Free Agent: David Lee

[Marcus Bryant]

http://www.nba.com/media/act_david_lee.jpg

David Lee | PF/C
Born: Apr 29, 1983
Height: 6-9 / 2,06
Weight: 240 lbs. / 108,9 kg.
College: Florida
Years Pro: 3

info (http://www.nba.com/playerfile/david_lee/index.html)

[EricB]

Restricted I assume.

Dudes a beast.

Too bad a sign and trade couldn't be worked out.

Oberto, Bowen, those guys with one year contracts.....

[NewJerSpur]

I saw no reason to go after him last season because he was so raw, but he's polished his game up (offensively) quite a bit without taking breaks on the other end of the court. If we could get him somehow I wouldn't be as concerned with whomever else we matched up with Tim.

[intlspurshk]

The new Malik Rose?

[NewJerSpur]

The new Malik Rose?

He's taller and better.

[Danny.Zhu]

He will be overpaid. That's for sure.

[NewJerSpur]

Depends on his value to the particular team that pays him.

[Manufan909]

He plays taller than he is, I thought he was 6-10. It'd be great to get him, but isn't he restricted?

[NewJerSpur]

He's just about 6'10. The Knicks have a few contracts to shed themselves in preparation for 2010 and would be wise to hold onto Lee. I think he, Chandler, and Nate could serve as their foundation moving into the future. Wish we could pry him away somehow.

[Spurs Brazil]

An NBA executive said Knicks president Donnie Walsh is trying to work out a sign-and-trade for forward-center David Lee in a cost-cutting move. The executive also said the Trail Blazers are trying to move up in the draft, and that former Arizona State star James Harden rubbed some people the wrong way after he blew off interviews with teams at the recent predraft camp in Chicago .

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/articles/2009/06/07/he_feels_nba_is_within_reach/?page=3

[TDMVPDPOY]

prefer birdman > lee

[AusSpursFan]

prefer birdman > lee

I would be very happy with either of them, but Lee has a better head on his shoulders. I would fall off my chair if either of them ended up in a Spurs jersey next season.

[Spursfanfromafar]

The only way to get David Lee would be a sign & trade with the Knicks and the Spurs have not much to offer in that regard except for Manu Ginobili - which would mean the Spurs wanting to extract more from the Knicks in the deal. And the Knicks don't have anything good to offer beyond Lee.

Doesn't seem to work out for me.

[montgod]

Knicks Hoping To Sign-And-Trade Lee

In an apparent attempt to maximize salary cap space in 2010 while still getting value in return, Donnie Walsh is trying to work a sign-and-trade deal for David Lee.

RealGM Note: The Globe article did not mention specifics, but the Knicks would likely look for contracts/picks in return that do not greatly impact 2010 cap space. The team may also be seeking to package the contracts of Eddy Curry or Jared Jeffries in such a deal.

http://basketball.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/59642/20090607/knicks_hoping_to_sign_and_trade_lee/

[benefactor]

The numbers would probably work with a S&T for Lee with Jeffries for Oberto/Bowen/Thomas, but as much as I would like to have Lee I think that Jeffries contract is a deal breaker. He has an ETO in 2010 that is 6.8 million. There is no way he is not picking up that option and that would cripple our ability to sign any available FA's.

[Spurs Brazil]

Will Pistons Show Interest In Lee?


Jun 08, 2009 7:20 AM EST
If the Knicks dangle forward David Lee in a sign-and-trade, the Pistons could be one of the teams interested.

New York is looking to clear cap space for 2010, and Detroit has significant cap room this offseason.

Via Detroit Free-Press

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/59664/20090608/will_pistons_show_interest_in_lee/

[benefactor]

With the new news about New York possibly looking to throw the MLE at Gortat, we might be able to pry Lee away with an MLE offer of our own if the Knicks can't work out a sign and trade. As much as I have been campaigning for Gortat I would take Lee over him in a heartbeat.

[LeBronMVPjames]

http://www.nba.com/media/act_david_lee.jpg

David Lee | PF/C
Born: Apr 29, 1983
Height: 6-9 / 2,06
Weight: 240 lbs. / 108,9 kg.
College: Florida
Years Pro: 3

info (http://www.nba.com/playerfile/david_lee/index.html)

Maybe OKC should get him it would be good player for them

[DPG21920]

He is a good player, but he is not a good defender and he is undersized and he is very limited offensively. I do not see how players like this help the Spurs in the way that is needed.

He would be a very good role player and energy guy.

[EricB]

He is a good player, but he is not a good defender and he is undersized and he is very limited offensively. I do not see how players like this help the Spurs in the way that is needed.

He would be a very good role player and energy guy.


Yeah that jump shooting and shot blocking and rebounding is totally not needed.

