The official 2003 NBA free agents thread

[Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly]

After further examination, it looks like the Knicks got shitted on in this trade.

 

T'Wolves have added 50 points a game to their roster this offseason and have only lost 15. They also get rid of Terell Brandon's $11 million contract. Their ability to sign people next offseason may be compromised, but they have taken another step towards getting better.

 

The Hawks get a player who won't play this year and is going to retire, but they get rid of Robinson's contract right now and will be free of Brandon's $11 million contract in February. THEY WILL HAVE MONEY NEXT YEAR.

 

The Sixers gain seems kind of questionable because they need rebounding. Van Horn can score, but Glenn Robinson is more likely to go off and have a 40 point game than Van Horn is. They also get rid of a player whose heart they questioned last year.

 

Van Horn's rebounds might have been better than Sprewell's last year, but his scoring wasn't that much better than Sprewell's was and Sprewell also had one of his poorer seasons last year. All the Knicks did was add another forward to their roster.

[Guest razazteca]

Looks like the Spurs are trying to get in the Pacers and Kings trade. Spurs would get Turk and Ron Mercer for unnamed players most likely Stephen Jackson and Rose? Also just in Spurs signed a summer league player local guy Mike Brown? to a 1 year contract.

 

These rumors were reported by the 4 WOAI evening news.

[Guest Lethargic]

From ESPN...

 

Indiana, Sacramento and San Antonio are on the verge of a three-team trade that would send Brad Miller to the Kings, ESPN.com has learned. The deal would foil attempts by Utah and Denver to sign the free-agent center.

 

The deal calls for Indiana to sign Miller to a multiyear deal and ship him to the Kings, who consider him the ideal long-term replacement for Vlade Divac, the 35-year-old center entering the final year of his contract.

 

As part of the exchange, Indiana would receive Scot Pollard as a replacement for Miller, after the Pacers determined that they couldn't absorb the luxury-tax implications of meeting Miller's money demands.

 

The deal would have to involve at least one more player to satisfy salary-cap requirements and it was not immediately known whom the Spurs would be including.

 

As the trade is constructed, the Spurs would receive swingmen Hedo Turkoglu and Ron Mercer as potential replacements for free agent Stephen Jackson. Turkoglu and Mercer are both in the final year of their contracts, preserving San Antonio's salary-cap flexibility for next summer when it must re-sign Manu Ginobili. Jackson is seeking a long-term deal.

 

HERE'S THE DEAL (SO FAR)

Kings get: C Brad Miller

Pacers get: F/C Scot Pollard

Spurs get: G/F Hedo Turkoglu and G Ron Mercer

 

As a Pacers fan, I hate it. I hate that they can't keep Miller most of all, but losing Miller AND Mercer for Pollard who seems to get hurt pretty frequently lately, is even worse. I don't see Pollard being all that different from Jeff Foster who they already have. Without Mercer, I'd say fine, at least you get something in return. But losing BOTH of them? Do they really wanna go into next year with Reggie as the only shooting guard? I think it's a great dependable insurance policy to keep Mercer around to spell Reggie. Unless they get another player from the Spurs, but I really don't see many people on the Spurs worth having. Stephen Jackson certainly isn't any better than Mercer.

 

For the Spurs though, it looks like they just ripped off two teams at once. I mean really, that's crazy, first Pacers were getting Pollard AND Turk for Miller. Ok, fine. Now all they're getting is Pollard and for some reason Spurs are getting a player from both teams. Weird trade, I just hope they figure out soon.

[Guest razazteca]

Maybe the Spurs will keep Rose and give up someone like Danny Ferry or the chinese player who is injuried proned but I am not holding my breath.

 

I wish the Spurs would just give up a draft pick instead of a current player.

[Rendclaw 0]

I just seems to me that the Kings lose a great deal if they give up Hedo.

[Guest Human Fly]

I just seems to me that the Kings lose a great deal if they give up Hedo.

Hedo has never shown me anything but the ability to choke in the playoffs. He's a decent player off the bench, but in the end is just a dime a dozen jump shooter. If I could get a decent legit center like Miller I'd do it in a heartbeat.

[Rendclaw 0]

its too bad there aren't very many athletic centers that can just out run Shaq up and down court...

 

Then again, if he doesn;t get his weight down, my 64 year old mother will be able to beat him up and down court.

[Bored 0]

The 4-team deal went through finally with addition is Marc Jackson goes to Philadelphia from Minnesota. That's the center not the point guard.

