RealGM

With--get this--$12 million up front.

http://www.nj.com/nets/index.ssf/2010/0 ... s_who.html

Insanity. Makes the Beasley deal look pretty good.

For the life of me, I can't fathom why Al is so undervalued in this market. Hands down the best PF available, and with a reasonable contract given what lesser talents are getting.

Probably the best valued deal in free agency thus far in my honest opinion. I imagine they pay $12M this year and then $7/year after that?

Still more money than we paid Darko. I hear alot of complaining about Darko getting ~ $5 mil a year, but who would you rather have? I would choose Darko over Gooden, Thomas, etc. I think we got Darko for a reasonable price... Not to mention the Beasley pick up. We've got some value deals - now the players need to perform to their potential...

The $12 million up front probably was in response to rumors that the Nets were preparing a front-loaded offer to Thomas that Charlotte couldn't match without entering tax territory.

The value of the contract depends on how one views Thomas. Larry Brown, a motivational master, managed to coax three good months out of him, probably by motivating him with his pending free agency and other strategies. The Bulls were pretty eager to unload him, given his rep as an uncoachable locker-room cancer. The guy is an outstanding defensive player but brutal offensively. The term "head case" has been applied fairly widely to Thomas. I think Charlotte is taking a significant risk giving him a five-year commitment.

For the life of me, I can't fathom why Al is so undervalued in this market. Hands down the best PF available, and with a reasonable contract given what lesser talents are getting.

I just think Kahn has kept a high price tag on Al ... and rightfully so. Then, with the rumors that a certain GM was tossing out flags on Al's knee, patience was critical and may soon pay off. Heck, Al is a bargain salary-wise. NJ missed on yet another forward in Thomas, so maybe there a chance we can swing a deal with them yet ...

Now with teams running out of options (and apparently a few starting to get desperate), Jefferson's value may be climbing as we move forward. This might get pretty interesting. Heck even Pekovic might have some nice value right now.

That deal is close to what I thought he'd get in this market. I was thinking his value is in the 4-5 mil range, and in this market that goes up to about 6, and since you have to overpay to keep a guy you want, it bumps up to 7 or 8. the 12 mil up front is crazy, but you do what it takes to hold on to a guy i guess.

Would anyone be interested in some sort of package of Al + Beas for Gerald Wallace and something else coming back? I don't know how old Gerald Wallace is, but he's one of my favorite players and is defensively top notch, plus he's an athletic 3-4 who can shoot, rebound, and get to the line.

Be happy with the better player, Mike Beasley.