About damn time.
Edit: Sorry, this probably belonged in the Maggette thread. Please move if it needs to be.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b....14978daf.html
Pro basketball: Spurs plan to make offer for Maggette
By Jeff McDonald and Mike Monroe
Two seasons after the Spurs unsuccessfully tried to trade for Corey Maggette, they appear to be trying to recruit him.
According to two NBA sources, one in the Western Conference and one in the East, the Spurs are preparing to make an offer to Maggette, who became an unrestricted free agent Tuesday when he opted out of the final year of his contract with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Details of the proposal are not known, but the Spurs are believed to be poised to offer the 28-year-old guard their full mid-level exception worth about $5.8 million for the first year, the sources say.
Spurs general manger R.C. Buford declined to comment on negotiations with any particular free agent.
A 6-foot-6 slasher, Maggette would seem to satisfy the Spurs’ annual search for a young, athletic scorer on the wing. He has averaged 16.1 points during a nine-year NBA career, including 22.1 per game last season.
News of Maggette’s courtship came hours after Brent Barry informed the Spurs he had decided to opt out of his contract, making the veteran guard an unrestricted free agent for the second time in six months.
In an odd bit of coincidence, Barry was part of a failed deal with the Clippers in January of 2007 that would have brought Maggette to San Antonio. In another coincidence, Barry and Maggette share the same agent, Arn Tellem.
It is presumed Barry’s latest list of could-be suitors will look a lot like the one he mulled back in February, after a flurry of transactions saw him traded to Seattle and waived in the span of a few hours.
Barry eventually wound up re-signing with the Spurs then, shunning inquiries from Houston, Phoenix, Dallas and Boston. There is a chance he could end up with the Spurs again — although that could hinge on what happens with Maggette, since the two essentially play the same position.
The Rockets were among the first this week to contact Barry, who turned down $1.262 million of the Spurs’ money to test the free-agent market. Reportedly, the Rockets have offered the 36-year-old guard their $1.9 million bi-annual exception to move east down Interstate 10.
Jacque Vaughn, the only other Spurs player with the right to opt out of his contract this summer, has decided to return to San Antonio for the final year of his deal. Vaughn, a backup point guard who could see some of his minutes challenged by first-round pick George Hill, is scheduled to make $1.262 million next season.
Under NBA rules, teams cannot sign free agents until July 9. Between now and then, the Spurs could have some compe ion for Maggette’s services.
The Orlando Sentinel, citing an unidentified friend of Maggette’s, reported earlier this week that the guard was encouraging the Magic to join the bidding for him.
Maggette played for the Magic during his rookie season of 1999-2000, and his parents still live in Central Florida. Like the Spurs, Orlando can offer Maggette — who turned down $7 million from the Clippers — its mid-level exception as a starting point.
Barry’s latest turn on the free-agent Tilt-A-Whirl comes after one of the most head-spinning seasons of his professional career.
The first two months of Barry’s fourth season in San Antonio were among the most productive of his Spurs’ tenure. He averaged 7.3 points and shot a team-best 43-percent from beyond the 3-point arc over his first 29 games.
A calf injury in December all but derailed his promising campaign. He was still shelved in February, when the Spurs dealt him and Francisco Elson to Seattle in exchange for Kurt Thomas.
The Sonics quickly cut Barry, kicking off a month-long courtship that eventually ended with Barry right back where he started. Still recovering from the calf injury, Barry played sparingly for the Spurs until the posteason.
He was most active during the club’s Western Conference Finals ouster against the Los Angeles Lakers. He scored a season-high 23 points in the Spurs’ Game 4 loss, which ended in a controversial non-foul call that would have sent Barry to the foul line with a chance to tie the game.
Last edited by duncan228; 07-01-2008 at 11:50 PM.
No new news other than the Spurs are hoping he signs with em.
Yeah, cautious optimism.
I like others, still don't think hes coming, due to Orlando wanting him.
Perhaps combined they can put together an insightful article.
It took two guys to write this?
After all the buzz, it sure will be disappointing if he doesn't sign here now.
We're still waiting...
Excuse for News Spurstalk.com redux #428,102.
Yeah seems like a pipe dream...but since barry and maggette have same agent, maybe barry knows something is gonna happen so he opt'd out to look for greener pastures. I dont know why orlando wouldnt offer him the MLE except for they are near the tax threashold and may not wanna pay dollar for dollar tax.
Yeah they pulled a Buck Harvey.
according to draftexpress's agent/player listings, they don't have the same agent.In another coincidence, Barry and Maggette share the same agent, Arn Tellem.
According to DX:
Barry is with Arn Tellem of the Wasserman Media Group.
while Maggette is with Rob Pelinka of the Landmark Sports Agency.
http://www.draftexpress.com/agents/A...nt-NBA/Player/
Or with the same agent, this was planned.That is, Barry opts out; Maggette signs for MLE; Barry resigns for more than the $1.2m he was going to get this yr.
, any one of us could write a better article then these guys, and they tried to do it COMBINED.
and in case DX's word wasn't good enough . . .
Landmark Sports Agency still has Maggette listed as a client on their site.
And Pelinka was mentioned as the agent shared by Maggette and Eric Gordon in the LA Times 5 days ago.
This isn't the first time a sloppy, easily researched falsehood has appeared in a Monroe/McDonald article.
corey is the man, like him
With Smith already receiving a qualifying offer from the Nuggets, Maggette is the best swingman out there. His decision will dictate the rest of the SF/SG market. Let's keep Pietrus in the back pocket for now.
Just because he recieved a qualifying offer, doesn't take him off the table one bit.
True dat. Frankly, with Denver's cap situation, I'm surprised they were willing and able to offer up anything.
It was a formality to give them the right to match any offer.
Even if they have no intention of paying him the MLE, it makes teams have to think twice if they're thinking of calling a bluff.
I would still rather have JR for the long-term, but Mags would be beyond a welcomed surprise...
If Maggette decides not to sign with us then I hope he does so quickly so we can move on to JR Smith or someone else and not waste all our time chasing Maggette...
Can anybody tell me, if we let Horry and Barry go..could we use their salary cap space to add to Magette just in case Orlando suddenly throw all of their MLE?? I think we also got LLE from Beno trade..... Because if its true than salary of Horry alone and LLE could put us way ahead than Orlando because all they can offer is MLE. Somebody with more knowledge please let me know....
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