Insider: Rockets may make Antonio Davis serious offer

I wouldn't sign AD for more than 3 years. Despite all the hoopla about Davis and Orlando, I still have a sneaking suspicion that Orlando will end up with Webber. Just makes too much sense... Eastern team that's already a contender... Webber would make them heads-and-shoulders better than Philly, even if Hill isn't healthy. Detroit... well, sucks. And I doubt Webber wants to play with Brickhouse.

That leaves all sorts of nice opportunities for us. Davis in a 3 year contract would be fabulous. Getting Outlaw or Miller would likewise be terrific. I'm afraid, though, that we'll have to eat Garrity's contract to pick up either of those guys.



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If i'm the rockets i'm willing to eat the garret contract to get Miller in here. A starting 1-4 of Francis, Cat, Miller, and EG would be very nice, and that would be what, a combined 9 years of experience? That wouldn't do much for our record this coming year, but man it would put us in a very nice position for 3-4 years from now, and by not signing any big name free agents we could go after a major free agent next year. What big name free-agent centers will be available next year, if any?

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Actually I think Antonio Davis is more of a true center then most of the guys in the NBA. It's easy to say he is only a PF, but what center in the West, other then Shaq, would you take? And besides, if Griffin works out we wouldn't NEED another superstar. Rebounding rarely fades in big men until they're to broken down to play, and Antonio Davis far from that. Hakeem is 38 and he is still a very good rebounder.

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"Win if you can, lose if you must but always cheat!" - Jesse Ventura

 

GS Marc Jackson 6'10" 270lbs
Hou Dream 6'11" 255 Collier 7'0" 270 Cato 6'11"
LAC Kandi Man 7'0" 291
LAL Shaq 7'1" 330
Port Sabonis 7'2" 292
San Robinson 7'2" 250 Duncan 7'0" 260
Utah Ostertag 7'2" 280

Here are the hiegth and wiegt of some of the centers in the West. Davis gives up 20 lbs on the lightest one. In many cases he gives up 60 + lbs. This is not just a case of who has more talent but in a season where you are playing the majority of your games against people that are anywhere from 20lbs to 100lbs heavier than you are going to wear down. By the middle of the season he would be dead trying to bang against these guys on a nightly basis.

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[This message has been edited by crash5179 (edited July 02, 2001).]

 

Davis might be lighter than Ostertag, but I'll be willing to wager that he would outplay him quite easily!

Sure there might be some larger bodies in the West, but that doesn't mean that they are good centers.

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Antonio Davis would be a great fit on the front line with Griffin and Taylor. Their skills complement one another. He's relentless and brings a toughness the Rox lack. If we have a shot at him, let's take it.

 

Well Dream would likely not be in the West if we got Antonio Davis, and Shaq is the best big man in the NBA. After that Antonio Davis would outplay the rest of the big men except David Robinson, who he might be able to play to a stand still. Height and weight doesn't mean you can't play them. If that were the case Charles Barkley wouldn't have lasted very long. Also Antonio Davis is the same size as Alonzo Mourning, and very similar to him. So in affect that is like saying Zo couldn't play in the West! By the way, Mutombo is about the same size that Davis, he might have an inch or 2 on him.

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"Win if you can, lose if you must but always cheat!" - Jesse Ventura

 

Magic out early to court Davis

Tim Povtak | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted July 2, 2001


When the clock struck 12:01 Sunday morning -- when the green flag dropped on NBA free agency -- the Orlando Magic made their first official move on Antonio Davis, ringing the doorbell at his home in southwest Orlando.

He smiled when he opened the door.

"No, it didn't wake me up, but it startled us a little," Davis said later Sunday.

"I was like 'wow.' They're serious about this. It made me feel good."

Magic Coach Doc Rivers and his assistants, along with Magic General Manager John Gabriel, all were standing there in the dark like Christmas carolers, making sure that Davis understands how important he is to their plans.

Now if only they can pull it off.

"Ma-gic, Ma-gic, Ma-gic," they chanted, much to the amusement of Davis and his wife, Kendra, who invited them all inside.

Davis, 32, is the free-agent, all-star center for the Toronto Raptors who the Magic want in their frontcourt for next season and beyond.

He already lives here in the off-season, but the Magic are trying to convince him to make it a year-round residence.

The Magic spent the rest of the day entertaining and recruiting him, rolling out the same red-carpet treatment they provided Grant Hill, Tim Duncan and Tracy McGrady, who were free agents last summer.

He and his wife toured the Magic's team plane and hanger late in the morning. They toured the RDV Sportsplex at noon, dining with several members of the Magic organization.

They saw the banner hanging at the Magic practice facility Sunday with Hill, McGrady and Davis together, all wearing Magic uniforms. "You imagined. . . . Now believe," read the banner.

