Yet, its 3 against 1 on what did happen, and they 3 seem to be in agreement on what did happen. Name another pro athlete that Tellem's agency has fired because of unpleasant negotiations. Thanks. Then why didn't they fire him BEFORE all this came out, since they obviously knew that the **** would hit the fan. And you REALLY, honestly think that Tellem didn't think that Boozer would be portrayed in a bad light?? If not, please re-read my prior response. And Boozer's reputation is essentially ruined because of it.
DaDakota - do you write bumper stickers for a living or do you just hold a grudge against paragraphs? "Unethical? No one cares!" Ask the Cavs, Boozer's agent, Boozer's agency, all other NBA agents, the Players Union, the NBA front office and the next second round draft pick in a similar situation if they care about ethics in player/front office deals. "No one cares" ... pfft, that's borderline stupid. I don't know how many times people will have to break it down for you only to watch you ignore so much, but it's clear you only want to pick and choose pieces of this story and run with it with your brand of exaggerated bullet statements. Good for you. But again, you've refuted nothing.
Its called good faith DaDa. As a business owner, I can only assume that you know what that is, and that you believe it in. As a business owner myself, I believe it in, and if I have a client who didn't, then I don't do business with them. THATS why Cleveland won't match the offer, even though they could.
Let's see here: After Matt Maloney solid season in 1996-1997, Rockets can only offer him something close to the minimum for the 1997-1998 season. Matt Maloney and the Rockets make a secret verbal agreement. If Matt Maloney agrees to play for the Rockets in the 1997-1998 season, then the Rockets will agree to reward Maloney with a lucractive long term contract. Matt Maloney has a TERRIBLE 1997-1998 season. Rockets reward him with a lucrative long term contract. Danny Manning signs with the Phoenix Suns during in 1994 with a one year, $1 million deal. They make a secret verbal agreement that if he does sign on the cheap for a chance at a championship, the Suns with reward him with a huge, long term deal a year later. Manning tears his ACL half way through the season. This is when ACL tears meant that the athlete would be a shell of his former self when he recovered. The Suns still give him that mega deal a year later. Larry Bird basically sits through the 1992 Olympics and cheers on his American teammates. He's pretty much decided he wants to retire after the Games because he can no longer play at the level he sees fit. He basically goes into the Celtics front office at the beginning of August and tells them he wants to retire. The Celtics brass tell him to wait a few weeks before he makes that decision. But Bird understands what they are trying to do. He knows that in 10 days, the next year of his contract kicks in, and he will be making one of the highest salaries in the league. Bird tells the Celtics brass on the spot that he knows what they are trying to do and says he is retiring right now. He tells them if he can't earn his keep, he will not be paid. Charles Barkley signs a one year, $1 million deal with the Rockets after the 1997-1998 season with a verbal agreement from the Rockets that they will reward him the following year. Their agreement gives the Rockets the cap space to go after Scottie Pippen. Rockets reward Barkley with a one year, $10 million deal the year after. There are plenty of teams who show great integrity like the Rockets and Suns. And there are plenty of players who show great integrity like Larry Bird and Charles Barkley in this game. Boozer showed absolutely no integrity with the Cavs. The Cavs are a terrbily run organization. Paxson has made some of the dumbest draft picks/ free agent signings in the past 10 years. Trajan Langdon in the lottery!!! Chris Mihm with the 7th pick!!! Ira Newble and Kevin Ollie with big deals!!! These are all things that I criticized at the time. But you can't criticize the Cavs in this situation. From all that I know, Gordan Gund is a great guy with great integrity (a little factoid: Gund is completely blind, literally). From all that I know, Paxson is an idiot. But it's not there fault. Here is my conspiracy theory on the situation. We know with great certainty that Boozer and the Cavs made a secret verbal agreement. Boozer and his wife did not want to risk playing for 700K next year. They loved Cleveland and wanted long term security immediately, even if it meant playing for below market value. On July 1, Boozer said that much. Over the next few days, Boozer met with management and just started talking about his role next year and beyond with the Cavs. He wanted more plays to be run for him next year. We know with much certainty that Silas told him that he viewed Boozer as a high energy guy. He kind of insinuated to Boozer that he wasn't the kind of player that a team should run designed low post plays for consistently. Boozer really got pissed. He felt that it was a slap in the face. Utah surprised him with a great offer and sweet talked him in his ear. And there you have it. Boozer compromised his integrity and got his vengeance on Silas. And that's what went down.
There is nothing to refute. According to all published reports, the Cavs thought he would stay, and Boozer thought he had the right to get a better deal. I don't see it as cut and dried as you guys are making it out to be, seems very gray to me, lots of people pointing fingers and making accusations, but no real facts. In fact, nothing can be factually proven, as if a wink, wink, deal was in place, Clevland would be fined for it. Did you guys read the article where the agent pulled out the CBA and showed them that they can not talk about any deal before July 1st? This should have thrown up a massive red flag to Cavs management. They held all the cards, and voluntarily gave them up. Sure Boozer's ethics are questionable, but can anyone honestly say that if he is a 20 and 10 guy in 6 years when his contract is up, that you would not want him on the Rockets? It just doesn't matter, Boozer took the best deal, and I can not fault him for it. Clevland had a chance to lock him up next year with full Bird rights, and naively let that go. Sure they relied on his word, but who in their right minds in a MANAGEMENT position relies on a spoken word? If you have ever been burned in business because it was not in writing, believe me you would think differently. Signed contracts are all that matter. Clevland gambled that they could lock up a stud PF for WELL below market value, and they lost. Clevland knew that by doing this they would get a valuable player below his worth, and they took that risk. They lost. DD
They arent matching it, because in order to lose cap space, they would be losing out on other key players. The reason isnt because they dont want to deal with a bad client, the reason is because it would cost them too much to match the Utah offer.
