* Offiical NBA Off-Season Thread: I'll give one of my damn kidney's for these Melo rumors to stop *

[T0INE]

Originally Posted by h3at23

We have A NEW ESPN frontrunner?:

chadfordinsider
 
 
Source says Nets' meeting with LeBron was "tremendous". How tremendous? "Front runner tremendous" http://es.pn/9Iv9fn


Pathetic, ESPN is

*Sighs*

It's only going to get worse h3at, as these ESPN experts clamor to one up each other for "breaking news".

These free agents cashing in already.

Darko - $20 mil, Gooden - $32, Gay - $80 mil.

 

[T0INE]

Originally Posted by h3at23

We have A NEW ESPN frontrunner?:

chadfordinsider
 
 
Source says Nets' meeting with LeBron was "tremendous". How tremendous? "Front runner tremendous" http://es.pn/9Iv9fn


Pathetic, ESPN is

*Sighs*

It's only going to get worse h3at, as these ESPN experts clamor to one up each other for "breaking news".

These free agents cashing in already.

Darko - $20 mil, Gooden - $32, Gay - $80 mil.

 

[nicedudewithnicedreams]

Originally Posted by FRANCHISE 55

IMO, Rudy Gay's contract is up there with Rashard Lewis' as one of the worst contracts in the league.

Pretty good comparison. Rashard's contract only gets worse too. But Gay can prove us wrong and play like a franchise max player since he's still young. We will see.  

 

[TheGift23]

I admire the NBA because every year people overpay and people NEVER learn.

 

[franchise 55]

Originally Posted by nicedudewithnicedreams

Originally Posted by FRANCHISE 55

IMO, Rudy Gay's contract is up there with Rashard Lewis' as one of the worst contracts in the league.

Pretty good comparison. Rashard's contract only gets worse too. But Gay can prove us wrong and play like a franchise max player since he's still young. We will see.  

I agree that Gay could improve, but he hasn't improved that much since his second year in the league.

 

[Retroballer]

of course the nets are front runners, they went first

 

[Retroballer]

Originally Posted by Steve Cash

Originally Posted by h3at23

chrisbosh
  
About to head in the first meeting. Looking forward to seeing what Miami has to offer. #staytuned

whys he acting like he doesnt know what they got to offer. Hes signing there to play with Wade unless he doesnt plan on ever accomplishing anything in his NBA career.

Wade and Who though? thats what they have to convince him about, who they will the roster with.

 

[nicedudewithnicedreams]

Originally Posted by FRANCHISE 55

Originally Posted by nicedudewithnicedreams

Originally Posted by FRANCHISE 55

IMO, Rudy Gay's contract is up there with Rashard Lewis' as one of the worst contracts in the league.

Pretty good comparison. Rashard's contract only gets worse too. But Gay can prove us wrong and play like a franchise max player since he's still young. We will see.  

I agree that Gay could improve, but he hasn't improved that much since his second year in the league.

Yup. Didn't want to sound like a Gay hater.

 

[Retroballer]

So if LeBron goes to New jersey, Jay-Z will launch him his own clothing line and fragrance

 

[scott frost]

You mean, Gay basher?

 

[h3at23]

STEIN_LINE_HQ
  
Lakers just announced that mega free agent Phil Jackson will be back next season

 

[seymore cake]

[h1] [/h1]

Ball Don't Lie

Thu Jul 01 09:30am PDT
[h2]Joe Johnson to sign a ridiculous deal with the Atlanta Hawks[/h2]
By Kelly Dwyer

It's never a good sign when, a full week before a player is set to put pen to paper to ink his most recent contract, that a good portion of the NBA community regards that contract as the worst it has ever seen.

Not the worst trade, nor the worst draft selection. And we're not talking about considering Joe Johnson's(notes) new contract with the Atlanta Hawks (as first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski) as the worst contract we've ever seen a few years into the deal, or a few years after it expires in retrospect.

We're feeling this way, right now. On July 1, seven days before he even gets to sign the deal. Worst contract, ever.

