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Why is he even meeting with SA and Phoenix? He will be in Miami, they can pay him twice as much...this is ludicrous.
Updated: Aug. 24, 2005, 12:25 AM ET
No quick decision expected from FinleyBy Marc Stein
ESPN.com
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Ric Bucher will be shocked if Finley doesn't sign with the Heat
Face-to-face negotiations are under way in the Michael Finley sweepstakes, but no signing commitment is expected from the in-demand former All-Star before next week at the earliest.
Sources close to the process told ESPN.com that Finley and agent Henry Thomas have invited the leading suitors to Chicago for sitdowns in Finley's hometown as opposed to launching into a series of recruiting trips. The process, sources said, will last at least through the weekend.
The Miami Heat's Pat Riley and Stan Van Gundy were the first to visit Finley, on Monday. The Phoenix Suns sent a six-man delegation Tuesday -- including star forwards Amare Stoudamire and Shawn Marion -- and the San Antonio Spurs are meeting with Finley on Thursday.
The Detroit Pistons, believing they weren't high enough on Finley's list to wait on a maybe, passed on their Chicago invite after committing to sign Dale Davis. But Finley, sources said, remains intent on taking the rest of this week to soak in the pitches from the three le contenders -- and perhaps a fourth visit from the Minnesota Timberwolves -- to complete a deliberate evaluation of his options. The 10-year veteran was waived by the Dallas Mavericks late last Monday and became an unrestricted free agent after clearing waivers Thursday.
Riley, Minnesota star Kevin Garnett, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and ex-Dallas teammate Steve Nash are among the luminaries who have personally reached out to Finley by phone since he was released.
Suns coach Mike D'Antoni, meanwhile, enjoyed an unexpected head start in the lobbying process late last week when he and Finley were guests at the Phoenix wedding of Mavericks athletic trainer Casey Smith, a former Suns employee.
Various league executives have maintained for weeks that Miami is the heavy favorite to land Finley, with the Heat able to offer a full mid-level exception of $5 million next season and the lure of playing alongside Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade, who's also represented by Thomas. Finley, furthermore, is quite familiar with Van Gundy, having played for him at Wisconsin.
Yet, sources insist that Finley has not yet established a favorite. Intensely private throughout his eight-plus seasons in Dallas, Finley has been typically tight-lipped about his future, telling reporters at Nash's July 29 charity game that he wasn't ready to discuss the prospect of free agency and declining interview requests since being waived by the Mavericks.
Thomas, though, did confirm last week that Finley is "most interested" in joining a team with championship potential.
Of the four teams that best fit that description, only Miami can offer a starting salary of $5 million now that Detroit has committed a good chunk of its mid-level exception to Davis.
San Antonio and Phoenix are the other two teams, but going to either of the Mavericks' Western Conference rivals will require Finley to make a financial sacrifice. The Spurs are limited to offering a starting salary of just over $2.5 million, and Phoenix can't pitch anything more than the veteran minimum of $1.1 million for the 2005-06 campaign.
The Mavericks tried for weeks to trade Finley to an Eastern Conference team before waiving him in hopes of keeping the swingman away from the Spurs or Suns. Reports persist that Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was prepared to offer Finley a restructured payment schedule on the nearly $52 million left on Finley's contract to help persuade him to go East, but NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com that no such deal was struck.
The presence of San Antonio and Phoenix on Finley's list of finalists indeed suggests no such arrangement exists. A "spread provision" in Finley's Dallas contract stipulates that, upon being waived, his remaining salary will be paid in annual installments of less than $5 million.
Marc Stein is the senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. To e-mail him, click here. Also, click here to send a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.
Why is he even meeting with SA and Phoenix? He will be in Miami, they can pay him twice as much...this is ludicrous.
Maybe you have answered your own question. There are people for whom it's not all about the money, bling-bling, or fame. Finley is getting up there and with $50M due him already, a mill or two extra may not mean as much as the chance to get a ring. There are a LOT of questions as to whether all the egos already in MIA can mesh.
Seriously...I think the media may be overhyping all the Finley news to make it seem as if he's indecisive about his decision.
