Manu20
08-15-2005, 07:36 PM
Amnesty rule will make off-season even wilder
Mike Kahn / Special to FOXSports.com
Posted: 6 minutes ago
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/3892946
The amnesty waiver deadline is Aug. 15, so any team that wants to release a player with a contract that pushes them into possible luxury tax territory must do it now. Keep in mind, it doesn't absolve the teams of the contract responsibility, nor salary cap ramifications, it just saves ownership the dollar-for-dollar matching of the luxury tax.
1. Item: Commissioner David Stern submitted an affidavit approving the removal of Steve Belkin as the governor of the Atlanta Hawks, with the hope of moving forward with the trade of Boris Diaw and two No. 1 draft choices to Phoenix for Joe Johnson, who signed a five-year, $70 million contract with the hopes of being traded to the Hawks.
What this really means: Tuesday, Allan van Gestel, the Massachusetts superior court judge who issued the restraining order last week to prevent Belkin's ousting, lifted the restraining order. The Atlanta Spirit, the ownership group that owns the Hawks, now will remove Belkin as governor and presumably replace him with Michael Gearston Jr. It was a logical move, to put it mildly. As Stern stated in his affidavit, if a governor can be removed for making a trade that the other owners disapprove of, then he should certainly be subject to the same situation if he blocks a trade they want to complete.
Once again, the Hawks have been humiliated as an organization, but this time they will overcome it because Stern did the right thing to help expedite this transition. It sure seems like Belkin is pining for a huge buyout, but more importantly, he is in the minority when it comes to the value of the trade. Whether Johnson turns into a superstar or not isn't the issue. They sorely need a player even at the caliber he plays right now. And what is even more remarkable in this situation is the patience of the Suns organization. Having agreed to the five-year, $70 million deal, they could have pushed Johnson into a trade somewhere else, but have the class to wait this out. Hopefully, the judge will take care of this in short order. The Hawks and the NBA need this resolved quickly and quietly.
2. Item: The New Jersey Nets decided not to complete the sign-and-trade with the Portland Trail Blazers for Shareef Abdur-Rahim when scar tissue showed up in his arthritic knee during his physical exam. They then signed free agent point guard Jeff McInnis and swung a deal for Philadelphia's Marc Jackson to play power forward.
What this really means: The Nets panicked. And it's going to cost them, because Abdur-Rahim really fit their need for a low-post scorer, which they still don't have. Jackson doesn't have a low-post game, prefers to face up, and doesn't rebound or defend anywhere near what his size and demeanor would indicate. So the Nets still don't have a post game to go along with the race-horse tendencies of Jason Kidd, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson. Young center Nenad Krstic is a fine shooter, but another face-up player and Jason Collins has no offensive game.
And it's hard to fathom how McInnis, who has always become discontented when he doesn't get consistent minutes, will deal with playing such a minor role in the backcourt behind Kidd and Carter. This is so odd, and so unlike president Rod Thorn, it's hard to fathom. Abdur-Rahim has played with his knee issue since high school and is one of the class players in the NBA. He has wanted to play for the Nets for more than a year, and was crushed when they went public with the knee issue. Perhaps he will get the last laugh.
3. Item: The Sacramento Kings stepped right up in the wake of the scuttled deal and signed Abdur-Rahim to a reported five-year, $28 million contract Saturday.
What this really means: This is a classic move by Kings president Geoff Petrie. Petrie has shown he is never concerned about what other teams feel about players, and certainly the Kings physicians saw the same test results as did those of the Nets. But with his limited budget, this was his chance to complete a starting five that coach Rick Adelman is eminently qualified to help seriously compete in the West.
They grabbed high-scoring, high-spirited Bonzi Wells to start in the backcourt with Mike Bibby. Abdur-Rahim now is the low-post complement to Peja Stojakovic.
Center Brad Miller, whom many believe the Kings overpaid for, closes the circle with fine shooting, passing and rebounding skills. The Kings were knocked out in the first round last spring in the wake of trading Chris Webber, and were ripped by the media. Abdur-Rahim, who has never played on a winning team, let alone on a playoff team, deserves this chance and could be the difference toward them returning to at least a second-round playoff presence in the years to come.
