yeah he just wants to try and get the best deal (most money and most years) as possible.. he is just using minnesota.. it boils down to dallas and houston.. as long as houston's offer is better, he'll take houston.. he doesn't care that much about another ring because he already has one with pistons.. if he wanted another one, he'd rather have it as a starter.. and not as someone off the bench just like he did with the pistons..
and hopefully james reads it and goes with the rockets.. even though he got trade last year he know how much the rox fans still love him I hope..
I hadn't seen this posted anywhere so sorry if it did: Timberwolves making big push to sign James Free-agent point guard also meeting with Rockets, Mavericks BY RICK ALONZO Pioneer Press LAS VEGAS — The Timberwolves' pursuit of Mike James is in high gear, and the free-agent point guard said Thursday that the Wolves are one of three teams he's still considering. Wolves officials had a meeting scheduled late Thursday night to recruit James. But that didn't stop them from getting together earlier in the day in what James described as a get-to-know-you session. James was in attendance at the Cox Pavilion for Thursday's summer league games. He took advantage of the opportunity to sit in the stands and talk with Wolves vice president Kevin McHale and general manager Jim Stack. James' agent, Bill Duffy, was there, too. James, one of the biggest names remaining on the free-agent market, was a busy man Thursday. He met with the Houston Rockets and had a long talk at Cox Pavilion with Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. "Minnesota is definitely one of my top (choices)," James said. "They have one of the best players in the NBA in Kevin Garnett. I've been a fan of Kevin since I've been in the game. It would be an honor for me to play with somebody like that, because I think he thinks like me as far as how I approach the game, and he would bring out the best in me." At one point, while Cuban and James chatted in the stands, McHale visited with Duffy at the other end of the arena. James has decisions to make. The Wolves, Mavericks and Rockets all are interested in landing him. James said he wasn't leaning toward signing with any of the teams, but that was before he was set to get together and talk contract figures with the Wolves later in the evening. The Wolves appear to be making a serious push for James. Owner Glen Taylor has spoken with the veteran as well. James also talked with Rob Babcock, his former general manager in Toronto who now works in Minnesota's front office, on Thursday. James, who turned 31 in June, averaged 20.3 points and 5.8 assists last season in Toronto. He shot 44.2 percent from three-point range last season and ranked fourth in the NBA. Teams can agree to contracts with free agents but can't officially sign them until the moratorium ends Wednesday. Griffin speaks: Wolves forward Eddie Griffin said a civil suit filed against him is filled with "false claims." The owner of the damaged car, Jamal Hassuneh, and his brother, Lindsey, filed a suit against Griffin stemming from an incident March 30. Filed last week, the suit alleges that Griffin slammed into a parked vehicle because he was drunk and masturbating as he watched p*rnography while driving. The suit seeks in excess of $50,000 in compensatory damages and could be amended to include punitive damages, their attorney, Mike Padden, said. "It's been difficult because you've got the guy or his brother putting out false claims or whatever that I was masturbating and all that stuff," Griffin said during a brief interview. "It's been difficult. My mom got to read that stuff. My family got to read that. The bottom line that it comes down to is the guy's just trying to sue me for a ridiculous amount of money. "It's a lot of false claims that they made, but I can't do nothing about it, just trying to fight it and get through it. I'm not even going to worry about it." The interview ended abruptly when Griffin had to rush off as his team was leaving the arena. Briefly: Wolves assistant coach Johnny Davis has not been with the team during summer league and isn't expected to return this coming season. He might join the Indiana Pacers coaching staff as the lead assistant. Rick Alonzo can be reached at ralonzo@pioneerpress.com. He's probably going to sign with Minnesota because that is where he will average more points.
"What have you done for me lately", right. Context and history are irrelevant, right? Every analyst on earth predicted Houston would lose in 5 games yet we took them to 7. We got obliterated in 1 game ...not the series. Lighten up ...you'll enjoy life more.
I don't think he'll care about more points next season, that was this past season to try and maximize his deal this offseason. I think he'll either go for best chance at the ring or play with his "boys." He says everyone is his boy, so I don't know how much weight to put on that. As far as being closer to his home...Houston isn't THAT far from Dallas. a 30-45 more mins on a plane? I'd like to see him back in Houston, but wouldn't be suprised if he went to Dallas either. They were 2 games shy of the championship, while recently, the best the rockets can say is: 1 game away from the 2nd round.
