Wow, what a surprise... the new CBA really makes free agency movement difficult. With all the talk about Duncan wanting to go to ORL or Kidd wanting to play with Duncan in SAN, it will be interesting to see if any front line player really moves to a different team...
Why hasn't NBA.com or ESPN reported anything about this on their site yet? Seems kind of odd, ESPN is usually on top of things.
Lewis contract saga may conclude this week Sonics GM Sund optimistic a deal will be reached By DANNY O'NEIL SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER Rashard Lewis is back in Seattle. Now the question is whether he's staying. The unrestricted free-agent forward flew into town yesterday to meet with Sonics executives as the summer-long attempt to re-sign the 6-foot-10 forward nears a conclusion, possibly as early as today. "I'm optimistic that we'll reach a resolution soon," said Sonics general manager Rick Sund. "What that resolution is, we don't know." No deal has been finalized. It is believed Lewis and the Sonics are negotiating about bonus incentives in a seven-year contract offer worth $60 million guaranteed. There are an additional $15 million in bonuses in the offer. The Dallas Mavericks are the most likely alternative if Lewis does not re-sign with Seattle. The Mavericks can't offer Lewis a starting salary of more than $4.5 million, though Mavs owner Mark Cuban wrote in an e-mail this week the team continues to explore possible sign-and-trade scenarios that would allow Lewis to come to Dallas with a better contract. Time has become a factor in the Sonics' discussions with Lewis. Free agents Lee Nailon and Walt Williams were in Seattle last week, presumably because the Sonics were exploring possible alternatives should Lewis choose to leave. The Sonics have become more urgent in their talks with Lewis and his agents, and one source said the team gave Lewis a midweek deadline for the decision. Sund would not say whether any deadline or timetable had been given. Lewis will meet with coach Nate McMillan as well as other team officials while he's in town. His agent, Carl Poston, was not in town to meet with the team yesterday, but is scheduled to be here today. Lewis was drafted by the Sonics out of high school four years ago, and last season was the team's second-leading scorer at 16.8 points per game and top rebounder at 7.0. Mike Bibby of Sacramento and Raef LaFrentz of Dallas are the only free agents this off-season to sign larger contracts than what Lewis has been offered. Bibby, who had a breakout season while leading the Kings to within a game of the NBA Finals, has a seven-year contract worth $80 million, and LaFrentz got a seven-year deal worth a reported $69 million. Donyell Marshall signed with Chicago as a free agent and will be paid $4.1 million next season after averaging 14.8 points and 7.6 rebounds. The stats were similar to Lewis', but Marshall is 29, six years older than Lewis.
All of you saying "Thank God that's over" should rethink your opinion! It's gonna be a looooong month. Waaaah! Well, no, it is good that this is resolved. I know how much Rashard must have wanted to come back to Texas. Good luck, Rashard, to you personally...and I wish bad luck to your team (not, as in, serious injuries or anything, just lousy play, if at all possible). The Rockets are needing some playoffs!
Actually, come December, we can start up with the trade for Rashard Lewis threads. There will still be BYC issues until next fall, though, so come December we will need to start working on an elaborate three-way deal thread.
But we can speculate freely now about the prospects of Lewis's male children, most or all of whom have yet to be born. I bet they will be good though, and one of them could fit nicely in the Rocks starting SF spot in, say, 2023.
Well if he shows he is a good as EVERYONE thinks he is I would be up to signing him He would be a good man off the bench for us then....
That's true Joe, Just because he's signed, doesn't bar the possibility of trade. It's like a horrid soap opera. Although the long, drawn out, overplayed story has finally concluded, the drama continues.
Hehehe 610 this morning reported that Lewis' agent was on his way to Seattle to 'discuss' things, and that, now, a sign-and-trade with Dallas is a VERY likely possibility. The report neglected to mention which players would be involved in such a move, however. Just thought I would pass that along. Looks like we prolly won't have Rashard on *our* team, but we might very well be seeing a lot more of him against us than if he were to stay in Seattle. Hehehe I sure HOPE he doesn't turn out to be the next super duper ooper great player, or else 'we all gon' be whistlin th blues!' Ciao
It ain't over til the fat lady sings. A couple of seasons we supposedely had lost Mo to Seattle and yet, he ended up in Houston. I wouldn't say we are out of the running just yet, as we can offer a package at least as attractive as the scrubs Dallas will be willing to offer to the Sonics.
I thought Seattle demanded one of Dallas' big three in any S&T (Finley, Dirk or Nash)...i wonder if that is still the case