4. Item: The Orlando Magic waived Doug Christie, which in the wake of Cuttino Mobley leaving the Kings to sign a free-agent deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, means the two-player deal of last season created a net zero for both clubs.
What this really means: Both players are loaded with talent, but both are even bigger headaches than the productivity they bring to the floor justifies. Mobley is one of the great streak shooters in the league, but whether it was in Houston, Orlando or Sacramento, there were always issues with selfishness and his overall game.
Christie is even more bizarre. His impossibly possessive wife Jackie has interfered with him during games, meetings and has been a ludicrous distraction everywhere he's been because she doesn't allow him to be around other women. She barely tolerates him even looking at another woman during conversation. Ironically, Sacramento was his longest and most effective stay. But as his body continues to break down, so does his value. Will he last in Dallas? Now that his wife Jackie knows the Mavs have a very talented public relations director in Sarah Melton, how will Jackie handle that? Sometimes, the internal issues dealt with by NBA general managers aren't all that different than those facing a sixth grade teacher.
5. Item: As expected, the Indiana Pacers signed Lithuanian guard Sarunas Jasikevicius to a three-year, $12 million last week.
What this really means: The Pacers now have added a key element to their backcourt that will help ease the retirement of Reggie Miller. Jasikevicius is 29 years old, and has been successful at all levels of international play — whether in the Olympics for Lithuania or in Israel for Maccabi Tel Aviv. He is 6-4, has great shooting range, and is experienced at both point guard and shooting guard. Pacers president Larry Bird has been hot on his trail for years and is convinced he's a perfect blend for his team.
In case people forgot, the Pacers were serious contenders to win the NBA title last season before the brawl in Detroit crippled their team. With plenty of quality depth up front, it has been the injuries and lack of experience in the backcourt that has been in question. Bird is convinced Jasikevicius is the answer ... who's to argue?
6. Item: Brian Grant became an unrestricted free agent last week when the Los Angeles Lakers waived him under the amnesty rule.
What this really means: For years, Grant has been the subject of trade rumors because first the Miami Heat, and then the Lakers, tried desperately to get rid of his maximum contract while his knees continued to deteriorate and render him a shadow of his former effectiveness. Now that he's a free agent, and available for perhaps as little as the veteran's minimum (since the Lakers will pay the remainder of his contract), expect everyone from the Heat to the Nets to the Chicago Bulls to battle for the interior toughness Grant brings both defensively and on the boards every night with what ever he has left in his game. He's the classic guy playing with more heart than tools at this point of his career, and that is invaluable on any team with aspirations to go deep into the playoffs.
7. Item: Following a season during which he was a lame duck president of basketball operations for the Detroit Pistons, Joe Dumars signed an extension with owner Bill Davidson last week for an undisclosed length.
What this really means: Davidson is a loyalist, and Dumars is not only a loyalist but arguably one of the top three general managers in all of professional sports. With a payroll in the lower half of the NBA the past two seasons, the Pistons have been to the NBA Finals both seasons — winning in 2004. His first year as president, Grant Hill told him he was leaving to play for the Orlando Magic. Dumars turned it into Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins and the rebuilding process was on. Within two years he turned them into a division champion; three years and they were competing in the conference semifinals; and the past two in the finals. He is as bright and talented as an executive as he was a player — that is rare in this age of shortcuts and prima donnas. People in every walk of life can learn from Joe Dumars — just look and listen.
8. Item: Marko Jaric finally found a home when the Los Angeles Clippers proved they really weren't interested in re-signing him, so they signed and traded him along with Lionel Chalmers to the Minnesota Timberwolves for aging point guard Sam Cassell and a conditional No. 1 draft choice.
What this really means: For some reason, the rest of the league seemed far more interested in Jaric than the Clippers. Was it the typical bad decision-making or does the 6-7 Jaric have some fatal flaws to his game? Here's believing the former. Cassell has been falling apart physically the past two seasons and he's not going to get any better with his 36th birthday coming in a few months. And the conditional first round pick — lottery protected — will matter little considering the youth of the drafts these days and the possibility of Jaric helping the Timberwolves get back to being serious playoff contenders. The Timberwolves still have plenty of talent around Kevin Garnett and new coach Dwane Casey deserves the opportunity to take some rejuvenated and motivated players without the baggage of last year's team. Adding Jaric, trading Cassell and letting Latrell Sprewell go is a great start.
