Latest report: Rashard not signed yet, Payton very unhappy

Payton is suppose to be one of the nicest people off the court. I fail to see how he is a thug or anything of that sort. Yeah he is a mean ass b*stard on the court, but so what? I wish Francis was more like him.

 

I completely disagree with this whole thug/street gang wannabe argument. Your crazy if you think that the NBA is not going to draft talented american players unless they have a degree. There's only one star in the NBA who follows this trend and that's Iverson. I seriously doubt that the new hip hop nba is the reason for low attendence, look at football where guys are getting arrested all the time for the most outlandish crimes, yet it is still the most popular sport. Most baseball players are pretty well adjusted, but they are having attendence problems as well.

Also, how could you put Boki and Hilario on your talented foreigners list when they have yet to play a minute of NBA ball. They could both be busts or could take a few years to develope. By the way, none of the foreign stars you mentioned have a degree, most of them were trained to be ballers since they were kids, so if you want to stop putting education first and start having our kids play in the NBDL or the CBA when they are 14, then they will compare in talent to the euro players.

Now on Payton, he is definately not a thug and he sure has hell doesn't just step up his game for contract purposes. He has played hard his whole career and deserves an extension to retire in Seattle. Is he whiny, yeah, but Unless Seattle doesn't want him back, they at least owe him the courtesy of trading him. Applaud the Sonics my ass, they are rebuilding which is not a problem, they have to do it, but instead of treating Payton with some respect, they are going to cut him loose when his contract is up. Why does this bother Payton? Because he's 34 and he wants to win a ring, he's not going to play one year with the knowledge that the sonics don't want to go to the playoffs and are looking to get a high draft pick.

 

I hate to dissect but... GP is one of the few guys in the NBA that will publicly make his team accountable for wins and losses. In this day of questioning athletes integrity with respect to winning games vs. their salary, GP stands heads and shoulders above the rest.

 

I, Don't Know,
What This World's Comin' To,
But I Know One Thing,
That This is the Life for Me.

Baby cuz Imma Thug

 

all day every day....
cuz i'm a thug
wouldn't change for the world...
cuz i'm a thug
that's right you heard...
cuz i'm a thug
ahh, ahh, oh yea...
cuz i'm a thug

 

So I guess it's OK if GP threatens the Sonics by basically saying he's going to dog it up in practice, in games, or whatever, if he doesn't get what he wants?

I'm not saying the team is right, but why should they have to trade Payton for other contracts that they might not want if they are in a rebuilding mode? Do you think there are teams out there that are willing to part with any kind of value for Payton, knowing that Payton and his agent will expect them to fork out the max after this season?

 

GO REBECCA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Gary Payton is the absolute epitome of what is wrong with the NBA. This is a player that received $12.93 million last season, the 9th best salary in the league. He is adequately compensated for his ability, and he has been for quite some time now. For him to refuse to play, while at the same time still under contract, is just outrageous. He is the one that agreed to the contract, both in financial terms and in length. For him not to honor his commitment to his contract just goes to show his complete and utter lack of character.

Selfish, greedy, ungrateful, disrespectful and immature are all appropriate words to describe this guy. Unfortunately, you could apply these words to many more players than Gary in the NBA. Contrast this type of attitude with players like Bostjan Nachbar and it's not hard to see why teams are selecting more and more international players. Who wants to hire a baby-sitter to keep all these morons happy now-days?

 

Guys, you all seem to be missing one thing...GP did not mention money, only to receive an extension and retire as a Sonic. Exactly how is that selfish, greedy, ungrateful, disrespectful and/or immature?? He has battled through thick and thin for that franchise. He at least deserves an offer to retire as a Sonic, not to mention he is still the best player on that team. Someone please explain what is wrong with asking for an extention so he can end his career where it began??

Everyone that is bashing on GP for simply wanting an extension, which the Sonics have refused to do, needs to look closer to home. Hakeem wanted and extension as well, but he also wanted a kings ransom. We showed him respect by making a very respectable offer considering the decline in his skills(Seattle won't even make AN offer) and Hakeem said it wasn't enough. So, who is the punk?? Who is greedy??

Not GP.

 

the latest report from espn is that lewis signed
http://msn.espn.go.com/nba/news/2002/0919/1433938.html

So i guess when can move on to different topics now

 

it's over - I just read the same article knife posted.... oh well

Glad he isn't coming.

ron413 beat us both to it

http://bbs.clutchcity.net/php3/showthread.php?s=&threadid=41538

 

So let's talk about how we can trade for Payton! Just kiding guys. Please no bottle throwing.

 

Let me explain this: He doesn't HAVE to mention money for him to embody all of those traits. If he is talking contract extension, I very seriously doubt he's thinking about taking a pay cut. Especially since salaries have done nothing but go up since he initially signed his deal. The Sonics recognize that and know that it will take quite a bit to sign an aging veteran like GP. If GP did indeed threaten to not show up for training camp, as the author implies, then he is breaching his contract, not to mention being a selfish player and not considering his teammates in this process.
He has played for the Sonics for a long time, yes, but the Sonics haven't gotten anything they didn't pay for. Why you think that should be rewarded is a mystery to me.