[NewJerSpur]

Surprised the Knicks are potentially choosing Nate over Lee. He wasn't as aggressive defensively as when he first entered the league, but he's GREAT on the receiving end of P-n-R's, has improved the range on his shot and now shoots with more confidence, has great hands in traffic, is an aggressive rebounder, and a pretty good finisher at the rim.

[Blackjack]

From Newsday's blog:

* - The Boston Globe this weekend cited an NBA executive who said Donnie Walsh was already shopping David Lee as a sign-and-trade. Nothing really earth-shattering there. While we maintain that Lee is more likely to stay, it doesn't mean Walsh shouldn't test the market to see what might become available to him with Lee as as asset. But anyone who thinks the Knicks dump David and keep Nate are misguided, especially if the above item on Rodriguez has any merit to it. I believe both are being shopped to see what kind of value can be had.

[DPG21920]

Yeah that jump shooting and shot blocking and rebounding is totally not needed.

EricPark, you do not even watch the NBA. He blocks a whopping .3 shots a game and he is so far off from being a "jump shooter" as your expert analysis would have us believe.

Yes, he is a very good rebounder and hustle player, but he is a terrible defender, is small for his position, has very limited offensive skills and does not block shots. He also averages almost as many turnovers as assists.

He is a very solid player, but the type of player that could be expensive and not effective in upgrading the Spurs roster enough while hindering other moves.

[Mel_13]

Yeah that jump shooting and shot blocking and rebounding is totally not needed.

:lol

123rd in 2pt jump shooting percentage

http://www.82games.com/0809/FGSORT7.HTM

[DPG21920]

:lol

123rd in 2pt jump shooting percentage

http://www.82games.com/0809/FGSORT7.HTM

To go along with .3 blocks. Do not try and reason with him. He is seemingly a good guy, but he gets a sarcastic misinformation twig up his butt sometimes.

[Blackjack]

EricPark, you do not even watch the NBA. He blocks a whopping .3 shots a game and he is so far off from being a "jump shooter" as your expert analysis would have us believe.

Yes, he is a very good rebounder and hustle player, but he is a terrible defender, is small for his position, has very limited offensive skills and does not block shots. He also averages almost as many turnovers as assists.

He is a very solid player, but the type of player that could be expensive and not effective in upgrading the Spurs roster enough while hindering other moves.

Props, for actually taking the time.(You're a better man than I.:lol)

[DPG21920]

No one is saying he would not be an upgrade in overall talent, what I am saying is that he might not be the best fit for the price and could cost a decent amount of money and not really fulfill a need in the best of ways.

[Manufan909]

Damn, after seeing the stats and placement, I don't want him anymore. But for a decent price he would be able to equal Oberto+Bonner's contribution from last year, if given solid minutes. Of course, that really isn't saying too much.

[Tully365]

The numbers would probably work with a S&T for Lee with Jeffries for Oberto/Bowen/Thomas, but as much as I would like to have Lee I think that Jeffries contract is a deal breaker. He has an ETO in 2010 that is 6.8 million. There is no way he is not picking up that option and that would cripple our ability to sign any available FA's.

I know I'll be in the minority with this opinion, but I really like Jeffries, and while 6.8 mil is overpaying a bit for sure, I'd still love to see the Spurs pursue this option. Lee would start, and Jeffries could duplicate what Bowen used to do defensively, guarding at least four different positions. Jeffries isn't the 3 pt shooter that Bowen is, but he's good for more rebounds and blocked shots, so it's basically a wash in my eyes. I just don't think the much vaunted "2010 plan" makes sense anymore. Duncan is starting to slow down, and I don't know if big time free agents like Bosh or Dirk will still think of San Antonio as a place to go to win titles by time next summer rolls around. The Spurs have had trouble landing star free agents with a healthy Duncan & a team favored to win a championship... what are the chances of landing one with an aging Duncan, and a perception that they are no longer the favorites?

[GSH]

Walsh is trying to ditch Eddy Curry's bad contract in that sign-and-trade for Lee. And nobody in the league is going to touch it. Especially when they know they can make an offer to Lee and force the Knicks to match - which they probably can't or won't.

Lee and his agent think he's worth more than the MLE. He isn't... especially not this year. There aren't going to be a lot of greater-than-MLE deals handed out, and there are too many guys competing for those contracts. (Like Gordon, Boozer, and Hedo, to name a few.) I just don't see any way Lee fails to be one of the players who falls through the cracks. The Knicks aren't going to sign him for a full MLE deal. So I think he's up for grabs.

The bigger question seems to be if he's for real. I don't think you put up numbers like he had without being a pretty good player. I see a guy who likes to play ball, likes to compete, and works his ass off. He does a lot of his scoring in the paint, and gets to the line reasonably well. But he doesn't get many blocks or rebounds.

I think he might be worth the MLE. And even if he isn't a perfect long-term fit, he might be worth more in a trade in the next couple of years, if things loosen up a bit.

