http://www.bergen.com/page.php?qstr...lRUV5eTY3MjE5NTkmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2 Shareef seeking more from Nets Monday, July 11, 2005 By AL IANNAZZONE STAFF WRITER The Nets may need to do better than the midlevel exception to get Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Aaron Goodwin, Abdur-Rahim's agent, said the Nets must convince Portland to take their $4.9 million trade exception in a sign-and-trade if they want to land the free agent forward. "It has to be a sign-and-trade," Goodwin said. "There are quite a few teams offering the midlevel. For Shareef to come, he definitely would have to get that trade exception, and get the full extent of that trade exception." The full extent would be a six-year, $38 million deal, as opposed to a five-year, $28 million pact via the midlevel. Abdur-Rahim already turned down a five-year, $47 million offer from the Bucks, who then gave it to Bobby Simmons. Abdur-Rahim, who visited the Nets last week, was in Sacramento on Sunday. He could go to another city later this week. Miami, San Antonio and Houston are among the teams expressing interest. The Nets don't want to lose out on other free agent big men such as Donyell Marshall and Stromile Swift while they wait. They also would like to get penetrating guard Keyon Dooling and perhaps Darius Songaila in free agency. Nets president Rod Thorn said it's "certainly possible" that the Nets could give Abdur-Rahim a deadline to decide, or they could step up the pursuit of the other free agents. "We're talking, and that's the extent of it," Goodwin said. "I don't look at it as a situation where they can really deliver too much of an ultimatum. Shareef is looking at it as a great opportunity. But if he walked away from $47 million, I'm sure he'd walk away from [$38 million] for a longer period of time."
Nice to see Houston connected to SAR, seen this in a few articles recently and hopefully it's not just total author speculation. If we were to do a sign and trade for a pf with $$$ above the mle, then SAR would be my choice. Hell, SAR is my #1 choice period. I place a premium on more established players. Ideally I would like to get a pf in sign and trade and then try to pick up another guard(or 2) with the MLE. This is the year to stack up on fagent roleplayers imo.
He should have taken the $47 million from the Bucks. He'll regret walking away from that money. And he would have made the playoffs for the first time in his career, with a lineup of Redd and Bogut. He could probably go to the Spurs and earn $28 million and a shot at the title, if that's what he wants, but $19 million is a lot to pay for a ring.
Do we still have a minor trade exception to use to offset the BYC implications of such a trade? Unless we also took on Darius Miles' contract, or (ugh) Derek Anderson's. Then the money would get to the point that SAR's BYC wouldn't make much difference. In any case, gotta have a plan B and C and D in case A (Swift) doesn't pan out.
Kinda weird huh? In his defense, the Vancouver Grizz and ATL Hawks were never playoff contendors, not even close. And he got to Portland at their worst time.
This is who we should be really going after. What does SS bring to the table that Chriss Anderson doesnt? Why not sign SAR and then get Chriss Anderson to back him up. Throw in Earl Watson or K Rush and this would be the best offseason ever.
Some say SAR should've taken the buck's money, but he's made it well known that it's not just about the money. He's already gotten a big payday. Think about it, he's played in Vancouver, Atlanta, and portland in it's freefall. That can't be fun. I doubt the Bucks will make the playoffs. They wouldn't have gotten simmons if SAR had accepted. Redd is just a shooter. Bogut is a question mark. Ford might not be ready. SAR had no reason to go there if he wanted a chance at the finals.
It is ludicres to think the Nets with or without SAR could get by Mia or Detroit, the Nets have zero interior defense and SAR doesn't help this. I don't think I'd put them ahead of the Cavs, Bulls or Pacers next year or down the line either. If SAR is all about winning he goes to the Heat, Rockets or Spurs for an MLE. He would start for the 1st two as well. Obviously something else is involved (likes his butt kissed, likes New Jersey, mo money) Honestly I think the Bucks have a lot more upside than the Nets and their aging, cap disastrous, backcourt. If Boget and Ford can contribute they could be better than the Nets this year.
Earl Watson would make this the best offseason ever? What about the T-Mac trade? I believe it was reported that Chris Andersen will re-sign with the Hornets.
All that BS about money isn't the most important thing, winning is. I always said that any guy on the right side of 30 is working for the money and not for a ring, it's only guys like Brent Barry, Gary Payton, Karl Malone that choose teams because they might win a ring. If SAR turned down a deal for 47M then he must think his worth is more than 47M, well I hope he hasn't deluded himself and has to sign for the MLE with some team (hope its the Rockets).
I always thought SAR was a strange omission from the list of pfs we're reportedly interested in. I am surprised he yurned down 47 mil. though.
You put the Pacers in that second tier category? I think they may possibly be a better team than either Miami or Detroit when they have Ron Artest in their line-up. Even without him they played a hell of a series against Detroit.
Swift to meet with Nets in Vegas http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/36607/20050712/nets_to_meet_with_swift/
That's good. They're not really interested in him. Otherwise, they would have brought him to the swamp and talked to him. They're just having a meeting of convenience as a backup plan in case the SAR deal falls through.
You're really selling the Nets short. Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, Richard Jefferson, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, and Nenad Krstic would be one of the best starting fives in the Eastern Conference. Plus, the Atlantic Division is an easy one to win. They'd be almost guaranteed the third seed. NJ could be a real surprise team next year if they get Shareef, and they'd probably be a better Nets team than the one that took Detroit to seven two years ago.
Sorry, defensively I don't think they are close to the caliber of Det, Mia or Indy (or even the previous Nets squad you mention with a better Kidd, Kmart, and other better defenders like Kittles, and Williams off the bench). The current Nets squad will not stop anybody, they could not even slow a Shaq-less Miami last year and would not be much better defensively with these moves. I wouldn't count on the Nets with SAR being better than the Cavs or Bulls either. IMO Swift would help them a lot more than SAR, but NJ is not a contender with either player. BTW, JMW-yeah I still put Indy in the 2nd tier though maybe on top it with Cleve, Chi and NJ threatening depending on final moves. Indy will probably will be a force defensively again. But so are Det and Mia, who have a lot more ways to score as well. Det has beat them twice in a row--including with Artest one year, I see little reason for that to change. Plus I think Mia healthy is better than either team anyway.