There are some facts to prove that they would of saved money, there are no facts to prove that he gave them a guarantee that he would resign with them. To the Cavs it was worth the risk because they'd get a double double, a guy capable of the occasional 30-20, for the MLE instead of a max type deal after next season. Don't you agree that a 6 year 41 million dollar deal for Boozer is underpaying him? Especially after that second half last season where he was arguably one of the top 10 power forwards in the NBA. The cheapest way to get Boozer signed to a long term deal, in the long run, is to make him a free agent this year, and then resign him to a 6 year MLE deal. Instead of waiting till next season when they would have to match a deal that could possibly be DOUBLE the contract they offered him this offseason. It was a risk but at the same time it wasn't, because nobody in their right mind could predict that Boozer would be offered 68 million. Nobody in their right mind would pass up on that deal just because they gave another team a hand shake agreement, especially considering that the other team is a much better team and understands that you're more than just an energy player like the Cav's coaching staff thinks. Eyewitness accounts? From the Cavs! What about eyewitness accounts from Boozer, who says he NEVER gave them his word that he wouldn't test the free agent market. The Cavs did have complete control over Boozer, but they foolishly decided to give Boozer complete control over Boozer because it could possibly save them some money, again in the long run, and they got burned! And his agent? From what I heard the guy has a reputation of being ruthless even before all of this, see Kobe Bryant's negotiations and his highly possible signing with the Clippers after the Lakers did everything they could to get him back. He quit because he possibly crossed a line that is getting bad pub and to avoid being fired. I have already said that this isn't as bad as the Joe Smith deal because nothing was ever put in writing and I never agreed with the Francis comparison. Ok, according to Boozer there never was a verbal agreement, which I believe to be true, you believe the Cavs and that's where we differ. Still, even if he did agree to that 6 year MLE deal with the Cavs there is no way he could pass up on 68 million, he did the right thing for himself and his family, if in the process he screwed the Cavs, so be it!
You are just being naive now. Boozer's agent fired him over this. Wheres the precedent for an agent firing a client over a "gray" situation. That doesn't mean that wink wink deals don't happen during the prohibited period. They let him out of his contract because Boozer asked them to in exchange for security. No team is stupid enough, NO TEAM, to let a player like Boozer out of his contract with the risk of losing him for nothing if some sort of prior verbal agreement was not made. This is just BS. Cleveland would have restricted FA right on him next summer and could have matched any offer via Bird Rights.
Not necessarily. They could let a few players go for the TE, and re-sign Boozer. Either way, they are losing Boozer by not resigning him, or they are losing lesser players by signing him. They are losing players any way you look at it. They could easily dump off Battie/Williams for cap space, match Boozer's offer and/or force a S&T with Utah and get some sort of compenstation in return.
They can still match any offer. Are you guys blinded by the "poor pitiful me" stance the Cavs management are taking? Clevland made a calculated move, and Utah countered with an out of sight offer. The agent quiting says nothing to me other than they are trying to repair the reputation of Tellem's group. If you think the agent made any deal without Tellem knowing about it beforehand, then you are being naive. This is a done deal...and I would take Carlos Boozer on my team any day. DD
I still think the situation is pretty cut and dry. Boozer should have still signed with the Cavs. Just because he got his feelings hurt by Paul Silas, doesn't give him the right to betray Gordon Gund's trust. It's not like Boozer just gave him his word and went back on it. By Boozer giving his word, Gund and the Cavs proceed to make a huge sacrifice/risk in letting him out of his contract and he stabs Gund in the back. And a blind man at that. That in the end makes Boozer a punk. It's like in "Braveheart". The Prince of one of the provinces in Scotland gives William Wallace his allegiance. William Wallace goes into the battlefield thinking he's got the Prince's troops in his back pocket. Wallace draws up a strategy that is specifically tailored around the Prince's troops making a surprise attack half way through the battle. The Prince's men are nowhere to be seen. In the end, when he and the opposing leader on the other side get in a one on one tussle. When he is about the kill the leader, the leader reveals he is the Prince. That basically cuts William Wallace's heart out. One of the ultimate, conflicted acts of betrayal in modern cinema history. Boozer is that Prince.
Then that Prince/King led Scotland to victory. I am growing weary of this, we are getting nowhere. You guys think Boozer is a bad man, I think he got such a great offer that he couldn't refuse. Que cera cera ! DD
Dada: "Prove"? We're all sitting as jurors on this. We decide what has been proven. We could all be wrong, but we decide. How do juries do it? well, they make up their minds, based on their personal experiences and personal senses of fundamental fairness, AND THEN REASON BACKWARD. I'm not making this up. This is how it invariably works. That's why jury selection is the most important part of a trial. That's why juries make up their minds during opening statements by the lawyers, before any actual evidence is presented. When I first heard about this, it screamed out as unethical and borederline fraud. I haven't changed my mind.
Not without trading players. And its apparent to me, that Gund is choosing to severe ties with Boozer, based on ethics, than try and match or do a S&T type of deal. Calculated move based on a verbal commitment. Then how come Tellem's group haven't fired guys like Shaq and McGrady who make requests to be traded in the middle of a contract???? As an agent, I am quite sure that they are required to present any and all offers to Boozer. When Boozer said he was going to sign the offer sheet, instead of resigning with Cleveland, they severed ties with him. Thats all fine and good, and I probably would too. That doesn't mean that Boozer has questionable honor and morals.
Who cares? He has a finite lifespan in the NBA to make as much money as he can. I still think he implied he would stay, and then got an offer he couldn't refuse. Happens all the time. DD
You would if it was your team that was screwed over. BTW ...still waiting on that list of clients that Tellem or other agents have fired over "gray areas" in order to save face.
