Bulldog

Q-Rich is a very good player who has improved each year and 6 years $45 seems like good value to me. But they have Joe Johnson at the 2 spot who has also dramatically improved last year. Unless they are trading JJ Im not sure why they go for Richardson unless they seem him as the 6 man to spark the bench and he is happy with that.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/story/211680p-182328c.html Wow - this would be a coup for New York if they could get Walker and Dampier to the Knicks - that is size and versatility which they could use. and Vince to Dallas? things may be looking up there - what a wild offseason...

http://msn.foxsports.com/story/2573094 Odom is breaking out and can play 4 positions, Grant can man the middle well, Butler was rook of the year and is versatile and a pick is thrown in. Miami get the biggest contract in the league and a player who often misses chunks of the season and is in the twilight of his career. I am trying to play devil's advocate here and find fault to see the other side of the argument. If i'm Miami I make the trade as they have a young superstar in Wade anyway as well as some other pieces. Anyone think LA got the best of the deal?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?id=1836768 The Nuggets have said they will decide by Friday or Saturday if they will match the offer. Of course the Nets have 15 days from the 14th to match the offer also. But it is a bold move by the Hawks which should be applauded.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/...t-roundup_x.htm After the Cavs did not pick up the option on Carlos Boozer, Utah have reportedly offered a deal at six years and $68 million. This will be a massive loss to Cleveland who will go downhill in a big way if this happens. Utah on the other hand reportedly now have Boozer, Okur and Giricek signed up for next year and could make big progress. I did say this was a bad move and the Cavs may now wish they had just picked up the option...

Quentin Richardson has signed an offer sheet with the Phoenix Suns that will pay him between $48 and $50 million. This is the 2nd major acquisition of the summer by Phoenix who have made a strong ecisive start to the free agent signing period. They look to have Nash, Richardson/Johnson, Marion, Stoudemire and Voskuhl as their starting 5. The glaring weakness is centre and they still may have some money to go after a tough defender like Etan Thomas, Stromile Swift or Brian Skinner to plug that gap. With the continued improvement of Stoudemire this team should be making noise in the playoffs...

Has Damp signed somewhere else? I didnt think he was out of the picture... Whatever the situation though I think they overpaid. If Damp is out then Foyle gets more minutes, his points go up and he blocks a lot of shots, but his offense if very limited. EDS is right - K-Mart must be very pleased that this deal went down. His price just went up. I could see Foyle in Dallas where he wouldnt have to do anything but rebound and block shots,but Golden State need more and should have gone elsewhere - like trying to pick up K-Mart or Nene in a trade. Any way you slice it he got overpaid.

Warriors centre Adonal Foyle has just signed a five-year contract worth $41.6 million. The deal, starts at $6.5 million next season and has a team option in Year 6 for a little over $10 million. Thats some sizeable change for a guy that averaged 3.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 44 games last year on a woeful team. Yes he is 7 feet, yes he has always been a good shot blocker. But he played 13 minutes per game in his 7th year in the league and has played all 82 games only once in his career due to injuries. I think Golden State are spending their money on the wrong guy.

more than fitting a specific team need. I think the Knicks see a bargain, and a bargain that wants to play in New York. To be fair to Crawford the Bulls have not brought him on very well as they have kept moving him from the 1 to the 2 spot and have drafted guards every year in the draft, eroding his confidence. There is no doubt that Crawford has serious talent. He actually averaged similar type numbers to Steve Nash last year at 17.5ppg, 5apg, 3.5 rpg and a healthy 1.4 steals pg. He also is one of the few players to score 50 in a game. One knock is his shooting percentage, but saying all this he fots with the type of athletic player Isiah is trying to bring in. It looks like he would have to be a 6th man behind both Marbury and Houston. But if they can lock him up to a long term deal starting at only $5m, it could be a steal.

I mean I know they are getting mentioned along with Utah, Denver etc with being possible destinations for free agents, but there really is not a lot of buzz about anyone to the Hawks. Last summer Denver were a downright awful team and they managed to lure some good players and changed it around. It just does not seem like Atlanta is being as aggressive - why?

With Nash leaving I think it is a great move. $5m per could end up being cheap for this guy. At times he was sensational at the end of last year, and he covers both guard positions. I think he will start at PG next year to give Harris some time.

I think you are probably right. A 'we scratch your back if you scratch ours' arrangement. So Boozer gets more this year than he would have done and engenders the loyalty that will cause him to re-sign next year after his numbers are even more impressive. I think he fits very well onto the team anyway and is popular with the fans. It's a team on the rise and he gets to play with Lebron. So he's onto a good situation there. Still he deserves credit for making the most of it after he was underestimated coming into the league. I also think the Cavs were very clever to sign him to a 2 year deal straight from the 2nd round when they didnt have to - that must have gone a long way with Boozer.

Hmmm. Thats interesting. But I think I read somewhere that they could only offer him a max of the midlevel exception of around $5m a year. Is this right? I dont know if the Cavs are at their salary cap limit. If so, couldnt Denver offer him a 5 year $40m offer and pry him away?

