http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8591043/ Mavs delaying inevitable: releasing Finley Dallas can save money by cutting star, but it’s tough call for team Updated: 2:49 a.m. ET July 16, 2005 DALLAS - As much as the Dallas Mavericks appreciate what Michael Finley has done for their franchise, simple economics make it likely they will soon say goodbye to their longtime leader. The Mavs would save at least $51 million and perhaps much more by waiving Finley under a provision in the NBA’s new labor deal known as the amnesty clause. This one-time escape hatch lets teams avoid the dollar-for-dollar luxury tax obligation on one contract. The money owed will still count against the salary cap. And the player will still get his guaranteed money — plus more from whatever team signs him next. Players can’t rejoin the team that cuts them until after the existing contract expires. In Finley’s case, that would mean no sooner than the 2008-09 season. “We haven’t given up on trying to figure out a way to get the savings and keep Mike in a Mavericks uniform,” team president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said Friday. “We’ve come up with creative solutions to problems before, and we’re trying to pull a rabbit out of our hat again. But of the multiple scenarios, we’re down to the last few. It’s looking less and less likely.” Nothing can happen until the collective bargaining agreement is signed, which is expected by the end of next week. The amnesty opportunity expires once the upcoming season begins. Finley’s agent, Henry Thomas, declined to comment Friday. Finley is expected at a news conference Saturday for a charity baseball game in which Nelson and Mavs owner Mark Cuban will be playing. Finley will be managing instead of playing because he’s recovering from ankle surgery, event organizers said. “Mike has helped build this franchise into what it is today,” Nelson said. “But all of us who are in professional sports know there’s a dollar sign on our heads. That’s just the way pro sports works. Still, it doesn’t make these conversations any easier.” Finley is the longest-tenured player in Dallas. He was an All-Star before Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki were, then together that trio took the Mavericks from lottery regulars to perennial playoff qualifiers. With Nash leaving as a free agent last summer, Finley’s departure would leave only Nowitzki from their “Big Three.” Finley’s role in the franchise’s rebirth was rewarded in 2001 when he signed a maximum contract of $100-plus million over seven years. He has three years left at annual salaries of roughly $16 million, $17 million and $18 million. Yet Finley’s production no longer merits anything near that. His scoring average has dropped five years in a row — from a career-best 22.6 points per game in 1999-2000 to 15.7 last season — and his rebounds and assists have diminished plenty over that span, too. New coach Avery Johnson has even talked about bringing Finley off the bench next season. Part of Finley’s dropoff has been because of Nowitzki’s emergence. However, at 32, the former dunk contest participant rarely soars anymore, hanging out mostly around the 3-point line for jumpers. While the ankle surgery should improve his mobility, he’s still not the iron man he was in his younger days. After playing the first 490 games of his career, reaching midway through his seventh season, he’s missed at least 10 games every season since, including 18 last season. Nelson said the club also is looking into trading Finley. The team must decide whether they’re better off cutting Finley and collecting the luxury tax savings or dealing him and getting something back, albeit likely players who also have bloated contracts. The quality of the players they’re offered and details of their contracts may ultimately make the difference. Either way, Finley has probably worn his No. 4 Mavs jersey for the last time. “We’re continuing to compare notes and look for a win-win opportunity,” Nelson said. “But at the end of the day, we’ve got to decide what is in the best interest of the Dallas Mavericks.” The bright side for Finley is that he would get to pick his next team. Perhaps he could reunite with Nash in Phoenix, where he began his career until being traded to Dallas for Jason Kidd, or maybe return to his hometown of Chicago. © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed
This really is a pretty sweet deal for Finley. He's already making great money, and now he can go make even MORE while getting to pick a winning team to make a championship run with. Even if he takes the LLE, or part or all of the MLE, he's still gonna be making mad cash.
I think Phoenix would be the perfect situation. He could take Johnson's spot as a perimeter threat since JJ is gonna probably skip town. I really liked Finley's game when he was in his prime. I hated playing Dallas back then because He could be a Rocket killer sometimes with his penetration. PHX starting linup: Nash Finley Jackson Marion Stoudemire ...still a great linup without Johnson
NOTE every other Star on a team . . YEA . . .Defer to the NEW UP AND COMER nnnnaaaaaa . . it won't affect you . . i mean .. IT's for the betterment of the TEAM well . .. don't beleive we won't use you declining numbers against you in negotiations. . . . .or to cut you but Fin got his payday . . in his heyday but man . .to hear writers carve him up when TO ME he could have got the big head and said SCREW this German and the Canadian . .IT IS MY TEAM !!! yadda yadda yadda and he would have had reason to say it at the time Rocket River
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05197/538914.stm Cuban interested if Pirates for sale Mt. Lebanon native also amenable to joining current ownership group if asked Saturday, July 16, 2005 By Paul Meyer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . CHICAGO -- Billionaire and Mt. Lebanon native Mark Cuban said yesterday he would be interested in investigating buying the Pirates if they became available. The flamboyant owner of the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA also said he would be amenable to joining the Pirates' current ownership group -- if asked -- if there were a risk of the baseball team leaving Pittsburgh. Pirates owner Kevin McClatchy didn't return a phone call last night, but he did say in a statement, "There's no chance of the Pirates moving away, so it's really a nonissue." Cuban made his comments at the Pirates' game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, where he led the crowd in the traditional singing of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" after the top of the seventh inning. "It absolutely killed me to sing 'Root, root, root for the Cubbies,' " Cuban said. "I asked the broadcasters later if anybody had ever put in the other team." Cuban also wore a