[D-ROB 50]

I was able to watch this guy play a bit this year (thank you NBA League Pass) and trust me ha can play. I would love to see him with the spurs.

[smrattler]

Or will he cost too much?

I don't know enough about him to know but I do know he's a strong rebounder and has good size/strength.

His stats (yeah, on the Knicks) say he knows how to score which is more than our non-TD bigs.

[ajballer4]

Costs way too much

[bigdog]

Costs too much. no chance the Spurs get him. Word is that Memphis might be offering him a deal worth about $50 million.

[Horry For 3!]

David Lee is a beast but he is way too expensive.

[smrattler]

Costs too much. no chance the Spurs get him. Word is that Memphis might be offering him a deal worth about $50 million.

He demands that much? Damn!

[Muser]

I'd like it, but never gonna happen.

[Kobayagi]

Didn't he lead the league in double-doubles last season?


Of course he's going to demand A LOT.

[coyotes_geek]

Knicks initial offer to Lee was 4yrs/$32mil.

[smrattler]

I just thought that I had not seen him on any teams' top of the list FA to sign this summer. There were only a few teams that had money this summer above the MLE, I had not seen Lee at the top of the list of any of those.

Thought maybe it would be one of those situations where not enough money out there and the Knicks maybe lowballed him because of this or didn't think he fit D'Antoni's system enough to pay too much.

Wishful thinking I guess.

[Cheddz]

I guess we can't rely on the "He'll work for food in order to get the hell outta the Knicks Uni" strategy with David Lee.

[Nathan Explosion]

Why hasn't anyone mentioned him as a target. Granted his price may be a bit high and he's a restricted free agent, but I wouldn't mind the Spurs at least exploring the option of getting David Lee in a sign and trade maybe.

He has the same game as Blair, so that may be a bit offputting, but Blair's an unproven rookie and Lee is proven to be a solid contributor.

[DPG21920]

He has been mentioned in about 3 other threads.

[Gino2882]

What exactly do they have to trade? As you said he is a RFA and the rumored offers appear to be around 5 years and 50 million.

[Nathan Explosion]

I honetly have never seen his name, especially considering all the player specific free agent target threads. I think Lee is a much better option than say Artest, who's NEVER coming to the Spurs.

Just saying. Plus, there's so many trade threads, it's hard to keep up with who was named where and why.

[TDMVPDPOY]

david lee = jackie butler

hence ppl who statpadd on shit teams are not worth looking at, cause in the spurs system he will not avg them kind of stats ever again

[TDMVPDPOY]

david lee = jackie butler

hence ppl who statpadd on shit teams are not worth looking at, cause in the spurs system he will not avg them kind of stats ever again

[smrattler]

The conclusion: money!

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=125003&page=2

[Nathan Explosion]

What exactly do they have to trade? As you said he is a RFA and the rumored offers appear to be around 5 years and 50 million.

I didn't say it was going to be easy. By D'Antoni love Euro players and the Spurs have them stashed. Make an offer where they get one of our picks (I'm sure Splitter is the target although I'm iffy on trading him) and some expiring contracts so the Knicks are in great shape for 2010 like they want to be to go after Lebron.

[Spur|n|Austin]

we need a true big

[mudyez]

dont want to open a new thread...coz I dont want to get bashed for it...(I rather get bashed here):

lets throw in another name: The Matrix should be an option too...even if he excels in an open court game...RJ and Marion ware a nice couple at the F-spots IMO!...and he maybe could be had for the MLE!

[duncan228]

...The Matrix should be an option too...

If you're interested, there's a little Marion conversation here:

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=124751

[mudyez]

Thx

[EricB]

Marion is a cancer. Lee is not coming.

Save the fantasy basketball talk for somewhere else.

[urunobili]

Save the fantasy basketball talk for somewhere else.

You forgot to login with your TPark troll for that one... :lol

[Steve-O-Matic]

I didn't say it was going to be easy. By D'Antoni love Euro players and the Spurs have them stashed. Make an offer where they get one of our picks (I'm sure Splitter is the target although I'm iffy on trading him) and some expiring contracts so the Knicks are in great shape for 2010 like they want to be to go after Lebron.

The Knicks could do a whole lot better than expiring contracts and the rights to Tiago Splitter in return for David Lee. A whole lot better. Plus, they have no need for expiring contracts in return for Lee. They could just let him walk and accomplish the same thing. Never mind the fact that there's absolutely no chance of the Spurs adding another 8-figure annual contract to their payroll, let alone for a fifth wheel. Lee's agent is asking for 5/$60M.

[VivaPopovich]

Why hasn't anyone mentioned him as a target. Granted his price may be a bit high and he's a restricted free agent, but I wouldn't mind the Spurs at least exploring the option of getting David Lee in a sign and trade maybe.