They were wisked away to a luxury suite on Disney property, where they dined with Hill, McGrady, Rivers and Gabriel.

Davis and his children got the VIP trip through the Magic Kingdom.

Although it was hard for Davis to stop smiling through the day -- and he has said repeatedly that he would love to play here -- the Magic still haven't solved the issue of creating enough salary cap space to afford him.

Until they can find partners for a sign-and-trade deal -- and the Raptors have said they aren't interested -- or give away Bo Outlaw and Mike Miller for nothing but draft picks in return -- the Magic have little to attract Davis financially.

They currently have only a $4.5 million salary cap exception to offer him for a first-year salary, which won't be enough to sign him. He opted out of a contract with the Raptors that would have paid him $7 million this season and next.

The Raptors are expected to offer him a multiyear deal starting at $9.6 million -- NBA maximum for his years of experience.

Raptors General Manager Glen Grunwald is scheduled to come to Orlando today to meet with Davis and Bill Duffy, his agent.

Last week Duffy said he expected to receive serious offers from 10 NBA teams.

Among those teams expected to pursue Davis are the Philadelphia 76ers, which lost to the Lakers in the NBA Finals.

After the poor performance by power forward Tyrone Hill, the Sixers would like to replace him with Davis, who could play alongside center Dikembe Mutombo.

Davis and his wife are expected to attend a lunchtime cookout today at the home of Bob Vander Weide, Magic president, before starting their talks with Grunwald later in the day.

After the visit with Davis ends, the Magic will continue their free-agent hunt, turning to their alternative plans in case they can't find a suitable trade to satisfy Davis' contract expectations.

Among those the Magic will be looking at are Toronto forward Jerome Williams, Dallas center/forward Calvin Booth, and Golden State center Marc Jackson.

Although verbal commitments will start happening soon, teams can't sign players to new contracts until July 18.


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"For there is nothing either good or bad, thinking makes it so."
- William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Hamlet

 

The Rockets should sign Dream to one more year with the team holding the option for the second for the same $$$, If not decreasing a little in the second. (like 6 mill this year and 4.75 on the second) You never know? Next year we should make a strong push for Olowakandi, he's a legit C and doesn't demand the ball much. Also he's not gonna break the bank. He and Dream can share time at the 5 with Cato being the 3rd option. We could make a serious push for the finals that year. Also we should encourage Webber and AD (if they don't sign here) and even help fasilitate any move for them to go East. Even if it means taking a player or two.Then we could easily dominate in 2003 because Seattle would be rebuilding, SA would have DRob in a diaper, Phoenix would be bickering over shots with Marbury , Penny, and Tom G. there, Portland would be a sinking ship that is lotto bound, and Sacramento wouldn't have Webb anymore. We should settle for a B type player this year (Sabonis, Otis Thorpe, Issac Austin, Joe Smith, Mohammed) in the paint. We're not going to need anyone special because we'll be able to play the zone which is gonna help us immensely. If Orlando does get one of the two Coveted FA, I wonder if Amaechi becomes expendable.

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I'm not arguing that in a match up against someone like Ostertag if Davis could win. But what about if he goes up against Ostertag after going up against Shaq, Kandi and Sabonis all in one week? How will those tired legs hold up when he has been fighting to keep those big fellows out of the paint all week?

How about at the middle of the after those big boys have spent two months backing him under the goal? I just don't think that 230lb 32 year old body will hold up.

The mans body will wear down and his career will be shortened if he tries to play a full season at center in the west. IMO.

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[This message has been edited by crash5179 (edited July 02, 2001).]

 

Sabonis really isn't a banger. His knees are shot Davis would eat him alive. Davis IS a top 5 center in this league. He will not all of a sudden suck, just because he has to go up against Shaq and Robinson for an extra two games. Greg Ostertag=Vitaly Potapenko He won't cry over Greg.

Also AD didn't do all that bad vs. Mutombo, who is another top 5 center in this league.

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I'm in Toronto, and might be able to provide some info re: this rumour...I really really don't see it happening, for two reasons...
1) AD has said repeatedly that he'd prefer not playing Center...and that's in the East..On a local talk show his wife says the pounding is killing him, and that it takes him over an hour to get up each morning...So, unless we're getting him to play 4, I really doubt he'll come west to play Center.

2) AD really likes it in Toronto...The only factors which might entice him to leave are the opportunity to play at home in Florida, or to play with a team at power forward, a la Philly...Short of those two happening, he likes Toronto a lot, and they can pay him the most money...

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I don't know how much 5 AD played against the WC last season, but the Raptors were 2-14 against WC playoff teams (1-1 vs Spurs & Jazz). Include the "9th seed" Rockets and the Raptors were 2-16!

I like AD and he's got game, but I think the Rocks should pass. I envision the Rockets in the WC Finals in 3 years and Antonio will be very road weary by then.

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GATER