A good move for Spree and the Wolves - he fits well there. Sprewell opts not to go free, stays with Wolves MINNEAPOLIS — Latrell Sprewell is staying with Minnesota, as expected, and the veteran swingman would like to finish his career with the Timberwolves. Sprewell has exercised his option to make $14.625 million this season. He had until midnight Wednesday to take that salary for 2004-05 or opt out and become a free agent. Sprewell's agent, Robert Gist, and Timberwolves vice president Kevin McHale wanted to wait until Thursday to announce the decision. Now, Gist and McHale will speak this summer about a three-year contract extension for Sprewell. That would keep him in Minnesota through 2008, when he will be 37. "Kevin wants to extend, and Latrell wants to accept," Gist said Thursday. "It's been a good team and a good place to play. And there's certainly less distractions there." Sprewell averaged 16.8 points and 3.5 assists per game last season, his first with the Wolves, and combined with league MVP Kevin Garnett and Sam Cassell to form the highest-scoring trio in the NBA. Top-seeded Minnesota advanced to the Western Conference, finals losing in six games to the Los Angeles Lakers. Sprewell averaged 19.8 points and four assists in 18 playoff games.

This is very bad news for the Mavs. No Nash...and could mean no Shaq. Their offseason just took a nose dive. But Phoenix now essentially swapped Marbury for Nash and got a ton of cap room and some picks - great dealing from Colangelo. They look good for next year with Nash, Johnson, Marion and Stoudemire. PHOENIX (AP) — Point guard Steve Nash agreed to a five-year, $65 million deal with the Phoenix Suns on Thursday, leaving the Dallas Mavericks to return to the team that drafted him eight years ago. Steve Nash's agent said the length of Phoenix's deal and the aggressiveness with which they pursued the PG is what pulled him away from Dallas. The deal includes a "partial guarantee" for a sixth year, Nash's agent Bill Duffy said. Nash shook hands on the deal with new owner Robert Sarver and Suns chairman Jerry Colangelo at a meeting in Dallas, Duffy said. NBA rules prohibit Nash from signing the deal until July 14. Teams were allowed to begin talks with free agents late Wednesday. Nash averaged 14.5 points, 8.8 assists and three rebounds per game last season, when he also recorded his first career triple-double. He will give Phoenix an experienced playmaker ahead of young Leandro Barbosa. The move almost certainly removes the Suns from the competition for Los Angeles Lakers free agent Kobe Bryant. Phoenix is $16.3 million under the NBA salary cap, not counting the Nash deal. Dallas officials said repeatedly since the season ended that they expected no problem keeping Nash, the spark plug behind their rise from one of the league's worst teams to one of the best. Along the way, the energetic, floppy haired guard became an All-Star and a fan favorite. Nash was drafted by Phoenix in 1996 and spent two seasons backing up Kevin Johnson and Jason Kidd. He was traded to Dallas on draft day in 1998, the same night the Mavs acquired Dirk Nowitzki. Those two plus holdover Michael Finley formed the heart of Dallas' turnaround. Finley and Nowitzki were given maximum contracts two summers ago. Nash, who was never offered an extension, opted out of his contract to become a free agent for the first time but maintained that he wanted to remain in Dallas. "I think everyone is optimistic that I can be a part of our building process," he said the day after the Mavericks were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round. "I certainly want to be part of that process. I don't think of this as the end of my time here." But the Suns lured Nash with money and a long-term deal. Nash will be teamed with Amare Stoudemire, the NBA rookie of the year two seasons ago who also is a client of Duffy. The Suns also have two young high scorers in Joe Johnson and Shawn Marion. The length of the contract was one of the attractions for Nash. The familiarity Nash had with the Suns franchise as well as Phoenix's aggressiveness in pursuing him also were factors, Duffy said. "They stepped up to the plate," the agent said. After the meeting, Sarver and Colangelo returned to Phoenix by private jet. Nash went back to his home in Victoria, British Columbia. Mavs owner Mark Cuban and president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson had discussed Nash's return as if it was inevitable — even after they traded Antawn Jamison to Washington for No. 5 pick Devin Harris, a point guard from Wisconsin. Harris was immediately tabbed as Nash's backup and long-term replacement. A great ballhandler with a knack for making circus-like shots around the rim, Nash has developed into more of a scorer and 3-point shooter in recent seasons. The biggest knock on Nash is durability. Coach Don Nelson always talked about limiting his minutes during the regular season to keep him fresher for the playoffs, but rarely did. Concerns that Nash's all-out style may wear him out by the end of a long-term deal may have been a factor in this move. Dallas likely wasn't willing to offer as many years as the Suns. While adding Nash takes Phoenix out of the running for Bryant, it's hard to say how this will impact the Mavericks' trade bid for Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal.

