Tim Thomas turns down Suns, going to Clips

[Kori Ellis]

Tim Thomas shuns Suns to stay with Clippers
By Jerry Brown, Tribune
July 1, 2006
Turns out, Tim Thomas wasn't as taken with the Suns as he claimed he was.

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Jumping at an opportunity to stay home in Los Angeles and grab and longer term deal for more money, NBA sources confirmed Saturday that Thomas will sign with the Clippers for four years at the mid-level exception, a deal that will be worth as much as $24 million.

For the second year in a row, the Suns failed to sign one of their own free agents that they felt would be a slam dunk. Last year, they wound up trading disgruntled guard Joe Johnson to Atlanta -- this time, they get nothing back for Thomas, who averaged 11 points a game in the regular season after joining Phoenix in last February and 15 points in the postseason, including a huge 3-pointer in Game 6 against the Lakers that allowed the Suns to stay alive and eventually reach the Western Conference Finals.

Sources say the Clippers offer was almost double the Suns best offer -- believed to be three years at or near $12 million, but the feeling was Thomas enjoyed his time in Phoenix so much that he would take less money to remain and make a run at an NBA championship.

Now, Phoenix goes to Plan B, and will try to sign as many as three veteran free agents with the money they were throwing at Thomas to sign a backup point guard, shooting guard and shot-blocking presence inside. Losing Tim Thomas also increases the likelihood that Kurt Thomas and James Jones will remain with the Suns, joining the new players that come aboard to back up the starting lineup of Steve Nash, Raja Bell, Shawn Marion, Boris Diaw and Amare Stoudemire.

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=68843

[Mr. Body]

Thank God.

[Kori Ellis]

Thomas not returning to Phoenix

Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 1, 2006 02:18 PM

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/0701thomas-ON.html



Suns playoff hero Tim Thomas will not return to Phoenix for next season because of a more lucrative offer with the Los Angeles Clippers, according to league sources.

The Suns traded away both first-round draft picks Wednesday in part to make a better pitch for Thomas, who is expected to accept a four-year deal starting at the mid-level exception ($5.4 million) from the Clippers.

Phoenix was offering most but not all of its mid-level exception, a move that likely would have put the Suns above the luxury tax threshold.

Thomas, 29, spent most of last season at home after Chicago asked him to leave the team. He was an early March pickup for Phoenix after a foot stress fracture sidelined Kurt Thomas. Tim Thomas averaged 11.0 points and 4.9 rebounds in 26 regular-season games for Phoenix and 15.1 points and 5.5 rebounds in 14 postseason games. He will be best remembered for extending the Suns-Lakers first-round series with a late three-pointer that put Game 6 into overtime. He hit 44.4 percent of his three-point shots in the postseason.

After Eddie House declined to pick up his playoff option Friday and Nikoloz Tskitishvili was waived, Phoenix is left with nine players under contract for next season.

This will be the fourth franchise change for Thomas, a former No. 7 overall pick in 1997, since February of 2004.

[Kori Ellis]

This means that the Clippers won't keep Radmanovic.

I hope the Spurs don't go after him. :vomit:

[Mr. Body]

Geez, there's a vomit smiley? I'ma gonna have to join you there, Kori. PLEASE no Radmanovic.

[www.SpursTalk.com]

:elephant

[Kori Ellis]

Geez, there's a vomit smiley? I'ma gonna have to join you there, Kori. PLEASE no Radmanovic.

The Clippers offered Radmanovic five-year, $31-million today but it looks like he is looking for more than the MLE.

[clubalien]

WTF clipps spening money?
I guess they are enjoying being the best team in LA

[exstatic]

The Clips are closer to a championship than Phoenix if they can keep Sam.

[clubalien]

opps only the MLE when i read twice the amount i was thinking bigger

[JMarkJohns]

I'm actually thrilled about this. Hopefully this forces the Suns ups to spend their MLE on a capable backup to Nash, which was far and away the more pressing need.

If James Jones can relocate his stroke, he's a cheaper and better defensive solution to the backup SF and PF spot anyways.

Thomas 3-point shooting will be missed, but it's my hope next year's Suns won't depend on the three near as much. Not with Amare back. I'm hoping for much more of a mid-range game with he and KThomas.

However, Sarvar certainly has egg on his face. He just traded two quality picks to rid themselves of an expiring contract to resign the guy.

Perhaps had they kept the picks, players like Marcus Williams and Steve Novak would have went a long ways to add depth at the necessary positions as well as future stability.

Now he's got a pocket full of cash with no picks and no player to show for it.

[Slinkyman]

Radmanovic may be the best option, i mean would you want Bonner starting?

[Solid D]

My how times have changed. PHX misses out on a "slam dunk" and LAC is no longer the first three letters of LACK.

[mavsfan1000]

Good news. Hopefully Nash starts to age as well than it is Dallas's year next year.

[clubalien]

so does this mean suns won't try as hard to move marion?

