LA Times: Rockets going after Brent Barry aggressively

Sherlock,
While BB is an unresticted FA, the Sonics still hold his Bird Rights. Therefore, they do not need to use their MLE to re-sign him.

Where there may be some confusion is the fact that Barry made only slightly more than MLE last season with SEA. As a result (since SEA is over the cap), the Bird Rights contract they can offer Barry is 12.5% of $5.4m or $6.1m in Yr 1. I'm pretty sure SEA won't do this, but this is clearly better than what the Rox can offer. However, if SEA feels they may lose Barry to a team with cap $ (DEN, UTAH, SAS, LAC), they may take a deal fom the Rockets rather than lose him.

BTW, that was a pretty cool gambit the Heat put on the Clipps last summer. They forced the Clipps to eat cap space by bidding on Brand and when the Clipps matched the offer the Heat bid on Odom knowing that Sterling probably wouldn't match!

 

Thanks, Gater, for adding your wisdom and expertise to the subject. Yes, I too chuckled over the shrewdness of the MIA deal.

So, using the Bird, if I understand you correctly, SEA can offer Barry a 3 year deal worth 20.68 mil. They can still offer Barry a four year deal, to match or beat the Rocket's offer. But, if I'm Barry, I don't think I'd want to leave that extra 3.32 mil of the 24 mil on the table ... especially if I get the chance to play with a contender, where I'd fit even better than where I'm at.

Obviously, with Ming and TMac, we are headed into Luxury Tax territory for a long time, just as LA has been.

The marketing dollars that Alexander will make if Yao Ming is on a contender is huge, not only in China, but in the US. It's financially worth it for him to put the pieces around Yao/TMac as soon as possible, even if it means overpaying for someone like this.

Either way this goes, if Barry/SEA takes one of the deals that the Rockets are offering, we have either the TE or the MLE to go after depth in the paint. But, either Barry, Fisher or Arroyo (say no to snow) are the first piece we have to get in place, and in my opinion, Barry fits us best, so he's the one to pursue first.

MemphisX, I understand your point about us not paying Posey, but now overpaying Barry, if he accepts our offer. The difference, is that Posey was not a proven commodity, while Barry is. We had just gone through overpaying guys based on our loyalty to them and their potential, which didn't pan out, such as Norris, Taylor, Cato, Anderson, Maloney, etc. and we decided to finally draw the line. I applauded their decision. Now, of course, if we'd have known how well he turned out, we WOULD have paid him what West did. West has been the best evaluator of talent in the NBA for a long time. Thats one reason I wouldn't trade with West for anything. I'd be convinced I would always lose. For instance, if he was to let Swift go, I don't think I'd take him, since I'd be convinced that West knows something I don't. He's very shrewd, and the best at what he does. Memphis is incredibly fortunate to have him at the helm.

 

Gater, you need to change your sig... Grant Hill is still in Orlando.

 

Read an article from the Rocky Mountain News.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=knight-ginobiliondenverradar&prov=knight&type=lgns

ETC.: Houston has offered Seattle free-agent guard Brent Barry a four-year, $24 million deal, which might be too pricey for the Nuggets, considering he's 32 . . . Agent Mark Bartelstein has talked to Denver about four free agents: Brian Cardinal, Trenton Hassell, Eric Williams and Mark Blount . . . Altitude Sports has hired Christy Calvin, who is from Denver and once was a Nets publicist, as Nuggets sideline reporter . . . Vandeweghe has called the agent for restricted free-agent forward Carlos Boozer but assumes he'll re-sign with Cleveland . . . Denver isn't showing much interest in restricted free-agent guard Jamal Crawford . . . The Jazz hired Troy Weaver, the Syracuse assistant who recruited Anthony, as a scout.

The Sonics apparently made a three-year, $18 million deal offer.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1833036

 

I've liked Barry since he was drafted and traded to the Clippers.

He's done a lot of what was advertised except be the next Larry Byrd.

 

Barry's stats for easy access...His assists have increased over the last few years... And his FG% is "old school!" (50%). And his 3PT% is "Steve Kerr-like" (45%).

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3017/career

 

I'm not so sure he is a JVG-type player. Jeff referred to him as a flopper during the playoffs. I think jeff likes his players to play defense on their feet, not thier A$$.

j