricio Oberto and Matt Bonner.
This is a nice signing for the Spurs. They had a big hole on the front line and they managed to fill it for $1.5 million. Not bad.
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