It's that bad. Six years, and $119 million dollars for a player regarded as a second option at best on a great team. At best. Johnson will be 29 years of age to start this contract, 35 to end it, so Atlanta will get his one peak season (unless last year's run of over 21 points and a combined 9.5 rebounds/assists was the best we've seen), and then the downfall.

At about $20 million a year.
http://
Bear in mind that Johnson achieved those stats by absolutely dominating the ball for the Hawks. Just owning it, for large stretches, forcing either a potential score or a potential assist to be added to his ledger just about every other time down court. All while playing huge minutes, 38 per game in fact; which was actually the lowest mark we've seen from Johnson since his second year in the league.

[Photos: See Joe Johnson's moves on the court]

It's just an astonishing deal, on so many levels. A good part of me thinks that — because his stats are so inflated by his ball dominance and big minutes — that Johnson will be worth about half of his yearly salary next year (next year!), so imagine how far he'll taper off by 2016? Johnson isn't the most athletic player we've seen, he isn't tricky enough with the ball to get to the line much (a shocking 3.5 free-throw attempts per game, criminal for someone who has the ball so much, and for so long), and this isn't someone who will age well.

On top of that, didn't we watch him age quite considerably in the playoffs last season? Johnson averaged 11.8 points per game in the second round, shooting a terrifying 29.5 percent along the way. He seemed nonplussed as ever as his Hawks fell out of the second round again, and for the second time in five years, he's chosen big offseason money over a chance at a championship.

The Hawks? They're the big boys, here. They're supposed to be smarter than this, and in spite of all the talk about how this team had no choice but to stick with the status quo and see what happened? Bollocks.

This man could be nearly half of your salary cap in a few years. We have no idea how the new collective bargaining agreement will shake out, but even under the ridiculous payroll runs of the last six or seven years, handing nearly $120 million to a 29-year-old who has yet to do anything more meaningful than dribble a lot and shoot a lot and look real tired in January? It boggles the mind.

Yes, you're backed into a corner, and you can't afford to let your best offensive player go without any proper sign-and-trade compensation. I understand that, but signing above what you originally hoped to pay only goes so far. There has to be a cutoff price, at some point, and paying Joe Johnson around $20 million in 2015-16 has to be that point. Hell, paying Joe Johnson $20 million in 2011-12 has to be that point.

This is just an absurd contract that, even if the Hawks ownership is banking on selling the team midway through Johnson's deal as has been rumored, cannot be justified or argued-for in any meaningful way.

There's just no way around it. Joe is a nice player who might get to shoot himself into yet another All-Star berth next season. If he's lucky, the year after that, even. Give it to him. Let the Hawks roll to the second round again, earning the ownership a few more gate receipts as they take yet another first-round series to seven games.

Doesn't matter. As it stands, this is the worst free-agent contract I have ever seen. Roll over Eddy Curry(notes), tell Jim McIlvaine the news.


LINK

 

[the wizard]

question, I know that the Grizz are worried about Rudy Gay getting a frontloaded contract upwards of 20 mil, but who the %$%$ was going to spend 20 mil on him? The Knicks nor Nets were going to, neither were the Bulls or Heat. The Grizz just went and outbidded themselves.

 

[Renaldo Balkman]

Originally Posted by nicedudewithnicedreams

Originally Posted by FRANCHISE 55

Originally Posted by nicedudewithnicedreams

Originally Posted by FRANCHISE 55

IMO, Rudy Gay's contract is up there with Rashard Lewis' as one of the worst contracts in the league.

Pretty good comparison. Rashard's contract only gets worse too. But Gay can prove us wrong and play like a franchise max player since he's still young. We will see.  

I agree that Gay could improve, but he hasn't improved that much since his second year in the league.

Yup. Didn't want to sound like a Gay hater.

 

[melovp]

Hawks/Grizzlies playing themselves.

Surprised Riles is still pressing his 3-max idea..LeBron is not a conformist, he's gonna do whatever the f he wants

 

[antoekneeo]

Joe just taking advantage of Atlanta's stupidity. He better put pen to paper ASAP.

