That tells me two things. Either 1.) Dream was set on going to Toronto or 2.) Walsh is lying through his teeth and trying to cover his arse, and make it look like he went all out to improve the team.
So he bypassed Indy, good weather, lower taxes, more money, almost as talented a team for the taxes, less money, cold weather, and slightly better team in Toronto.
would i rather have a one year deal of 4.5 mill or a 4 year 3 mill per year contract in a city that i have connections to. Hmm... Olajuwon ends up getting MORE money by signing a longer contract. think about it.
If money was what he was really after, he could have signed with Indiana, played out the season, and then signed with Toronto. Of course, I doubt he was that money-hungry. He would also not be guaranteed the Toronto deal.
Here's the deal: everyone knows Hakeem doesn't play four more years. He plays what, 50 games next year, another 40 in 2002-03, and either retires or develops a hangnail and sits on the IR for two years after that. Not bad work if you can get it. And there's no WAY he would get a contract like this another year down the road. So Hakeem did the right thing, looking at it from his point of view. Just sucks that he pretty much took us out of the running for a premeir FA big man along the way.
Well with his injury history, he better grab up all the guaranteed money he can get now before his body fails him. I seriously doubt that he'll play all 4 years. I don't doubt that he'll get all or at least most of that money in his contract.