Cubs jersey with his name on the back during the song, but he quickly reaffirmed his loyalty to the Pirates and Pittsburgh when he met with reporters after leaving the WGN broadcast booth. "I'm a baseball fan," he said. "I'm a huge Pirates fan. I'm a Pittsburgh fan." Cuban, who will be 47 July 31, was asked if he'd be interested in purchasing the Pirates. "If they ever decided to sell, I'd definitely be interested in taking a look," Cuban said. "But I'm certainly not the type to be proactive about it because that's not fair to Kevin. "They've done their best with the Pirates, getting the stadium built. I think the Pirates have a great young nucleus for the future." Cuban, who made his fortune by selling his streaming video company, broadcast.com, to Yahoo in 1999, bought the Mavericks in 2000. "I look at the Pirates kind of like the Mavericks," he said. "People didn't have a lot of expectations when I bought them. All of a sudden, the switch flipped and things have been going great ever since. That's because we had a great young nucleus, and I think the Pirates have that opportunity as well." The small-revenue Pirates seem en route to their 13th consecutive losing season. Would Cuban -- if asked -- join their ownership group, presumably to supply a large infusion of cash? "It's something I'd consider," he said. "Like I said, I'm a Pirate fan. And if it ever got to the point where there was the risk of them being moved out of Pittsburgh, then, yeah, that's something I would consider. "To me, it's important that [Pittsburgh has] our complement of [professional] teams." Cuban plans to be in Pittsburgh Monday. He'll give a speech at a fund-raiser for St. Clair Hospital -- "I don't know about what yet," he said -- then he'll attend the Pirates game that night against Houston. "Hopefully, we'll have a better showing," he said, referring to the Pirates' 11-1 loss yesterday. Cuban plans to attend the game with his father, his brother and some high school friends. He's well aware that his attendance might spark speculation that he's going to buy the team. "There was an article in [a Chicago] paper [yesterday] about me buying the Cubs," Cuban said. "You know, wherever I go, someone's going to speculate. "I just want to go to the game [Monday], sit in center field and just eat hot dogs and drink beer." Somebody asked Cuban if he could have already bought the Pirates if he just had the money he has paid in NBA fines over the years. "No," he said, then added with a laugh, "but I could put a down payment down." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Paul Meyer can be reached at 412-263-1144.) More Major League Baseball news E-mail this story Print this story
I feel that. Finley's always been one of my favorite players in this league, because he has real class and was always about being a leader and playing to win, even if that meant sacrificing numbers. And I have to say I agree with you balloonstyle... Phoenix is perfect for Finley, and Finley is perfect for Phoenix. I know Fin has to want to stay in Dallas, but he couldn't ask for a better alternative than Phoenix.
Finley has no class and that was shown this year. I hope he takes his big money and buys a nice juicy steak and gets out of the NBA.
I couldn't agree with you more. In the Mav's hayday, I felt they relied too much on Nash and Nowitzki and less on the (imo) best player on the team in Finley. Everything that they asked him to do, he did. And each request resulted in him sacrificing his game for the team. I wouldn't be shocked at all to see a determined Finley in the league this upcoming year. Whatever team lands him, if the price isn't too high, will have a great team player.
Other than you racist overtones towards Canadians and Germans, the gist of what you are advocating is for NBA players -- specifically Finley in this case -- to be more selfish? I think many would argue that many NBA players' selfishness has been extremely detrimental towards perceptions of the league. Allen Iverson is a prime example. Great post.
Finley was good and they're big 3 had a good thing going for a few years. They wouldn't make if far enough because of coaching and D, not Finley's sacrifices for the team. In the playoffs, Finley used to be the only guy who was consistent on D and taking it strong, and finally as Nash and Nowitski part ways and achieve varying degrees of higher playoff success, Finley's career is on a down slope. He still shoots very well, buy his quickness puts him behind the effectiveness of Howard and Daniels. I used to think okay of him, until what happened here: Now I hope Finley and Salvatore burn forever...how can anyone support Finley after what he and Salvatore cheated the Rockets so badly?
Would a gifted offensive player make more money in the long run by unselfishly helping his team win or by jacking up his stats to nail a bigger second contract (maybe even to the point that he gets bought out and makes the big cash without even playing) That of course was not Finley's case, he did both. But if he hadn't already cashed in he certainly could have chosen to shut out a young Dirk and demanded his PG feed the established team star if he were coming into a contract negotiation. The difference in a second contract between 25+ PPG and >20 PPG could be 20 or 30 million dollars, regardless of the team's record. Making the playoffs probably means a lot less to the player as far as money goes ;and after all, Basketball is a business. I don't see many CEO's out there sacrificing their personal income for the sake of the company.
Actually, it is quite common for CEO's to not pay themselves salaries. The CEO of a firm I once worked for did this. It is very common when the CEO has a large ownership stake. You are very wrong. Anyhow, I agree with Kim. The Mavs problems getting over the hump were defense related, not due to Finley not 'getting his'.
I might take you seriously if you weren't such a troll I get mental picture of folx from their post and u know everytime i picture you . . I see the one-eyed guy from O Brother Were Art Thou [John goodman's Character] I mean man . . you seem to just be him down to catching the flag not the American flag that other one you covet Rocket River
What does you wildly (and erroneously) accusing me of embracing the Confederate flag have to do with this thread? Other than proving once again that only you can hurl racist insults and no one else, what is your point? Incredible. Finley was too selfless was your initial point. That's just not an accurate description of the situation. Finley was a nice player, but he never had the upside of a Nash (MVP) or a Nowitzki (heady, do-it-all player and leader). He never should have been maxed out and now the Mavs are dealing with the consequences of their actions. Defense was their shortcoming for all those years, not any one player deferring to his peers.