This bull reminds me of the same crap Kobe pulled last summer when he had all those suck asses beating down his door and beating him off with their pitch to get him to sign with their teams. When all along we all knew he was going to resign with the Lakers. So it goes with Finley---we all know he is going to sign with Miami. So why is he even wasting the time of these other teams and making their GM's/coaches/players grovel like little es begging him to sign with their team? I guess these insecure players like Kobe and Finley enjoy the attention and perceived power they command. This jerk should be begging us to let him play with our team. I hope this "stacked" Miami team falters like that stacked Laker team three years ago. I would love to face Shasqueal and Finley in the Finals and beat their asses badly.
That is true, but he might think the Miami is the best team for him to play the most minutes and they have the 2nd best chance to win it all according to Vegas.
But then again, if he plays with SA, he can personally help stick it to Cuban's Mavs four times a year instead of two times a year and have the chance to help eliminate Dallas in the playoffs.
A contending team is a contending team. You have Shaq--3 Time Finals MVP and a the fastest rising star behind Lebron James in Dwane Wade. They have just as good a chance as winning next season as the Spurs...why wouldn't he take the extra $2.5 mill more? Plus, he has the best chance of being a starter if he goes there.
Well, saying they can pay him twice as much would make sense if it was like 10 and 20 million (10 million difference), but in the whole scheme of things, they can only offer 2.5 more million. Finley is set, hes gonna make like 5 million a year for the next 10 years from Dallas. Its not going to be about money.
Calm down, the season is still months away. Pace yourself man.
Stop copying my posts.
Its not about the money its about who can give him a ring, he will still be getting paid his money from Dallas, he can sign for cheap anywhere and still be happy.
didn't we just have this same thread like yesteray or the day before?
Well, the only teams that have a chance for the ring is SA and Indy, because those two will be in Finals.
No, thios was in ESPN, TODAY...this is the latest info on the courting(no pun intended) of Billy Ocean...er....Michael Finley.
On paper, yes. But Kori pulled a very good point out of her little bag of editorial tricks...
Suddenly, that $0.8 million doesn't seem like that big of a difference for a guy who's already got a stacked bank account, and stands to add $50M to it over the next 20 years. Especially if he really wants a championship.
I see this one ending up as a tug-of-war between Miami and San Antonio. The money isn't that radically different. Both offer him the most reasonable shots at a ring. So what it's probably going to come down to is the role he is going to play.
Here, he'll be fighting for playing time. There, he'll be fighting for shots.
Or he can go to Phoenix and be a star for the Bizarro Mavericks, and stay used to the early vacation.
Actually it's Heat or Spurs Jimbo.
well that new article in ESPN today doesn't look any different then the article they had yesterday or the day before once you read thru it.
Because nothing has changed since then because Finley is an indecisive, lazy-ass procrastinator!
"Suddenly, that $0.8 million doesn't seem like that big of a difference"
.. which $000.8M is that?
I bet anything, all things equal ($$, ring chance), Finley's got "starter" tatooed on his brain, and he'll have to fight to start in SA, but starting is much more probable in MIA.
The other problem Fin might have with SA is he knows we won't play at at all if Pop doesn't think his D is good enough. He may think his dog is too old (and too rich) to learn such new tricks.
I read this line as something too dirty for a lady to admit.
i don't think the money is the damn problem... he's gonna get that max contract salary of his no matter what!
If i was him sign with the spurs, has a better chance of winin a ring, even if he doesnt at least they dont point the finger at him as a jinx like a certain quad in fakerland in 2004.
He's obviously not sure about Miami. He's got the right to take his time. The damn media got nothing better to talk about.
So what exactly is the holdup?
If by all means and purposes, logic suggests he choose the Heat. So if I am Finley, what is keeping me from going there? The Beach, play with Shaq, more $$, more playing time, possible ring. What else is there?
I just don't understand.
I think he does just want to courted like Kobe and then eventually end up with the Heat.
If he does and doesn't give us a decent explanation why he kept jerking us around - I will def have a different outlook on Finley. He's starting to get on my nerves
I hear you, but also what's the rush?
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