[Rendclaw 0]

well with that trade, the general consensus is that the Wolves are going to make it out of the first round.... I was watching Around the Horn today while I was online and one of the panelists seem to think that the Wolves are going to have more chemistry issues than the Lakers....

[Guest razazteca]

I can that the T-Wolves will have problems at the Guard position. Now that they lost Nestorvich and Marc Jackson who will be center and back up PF?

[Guest Vern Gagne]

Magic Johnson. :

 

He's got the first name at least.

[Guest razazteca]

Oh yeah, so is Ervin Johnson good or just cheap to keep?

[Guest NoCalMike]

IMO, in losing Hedo, the Kings are losing someone with potential that could be a really good player, but can just as easily fade away just as fast. He had a HORRID year last year, and was given repeated chances to work out his game ON THE COURT, and it never happened.

[Guest Lethargic]

That's what I worry about too. Marc Jackson seemed to come on strong at the end of last year and in the playoffs. Now all they have is Olowokandi and a couple of chumps to back him up.

[Rendclaw 0]

Now is the time to show that potential that Olowokandi was supposed to have when he got drafted. I wouldn;t be surprised if he either broke out huge or tanked big time.

 

The Clippers have a tendency to do that to players, though its more the latter than the former.

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

don't get me wrong, the TWolves massivly upgraded, but they will still have to play either the Spurs, Mavs, Lakers, or Kings in the first round (most likely). I wouldn't start printing those 2nd round tickets quite yet.

[Guest ErekT2k]

Yeah, T-Wolves definetly got busy this offseason. Too bad they still have to deal with the superpowers of the league. Things just never seem to get better for KG.... They still got a better chance of getting out of the first round...

 

And I thought the East was getting upgraded too, with the Magic making big moves and Nets getting Zo. Anyone know whatever happened to Darko? Is he going to be a Piston next year?

[Guest phoenixrising]

IMO, in losing Hedo, the Kings are losing someone with potential that could be a really good player, but can just as easily fade away just as fast. He had a HORRID year last year, and was given repeated chances to work out his game ON THE COURT, and it never happened.

Right before the draft the Kings traded their only pick (a second rounder) to Boston for the signing rights to Darius Songaila. The guy is basically a clone of Hedo Turkoglu, so the Kings aren't losing much. Adding Miller more than makes up for it. Losing Pollard kinda sucks, as he was a popular player in Sacramento, but getting Miller takes the sting off of that.

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

I would trade Hedo for Miller, no question.

 

That said, when....uh....that guy....who coaches the Kings....er....fuck I can't remember his name. Well, whoever he is, benching Hedo for Jimmy freakin Jackson in the playoffs just mystified me.

[Rendclaw 0]

Rick Adelman.

 

Its possible that Darko will sit out this season, as he is still under contract in Europe, but I doubt that Joe Dumars is going to allow that.

 

I think things in the NBA are going to much more competitive than even last year.... and they need it too, people need a reason to watch the games, and go to them live.... I am definitely going to the Palace of Auburn Hills when my Magic come to town. I lived in Orlando for ten years and could not afford to go see a Magic game.

[Guest Ripper]

I would trade Hedo for Miller, no question.

 

That said, when....uh....that guy....who coaches the Kings....er....fuck I can't remember his name. Well, whoever he is, benching Hedo for Jimmy freakin Jackson in the playoffs just mystified me.

Did you SEE Jim Jackson in the playoffs. He played incredibly. Hedo looked lost.

 

The Wolves will have a starting line-up of:

 

Kandi

Garnett

Wally

Sprewell

Cassell

 

the bench

 

Johnson

Trent

?

Gill

Hudson.

 

 

That is still a pretty deep team. All they need now is the Chemistry.

[Guest Polish_Rifle]

Apparently, the Pacers will also get Danny Ferry in the Brad Miller deal. It looks like a win-win for everyone involved.

 

Pacers: They got a replacement for Miller who would’ve left for nothing in return. Pollard has shown he can contribute in this league and is really not that much of a difference from Miller.

 

Kings: They lose Hedo, but they probably couldn’t have resigned him next year anyway. They get Miller who is a credible backup for Vlade and will eventually replace him.

 

Spurs: They get Hedo and all of his potential plus Ron Mercer, whose $7 million contract expires next season, thus giving them more cap room to sign Manu, Parker and Hedo if he works out.

