If this trade happens, it's robbery. Surely logo can get more than Eddie Jones for these two. http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/basketball/12273478.htm TRADE RUMORS Riley mulling roster changes BY ISRAEL GUTIERREZ igutierrez@herald.com So much for just tweaking. Not satisfied with the makeup of a team that was one game from the NBA Finals, Heat president Pat Riley is considering making significant moves that could include trading swingman Eddie Jones and acquiring Memphis point guard Jason Williams, according to several NBA sources. Among the moves being considered is a trade that would send Jones to Memphis and bring Williams and small forward James Posey to Miami. Williams played three years with the Sacramento Kings and four with the Grizzlies, earning a reputation as a talented but troubled player. The Grizzlies have been trying to move him all offseason. However, Williams is among the best passers in the league, can run both a fast break and halfcourt offense and is a three-point threat. Posey is a quality defender with a versatile offensive game, but he spent much of last season battling nagging foot injuries that limited him to 50 games. Jones was the Heat's third-leading scorer last season and best perimeter defender, proving his worth during last year's run to the Eastern Conference finals. But trade rumors have surrounded the 11-year veteran since his first year in Miami. A THIRD TEAM A report out of Memphis had the Grizzlies, Heat and an unidentified team discussing a three-way trade involving Williams. But if the Heat and Grizzlies agreed to a swap of Jones for Williams and Posey, the move would work under the collective bargaining agreement without a third team needed. Williams is scheduled to make $7.5 million next season with three years remaining on his deal, and Posey is set to make $5.9 million on a deal that expires in 2007. Jones is scheduled to make $14.5 million next season, with two years left on the seven-year deal he signed in 2000. WALKER POSSIBLE The Heat also is considering adding free agent forward Antoine Walker, possibly in a sign-and-trade deal with Boston, though no agreement was imminent. Walker visited with Riley last week, and although a straight signing of the free agent is unlikely, the Heat could package Michael Doleac, Rasual Butler and its $1.9 million trade exception to Boston in exchange for Walker. That would allow Walker to sign for a starting salary of about $6 million, and the Celtics would not have to take on much salary in return. Doleac is in the second year of a four-year deal that pays him $2.6 million next year, and Butler is in the final year of his contract and will make about $1.5 million next season. The Heat also will look into players released using the new amnesty rule that allows teams over the luxury tax to waive a player. EYE ON FINLEY If the Dallas Mavericks waive Michael Finley (reports have varied on the Mavericks' intentions) the Heat would be interested in signing the swingman who once played for Heat coach Stan Van Gundy when he coached the University of Wisconsin. The league set an Aug. 15 deadline for teams to release players under the amnesty rule. The league's moratorium will end at noon Tuesday, and a flurry of activity is expected then. The Heat is expected to announce the re-signing of Shaquille O'Neal to a possible five-year deal worth as much as $125 million as well as formally announce the re-signing of Udonis Haslem to a five-year, $30.7 million deal. And despite the interest in the Grizzlies' Williams, point guard Damon Jones remains a strong possibility to return.
Can the Grizz then immediately waive Jones, come August 15, with the amnesty ? I could see it that way. They insure JW and Posey go east, then cut salary. They get to kill 2 bad deals in one move.
I dont know if I would go so far as to call it robbery. Keep in mind that Jay Will's value is almost nil. No one likes his contract. And it probably depends on the team on whether they like his attitude. This would just be the Grizz trying to get rid of JWill, and nothing more.
I dont think so. I think there was a cut off date that the player has to be with the team up until June 21st or something like that. But the Grizz could lop off Dickerson's contract (as it pertains to the LT) which is still on the books.