He has the same game as Blair, so that may be a bit offputting, but Blair's an unproven rookie and Lee is proven to be a solid contributor.

the same game as blair? not exactly

i think david lee gets the rebounds he does cause of good ball awareness. blair is sheer power. we need that strength in the post

plus, i doubt david lee will settle for a discounted offer

[duncan228]

Blazers eyeing Knicks' Lee, agent says (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4306502)
By Chris Sheridan
ESPN.com

In the wake of losing Hedo Turkoglu, the Portland Trail Blazers have become engaged in serious discussions about making an offer to New York Knicks restricted free agent David Lee, ESPN.com learned Saturday.

The development came a day after Lee's agent said a dozen NBA teams are trying to find ways to acquire the power forward through sign-and-trade deals.

But like other interested teams, the Blazers are concerned that they would be placed in limbo until July 15 -- the date by which the Knicks would have to decide whether they'd match the offer -- and could lose out if other free agents take themselves off the market in the interim by rushing to get what they can of the league's dwindling amount of available dollars.

The upside of the Turkoglu turnaround for Portland was that it left them as one of the strongest remaining players in free agency, with $9 million worth of salary cap space they're clearly ready to spend.

Portland could offer all of its available cap space to Lee in the form of an offer sheet that would amount to roughly $50 million over five years. And as a disincentive to keep the Knicks from matching, they could structure the deal so that the highest salary of any of the five years would come in 2010-11 -- the season for which the Knicks will need as much salary cap space as possible to make a run at LeBron James and/or another of the marquee superstars that will be available.

But there also is the possibility that the Blazers and Knicks could agree to a sign-and-trade -- although Portland would be no shortage of competition.

"All the elite teams are working hard to get him, and I know something is going to happen," Lee's agent Mark Bartelstein said Friday, as the first 72 hours of free agency were passing without Lee getting any offers for what Bartelstein believes his market value to be. He also pointed out that over the past 10 years (when the luxury tax was not an annual certainty, making market conditions far different than they are today), players entering free agency after averaging a double-double the previous season have been lucratively rewarded.

According to ESPN Research, eight players have entered the free-agent market coming off a double-double average the previous season. Here is what they subsequently signed for:

• Emeka Okafor 2007-08: Six-year, $72 million contract with Charlotte as a restricted free agent.

• Carlos Boozer 2003-04: Six-year, $68 million deal with Jazz as a restricted free agent, with the Cavs not matching the offer and claiming Boozer reneged on a handshake agreement to stay in Cleveland.

• Erick Dampier 2003-04: Seven-year, $73 million contract with Dallas.

• Elton Brand 2002-03: Six-year, $82.2 million contract with the Clippers as a restricted free agent.

• Tim Duncan 2002-03: Seven-year, $122 million contract with San Antonio.

• Jermaine O'Neal 2002-03: Seven-year, $126.6 million contract with Indiana.

• Dikembe Mutombo 2000-01: Four-year, $65million contract with Philadelphia

• Chris Webber 2000-01: Seven-year, $122.7 million contract with Sacramento.

• Tim Duncan 1999-00: Four-year, $45.9 million contract with San Antonio.

The problem for Bartelstein and Lee has been the power of the unknown -- no one having a clear idea of whether the Knicks would match.

"Joe Dumars and I had a long talk, and he really liked David a lot. David would have been a major target for them but he said 'Mark, if the Knicks match, I've lost Ben Gordon and everybody else I'm trying to get.' So this is a very difficult situation to operate under," Bartelstein said. "Even Toronto, they would have had to renounce all their players to get David -- and then they're not even sure they could get him."

Lee averaged 16.0 points and 11.4 rebounds for New York last season and has been a fan favorite in New York despite the Knicks having had four straight dismal seasons.

And something the Blazers will have to consider: After losing Turkoglu because he preferred the more international flavor of Toronto, do they want to take a similar risk on a player who has been open about his desire to remain in New York long term?

"Our first goal has always been to get a deal done with the Knicks -- a fair-market deal based upon who David is in this league among his peers, to get a deal that's fair," Bartelstein said before the Turkoglu fiasco unraveled and Portland entered the picture.

"Because there's no ifs, ands or buts, David wants to be a Knick. But if we're not going to be able to do that, the reality I have is that the route I have to go is sign-and-trade, and that's even harder because he becomes a base-year compensation player, and it makes that trade an incredibly complicated event to get to happen, where you have to put in all kinds of players and teams."

Bartelstein refused to name any of the 12 teams he claims are interested in a sign-and-trade, though he did say "if you look at all the tams who feel they are one player away, they're all in there.

"Players who produce like David Lee rarely come onto the market," he said, adding that he had only talked "conceptually" about dollars with the Knicks, whose president, Donnie Walsh, tossed an interesting nugget out there Thursday when asked why the Knicks were suddenly willing to offer Jason Kidd a three-year guarantee when he had said just days earlier that he would not sign any player to a mid-level contract unless he could shed an equal amount of salary. "I have a little leeway that will leave me in good position for next year," Walsh told the Associated Press. "I know what it is, but do not talk much about it."