9. Item: The Philadelphia 76ers traded Marc Jackson for a second-round draft pick, signed unproven 7-footer Steven Hunter to a four-year, $16.5 million contract, and waived aging native son Aaron McKie as the makeover continues around Allen Iverson.
What this really means: It's difficult to know whether president Billy King actually knows what he's doing rebuilding this team for new coach Maurice Cheeks. They've been spinning their wheels for four seasons since Larry Brown coached them to the finals, and they haven't come close since. Hunter has some talent, but is completely unproven. And that leaves us with the tossup question as to whether Chris Webber has enough left in his legs and heart to help snap them out of this mediocre funk or will end up being a financial and emotional albatross that tears them apart.
10. Item: Michael Finley is expected to be released by the Dallas Mavericks on the final day of the amnesty opportunity, and the competition will begin for the 32-year-old shooting guard.
What this really means: Sure, the Mavs will attempt to trade him, but why would anybody else pick up the final three years of his contract that averages $17 million? Oh, they wouldn't have to barter for him, but Finley is a great asset if you are trying to woo him with the mid-level exception of $5 million a year ... not when you have to pay him $17 million.
He did average 15.7 points and 4.1 rebounds last season, but after not missing a game the first six seasons of his career — even playing 83 when he was dealt from Phoenix to Dallas — he has missed an average of 14 games a year the past four. Nonetheless, he is 6-7, 225, a great shooter and another superb person who is an asset to the community. Look at every competing team — Phoenix, Denver, Detroit and Miami to start — as teams that will be lining up after midnight Monday to lure him into the fold. Where he will land is tough to say, but whoever gets him will be glad to pay him the $5 million a year or so, plus reap the benefits. Then again Mark Cuban will be a heck of a lot happier paying the final $51 million of his deal to not play for the Mavericks as opposed to paying him $102 million to keep him.
Veteran NBA writer Mike Kahn is a frequent contributor to FOXSports.com.
Mike Kahn / Special to FOXSports.com
Posted: 6 minutes ago
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/3892946
The amnesty waiver deadline is Aug. 15, so any team that wants to release a player with a contract that pushes them into possible luxury tax territory must do it now. Keep in mind, it doesn't absolve the teams of the contract responsibility, nor salary cap ramifications, it just saves ownership the dollar-for-dollar matching of the luxury tax.
1. Item: Commissioner David Stern submitted an affidavit approving the removal of Steve Belkin as the governor of the Atlanta Hawks, with the hope of moving forward with the trade of Boris Diaw and two No. 1 draft choices to Phoenix for Joe Johnson, who signed a five-year, $70 million contract with the hopes of being traded to the Hawks.
What this really means: Tuesday, Allan van Gestel, the Massachusetts superior court judge who issued the restraining order last week to prevent Belkin's ousting, lifted the restraining order. The Atlanta Spirit, the ownership group that owns the Hawks, now will remove Belkin as governor and presumably replace him with Michael Gearston Jr. It was a logical move, to put it mildly. As Stern stated in his affidavit, if a governor can be removed for making a trade that the other owners disapprove of, then he should certainly be subject to the same situation if he blocks a trade they want to complete.
Once again, the Hawks have been humiliated as an organization, but this time they will overcome it because Stern did the right thing to help expedite this transition. It sure seems like Belkin is pining for a huge buyout, but more importantly, he is in the minority when it comes to the value of the trade. Whether Johnson turns into a superstar or not isn't the issue. They sorely need a player even at the caliber he plays right now. And what is even more remarkable in this situation is the patience of the Suns organization. Having agreed to the five-year, $70 million deal, they could have pushed Johnson into a trade somewhere else, but have the class to wait this out. Hopefully, the judge will take care of this in short order. The Hawks and the NBA need this resolved quickly and quietly.
2. Item: The New Jersey Nets decided not to complete the sign-and-trade with the Portland Trail Blazers for Shareef Abdur-Rahim when scar tissue showed up in his arthritic knee during his physical exam. They then signed free agent point guard Jeff McInnis and swung a deal for Philadelphia's Marc Jackson to play power forward.
