“我们一直希望争取冠军，而且以前的 NBA 大环境下，对于像我们这样运营作风稳健的球队来说也是完全可行的，”Pop 说，“(以前)如果你想要赢得冠军同时将工资总额控制在奢侈税触发线之下，这是可以做到的。”
“但现在联盟中各队军备竞赛的情况(部分球队堆积优秀球员)，使得再要如之前那样去赢得冠军已经变得几乎毫无可能了。”
The Spurs will pay for that right. For years, the franchise had remained, in Popovich’s words, “frugal.” In those rare seasons when the Spurs crossed the luxury-tax threshold, they did so only modestly. This season, their $80 million payroll could rank among the five highest in the NBA.
这里翻译意思有误。是说即使是在工资总额超过奢侈税触发线的那些年中，通常也只是略微超过而已(对比本赛季的大幅超过奢侈税触发线)。下赛季约8000万的薪水总额也排在全联盟的第五位。
“We’ve always wanted to compete, and the environment in the NBA allowed a team like us to do so,” Popovich said. “If you wanted to work at having a shot at winning the championship and still be under the tax, it could be done.
“But the way the talent has shifted in the league, it’s almost impossible to do that now.”
“我们一直希望争取冠军，而且以前的 NBA 大环境下，对于像我们这样运营作风稳健的球队来说也是完全可行的，”Pop 说，“(以前)如果你想要赢得冠军同时将工资总额控制在奢侈税触发线之下，这是可以做到的。”
“但现在联盟中各队军备竞赛的情况(部分球队堆积优秀球员)，使得再要如之前那样去赢得冠军已经变得几乎毫无可能了。”
“Our renewals just died after the first round,” Holt said, “and they stayed dead for a while.”
“我们的季票续订在第一轮被淘汰之后就陷入了低谷，”Holt 说，“而且持续了相当长的一段时间。”
This wasn’t a dilemma for Holt as much as it was a clear sign of what needed to be done: To make money – or, as will likely be the case, lose less – the Spurs needed to add talent. NBA sources say Holt was more adamant than ever that Popovich and general manager R.C. Buford find some younger legs for the league’s oldest roster. After the Spurs couldn’t coax Carter from the New Jersey Nets, they shipped Bruce Bowen, Fabricio Oberto and Kurt Thomas to the Milwaukee Bucks for Jefferson in a deal the two teams had discussed as far back as February.
The Spurs immediately saw a spike in ticket sales after the trade was announced two days before the draft, and the number has continued to grow with the addition of Blair and McDyess. The 69 percent renewal rate was a healthy bump from June and Holt says sales are now only about a month behind last year. According to the NBA document, the Spurs had pulled in $33.3 million in revenue by July 6, down from $36.4 million a year ago – a modest 8.7 percent drop compared to the 20 teams with larger decreases.
这两段没翻译啊，有很多重要信息的。
第一个是 Holt 给 RC 和 Pop 发出指示，要求将球队年轻化。
第二个是 Carter 是球队交易的第一选择(失败后才转向 Jefferson)，早在今年二月球队就在和雄鹿商谈交易 RJ。
第三个是交易完成之后季票销售情况就迅速好转。截止7月6号球队的收入为3330万，相比去年同期的3640万下降了8.7%，但总收入在联盟中已经可以排到第十了。
The Spurs’ owners, who don’t rely on the franchise’s bottom line to shape their personal fortunes, had money to spend. The debt for the team’s share of the AT&T Center’s construction costs had been paid down, and a new regional TV contract – along with the tax rebate check from the league – had given the franchise an influx of cash to help offset the rise in player payroll.
Jefferson should qualify as such. Yes, he’s spent the summer making headlines for his relationship endeavors. (Who was the last Spur to accept an invite from Howard Stern? Dennis Rodman?) But he still trails Eva Longoria’s husband in tabloid covers. And, yes, he’s also overpaid for someone who will be the fourth option. Still, the Spurs have been searching for a player who can make the regular season less of a grind for their triumvirate of stars – and Jefferson has the ability to do that on both ends of the floor.
Assuming the NBA doesn’t suddenly implement an ACL minimum
Ludden 的冷笑话2：假如 NBA 不是马上出台一条球员膝盖前交叉韧带(ACL)的最低长度的话……
but the Spurs could be forgiven for wanting to ship him back in bubble wrap
即使马刺想把 Parker 包裹的跟木乃伊似的然后再运回来也是可以理解的(害怕他受伤)
But Parker is the least of the team’s worries.
但 Parker 远不是球队最需要担心的问题。
The stress fracture in his right leg has since benefited from the rest, and Popovich is “cautiously optimistic” Ginobili will stay healthy in what will be a contract year for him. Even with their new additions, the Spurs are nothing but first-round fodder if Ginobili isn’t on the court. 得益于休息静养，在合同的最后一年，Popo对于manu的应力性骨折保持乐观，即使有新的血液加入，如果没有manu，马刺也只是第一轮的饲料而已。
呃，这个翻译的中文，颇有 Google 翻译的风范。
a noticeable drop for someone who alternates between power forward and center.
在大前锋/中锋摇摆人中间这个体重的下降是相当显著的
“My goal,” Popovich said, “is for him to start the season out of shape.”
我的目标是让他在新赛季开始的时候 身体没有达到最佳状态。
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