[Chieflion]

Bold prediction: David Lee will be the most overpaid player this offseason if he signs a offer sheet.

[montgod]

I am not really understanding why Portland would be interested. Is Lee playing backup center or pf with Aldridge, Oden, and Pryzbilla on the team??

[DAF86]

Isn't there a slight possibility of landing this guy?

[Ghost Writer]

Put the crack pipe down.

Lee was one of the few bright spots on the Knicks and had a stellar season.

The Spurs won't be able to sign him!

[DAF86]

Is somebody in here an ESPN insider?

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=FreeAgentTrends-090706&action=upsell&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnba %2finsider%2fcolumns%2fstory%3fcolumnist%3dholling er_john%26page%3dFreeAgentTrends-090706

[Tully365]

I am not really understanding why Portland would be interested. Is Lee playing backup center or pf with Aldridge, Oden, and Pryzbilla on the team??

My thought exactly... I don't get this at all. Lee will demand a long term contract, which will make it harder to sign all the young guys on this team when the time comes.

[TheProfessor]

Is somebody in here an ESPN insider?
Three defining trends of free agency

LINK (http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=FreeAgentTrends-090706)

David Lee is better than Jason Kidd, but you'd never know it from their contract talks this summer. Despite averaging a double-double while shooting 54.9 percent from the floor, Lee may be forced to take a qualifying offer to play for barely more than the biannual exception.

On the other hand, Kidd turned down a hefty offer from Lee's current employer because he got a better one from Dallas, one that would pay him about 12 times as much as Lee's qualifying offer -- which is still the only concrete one Lee is known to have received.

Those two examples sum up everything you need to know about the NBA free-agent market, illustrating the three defining trends of this offseason:

1. Rumors of tightening wallets around the league have been greatly exaggerated.
2. Contending teams in particular are locked in a massive arms race.
3. Despite all of this, restricted free agents still can't get squat.

Let's start at the top, because NBA owners are a funny lot.

All through the season they pleaded poverty and talked gloom and doom about the tight wallets in the upcoming offseason. Then the offseason came, and they started spending like drunken sailors on whatever wares Charlie Villanueva or Hedo Turkoglu flaunted in the window.

Of all summers, this was supposed to be the one in which teams began holding the line financially. Faced with declining attendance numbers and a recession so steep that it might produce the unprecedented result of a $6 million decline in the salary cap a year from now, we were warned that a looming financial Armageddon would restrict free agency to a shadow of its former self.

Guess again. Already, moves by San Antonio, Washington, Orlando and Houston -- none of which have been huge spenders in the past -- have put them over the luxury tax for the coming season, though the Rockets may still be able to work their way under. Meanwhile, maneuvers by Dallas, Boston, Cleveland, New York and the Lakers figure to keep them well over the line, too, and it's possible the Nuggets and Heat will be joining them.

On the other side of the coin, the only team that seems to be actively cutting salary is Milwaukee, which traded Richard Jefferson for spare parts and didn't make a qualifying offer to Villanueva. Phoenix, Utah and New Orleans could be in the same boat by the end of the summer, but at the moment those three teams also project to be well over the tax line for the coming season.

Put it all together, and Billy Hunter has to be doing a jig right now. It's hard for the league to plead poverty when potentially 14 of its 30 teams will be going over the luxury tax threshold, giving the Players Association some much-needed ammunition heading into the next collective bargaining negotiation -- one that should begin in earnest in the coming months, since the current CBA expires in 2011. (The league has an option to extend it a year but seems likely to decline.)

The spending stands out so much because this was supposed to be the year when teams would hold back. Given that only one current free agent played in either of the past two All-Star Games, and even that one player (Allen Iverson) comes with a massive asterisk since he was voted in by fans, this hardly seemed like the summer for a big spending spree -- especially given the potentially star-studded free-agent class available in 2010.

Instead, teams are falling over each other to give A-list contracts to B-list players. Villanueva, Turkoglu, Gordon and Kidd all agreed to deals for more than the midlevel exception. Even players with less extensive résumés (Trevor Ariza, Marcin Gortat) or more character flaws (Ron Artest, Rasheed Wallace) have been able to cash in for the full midlevel exception.

Which takes us to our second trend, because it's the contending teams that have been driving the bus on a lot of the spending we've seen. Sure, Detroit and Toronto have taken the lead in pursuing unrestricted free agents, but dig deeper into the trade and free-agent activity, and it's the prime contenders from last season that have done the most to add payroll.