Yeah I was scared of the Timberwolves cuz he can be the 2nd best in that team after KG and that would make em a duo Mike would love to be in that position so I think Mike might sign with wolves instead of Htown.
We definitely had a hell of a series. For some reason I knew it'd go 7 games. The series was a GREAT series whether you were a Houston or Dallas fan. I'm not sure what you are all arguing about, but game 7 was what it was...an asswhooping.
Game 7 definately was an asswhooping but to characterize the SERIES as an asswhooping is just plain silly ...as you already acknowledged. But Debie Downer gunn says we got obliterated in that series. He'll probably die early of hypertension.
more like 45 to an hour plane ride.. but if you add checking in 30 minutes earlier and driving to the airport, it can easily be 2 hours one way and 4 hours both ways.. so thats 4 hours of hassle travelling when he can be waiting around in houston traffic err I mean spending quality time with his pregnant wife and kids..
First Post Clutchfans, so bear with me. The only team that worries me in the Mike James deal is Dallas - I saw where he said that his wife would have a big say in where he goes... and they currently live in Houston. Dallas is not that far away.
well, I don't knwo the "Rules" of team travelling, but couldn't he just take a flight directly to houston? if not, then yeah, it's a little more hassle to get to houston...but for wife and kids, nothing is too much of a hassle. Especially for those that travel a lot. But yeah, i see ya point
thats what I'm saying for the same offer (money and years) he'll probably go to houston aslong as houston can guarantee him more playing time than dallas.. mike james is still young and loves to play bb with a strong passion.. so he'd rather go where he can play more minutes and contribute.. than win a championship and play spot minutes..
Assuming money is not a factor and the deal is the same, I agree that James would likely choose Houston for the starting role and the location. Can Dallas not outbid us in this deal? I know Cuban spends money like it is going out of style.
I got a little worried when I read about Minny offering a SnT with Hassel, but he only makes 4.3 which is about the same as our TE and I don't think the Raps would want to pay him through 09 http://www.hoopshype.com/salaries/minnesota.htm http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&id=2511802 There was action in the stands as well as on the floor at UNLV's Cox Pavilion, where Toronto's Mike James -- one of the top three unrestricted free agents left on the market along with Al Harrington and Bonzi Wells -- was conducting face-to-face negotiations with the three teams chasing him: Houston, Dallas and Minnesota. After a meeting with Rockets officials, James could be seen in a far corner of the gym, engaged in an animated discussion with Mavericks owner (and fellow Pittsburgh native) Mark Cuban. "We're a lot alike," Cuban said with a smile, declining to reveal any more about the conversation. James eventually made his way to the opposite baseline for a meeting to set up dinner with Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale. "That's really the three right now," James said of the Rockets, Mavs and Wolves. "Those are the three teams that have shown the most interest in me. But everything, it's basically just talk right now." James, 31, is seeking a five-year deal after a breakout season for the Raptors in which he averaged 20.3 points and 5.8 assists. The Mavs and Rockets are offering three-year deals starting at the $5 million mid-level exception. Minnesota, which also has its exception available, has been trying to land James via sign-and-trade but the Wolves, according to NBA front-office sources, haven't been able to tempt the Raptors with a package featuring swingman Trenton Hassell. The Rockets, meanwhile, are trying to bring James back to Houston after dealing him to the Raptors for Rafer Alston last October on the first day of training camp. Asked if he feels redeemed by Houston's interest now, which included Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy on the doorstep of his Houston home at the first permissible minute of free agency, James said: "I understand people have to make business decisions. [But] I think they realize now that you really don't know what you have sometimes until it's gone. I think the Rockets have a better understanding of me as a person, and I think Jeff has a better understanding of me as a player and a person." James is staying in Las Vegas through the weekend to continue talks with his suitors and insists that none of the three teams has emerged as a favorite. But he admits that he's getting antsy. "I'm just ready to get this over with and get with my new team," he said.
unless colangelo sees him as a raja bell type role player who can bring defense, toughness, & three point shooting
Except that Hassel is not a good 3 point shooter unlike Bell. I don't see Hassell fiting in the up tempo plans of Toronto. Except with Hassell's salary you can take 4.3 x 1.25 (within 25%)--in fact offer a contract more than an MLE. With our TE you can only go 100K over, and we can't quite offer an MLE equivalent contract with that. It would be great if we could get James using the TE and work through the Raps (at the most offer the lesser of VS or LH). We should not hesitate to offer a 4 year full MLE. For Tor, I'd rather have the rights to VS or Head than Hassell.
