Extension Talks In Limbo For Miller

[The Guilty Party]

This is from phillyburbs.com today....



Once Sixers president Ed Stefanski signs a veteran big man — former Sixer Theo Ratliff is apparently about to return for the veterans’ minimum of $1.26 million — to back up Samuel Dalembert, Stefanski had said he would like to discuss a contract extension — perhaps for two years — with point guard Andre Miller. But that will be difficult to do because Miller no longer has an agent. Lon Babby had represented Miller, but isn’t doing so anymore, according to Stefanski.

Miller has one year and $10 million left on his contract, meaning he can become an unrestricted free agent in July. The 32-year-old Miller averaged career-highs in points (17.0) and field goal percentage (.492) last season, while also handing out 6.9 assists.


If Ed does give Miller an extension, I do like the idea that it would only be for two years. That said, Miller hasn't made it easy on Ed by firing his agent and apparently the two have only had a couple of conversations the entire time Ed has worked for the 76ers. Unfortunately (sort of) for Ed, he needs to get Miller locked up now instead of waiting until next summer because he signed Brand and Iguodala to massive contracts. If he doesn't get Miller signed to an extension and Miller walks, Ed will either have to replace the starting PG on what should be an upcoming team with either Lou Williams (both Ed and Lou have said they don't think Lou is a PG) or with someone that is willing to sign for the MLE. It seems to me that if Miller doesn't want to sign an extension that Ed should move Miller before the deadline as an expiring contract while obtaining a PG who is better than someone they could get for the MLE.

Thoughts???

[philly262]

I think Miller might go but if he's not getting swapped for a point guard, and a guy like Hinrich or Billups it doesn't make sense to get Miller.

I rather wait to the offseason, where a guy like AI and a guy like Ramon Sessions would both be UFA, and I think both could be signed for the MLE.

[The Guilty Party]

I think Miller might go but if he's not getting swapped for a point guard, and a guy like Hinrich or Billups it doesn't make sense to get Miller.

I rather wait to the offseason, where a guy like AI and a guy like Ramon Sessions would both be UFA, and I think both could be signed for the MLE.

With Mo Williams gone, I don't see Milwaukee letting Sessions walk away for an MLE deal. As for AI, well... there are three issues here.

1) Will he sign for less money (the MLE) in order to come back to Philly and play for a championship? I'd say the odds are 50-50 which aren't bad.

2) Would Ed Snider be willing to allow Allen Iverson to return to the Sixers after their blow-up? I believe he would if Ed and Mo thought it was a move that would help the Sixers win a title which brings me to....

3) Can Allen Iverson play PG for a championship contender? I love AI but I don't believe so. He can't play PG for the Nuggets who would be okay with him going out and playing however he wants to. If he came here, he would be asked to play defense and get the other players involved. Is he capable of that? Sure but I don't believe Mo Cheeks is about to hand the keys of his team back over to Iverson. I think that ship has sailed.

[SmittyTheGreat]

Bringing Iverson back would be a good and bad thing at the same time. A bad thing because having a scoring combo guard as the main PG isn't really the best fit for the team we have now.

That is, unless we can get ahold of a pure PG also, and let Iverson put in more time at the 2 spot and let Andre shift to the 3.

C- Dalembert
PF- Brand
SF- Iggy
SG- Iverson
PG- FA/Draft/Trade pure PG

idk..just throwing things out there lol.

[bballin76]

2 years for Miller is good, but if I were Ed, I'd first wait to see how the team gels with the new additions before committing money to Miller. He may need to move him at the trade deadline for another point with better shooting range and Miller's expiring deal can be an advantage to gaining more talent.

[noone]

I think giving Miller an extension now would be a bit premature. He already didn't work out with Brand one time (to be honest I don't know why, just heard as much), and who knows with his lack of speed and outside shot if he's the type of point guard we need to get to the next level. I definitely wait until next offseason to make this decision if he isn't already gone by the deadline.

[SJboy59]

I hate to sound like a schizophrenic, but here goes.

I love Allen Iverson: the effort he gives, the playing through pain, the courage and confidence.