 

Kevin McHale has been working his ass off this summer. He gets rid of Rasho and Marc Jackson and has upgraded with the Kandiman and Erving “I’m not Magic” Johnson. They also have Gary Trent to back up KG and finally have a credible backcourt that is capable of racking it up. For their sake, I hope they don’t meet the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs, otherwise their streak will continue.

[Guest Ripper]

"Pacers: They got a replacement for Miller who would’ve left for nothing in return. Pollard has shown he can contribute in this league and is really not that much of a difference from Miller."

 

Except for that part where Miller is a better shooter from the perimeter, has a better post up game, is a better defender and rebounder and is less injury prone...yeah..they are basically the same.

 

You are just saying they are the same because they are white!!

 

you ~RACIST

 

[Guest razazteca]

Hedo has never shown me anything but the ability to choke in the playoffs. He's a decent player off the bench, but in the end is just a dime a dozen jump shooter

 

Hedo looked lost

 

Hedo will fit perfectly into the Spurs system, you know you can never have enough players to go to when you need to lose that 20 point lead in the 4th Quarter. Just pass the ball 4 times and when the coach is not looking make that behind the back pass to Timmy who is tripled teamed.

 

The Spurs lost Ferry, Stephen Jackson, Steve Smith, Speedy Claxton to free agency and they got in return Robert Horry, Hedo Turkolu, Ron Mercer. I see no reason why the Spurs cannot repeat as champions.

[Guest Lethargic]

The Pacers got ass raped in this deal. Pollard is nowhere near as good as Miller. Miller is the best center in the East without question and his toughness is what made Jermaine O'Neal has good as he was the past couple of years. He's tough, he can shoot, he can rebound and he can defend. I really think that after Shaq he's the best pure center out there. Pollard is a injury prone backup PF who only played in 23 games last year and averaged less than 5 points and 5 rebounds. Can he contribute to a team? Yes. Is he Brad Miller? Not in any stretch of the imagination. Unless they trade for another big man somehow, the Pacers got screwed big time and their dreams of going to the finals are over. They're not getting to the finals with a starting center of Scott Pollard or Jeff Foster.

 

But oh, I forgot, they got Danny Ferry. Nevermind, they're winning it all this year!

 

Insider says they got Ferry because his contract is non-guaranteed so he will be used in trade bait. Most likely packaged with Tinsley to get a veteran point guard. He speculates that it could be Eric Snow. If they lose Miller and then trade Tinsley for Eric Snow I'm becoming a Grizzlies fan.

 

What seems hysterical to me is that, you got the Pacers and Kings working on this deal, but then the Spurs ride in and make out like friggin bandits. They basically got Hedo and Mercer for nothing. Plus it saves them the trouble of re-signing Jackson and I think both of those guys are better than Jackson anyway. This team might actually end up better this year than last if they can get another veteran center and point guard to be backups.

[Guest Ripper]

Unless they run up on some suns with a point guard that has use of both his arms.

[Guest Mindless_Aggression]

I question San Antonio going with Horry. I mean christ, they were front row for his playoff explosion. Then again, he won't be playing near the minutes he did in LA, so maybe he'll bounce back, either that or San Antonio just wanted to keep one of the good luck charm players of the past 10 years. (The other being Kerr, as those 2 have been on every championship team for the last decade)

 

Why the fuck is Ferry still playing?! Christ, you're old, not at all talented really, and one of the top 3 dorkiest looking players in the league, yet you still somehow stumble into a title and you continue on? My God, why?

 

The Pacers are incredibly stupid. Pollard will bust his ass all day, but you just lost quite possibly the only center who can shoot and play hard nosed basketball. He's like Raef Lafrentz except with balls. But hey, they got Scott Pollard who will at the very least have a unique haircut and or facial hair for the season.

 

And I haven't seen it mentioned, which is quite shocking to me, but anyways IRA NEWBLE HAS SIGNED A 4 YEAR DEAL WITH CLEVELAND~! NBA Finals meet the Cavs! whoo!

[Guest Lethargic]

Now ESPN says the Pacers aren't even getting Ferry anymore. Apparently the Spurs don't have to include any players in the deal because they have the salary cap space to just take on the two players. If that's true the Spurs just got Hedo and Mercer for absolutely NOTHING, not even Danny Ferry! The Spurs are friggin geniuses.

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

The Pacers have been trying to dump Mercer forever, but I didn't know the Kings were trying to move Hedo. I guess they didn't want to resign him next year.

[Guest razazteca]

The San Antonio newspaper reports that the Spurs are looking into getting Kenny Anderson as backup PG. Also that Kevin Willis and Steve Kerr might return.