The Spurs got it rolling by adding Jefferson in a move that put them over the luxury tax for the first time in eons, and things quickly escalated from there. The Cavs and Magic almost immediately followed with deals for Shaquille O'Neal and Vince Carter, respectively, and going into the luxury tax didn't slow their momentum one iota, either. San Antonio and Orlando both pursued Wallace, and the Cavs made a strong push for Artest; each has moved on to other targets with their midlevel exceptions.

Another team that was already looking at paying the tax -- Boston -- won the sweepstakes for Wallace, pushing them far beyond the mark even before the possibility of re-signing restricted free agent Glen Davis. As for the defending champion Lakers, they've been one of the few beacons of fiscal sanity this summer, cutting extraneous salary at the end of last season and using their midlevel exception on Artest -- but only after waving goodbye to Ariza. Alas, even they are going to be well over the tax thanks to Andrew Bynum's extension kicking in.

With the main players raising the ante so quickly, teams on the fringe of contention feel the need to splurge just to have a shot at contending. Detroit threw nearly $100 million at Gordon and Villanueva in hopes of regaining its perch at the top of the East, while Dallas made a similar push out West by offering a full midlevel deal to Gortat (he's expected to sign an offer sheet July 8) and re-signing Kidd to a $25 million deal. Even 19-win Washington got in the game, feeling it could threaten the East's elite with a couple more pieces and going deep into the tax to add Mike Miller and Randy Foye.

Of the main contenders, only Denver has been quiet thus far -- but like all the others, the Nuggets are already in tax territory and will likely go deeper if they re-sign big man Chris Andersen and use some of their midlevel exception. (Grant Hill and Channing Frye have already come up as targets.)

Which takes us to trend No. 3. Because as much as teams are spending in pursuit of unrestricted free agents, it stands in sharp contrast to those of the restricted free agents on the market. Gortat struck a deal for an offer sheet from Dallas, but desirable commodities like Lee, Paul Millsap, Marvin Williams, Josh Childress, Ramon Sessions and Nate Robinson have barely gotten a sniff.

Moreover, the market for those players to get anything above the midlevel exception is basically gone. Unless they can persuade one of the above teams to join in the bidding, somebody like Lee or Millsap could end up settling for the midlevel exception or playing on a one-year deal for a scandalously low qualifying offer -- $1.03 million for Millsap, $2.68 million for Lee.

It doesn't get better for the others. Childress will likely have to head back to Greece if he can't work out a sign-and-trade with Milwaukee (it's possible, as a contract starting at $5.1 million in a sign-and-trade for Bruce Bowen and a draft pick works under the cap; the total value of a five-year deal with 10 percent raises would be $30.6 million), while Williams seems likely to play for the $7.3 million qualifier in Atlanta and try again a year from now. Robinson will likely have to leave New York and play for the midlevel exception somewhere, unless he gambles on playing for the $2.9 million qualifier and doing better next summer.

In turn, this has to be chilling news if you're Rajon Rondo, Luis Scola, Rudy Gay, LaMarcus Aldridge, Andrea Bargnani, Ronnie Brewer or Foye, all of whom will be restricted free agents next summer if they don't sign extensions by opening day. (Brandon Roy, who is all but certain to get a maximum extension, needn't worry.) The restricted free agents in the class of '09 couldn't get a sniff of big money even in a very underwhelming free-agent market; what can they possibly expect a year from now when the likes of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Dirk Nowitzki and Amare Stoudemire could be available unrestricted?

On the other hand, the unrestricted free agents could once again make out like bandits -- perhaps providing a carrot for the likes of Lee, Millsap and Williams to take the qualifier and play for a below-market-value price this season in hopes of recouping the difference next summer.

One thing is for certain: The spending spree of the last five days won't do the owners any favors in the next collective bargaining agreement. But with the remaining cap space essentially dried up and several productive restricted free agents still on the market, the rest of the summer could play out quite differently.

[DAF86]

Thanks

[rayray2k8]

Three defining trends of free agency

LINK (http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=FreeAgentTrends-090706)

David Lee is better than Jason Kidd, but you'd never know it from their contract talks this summer. Despite averaging a double-double while shooting 54.9 percent from the floor, Lee may be forced to take a qualifying offer to play for barely more than the biannual exception.

On the other hand, Kidd turned down a hefty offer from Lee's current employer because he got a better one from Dallas, one that would pay him about 12 times as much as Lee's qualifying offer -- which is still the only concrete one Lee is known to have received.

Those two examples sum up everything you need to know about the NBA free-agent market, illustrating the three defining trends of this offseason:

1. Rumors of tightening wallets around the league have been greatly exaggerated.
2. Contending teams in particular are locked in a massive arms race.
3. Despite all of this, restricted free agents still can't get squat.

Let's start at the top, because NBA owners are a funny lot.

All through the season they pleaded poverty and talked gloom and doom about the tight wallets in the upcoming offseason. Then the offseason came, and they started spending like drunken sailors on whatever wares Charlie Villanueva or Hedo Turkoglu flaunted in the window.

