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3rd string for the pacers. ouch.
http://espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/p...103/daily-dime
NEW YORK -- T.J. Ford is on the trading block, which is and isn't news.
It might be news to those of you hanging onto him in fantasy leagues clinging to the hope that he'll soon get his starting job back from Earl Watson, but it isn't news to anyone in an NBA front office.
The Pacers have been trying to trade Ford for "years," an NBA source told ESPN.com Sunday night as Ford sat out the entire 48 minutes as Indiana was steamrolled 132-89 by the New York Knicks. "Not weeks. Not months. Years," the source said.
Ford, the eighth overall pick of the 2003 draft, was demoted from starter to third-stringer, behind rookie A.J. Price, prior to Indiana's victory Saturday over the Minnesota Timberwolves, his pecking order status now having dropped to just above the doghouse level occupied for all of last season in Indiana by Jamaal Tinsley.
It is a far, far fall for a player who started 25 of Indiana's first 30 games, a fall that appears will remain permanent barring an injury to Watson or Price. The source cited above said Indiana has practically given up hope of trying to trade Ford, who is making $8.5 million and has a player option worth another $8.5 million for next season that he is so certain to exercise that we'll go ahead at this early date and name him to the starting five on the 2010-11 dead money team.
Chances are, it'll be money that will still be on Indiana's cap a year from now, when "expiring contract" will be required to always appear in the same sentence with the words "T.J." and "Ford."
Because unlike two weeks ago when O'Brien switched Ford for Watson as the starter but then changed his mind a few games later (the huge difference in their plus-minus ratios was a major factor), this time the move sounds permanent.
"He responded like the man I know he is," Pacers coach Jim O'Brien said of Ford, who has now lost jobs or been given up on by Milwaukee, Toronto and Indiana over the five-plus seasons since he was named NCAA Player of the Year at Texas in 2003. "He said 'Coach, I'll do whatever. You've got to make the decision, and I'll do whatever I need to do to make this a better basketball team. I have the ultimate respect for him, and I really like T.J. a lot, but sometimes you have to make decisions that impact people you like.
Watson played well Saturday but certainly didn't bring much Sunday on the tail end of Indiana's back-to-back, committing three turnovers in the first three minutes of the game and finishing with just a single assist (Price also had only one assist, and center Roy Hibbert led Indiana with seven dimes) as the Pacers fell behind by as many as 48 in their 43-point drubbing by the Knicks.
So as much as this move seems to be about Watson being a more solid performer (not counting Sunday) than Ford was this season, it's also about seeing what they can get out of the rookie from Connecticut who was a part of the epic six-overtime classic between UConn and Johnny Flynn's Syracuse team at Madison Square Garden two years ago.
Price played 22 minutes, shot 5-for-11 (including 0-for-3 on 3s), scored 11 points and turned the ball over only once. The biggest move for Ford was removing his headband midway through the game, most of which he spent conversing on the end of the bench with (injured) teammate Troy Murphy.
"T.J is struggling in some areas, we're not spacing the court with him, he's only made one 3-pointer (in 28 attempts), and Earl, just in my mind, is the best option at the starting position," O'Brien said. "My job is to win basketball games now and build young guys, and I can't build a young guy like A.J. Price having him sit on the bench and watch. It's not like we're a .500 basketball team. We have some key guys hurt, Earl is on a one-year contract, and it's a time to see what A.J. can give us because we have to know by the end of the season exactly who A.J. Price is, how solid he is as an NBA guard."
So for the remainder of this season -- unless Indiana can find the taker for Ford they've been seeking for years -- A.J. is going to be a more valuable commodity for Indiana (and for those with Ford on their fantasy rosters) than T.J. will be.
Anybody need a point guard? I use to like him and perhaps it's the system that makes him look lousy. The Lakers do need a PG but at 8.5 mil he is not it.
3rd string for the pacers. ouch.
Ford wouldn't fit with the Lakers anyways..
Nate Robinson could very well be better.
Salary 2010: $8,500,000
LOL. OUCH
There is no way they can move him with that salary unless they gift wrap him with some good talent and multiple draft picks.
worst front office of the decade anyone?
Nope. That arguably belongs to the Bulls. The Pacers got into some problems during mid decade with Ron Artest and crew. The Bulls had a lot of high picks and couldn't come up with any all-star players. The Baby Bulls in early decade failed and the current squad is about to fail soon.
What's the story with ford? Did he never recover from his initial injury? Or does he just suck for NBA ball? I never heard much about him since he left Texas.
Ben Gordon is gone, poor management led to him not resigning on the Bulls. LOL Ben Gordon future all-star.
I know. Still sucking like usual, right?
The Bulls management signed Ben Wallace to some humungous contract. They also had Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler on the same team, played like dog crap. You talking playoffs? The Bulls might not even make it this year. Derrick Rose is a fluke. The Bulls from the projected 9th pick to the 1st is a new high. Lucky bas s.
Asshat. I was talking about the draft lottery. This fluke saved your GM a freaking job.
What's the difference? Oh, he got fired after the playoffs. No big deal. And the Bulls still suck.
knicks worst FO of the decade , not close
8,500,000???!
Larry should have been fired a while ago. He is horrible at his current job.
hey that's isiah's fault.
blame it on zeke, not the FO
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