RocketsPimp, I ask you to just read one quote, from Gary Payton himself and then reconsider your statement. As you read this, please keep in mind that Gary Payton has been a player under contract for the Sonics for quite some time, and was the 9th highest paid player in the league last season at close to $13 million.

This my friends is the definition of a selfish, greedy, ungrateful, disrespectful and immature moron. CASE CLOSED.

 

Pimp, contract extensions can't be for less money. What we don't seem to know is how long the extension is for. It can be for any length.

Trader_Jorge,

Payton is most definitely a Top 9 player. He IS the definition of max player right NOW. He has every right to ask for a max $ extension.

It is very common to ask for extensions...it is very common to get one...especially when you are as good and important to your team as Payton. It has nothing to do with not living up to the previous contract. Negotiating contracts is a messy business. What are you, a greedy bastid owner who is ungrateful of your product. No player plays harder for longer with more intensity than Gary Payton. He could easily have more top 10 yrs in him, certainly more top 2 PG yrs in him.

as you say, CASE CLOSED

 

Case re-opened.

But no right to refuse to show up for work when he is under contract. Additionally, as a team-oriented player, he shouldn't be publically whining like he is, nor should he be openly criticizing the same management team that has paid him well over $50 million over his career.

We're not talking about a previous contract, we're talking about a *current* contract. That is where my beef is, the fact that he potentially might not show up for work when he is contractually obligated to do so. Remember, he is the one that agreed to the terms and conditions of the current contract. He should live up to his word.

CASE CLOSED. (no re-openings allowed)

 

I understand where you are coming from Trader_Jorge, but this isn't about money(yet). It's about a lack of respect and loyalty from the Sonics. Maybe you look at it more like a business. In that case the Rockets should have let Hakeem walk a few years ago when his skills had eroded before giving him an extension, but GP is still one of the top 5 point guards in the league and deserves better treatment. I don't blame him for being "selfish, ungrateful, disrespectful and/or immature" in this case.

 

TJ,

Without re-opening the case, would it make any difference to you if I told you that extensions must be signed before the start of the season, or Payton is forced to become a free agent. This negotiation is not something that can wait.

As a Free Agent, a max for Payton is >$14m (depending on what the Cap figure is), whereas an extensions cannot be for more than a standard raise. So in essence, Payton is offering to undervalue himself based on the league's max value for him. He is the #1 or 2 PG in the league, and he and Kidd are way out in front of all others...way out in front...assuming we can disregard homeyisms and potential.

All he is doing is starting his free agent negotiations now, so he doesn't have to think about during the season, which could place undo media attention on him, and all those disruptive media questions that focus on things outside the game. There is nothing wrong with trying to settle things now.

 

It bothers me that a lot of people equate the Glove's abrasive on-court demeanor with being a thug. To me, it's just a reflection of his ultra-competetive behavior, for which he should be praised.

Now I can't admire him for threatening less-than-100-percent effort because the Sonics refused to give him an extension. But no way in hell can I applaud the Sonics organization for taking a stand, or sticking to their guns, so to speak. They're in rebuilding mode, and they're just doing what makes business sense -- but at the same time, so is Payton.

So while I can't admire Payton for his public contract whining, I can't criticize him either. He's played his heart out for many years, and has had no chance for a ring for quite some time now. He should get the respect of an extension, or the courtesy of a trade to a contender.

And while I am a Steve Francis fan, I find it kind of laughable that he's included in the list of "special" NBA gentleman like Grant Hill, Tim Duncan, et. al. The way he ended up in Houston in the first place should have excluded him from any such group. Not that it's that important to be in such a group anyway. While I don't want a league of Sprewells, I think a league of nothing but Shane Battiers would be pretty boring. Variety and balance in personalities make for a more interesting league.

 

OK, not to drag this argument out, as it has nothing to do with the Rox at this point, but I'll ask the question again: why should the Sonics be forced to give GP an extension if they want to start rebuilding? And why should they have to trade him and pick up contracts they might not want? And finally, why should they not expect GP to honor the last year of his current contract?

As TJ points out, the Sonics haven't gotten anything from GP that they didn't pay for. If they want to just have him play out the last year of his contract and then move on, that's their right. (If he has as many productive years left as HP claims, then he should have no problem getting a big free-agent contract, right?)

Not to sound like a "b*stard owner", but the Sonics shelled out plenty of jack over the years to Payton and others so that they could play a kids' game, be a championship contender (maybe not recently), and have the kind of lifestyle most of us only dream about. It's hard for me to feel a lot of sympathy for this guy - it's not like he's displaying the kind of class that Hakeem did in the latter half of his career with the Rox.

In fact, how about this comparison for GP: Scottie Quitten? At about the same point in his career, didn't Quitten demand a long-term "reward" contract? Weren't the Rockets the suckers that fell for this, even though the "reward" was for service rendered to another team? What do we have to show for this?

Kelvin Cato....



CASE RE-CLOSED