Of all summers, this was supposed to be the one in which teams began holding the line financially. Faced with declining attendance numbers and a recession so steep that it might produce the unprecedented result of a $6 million decline in the salary cap a year from now, we were warned that a looming financial Armageddon would restrict free agency to a shadow of its former self.

Guess again. Already, moves by San Antonio, Washington, Orlando and Houston -- none of which have been huge spenders in the past -- have put them over the luxury tax for the coming season, though the Rockets may still be able to work their way under. Meanwhile, maneuvers by Dallas, Boston, Cleveland, New York and the Lakers figure to keep them well over the line, too, and it's possible the Nuggets and Heat will be joining them.

On the other side of the coin, the only team that seems to be actively cutting salary is Milwaukee, which traded Richard Jefferson for spare parts and didn't make a qualifying offer to Villanueva. Phoenix, Utah and New Orleans could be in the same boat by the end of the summer, but at the moment those three teams also project to be well over the tax line for the coming season.

Put it all together, and Billy Hunter has to be doing a jig right now. It's hard for the league to plead poverty when potentially 14 of its 30 teams will be going over the luxury tax threshold, giving the Players Association some much-needed ammunition heading into the next collective bargaining negotiation -- one that should begin in earnest in the coming months, since the current CBA expires in 2011. (The league has an option to extend it a year but seems likely to decline.)

The spending stands out so much because this was supposed to be the year when teams would hold back. Given that only one current free agent played in either of the past two All-Star Games, and even that one player (Allen Iverson) comes with a massive asterisk since he was voted in by fans, this hardly seemed like the summer for a big spending spree -- especially given the potentially star-studded free-agent class available in 2010.

Instead, teams are falling over each other to give A-list contracts to B-list players. Villanueva, Turkoglu, Gordon and Kidd all agreed to deals for more than the midlevel exception. Even players with less extensive résumés (Trevor Ariza, Marcin Gortat) or more character flaws (Ron Artest, Rasheed Wallace) have been able to cash in for the full midlevel exception.

Which takes us to our second trend, because it's the contending teams that have been driving the bus on a lot of the spending we've seen. Sure, Detroit and Toronto have taken the lead in pursuing unrestricted free agents, but dig deeper into the trade and free-agent activity, and it's the prime contenders from last season that have done the most to add payroll.

The Spurs got it rolling by adding Jefferson in a move that put them over the luxury tax for the first time in eons, and things quickly escalated from there. The Cavs and Magic almost immediately followed with deals for Shaquille O'Neal and Vince Carter, respectively, and going into the luxury tax didn't slow their momentum one iota, either. San Antonio and Orlando both pursued Wallace, and the Cavs made a strong push for Artest; each has moved on to other targets with their midlevel exceptions.

Another team that was already looking at paying the tax -- Boston -- won the sweepstakes for Wallace, pushing them far beyond the mark even before the possibility of re-signing restricted free agent Glen Davis. As for the defending champion Lakers, they've been one of the few beacons of fiscal sanity this summer, cutting extraneous salary at the end of last season and using their midlevel exception on Artest -- but only after waving goodbye to Ariza. Alas, even they are going to be well over the tax thanks to Andrew Bynum's extension kicking in.

With the main players raising the ante so quickly, teams on the fringe of contention feel the need to splurge just to have a shot at contending. Detroit threw nearly $100 million at Gordon and Villanueva in hopes of regaining its perch at the top of the East, while Dallas made a similar push out West by offering a full midlevel deal to Gortat (he's expected to sign an offer sheet July 8) and re-signing Kidd to a $25 million deal. Even 19-win Washington got in the game, feeling it could threaten the East's elite with a couple more pieces and going deep into the tax to add Mike Miller and Randy Foye.

Of the main contenders, only Denver has been quiet thus far -- but like all the others, the Nuggets are already in tax territory and will likely go deeper if they re-sign big man Chris Andersen and use some of their midlevel exception. (Grant Hill and Channing Frye have already come up as targets.)

Which takes us to trend No. 3. Because as much as teams are spending in pursuit of unrestricted free agents, it stands in sharp contrast to those of the restricted free agents on the market. Gortat struck a deal for an offer sheet from Dallas, but desirable commodities like Lee, Paul Millsap, Marvin Williams, Josh Childress, Ramon Sessions and Nate Robinson have barely gotten a sniff.

Moreover, the market for those players to get anything above the midlevel exception is basically gone. Unless they can persuade one of the above teams to join in the bidding, somebody like Lee or Millsap could end up settling for the midlevel exception or playing on a one-year deal for a scandalously low qualifying offer -- $1.03 million for Millsap, $2.68 million for Lee.

