So people who want to say No to Ward can rest now Seriously, Ward is a valueable backup, it is really nice to have him backup SF. He take less money and go to Spurs, he want a ring obviously.
It's Ward's choice where he wants to go. I would be surprised if he came to Houston instead of San Antonio. Why wouldn't he want to get another chance of playing for a championship instead of coming to a struggling club like ours?
He's an older player. He wants a ring, and I think he made the right decision. He isn't getting a ring with Houston. The Spurs have Tony Parker, and I don't know who the backup is. I believe Anthony Carter was waived already. Ward gets a lot of playing time with the Spurs.
dayum dayum DAYUM!!! we really could've used ward here...court and locker room leadership, shoots 3's, gets other players involved, familiar with JVG and system, blah blah......we lost out, IMO. at the present moment, there's no one else out there to fill our backup pg needs, and wilks ain't gonna cut it (although i sure hope he does!). CD (or JVG or Les or somebody) f#$%ed up, Ward would've been perfect.
Okay... how did Cd/JVG/Les "f#$% up"? He was the one that made the decision. On to the blaming game..
As much as I would have liked to see Ward in a Rockets uni, I don't see why I should be mad at him. The Spurs will be a good fit for him, and he'll have a great shot at winning a championship this year. I'd do the same in his shoes, even if it meant passing up playing for my favorite coach or my hometown. It's not very often you can switch teams to a contender during the middle of the season, then resign with another team in the offseason. B
Dang it, I wanted a heisman trophy winner! I thought Ward was a waste of time and I heard something about him causing us a luxury tax hit? what's up B? where ya been?
I was wondering about the luxury tax hit. That was from the Chron, which said that the Rocks could offer him the $1.5 million veteran's exception, but that it would put us over the luxury tax threshold. I had no idea we were that close to the luxury tax. I wonder if we'll still try to pick up another guard? Even if you like Wilks and want to see him assume the backup point spot, you still don't want to be only two deep at PG, especially considering Wilks' inexperience.
Ward would have been an improvement, but not a difference maker. This team is still destined for a 1st round playoff exit with or without Ward.
Guys... It's not a done deal yet: Spurs wait for Ward to pick his team By Johnny Ludden San Antonio Express-News Web Posted : 01/08/2004 12:00 AM Charlie Ward gave indication Wednesday he was seriously considering signing with the Spurs, but team officials refused to be optimistic about their chances of landing the point guard because they did not have an agreement with him. (Ed Betz/Associated Press) The Spurs are one of several teams interested in former Knicks and Suns point guard Charlie Ward (right). Spurs officials had multiple conversations with Ward's agent, Craig McKenzie, on Wednesday, but never spoke to Ward himself. McKenzie, according to one source, told the Spurs that Ward was leaning strongly toward joining them, but he first wanted to examine his other options. Ward also told an acquaintance of his on the Spurs that he was interested in signing with the team. Spurs officials had hoped to fly to New York on Wednesday to speak with Ward in person, but were told a meeting was not necessary. Despite the assurances, team officials said they had not grown any more confident about signing Ward because he had yet to commit to a deal. Ward, who was released by Phoenix on Tuesday, cannot sign with a team until he clears waivers at 10 a.m. Friday. Ward is expected to make his decision by Friday, if not today. The Spurs will send a plane to pick up Ward on Friday morning if he agrees to sign with them. If Ward is signed, the Spurs will have to place a player on the injured list to make room for him. But they don't have immediate plans to waive either Jason Hart or Alex Garcia, their current backup point guards. Both players will have their salaries guaranteed for the rest of the season because they will not pass through waivers by Saturday. Spurs officials remained wary about their chances of getting Ward because of the competition they face from New Jersey and Houston. One Eastern Conference official said he thought as many as 12 teams, including Indiana, Orlando and the Los Angeles Clippers, inquired about Ward on Wednesday. Because they are over the salary cap, the Spurs are limited to offering Ward a pro-rated salary of $1 million, the NBA minimum for players with nine years of service. With 47 games remaining on the Spurs' schedule, Ward would get a little less than $600,000 before taxes. The Nets and Rockets can significantly outbid the Spurs because they each have a $1.5 million cap exception to spend. Ward also is eligible to receive all the exception, unlike a minimum-salary contract, which must be pro-rated. New Jersey, however, has given indications it is not willing to spend the exception because of the possible luxury-tax hit the team might receive this summer, the Eastern Conference official said. The Nets released backup point guard Robert Pack on Wednesday, but might re-sign him to a 10-day contract if they do not get Ward. Though signing with the Nets would allow Ward to stay close to his family — his home in Connecticut is a 45-minute drive from New Jersey — the official said he thought Ward would end up with one of the Texas teams. Dallas officials said they are not pursuing Ward. Houston has similar luxury-tax concerns that might keep it from offering more than the league minimum, but Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy has a close relationship with Ward from his days as coach in New York. The Spurs have aggressively pursued Ward because he could fill two of their needs: a veteran backup point guard and a dependable 3-point shooter. Ward, who is in his 10th season, also is regarded as a tough-minded player who values defense. In 35 games with the Knicks this season, he averaged 8.7 points, points and 4.9 assists in 23.6 minutes while shooting 42.8 percent from 3-point range. Ward spent his entire career with New York before he was traded to Phoenix on Monday. The Suns waived him because they did not want his $6 million contract to become guaranteed for the rest of the season.
