From todays DallasNews.Com: Point guard update: The Mavericks are still on the lookout for a veteran point guard. Milwaukee's Damon Jones is one of the best names left on the free-agent market. But the Mavericks have no money to spend and would have to trade a player for Jones. Houston is one of the front-runners for Jones, who had an excellent playoff run last season. Atlanta, Seattle, Miami and Milwaukee also are vying for Jones. E-mail esefko@dallasnews.com
Thanks for the update. But from what CD has been saying the last week or so, looks like we aren't willing to spend the money on a FA that isn't a big upgrade over Lue. I would love to add Jones to this team, but he might be looking for a long term, big deal for himself. And by the looks of the FA market so far, he most likely will get it.
I think James is a better fit, but we should be able to acquire a point better than either within a couple years. If we get one of them, I hope it's for no more than three years starting at half the MLE. Neither is the longterm answer at point.
One advantage of DJ is he probably is more capable of playing some back-up 1 duties to Tmac (and possible play Tmac some at the 3)--where we can go to a small shooters line up. Other than possibly McInnis (FA next year), I don't see a PG who is a better fit than Mike James or Damon Jones who is an unrestricted free agent this year OR next year (other than BJack or Stoud who will get inflated contracts). I think we are better up locking up DJ or MJ now with a fairly dried up market for 1s. 3 years at .6MLE (like 10 mil) or 4 years at .5MLE (like 12 mil) would be a terrific contract for either. But if we have to go a little higher for Damon we should do it. One problem with James is he is restricted and Detriot I believe has Early Bird rights so they can still match him up to like a starting 5 million salary (MLE), the Pistons could be sandbagging about not having interest in resinging him and could match a low contract. Probably safer just to lock away Damon.
Desert Scar,you have made a great point IMO about the possibility of the Pistons matching or outmatching any contract that the Rockets could make to James. Jones would be a safer choice. I would rather see James on our team than Jones because he has shown a lot of guts in the playoffs.
I think when its all said and done, Jones will be the guy for about 3.5 per for 4 yrs. I've stressed all along that it should onll be about 7 players with contracts longer than 4 yrs. Contracts with about 4 yrs are beneficial to players and teams. That way if a guy is on a losing team, he doesn't have to be there for a long time and the franchise doesn't have to be stuck with the guy if he's not who they think he is.Kenny and Sam split time, Jones and lue can also.
DS - I believe you are incorrect about the Early Bird Rights. James was signed as a FA by BOS last summer so he is a non-Bird FA (1 season as opposed to the 2 for EBR). What this means is that DET is limited to the greater of 120% of James's last salary or 120% of the league minimum. Since James signed for the league minimum last summer, the best offer the Pistons can make is 120% of this years' LM...$663,679 * 120% = $796, 415. I am not sure if the Pistons could have used the MLE on James, but thev've already used it on McDyess. The Rockets can easily outbid DET for James. There may be multiple reasons why James isn't a RocKet but Detroit's $ isn't one of them.
dumars said james would most likely recieve a mutlie year offer the team wont be able to match. SO i dont think their looking to bring him back.
im sure we are currently exproling all or our options via trade, the TE, and FA. when things get narrowed down a bit we will make our move. still, its nice to know we could have james right now if we made an offer.
Why then does NBA.com list James as Restricted? http://www.nba.com/transactions/movement2004_name.html (Hint: The answer isn't in DET not making a QO).
because they aren't updated ask any piston fan they will tell you he isn't restricted if you don't get a quailfing offer then you become unrestricted
And Jones didn't? His team may have gone out earlier, but Damon had a great series against the same Pistons defense that stifled so many other players.
i think jvg would go for james cause he knows he can play D. But jones who knows. His offense could go bad if he is required to play D. Who knows.
I believe you sir are entirely incorrect and Pistons fans are among the last places I would look for this information. Here is Coon's quote of the CBA rule that covers James restricted status: The current CBA provides restricted free agency on a limited basis. It is allowed following the fourth year of rookie "scale" contracts for first-round draft picks..... It is also allowed for all veteran free agents who entered the NBA in 98-99 or later, who have been in the league three or fewer seasons (however, first round draft picks are unrestricted free agents following their third season if their team does not exercise their option to extend their rookie scale contract for the fourth season). All other free agency is limited to unrestricted free agency. You (and apparently Piston fans) are equating the qualifying aspect given to first round picks as the entire basis for Free Agency. Mike James signed with the Heat in 2001 and is restricted although the Pistons offer is limited to what I listed previously. Damon Jones is not resticted because (although his first contract was in 1998) he has been in the league for more than 3 years.
I had not really heard of Jones before, but I finally got around to checking into his stats, and when comparing them to Steve Francis' , I found one pretty eye-boggling number . In 25 minutes of play, Damon Jones averaged 5.8 assists, whereas Steve Francis averaged 6.2 in 41 minutes per game. I wonder what Jones could do with a little more time, and a few more scoring options. He also had a .359 % average from the three point line, compared to Steve's .292 %. One negative though, "the franchise" gets almost 5 times more steals per game than Jones does. Maybe it was the defensive system he played in though, I have no clue. I think a Jones/Lue platoon at the 1 could do quite nicely, but I think the defense would be a little suspect.
Is this possibly why the Celtics traded away James....because they knew they would be unable to re-sign him this summer anyways?