What this really means: The Nets panicked. And it's going to cost them, because Abdur-Rahim really fit their need for a low-post scorer, which they still don't have. Jackson doesn't have a low-post game, prefers to face up, and doesn't rebound or defend anywhere near what his size and demeanor would indicate. So the Nets still don't have a post game to go along with the race-horse tendencies of Jason Kidd, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson. Young center Nenad Krstic is a fine shooter, but another face-up player and Jason Collins has no offensive game.
And it's hard to fathom how McInnis, who has always become discontented when he doesn't get consistent minutes, will deal with playing such a minor role in the backcourt behind Kidd and Carter. This is so odd, and so unlike president Rod Thorn, it's hard to fathom. Abdur-Rahim has played with his knee issue since high school and is one of the class players in the NBA. He has wanted to play for the Nets for more than a year, and was crushed when they went public with the knee issue. Perhaps he will get the last laugh.
3. Item: The Sacramento Kings stepped right up in the wake of the scuttled deal and signed Abdur-Rahim to a reported five-year, $28 million contract Saturday.
What this really means: This is a classic move by Kings president Geoff Petrie. Petrie has shown he is never concerned about what other teams feel about players, and certainly the Kings physicians saw the same test results as did those of the Nets. But with his limited budget, this was his chance to complete a starting five that coach Rick Adelman is eminently qualified to help seriously compete in the West.
They grabbed high-scoring, high-spirited Bonzi Wells to start in the backcourt with Mike Bibby. Abdur-Rahim now is the low-post complement to Peja Stojakovic.
Center Brad Miller, whom many believe the Kings overpaid for, closes the circle with fine shooting, passing and rebounding skills. The Kings were knocked out in the first round last spring in the wake of trading Chris Webber, and were ripped by the media. Abdur-Rahim, who has never played on a winning team, let alone on a playoff team, deserves this chance and could be the difference toward them returning to at least a second-round playoff presence in the years to come.
4. Item: The Orlando Magic waived Doug Christie, which in the wake of Cuttino Mobley leaving the Kings to sign a free-agent deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, means the two-player deal of last season created a net zero for both clubs.
What this really means: Both players are loaded with talent, but both are even bigger headaches than the productivity they bring to the floor justifies. Mobley is one of the great streak shooters in the league, but whether it was in Houston, Orlando or Sacramento, there were always issues with selfishness and his overall game.
Christie is even more bizarre. His impossibly possessive wife Jackie has interfered with him during games, meetings and has been a ludicrous distraction everywhere he's been because she doesn't allow him to be around other women. She barely tolerates him even looking at another woman during conversation. Ironically, Sacramento was his longest and most effective stay. But as his body continues to break down, so does his value. Will he last in Dallas? Now that his wife Jackie knows the Mavs have a very talented public relations director in Sarah Melton, how will Jackie handle that? Sometimes, the internal issues dealt with by NBA general managers aren't all that different than those facing a sixth grade teacher.
5. Item: As expected, the Indiana Pacers signed Lithuanian guard Sarunas Jasikevicius to a three-year, $12 million last week.
What this really means: The Pacers now have added a key element to their backcourt that will help ease the retirement of Reggie Miller. Jasikevicius is 29 years old, and has been successful at all levels of international play — whether in the Olympics for Lithuania or in Israel for Maccabi Tel Aviv. He is 6-4, has great shooting range, and is experienced at both point guard and shooting guard. Pacers president Larry Bird has been hot on his trail for years and is convinced he's a perfect blend for his team.
In case people forgot, the Pacers were serious contenders to win the NBA title last season before the brawl in Detroit crippled their team. With plenty of quality depth up front, it has been the injuries and lack of experience in the backcourt that has been in question. Bird is convinced Jasikevicius is the answer ... who's to argue?
6. Item: Brian Grant became an unrestricted free agent last week when the Los Angeles Lakers waived him under the amnesty rule.
