Rox v Cavs Part XXIII, LA Daily News http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,200~20955~1516522,00.html Piatkowski moves on after nine seasons with Clippers By Joe Stevens Staff Writer The Eric Piatkowski era has ended. The free-agent guard confirmed Wednesday he will not be back with the Clippers this season. After nine seasons, he leaves the team having played 616 games. Piatkowski and his agent, Jeff Austin, are in discussions with several teams, including the Cleveland Cavaliers and Houston Rockets. The Clippers aren't one of those teams. "We've come to the realization that I won't be back with the Clippers," Piatkowski said from his home in Omaha, Neb. "I thought it might be nice to finish my career in Los Angeles, but the franchise hasn't had contact with us. It is obvious that they're not interested, and so we'll move on." Piatkowski is second only to Randy Smith in games played in franchise history. But the majority of Smith's 715 games came with the Buffalo Braves, giving Piatkowski the Clippers' record for most games played. Piatkowski leaves as the franchise leader in 3-pointers made (738) and highest 3-point percentage (.402). Piatkowski just finished a five-year, $15 million contract, the largest contract any Clipper has signed. He is not certain where he'll land this season, but he is hoping to get part of a team's $4.9 million mid-level exception.
Piatkowski - B/W Rockets & Cavs From ESPN, as quoted on another board: "Another Clipper unrestricted free agent, Eric Piatkowski, claims he won't be back in L.A. this season. Piatkowski has been talking with the Rockets and Cavs. "We've come to the realization that I won't be back with the Clippers," Piatkowski told the L.A. Daily News. "I thought it might be nice to finish my career in Los Angeles, but the franchise hasn't had contact with us. It is obvious that they're not interested, and so we'll move on."
Let's hope that after years of sucking, he'll want to come to Houston and help us make the playoffs, instead of being in the lottery again with Cleveland.
Will he get any playing time in Cleveland? They are loaded! Lebron, Wagner, Ricky Davis, Darius Miles all can play swingman or SG. When will he play?
Then again, this from the Chronicle: "The Milwaukee Bucks locked up Erick Strickland. The Rockets had interest in Antonio Daniels. But his agent, Tony Dutt, said Daniels had narrowed his choice to four teams and the Rockets were not one of them. He said that could change with an offer. Speedy Claxton and shooting guards Jon Barry and Eric Piatkowski, with a $3 million offer from Cleveland, also seem out of the Rockets' price range." ****** Man, if we can't even even get a decent backup SG over the Cavs then we suck... Face it, $3 mill for Daniel or Piat is not that bad, especially in light of the other crap contracts CD has done over the years. If this all falls through, there had better be a trade out there or Les & CD can take the "Big Splash" of the new arena & unis & shove them up there ***es. A return to the court w/ the same lineup we had last year is NOT tolerable...
Cleveland has reportedly offered Ollie 15mil over 5 years. Are they under the cap, if not they can only offer Pike starting at like 1.5-1.7--the rest of the MCE or vet mimimum. I would love to have Pike with a 3 or 4 year deal starting at 2.5 or 3 million. I would offer Daniels the rest of the MCE or the vet miminum--for what AD can bring to the table, 3 mil is more than we should offer him. If we resign Posey for around the MCE level and get Pike for a 4 year, 12 million deal I feel pretty good about our offseason. Pike is more important than a guy like AD because we need a Rice replacement (pure shooter--bonus if they can play the 2 and 3 like Pike).
Desert Scar - they can offer Piat the rest of the MCE, which is about $2.4m. $3m they can't do, though.
Well shoot, let's offer him a 3 or 4 year deal at like 2.7. That is more than the Cavs can, and plus I would think Houston would be more desirable for other reasons as well given comparable deals (better team, clearer role for Pike, no income tax, slightly closer to LA, etc.). If we only do this very modest move I'll be happy for now. He is the best shooting 2/3 tweener out there. Peeler or Barry or Leonard are OK--but neither can play the 3 at all. Will paying Pike at like 2.7 really kill us via the luxury assuming JP will sign around MCE level?
RocketBurrito, you were probably one of those that lashed out at CD for "taking too long to land Van Gundy". Shut up, sit back, and relax a little bit. There is a lot more going on behind the scenes then we realize, that's obvious. CD knows what he's doing and will get it done, if he thinks it's the right move. If we get beat out, we get beat out....it happens. Im tired of people with "burrito" in their name trying to tell CD how to do his job. Shut up already.
If they are truly going to trade Rice, then they should be willing to go a little higher to get Piatkowski...he is exactly what this team needs...a good shooting SF to take the pressure off of Yao. DD
Good character guy, great shooter. Picking him up would probably be one of the few modest moves the Rockets can make to improve the team.
smart player, good shooter - underrated in other aspects of the game. Get him cheap, well worth it. But make sure it's cheap - if another team wants to overpay, c'est la vie - their mistake. The Polish Rifle is a nice bench player, but he won't make or break this team.
