First, Marc Jackson: http://www.floridatoday.com/news/sports/stories/2001/oct/spo100701g.htm TAMPA - Had things worked the way the Orlando Magic originally planned this past summer, the team likely would have never signed veteran free agents Patrick Ewing and Horace Grant. By mid-July, Orlando was convinced that it could not sign Toronto free-agent Antonio Davis and offered its $4.5 million contract exception to Golden State center Marc Jackson, Magic general manager John Gabriel said. Feeling he could get a more lucrative offer, Jackson turned down the deal. Orlando then pulled the offer off the table and split it up among Ewing and Grant, who have a combined 30 years of experience. The two should start this season and improve a Magic frontline that was often battered last season. Jackson, who led all rookies in scoring (13.2) and rebounds (7.5) before a season-ending groin injury, failed to land a better offer in the subsequent three months. Just this week, he did sign an offer sheet with the Houston Rockets worth approximately $3 million a season. Golden State can match the deal because Jackson is a restricted free agent. Now all the people who didn't want Jackson can cross out the "why hasn't anyone else signed him" excuse off their list. Assuming the GSW don't match, we'll have saved about 10 million over 6 years with our deal, vs. market value (what someone else is willing to pay). Nice. Then on the the NY spin machine known as the NY Post and Peter Vescey. http://www.nypost.com/sports/knicks/33656.htm October 7, 2001 -- AS MUCH as I like the addition of Shandon Anderson and Howard Eisley, it's almost immaterial whom the Knicks got for misfit Glen Rice; his subtraction would've more than sufficed. Aside from contaminating the team's communion plate by faithfully complaining about his negligible role, the annoying backseat driver had no use for Jeff Van Gundy or his pet player. According to a disinfatuated confidant of Rice, "Glen hated" the Knick coach for burying him in his rotation. When he realized there was no way, barring an injury to Latrell Sprewell or Allan Houston, to get more minutes and shots, Rice habitually bailed on practice, using his chronic foot pain as a convenient excuse. "No question Glen was hurting, but not nearly as bad as he made out," the source insisted. "There were plenty of times he could've practiced, but just said ‘bleep it!' " Rice harbored a comparable contempt for Sprewell, divulged the same source. "Glen referred to Latrell as Jeff's mouthpiece," the source said. "Whatever Jeff was selling, Latrell was buying, then repeating to the media, as if they were his thoughts. Glen was convinced Jeff rewarded Latrell for his brown-nosing." Yet the same injury nearly managed to ruin the deal? Neato. Way to go Vescey. In his continuing line of shoddy reporting, he continues: Sometimes you can have too much confidence in yourself. Often it translates into an inflated view of your ability. Just ask ex-Knick Erick Strickland. Or Olden Polynice. Or Damon Jones. All three decided to exercise options during the off season to "escape" from guaranteed contracts in order to test the free agent market. All remain currently unemployed. ... Jones also decided to part company with the Grizz, giving up 800G in the process Too bad Jones already signed with the Rockets a week ago, and is getting equal, if not slightly better money, playing at home, and playing with a team twice as good. What a terrible decision.
The article doesn't say how long the offer to Jackson was. Since they're known to be interested in the Duncan '03 sweepstakes, and they signed Ewing/Grant to 2-year deals, it's likely they just offered Jackson 2 years.
Good point ... but I don't think all 3 years have to be guaranteed. (There's a similar rule for sign-and-trade deals, but Tim Hardaway's contract, for example, is only guaranteed the first two years.)
Thanks for the article NIKE! This goes to show that several teams had interest in Marc. He is a bargain, and hopefully the Rockets get him. Vescey is just all over the place, no kind of proof backing up his claimed, no research, NOTHING! That's why I think my sig is apropo. Swopa you may be right, but isn't the situations different? Hardaway was in a sign-and-trade with the exception, Marc Jackson signed an offer sheet that just happened to have a medical exception. The Rockets would have had to sign an offer sheet even if they were under the cap.
This comment is unfair, outrageous, and out of line. Use whatever foul language you want, but do not call Peter Vecsey an ignorant journalist. We ignorant journalists want nothing to do with that dick.
Actually, Damon Jones is getting less money with the Rockets. Jones opted out of a guaranteed contract with the Grizzlies paying $800K this season. The contract he signed with the Rockets is a one-year deal for $600K. He is with a better team, but he gave up $200K. Maybe it isn't always about the money. NOTE: Word out of Austin is that Jones is being outplayed by Darren Kelly and Tierre Brown.
Woo-hoo!! Vecsey lives up to my moniker once again! (You really didn't expect me to pass up a perfectly good Vecsey-bashing opportunity, did you?)