What this really means: For years, Grant has been the subject of trade rumors because first the Miami Heat, and then the Lakers, tried desperately to get rid of his maximum contract while his knees continued to deteriorate and render him a shadow of his former effectiveness. Now that he's a free agent, and available for perhaps as little as the veteran's minimum (since the Lakers will pay the remainder of his contract), expect everyone from the Heat to the Nets to the Chicago Bulls to battle for the interior toughness Grant brings both defensively and on the boards every night with what ever he has left in his game. He's the classic guy playing with more heart than tools at this point of his career, and that is invaluable on any team with aspirations to go deep into the playoffs.
7. Item: Following a season during which he was a lame duck president of basketball operations for the Detroit Pistons, Joe Dumars signed an extension with owner Bill Davidson last week for an undisclosed length.
What this really means: Davidson is a loyalist, and Dumars is not only a loyalist but arguably one of the top three general managers in all of professional sports. With a payroll in the lower half of the NBA the past two seasons, the Pistons have been to the NBA Finals both seasons — winning in 2004. His first year as president, Grant Hill told him he was leaving to play for the Orlando Magic. Dumars turned it into Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins and the rebuilding process was on. Within two years he turned them into a division champion; three years and they were competing in the conference semifinals; and the past two in the finals. He is as bright and talented as an executive as he was a player — that is rare in this age of shortcuts and prima donnas. People in every walk of life can learn from Joe Dumars — just look and listen.
8. Item: Marko Jaric finally found a home when the Los Angeles Clippers proved they really weren't interested in re-signing him, so they signed and traded him along with Lionel Chalmers to the Minnesota Timberwolves for aging point guard Sam Cassell and a conditional No. 1 draft choice.
What this really means: For some reason, the rest of the league seemed far more interested in Jaric than the Clippers. Was it the typical bad decision-making or does the 6-7 Jaric have some fatal flaws to his game? Here's believing the former. Cassell has been falling apart physically the past two seasons and he's not going to get any better with his 36th birthday coming in a few months. And the conditional first round pick — lottery protected — will matter little considering the youth of the drafts these days and the possibility of Jaric helping the Timberwolves get back to being serious playoff contenders. The Timberwolves still have plenty of talent around Kevin Garnett and new coach Dwane Casey deserves the opportunity to take some rejuvenated and motivated players without the baggage of last year's team. Adding Jaric, trading Cassell and letting Latrell Sprewell go is a great start.
9. Item: The Philadelphia 76ers traded Marc Jackson for a second-round draft pick, signed unproven 7-footer Steven Hunter to a four-year, $16.5 million contract, and waived aging native son Aaron McKie as the makeover continues around Allen Iverson.
What this really means: It's difficult to know whether president Billy King actually knows what he's doing rebuilding this team for new coach Maurice Cheeks. They've been spinning their wheels for four seasons since Larry Brown coached them to the finals, and they haven't come close since. Hunter has some talent, but is completely unproven. And that leaves us with the tossup question as to whether Chris Webber has enough left in his legs and heart to help snap them out of this mediocre funk or will end up being a financial and emotional albatross that tears them apart.
10. Item: Michael Finley is expected to be released by the Dallas Mavericks on the final day of the amnesty opportunity, and the competition will begin for the 32-year-old shooting guard.
What this really means: Sure, the Mavs will attempt to trade him, but why would anybody else pick up the final three years of his contract that averages $17 million? Oh, they wouldn't have to barter for him, but Finley is a great asset if you are trying to woo him with the mid-level exception of $5 million a year ... not when you have to pay him $17 million.
He did average 15.7 points and 4.1 rebounds last season, but after not missing a game the first six seasons of his career — even playing 83 when he was dealt from Phoenix to Dallas — he has missed an average of 14 games a year the past four. Nonetheless, he is 6-7, 225, a great shooter and another superb person who is an asset to the community. Look at every competing team — Phoenix, Denver, Detroit and Miami to start — as teams that will be lining up after midnight Monday to lure him into the fold. Where he will land is tough to say, but whoever gets him will be glad to pay him the $5 million a year or so, plus reap the benefits. Then again Mark Cuban will be a heck of a lot happier paying the final $51 million of his deal to not play for the Mavericks as opposed to paying him $102 million to keep him.
Veteran NBA writer Mike Kahn is a frequent contributor to FOXSports.com.