Reply With Quote
Thank God.
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.
Related Links
Today's Top Stories
Sports
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
Thank God.
Thomas not returning to Phoenix
Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 1, 2006 02:18 PM
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns...thomas-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.
This means that the Clippers won't keep Radmanovic.
I hope the Spurs don't go after him.
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.
WTF clipps spening money?
I guess they are enjoying being the best team in LA
The Clips are closer to a championship than Phoenix if they can keep Sam.
opps only the MLE when i read twice the amount i was thinking bigger
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.
Radmanovic may be the best option, i mean would you want Bonner starting?
My how times have changed. PHX misses out on a "slam dunk" and LAC is no longer the first three letters of LACK.
Good news. Hopefully Nash starts to age as well than it is Dallas's year next year.
so does this mean suns won't try as hard to move marion?
because the suns were standing in the mavs way this season?
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.
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.
Like Livingston, if he can stay healthy, won't be better than any PG the Mavs put on the floor.
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.
This was soposed to be the "mavs season" with all that bull you got away with and it ed you over in the end. You were a fluke making the finals and choked away your best shot at a le. 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 le 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).
Phoenix can survive his departure. That's why they lowballed him.
Tim Thomas is another great non-signing by the Spurs.
One of the best.
Obstructed View, I am honored to be on your sig. The promotion of spurology is growing. Thank you for your support
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