White Chocolate could be had for virtually nothing. The Lakers should be interested, but I doubt West would want to hand them a starting point-guard for free. I've read about trade rumors involving Boston in a three-way deal, where the Heat would receive Antoine Walker and the Celtics would get White Chocolate.
am i the only one who read the 5 years, $125M extension for shaq part of the article?! is that like justice mentioning derek fisher could get a max contract, or are the heat actually that insane? edit: and could shaq have benefitted any more by having a grandfathered contract? he got it while still young and has been able to extend it once with the lakers to the point he's making about $30M/yr now and might get to extend it again for another 5 years. good Lord, kg looks poor compared to shaq. as for the trade, i don't want a trade that could potentially add more talent to the heat than they are sending out, even if it comes with baggage. jwill can be a handful when playing correctly (as he has done with memphis before) and posey can be a handful if he's hitting his 3's (though he did go back to not hitting them last year). plus he can defend. i am uninterested in helping a reduced shaq add another title and the logo better not help him out.
That deal is being rumored, he'll opt out of his current deal set to pay him 30 million for next season only, and then he'll sign that new 5 year 115-125 million dollar deal.
How much value does Eddie Jones have with his contract? At least Jay Will is young and has definite skills while Jones is a "has been" (or a "never has been") at best. Plus the Heat get Posey. This deal is rip off city if you ask me, which is why I can't believe it will happen.
I'll go further, White Chocolate IMO has negative value. In other words Memphis has to provide another team compensation to take him on at his current contract. This deal makes quite a lot of sense to me. For Memphis it is a salary dump of JW as Jones will be off the books after next season. Posey is a younger and cheaper replacement for Jones as a reward for the trouble of taking on JW. The only thing weird to me is what Memphis is doing with their PG situation. If they manage to dump JW, I can't understand why they are not trying to keep Watson. He is a lot younger and better defensively than Stoud at about the same cost. Stoud is better offensively, but why not think more long term.
I don't know why JWill gets trashed so much. He has a large contract, but he's come a long way since his earlier years of playground ball. Fratello doesn't like his style of play; the Grizzlies have a huge cap problem; so they're looking to send him elsewhere. After that, why the hate? Still, is this deal so great for the Grizz? I would think a 1st rounder would even it out somewhat. Then in a year use Eddie Jones as amnesty from the luxury tax, or, depending on other roster moves, swap him for players you want, as his contract will be an expiring one at that point.
Eagerly thinking of Celtics trade scenarios... Hmmm... Mark Blount and Marcus Banks for Jason Williams and a second-rounder? Antoine Walker, Mark Blount and Marcus Banks for Lorenzen Wright, Jason Williams and Antonio Burks?
It isn't hate, but the guy is a 39% FG shooter and 32% from 3 land, with no signs of major improvement. He also has a Mo Taylor contract (practically identical) with 3 years left. For the Rockets offense I see him a major downgrade from James or Sura, or for the Heat relative to (overall) quite ordinary Damon Jones. Maybe he would be OK on a really crappy team where the inconsistency and bad spells are not a big deal. The would be happy to take that along with his good moments--because he can be very good at times. But that isn't what a good team needs, a definetly not at his contract.
Does anyone think Dwayne Wade might leave Miami just to escape Shaq's bloated contract that will surely financially strap the franchise?
Of course, draft picks thrown into the deal may change its complexion. I'm often surprised when a rumored deal that looks lopsided, will get much more even when it's consummated and you find out there are 3 picks in the deal too that no one had mentioned before.
I don't know about that. Eddie Jones is a career 16 ppg, 4 rpg and 3 apg player. He may not be a go-to guy but he's a damn good player! He put up similar numbers last year, though he only scored 12 ppg while being the 3rd option behind Shaq and Wade.
No. They'll just keep trading out expirings and using their MLE as necessary to keep a talented team on the floor. They'll be paying major tax dollars by the end of Shaq's contract when Wade's Max deal has hit the books and they have to pick up the other talent, but they are looking for a championship or two by then also. The horrible moment will come 5 years from now when that deal expires and Shaq is gimping around the court on crutches with 2 knee braces and half eyes so he can still see where the rim is to dunk. They're not going to be able to move that huge of an expiring deal to pick up any talent. They'll have to budget their payroll so that when his deal expires, they are under the cap and can go after a FA. That means a bunch of contracts that all expire right along with Shaq's.