 

[licensed to ball]

Originally Posted by h3at23

STEIN_LINE_HQ
  
Lakers just announced that mega free agent Phil Jackson will be back next season

YES!!!! Best Tweet Of The Day

 

[venom lyrix]

To me LeBron has to see it like this. Right now his best option to go play is either with the Knicks or the Nets because of the pieces already in place. All these other teams have nothing to help LeBron even if they sign a Bosh to go with him.

The Knicks already have Gallinari, Chandler, Rautins, Douglas, but you need to see how this really helps LeBron. Gallinari and Rautins are great shooters and Chandler plays the wing well...thats huge. Add a LeBron and Bosh and you have a hell of a team.

The Nets have Harris, Lopez, Favors, and once you add LeBron, and whoever + Jay-Z and the mad Russian it really makes a lot of sense. I think people are really over blowing this whole "play in Newark for 2 years thing." In 2 years he will be in Brooklyn and run the entire tri state.

Miami has 2 players under contract, Beasley and Chalmers...how the hell will that work with Wade and others...it doesn't make sense financially even if you get 3 big players and fill in the rest of the team with Vets taking the min.

Chicago will have to dump Deng or Noah and then all you have is scrubs and Rose who needs the ball to make things happen. It doesn't make sense once again.

 

[div1lbc]

Why is Joe Johnson getting a lot of hate? Yes, he is going to be overpaid but it seems like every player is being overpaid anyway. Plus, he's helped turn the Hawks around and turn them into winners.

 

[i nasmatic i]

This isn't even close to Rashard's deal considering Rashard was already 28 at the time and Rudy is 23.

Rudy's is right there with Andre Iguodala though. Doesn't deserve max money but he is young, the team's best player and they can't afford to lose him.

 

[frenchblue23]

[h2]Chris Paul Nearly Dealt To Blazers Last Week[/h2]
Jul 01, 2010 4:42 PM EST

The Trail Blazers were close to acquiring point guard Chris Paul from the Hornets last week, a source told ESPN.com's Chad Ford.

The proposed deal had Portland sending Andre Miller, Joel Przybilla, Nicolas Batum, Jerryd Bayless and the 22nd pick to New Orleans for Paul and Emeka Okafor.

Hornets general manager Jeff Bower pulled the plug on the deal claiming that his owner wasn't ready to deal Paul.

New Orleans made a trade with Oklahoma City last week that got them under the luxury tax threshold, so they no longer have the financial pressure of dealing Paul.

 

[henz0]

Originally Posted by I NaSmatic I

This isn't even close to Rashard's deal considering Rashard was already 28 at the time and Rudy is 23.

Rudy Doesn't deserve max money but he is young, the team's best player and they can't afford to lose him.

Thats basically what it is right there.. & considering that he played way better last year all around.. Hopefully he can keep improving and prove everyone wrong.

 

[venom lyrix]

^ thats insane

 

[p mac one]

Originally Posted by venom lyrix

To me LeBron has to see it like this. Right now his best option to go play is either with the Knicks or the Nets because of the pieces already in place. All these other teams have nothing to help LeBron even if they sign a Bosh to go with him.

The Knicks already have Gallinari, Chandler, Rautins, Douglas, but you need to see how this really helps LeBron. Gallinari and Rautins are great shooters and Chandler plays the wing well...thats huge. Add a LeBron and Bosh and you have a hell of a team.

 

[nicedudewithnicedreams]

Originally Posted by henz0

Originally Posted by I NaSmatic I

This isn't even close to Rashard's deal considering Rashard was already 28 at the time and Rudy is 23.

Rudy Doesn't deserve max money but he is young, the team's best player and they can't afford to lose him.

Thats basically what it is right there.. & considering that he played way better last year all around.. Hopefully he can keep improving and prove everyone wrong.

I wouldn't want to build my team around someone who is not a legit franchise player tho. Still young tho. Nehow, I think Joe Johnson should be getting Gay's contract, not Rashard's...