[Slinkyman]

Good news. Hopefully Nash starts to age as well than it is Dallas's year next year.

because the suns were standing in the mavs way this season?

[Kori Ellis]

Radmanovic may be the best option, i mean would you want Bonner starting?

No, I don't want Bonner starting but Radmanovic wants higher than the MLE. And he's not that good.

He's a 3-point shooter, who is a complainer, doesn't rebound or defend.

[Obstructed_View]

Some of you guys that are happy that the Suns got worse had better think about the Clippers being better. With the development of their young players, they could be about as good as anyone in the west next year.

[mavsfan1000]

Some of you guys that are happy that the Suns got worse had better think about the Clippers being better. With the development of their young players, they could be about as good as anyone in the west next year.
With Cassell aging rapidly or leaving I'm not as worried.

[picnroll]

Like Livingston, if he can stay healthy, won't be better than any PG the Mavs put on the floor.

[shaggy17]

Good news. Hopefully Nash starts to age as well than it is Dallas's year next year.

:lol The loss of Tim Thomas wont be missed that much. If Amare returns next year to form and Nash is fine healthwise you wont be beating this team. :rolleyes This was soposed to be the "mavs season" with all that bullshit you got away with and it fucked you over in the end. You were a fluke making the finals and choked away your best shot at a title. Dirk showed how "great" he is when the refs dont bail his pussy ass out in the Miami series especially game 6 when he was so scared to shoot the ball. What were those stats 0-4 and 2 pts in the 4th with a title on the line. Not to mention the way your boys made asses out of themselves in the finals will have EVERY team gunning for them much harder next year especially the Spurs (which you are sadly overlooking). :rolleyes

[Mr. Body]

Phoenix can survive his departure. That's why they lowballed him.

[timvp]

Tim Thomas is another great non-signing by the Spurs.

[Mr. Body]

One of the best.

[Spurologist]

Obstructed View, I am honored to be on your sig. The promotion of spurology is growing. Thank you for your support

[T Park]

Hopefully this forces the Suns ups to spend their MLE on a capable backup to Nash

What happened to Barbosa?



Tim Thomas is another great non-signing by the Spurs.

So now we know the Spurs didn't go after Thomas?

Link?

[Kori Ellis]

So now we know the Spurs didn't go after Thomas?

Link?

He said great non-signing. Meaning that they didn't sign him, not that they didn't go after him.

[T Park]

lol

well they could've gone after him and he turned them down.

The comment doesn't make sense.

[Kori Ellis]

lol

well they could've gone after him and he turned them down.

The comment doesn't make sense.

:lol
Yes it does. timvp is happy that the Spurs didn't sign him. Thus the comment "a great non-signing". He thinks it's great the Spurs didn't sign him.

[timvp]

lol

well they could've gone after him and he turned them down.

The comment doesn't make sense.

Whether the Spurs did or didn't go after him, it's great that they didn't get him. Tim Thomas only plays well in contract years.

[T Park]

Well I think it was a bad move, cause IMO, hes what you could use.

He played VERY VERY well against Dallas and matched up good against them.


Its like Thomas took the FIRST offer given.



timvp is happy that the Spurs didn't sign him


I apologize,

TIMVP has been on a Holt is a cheap bastard lately, so I mistook it for sarcasm.

My bad :)

[Quadzilla99]

Thomas has been considered an underachiever with a lot of potential his whole career whether people expected too much or he didn't play hard enough is up for conjecture. That's mainly why he's been on so many teams and why he got that bad contract that just expired. I wouldn't want him here on SA because of his inconsistent effort but he's not a bad player. He would have been a lot better than some of the other options discussed around here imo.

[bigdog]

Radmanovic agreed to a deal with the Lakers. its on nba.com

[Kori Ellis]

Radmanovic agreed to a deal with the Lakers. its on nba.com

Yeah, people are talking about it here.

http://spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45176

[SPARKY]

So what number is Payroll Reduction going to wear next season?

[Slinkyman]

No, I don't want Bonner starting but Radmanovic wants higher than the MLE. And he's not that good.

He's a 3-point shooter, who is a complainer, doesn't rebound or defend.

I agree i wouldn't want Radman either, i'd prefer Jeffries over him easily and he'd be cheaper but i think vlad is a decent rebounder. He pulled down 5.7 per game for the clips, not great but decent.

[baseline bum]

Tim Thomas is a scrub who could have been great. No loss for Phoenix, and I guess no loss for LA too since he sucks less than Radmanovich. WTF are the Lakers thinking? They need a PG badly, and they go out an get another SF. Are they tring to bring back their 2005 roster, or are they that desperate to move Odom? Lamar has absolutely no trade value right now.

[ducks]

you mean farmar is not the answer

Wink!

[Obstructed_View]

Obstructed View, I am honored to be on your sig. The promotion of spurology is growing. Thank you for your support
Or you could look up the proper spelling of the word "academic". Perusing the word "ironic" might be appropriate, as well.