Tuesday Insider

[Weez]

Allen will let Sonics decide his fate

By Terry Brown

NBA Insider

Tuesday, October 7

Updated: October 7

12:09 PM ET

To be a Sonic, or not to be a Sonic. That is the question for Ray Allen.

"There is a direction that is going to be taken with this team or with other teams, and things are going to start to open up," Allen said in the Tacoma News Tribune. "What is going to happen is, I have to start to think about what is going to happen in terms of, am I here or am I not here? And that is something you don't want to have to do.

"I don't ever want to deal with what Jason Kidd dealt with in New Jersey because you can't focus on your team. That takes a lot away from you. In fairness to my side, if the team takes care of what they have to do. ..."

Allen

As it stands now, Allen has two years left on his current deal that will pay him $28.1 million. If he were to sign an extension this season, the maximum he could get would be a five-year deal worth about $100 million. If he were to sign an extension next season, he could get a six-year deal worth about $126 million.

"My contract is right in front of us right now," Allen said. "At this stage right now we have to start some conversations . . . I am not in a rush to do it at this point, we have this whole year. It has got to be something that has to mutually come to the forefront. They know it has to be done, and I am not thinking about it, but I know it is looming on the horizon."

Allen is 28. Either package would very likely make him a Sonic for the rest of his career. And, if you're wondering, here's what he's done in less than one season with them already (with last year's salaries in parenthesis).

Ray Allen ($12.3 million)

Last year in Seattle: 24.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 5.9 apg, 1.6 spg, 44 percent shooting from the field, 92 percent shooting from the line and 2.7 triples per game.

Compare those numbers to other shooting guards in the league last year.

Kobe Bryant ($12.3 million)

Last year: 30 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 5.9 apg, 2.2 spg, 45 percent shooting from the field, 84 percent from the line and 1.5 triples per game.

Allen Iverson ($12.3 million)

Last year: 27.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 5.5 apg, 2.7 spg, 41 percent from field, 77 percent from the line and one triple per game.

Allan Houston ($14.3 million)

Last year: 22.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.7 apg, 0.6 spg, 44 percent from the field, 91 percent from the line and 2.1 triples per game.

Recently, Iverson signed an extension that would, if played out, make him the longest tenured Sixer in that franchise's history. Mike Miller, shooting guard for the Memphis Grizzlies, also signed an extension believed to be a six-year, $48 million deal after being traded to the team mid-season as was Allen.

Mike Miller ($2.6 million)

Last year in Memphis: 15.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.6 apg, 0.6 spg, 43 percent from the field, 84 percent from the line and 1.3 triples per game.

For the Sonics, they won only 40 games last season, missed the playoffs and are most likely looking at another year of financial loss. They paid out $53.1 million in player salary last year, which placed them 16th in the league, right behind the Pacers, who won 48 games, but ahead of the Spurs, who won 60 games and the NBA title.

"You kind of put the ball in their court," Allen, who also acts as his won agent, said. "They are the ones who have to put their best foot forward because at the end of the day, I am either going to be here or I can walk. I can always decide I am taking that or I can become a free agent. Right now, I am not going anywhere.

"I think it is the good faith in this team and what direction are we going to move in and are we trying to win a championship? When I discussed this with (Buck owner Herb Kohl), it wasn't a painstaking process at all. We mutually agreed what was going to be paid, plain and simple. It turns into a nasty business when you feel like you want to nickel and dime. I just want to be dealt with straightforwardly. I am smart enough to know what is going on, I know the (collective bargaining agreement), I know what other players are being paid. Financially, I am set for the rest of my life, so I am not worried about that. It is going in and taking care of what I have to take care of."

Mutombo to the Knicks?

The New York Post is reporting that the New York Knicks are on the verge of not only adding Dikembe Mutombo to their roster, but also Nick Van Exel.

Mutombo

Mutombo, who is expected to clear waivers 48 hours after the Nets officially release him, is expected, says the paper, to sign a two-year deal with the Knicks for about $9 million. This would then allow the team give up post player Kurt Thomas, along with Charlie Ward, to the Warriors in exchange for Nick Van Exel, who has a $2 million buyout clause in his contract and has publicly announced that he would like to play for the Knicks.

Thomas responded to the speculation in the New York Daily News: "I didn't work hard to give someone my starter's job," he said. "I'm not even concerned with that until the deal goes down. It's not even worth commenting on. Until then, I've just got to focus on the guys that are here."

Recently, Mutombo has said that he would like to return to play in Philadelphia but the Sixers are believed to have offered him only $1 million per season.

"It will play itself out in the next couple of days," Sixer general manager Billy King said in the Philadelphia Inquirer. "If I were a betting man, I think he'll wind up north of Philadelphia."

The Dallas Mavericks, who still have their full $4.9 million exception, are also interested in Mutombo but appear unlikely to make the necessary financial commitment to get him.

"There's been communication with his agent, but from a family standpoint it appears staying out East is his priority," team president Donnie Nelson said in the Ft. Worth Star Telegram.

Rice running out of options

In the last week or so, Glen Rice, a former all-star and NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, has been traded from the Houston Rockets to the Utah Jazz and then waived by Utah, which made him a free agent.

The Los Angeles Times is now reporting that Rice worked out for the Clippers Sunday night and the team is likely to sign him to the veteran's minimum once he officially clears waivers.

Rice, one of the Top 50 scorers in NBA history, is 36 years old and has a history of leg injuries.

Peep Show

By Terry Brown

NBA Insider

Tuesday, October 7

Updated: October 7

8:46 AM ET

Minnesota Timberwolves: Kevin Garnett not only likes having Mark "Mad Dog" Madsen on his team, he's already taken to calling him by his new "Red Bull" nickname. "I like him like that," KG said in the Star Tribune. "Because you start to think that it's playoffs, y'know? Did you see him in that drill today? He was getting into it with everybody. I like that. It's intense, but I'm intense, too. It's about time we got somebody just as passionate as me."

Battie

Boston Celtics: The demise of Tony Battie's right knee has been greatly exaggerated. "I couldn't sleep last night just thinking about it," Battie said to the Boston Herald, "but after the reassurance from the doctor that everything looked well, I was all right." Battie hurt his knee last year and required surgery. He had a restless night worrying and I had a restless night worrying, and it's as good a news as we could have gotten,'' coach Jim O'Brien said.

"It was good news. There's no tear. There's no really bad stuff happening. They should be able to get him back onto the court in very quick order. They're going to get the swelling in his knee down with just some therapy.''

Indiana Pacers: Don't tell Isiah Thomas, but Austin Croshere isn't really missing him since Rick Carlisle took over for him. "It's a great offense and I'm having a good time with it," Croshere said in the Indianapolis Star. "We move the ball a lot. There's a lot of misdirection. Anytime you have two good post players in Jermaine (O'Neal) and Al (Harrington), you can space the floor. That's going to help a lot."

Crawford

Chicago Bulls: Jamal Crawford no longer has a heralded "franchise savior" playing ahead of him, a knee injury or a coach looking over his shoulder. For the first time in his career, he is the starting point guard for the Bulls during training camp. "I just feel totally different," Crawford said to the Chicago Tribune. "I'm more at ease. I'm concentrating on my own game, getting better and getting this team to the playoffs."

Madsen brings dogged styled to Timberwolves

Steve Aschburner / Minneapolis Star Tribune

Worry over Battie's knee needless

Steve Bulpett / Boston Herald

Croshere having fun on floor

Mark Montieth / Indianapolis Star

Bulls' Crawford has manner of a man

K.C. Johnson / Chicago Tribune

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