It doesn't get better for the others. Childress will likely have to head back to Greece if he can't work out a sign-and-trade with Milwaukee (it's possible, as a contract starting at $5.1 million in a sign-and-trade for Bruce Bowen and a draft pick works under the cap; the total value of a five-year deal with 10 percent raises would be $30.6 million), while Williams seems likely to play for the $7.3 million qualifier in Atlanta and try again a year from now. Robinson will likely have to leave New York and play for the midlevel exception somewhere, unless he gambles on playing for the $2.9 million qualifier and doing better next summer.

In turn, this has to be chilling news if you're Rajon Rondo, Luis Scola, Rudy Gay, LaMarcus Aldridge, Andrea Bargnani, Ronnie Brewer or Foye, all of whom will be restricted free agents next summer if they don't sign extensions by opening day. (Brandon Roy, who is all but certain to get a maximum extension, needn't worry.) The restricted free agents in the class of '09 couldn't get a sniff of big money even in a very underwhelming free-agent market; what can they possibly expect a year from now when the likes of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Dirk Nowitzki and Amare Stoudemire could be available unrestricted?

On the other hand, the unrestricted free agents could once again make out like bandits -- perhaps providing a carrot for the likes of Lee, Millsap and Williams to take the qualifier and play for a below-market-value price this season in hopes of recouping the difference next summer.

One thing is for certain: The spending spree of the last five days won't do the owners any favors in the next collective bargaining agreement. But with the remaining cap space essentially dried up and several productive restricted free agents still on the market, the rest of the summer could play out quite differently.

Thanks.

[DAF86]

Moreover, the market for those players to get anything above the midlevel exception is basically gone. Unless they can persuade one of the above teams to join in the bidding, somebody like Lee or Millsap could end up settling for the midlevel exception or playing on a one-year deal for a scandalously low qualifying offer -- $1.03 million for Millsap, $2.68 million for Lee.

Intriguing

[DAF86]

Is Lee a restricted free agent?

[Spurs Brazil]

Is Lee a restricted free agent?

Yes

[DAF86]

Yes

If we offer him the MLE then New York is likely to match that offer right? Or are they not so interested on spending money on him?

[NewJerSpur]

Oh how I wish.

[Gino2882]

They most likely match an MLE offer. A team like Portland who COULD offer a 5/50 deal could try and load the 2nd year of the deal so that in 2010 the Knicks have a bit higher salary.

Bottomline really is that Utah and New York would most likely match any MLE offering to Lee or Millsap.

I think the ESPN report was saying that Lee and/or Millsap have the option of settling for MLE money OR signing their tenders and being UFAs next offseason.

[Spurtacus]

Sign and trade with NY? Perhaps NY was interested in shedding more cap room for LeBron or Wade in 2010.

[duncan228]

Lee ‘frustrated’ by negotiations with Knicks (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-knicks-lee&prov=ap&type=lgns)
By Brian Mahoney

David Lee says he is frustrated by the lack of progress in negotiations for a new contract with the New York Knicks.

Lee became a restricted free agent on July 1 and the Knicks have said they’d like to keep him, but only at the right cost. New York is trying to save salary cap space for next summer and doesn’t want to spend too much on re-signing its power forward.

Lee understands the Knicks’ position, but said he expected easier negotiations after his strong season in 2008-09. He averaged 16 points and 11.7 rebounds while leading the NBA with 65 double-doubles and finishing third in rebounding.

Because he is unsigned, Lee was forced to sit out the USA Basketball minicamp this week.

[Guajalote]

Good catch, duncan228. I just read this. I know we've made all kinds of moves that would make this impossible, but I would love to see this guy in a Spurs uniform.

[duncan228]

Latest chatter (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&page=Chatter-090723)
By Marc Stein
ESPN.com

Details remain scarce, but David Lee's name is finally starting to come up again more often now that pretty much all the top unrestricted free agents apart from Odom and Andre Miller have been signed. With summer league ball behind us, the free-agent focus starts to shift to restricted free agents like Lee.

The problem? Unless Portland uses its cap space to make him an offer, Lee will be relying on the Knicks to cooperate in a sign-and-trade arrangement. And it's believed that New York is determined to retain Lee and Nate Robinson on one-year deals that preserve full Bird rights for both players without obligating the Knicks to slice into their projected salary-cap space for 2010 free agency.

But one well-placed insider volunteered this tip when it comes to Lee's situation: "Keep your eye on Chicago."

[Tuddy]

If they can't get a trade, Golden State might be willing to dump Lee because his salary wont be matching his production with the hogs on their team. Dyess, Blair and draft picks would be a good trade for both teams.

[benefactor]

No.

[Russo21]

Yeah David Lee and Dorell Wright for RJ Bonner and Dice LMFAO:lmaoGolden State would have to be freakin crazy on drugs to do that! How good would that be for san antonio though:p:i'll put that in the 'it aint gonna happen but would be sweet' category