What were they thinking? the only thing I can think of is that he is now a restricted free agent this year (meaning they can match any offer) as opposed to being a free agent next year when he can walk. But still...its a big risk. Denver could offer a massive deal and leave them in a bit of a hole... CLEVELAND — Carlos Boozer's free agency should be short-lived. He isn't planning to go anywhere. Boozer's contract option for next season wasn't picked up by the Cleveland Cavaliers before Wednesday's deadline, a surprising decision by the club, which immediately makes the third-year forward a restricted free agent. Boozer, though, isn't interested in playing for any other team than the Cavaliers, who intend to sign him to a long-term deal sometime this summer. "I want to be in Cleveland," Boozer said Thursday. "I like it here. My wife and I are very, very happy here, and I want to be with the Cavaliers. Good things are happening. Now it's up to my agent and the Cavs to work things out. "I hope they will." Agent Rob Pelinka has already begun contract talks with Cavs general manager Jim Paxson. "Carlos and his wife, C.C., made it clear to me that they are very comfortable with the Cavaliers' organization, owner Gordon Gund and the direction the team is going," Pelinka said. "I'm confident that Jim and I will continue to have conversations and we'll be able to work something out." The 6-foot-9 Boozer emerged as one of the NBA's rising stars with a breakout 2003-04 season. He averaged 15.5 points and 11.4 rebounds, and along with Rookie of the Year LeBron James, helped Cleveland improve its win total from 17 to 35 in one season. Boozer was runner-up as the league's most improved player and was extended an invitation to play for the U.S. Olympic team in Athens next month. Several media outlets reported that the Cavs had exercised Boozer's option. However, the opposite occurred as the club decided not to pick up the final year of his deal — a bargain at roughly $700,000. By not exercising the option, the Cavaliers are taking a calculated risk. Another team could swoop in and offer Boozer a gigantic deal, which the Cavaliers would be able to match. But the club doesn't plan to let things get to that point. Once the NBA's moratorium period ends July 13, the Cavs will be able to offer Boozer a long-term contract.

I agree with all of what you say. T-Mac although being the scoring champ is a team player. He will distribute well and take over at times. Who else did Orlando have to score - Howard, Gooden, Giricek and Garrity were the ones who consistently gave help and they arent exactly future hall of famers... I also think Snow would be perfect. A defensive PG who can distribute and knock down the odd 3 is what they need and what Snow is. I also think it would be good if Ewing stays to help Yao's development.

You have to say that the Rockets are now title contenders. Their first 5 will look something like Guards - Mark Jackson, Tracy McGrady, Forwards - Jim Jackson, Juwan Howard, Center - Yao Ming. Thats a pretty decent starting line up. They may look at getting more of a banger type power forward to spot Howard, but I think the trade was a slam dunk for them. McGrady does share the ball - he had 5.5 assists per game from the 2 guard spot last year, and they can maybe also bring in another distributor PG like Mark Jackson (who now fits even better on this team) to come off the bench. I think Yao should be very happy. T-Mac will draw even more defenders to him giving space to Yao to do his thing. T-Mac was off his best last year, but he had carried that team with no help for too long. He now has help in a big way with Yao and I think they will be a legitimate title threat now as a result. Does anyone agree?

There has been a lot of speculation of a trade between Dallas and Cleveland with Ilgauskas ending up on the Mavs, possibly for Antoine Walker. The concensus is that he would then be moved as part of the deal for Shaq along with Nash or others. But if the Mavs found themselves with a team of Nash, Stackhouse, Nowitski, Ilgauskas, Finley, Devin Harris, Marquis Daniels, Josh Howard etc shouldnt they stand pat rather than go after the Big Fella? Z would fill their need in the middle anyway without losing too much from the team. I know Shaq is much much more dominant a player, but losing players (especially if its Dirk) would be a big blow. Couldnt they reload with Z in the middle and go from there?

I guess it was a good prediction...I think Childress and Smith were 2 good picks. Smith has a lot of upside, Childress can contribute now. I think Atlanta get a B+ - quite safe, but good picks.

Well, Nelson did drop but it was Araujo and Telfair who were the big risers - i dont think either portland or Toronto fans will be happy with taking them over some of the guys available at the time...

My bet is #6 - Josh Childress. A solid pick, he does it all can play multiple positions and can contribute straight away.

There is always one guy going much higher than expected and one that drops like Lampe... My bet - riser = Robert Swift. 7 feet of potential and hype is rising. Predicted around #15. Dallas could take a chance at #5. Dropper = Jameer Nelson. Good player. But doesnt have the potential upside of others..projected at #12 - could drop all the way to Sacramento at #26.

Wow! If that is right imagine Dirk and Shaq as a 1-2 punch -awesome inside outside play there...It may mean Nash is part of the deal though. Still Stack-Dirk-Shaq is pretty potent.

Dallas have acquired Stackhouse, Laettner and the #5 for Jamison. This must mean that they are making a run at Shaq with a deal that includes Michael Finley. My guess would be Finley + Nowitski + #5 for Shaq. Thats quite a sweet deal for the Lakers as there are only a handful of teams able to make a trade for Shaq and they get Finley at SF, Dirk at C probably and either take one of the points like Livingston or use the pick to trade down for a big like Biedrins for the future. Dallas then have Nash, Stack, Daniels, Fortson and Shaq as their 5, although that could change if they entice other free agents to play with the Diesel. Its gonna be a wild offseason.