I would hate to have AI become a Sixer again, even for MLE money. He would (Please Use More Appropriate Word) the development of all the young players because he demands the ball so much and has been in the definitive press conference exhorting the virtues of practice.

He'd be a headache but I love him sounds like something you say about Jack Daniels at an AA meeting, but that's AI for you.

Miller was the best Sixer last year. He was a top three PG in the East. It's hard to see his skills deteriorating in the next three years, so an affordable extension is a no brainer. But I wonder if the money will work?

I think Miller wants to win and if the Sixers have a big year and Miller thinks it can happen here, you can sign him for less than you might right now. Of course, that's speculation on my part.

Michael

[bedjaw]

I think 2yr extension is PERFECT! You get AM to play PG while LWill develops. Neither Ed nor LWill has said he can't play PG but rather he is a combo guard. You can win championships with those types of PGs. Also in three years you'll have SD, WG, RE and AM all expiring. That won't put us too far under the cap but we'll have about $30M in expirings to add another 'Brand-like" player if he is available. I'd even over-pay Miller at this point since we won't be under the cap. I've said all along this team is built to win a championship in year 3. The next two years will be to win playoff series and develop Thad, LWill, JSmith, Speights etc. We should have all of our core in their prime or just coming into their prime at year 3 and the possibility of adding another player via trade/fa.

[ghostmno]

i thought miller wanted to go back out west though? perhaps hes changed his mind for trying to get a title? as for ai, if you can get him back for the mle its a no brainer, although, we all know about his lack of D, but AI back for a title run would be amazing

[sixerswillrule]

The ideal situtation would be to first see how he does this season with this "new" team. Then we could either see what we could get in return for him and his expiring contract, or give him an extension. And yes, a two year extension would be perfect.

[The76thDegree]

1 year extension would be ideal - anything more than that and I would be afraid of him having a sudden drop in his playing ability still with multiple years left on his contract

[CruThick]

Nobody on this board has a brain..You act as if Stephanski is in control of making a 1-2 year extension happen..Andre' Miller holds the cards..He is gonna be a free agent after next season after proving he could lead and semi carry a team as one of the two featured players.He will command a 4 year deal at minimum 10mill per year when he hits the market...so why wud he want a 2 year extension which would land him at 35 years of age and a hell of alot less marketability? he's got to get paid..and the sixers arent the ones who will want to or can pay his price tag(ala Aaron Rownad)..hell be a luxory will have to live without or replace for a lot cheaper..

[oldschool1]

I do not think there will be many teams offering Miller a multi year big $ deal next year. sure, lots of over the cap teams will offer the mid level exemption ( about $6 million per year). But, I do not think teams under the cap will ues cap space for an older player, when ther will be much better and younger players available. Let's say miller gets a 3 year offer at 6 million per year. I think if the the sixers offered a 2 year 8 mmillion offer, he would probably take it.

With that said, the salaries that these guys are getting are unbelievable, so who knows. I do not see andre playing in europe though

[Dedicated_76ers_fan]

Or here's something. Why not have Louis Williams COMPETE for the starting PG spot. I really don't want to have to extend Andre Miller, when I can use his 10M Expiring (ALA Gasol trade) for a significant piece.

[bebopdeluxe]

TGP:

A couple of things...

1) Do not blame AI for George Karl's stupidity. Why Karl continued to play Anthony Carter over JR Smith is anybody's guess...

2) AI averaged 7.5 assists per game last season - easily #1 among SG's...and his 2.4 to 1 ast/to ratio was easily the best of his career...

3) Iguodala is the perfect SG to play next to AI at PG, as his unselfishness and passing skills would be invaluable in terms of allowing AI to be another offensive threat in the "guts" of the game...

For me, I think that it is stupid to extend Miller now...let him play out the year...see how it all fits...see if Miller hits the wall again like he did in the Detroit series (Stefanski had to notice that...right?)...it's not like there are going to be a ton of teams next summer that are going to have the cap room to give Miller a $30 million contract. If he does well this season and we go deep in the playoffs (say, ECF), then he'll probably be psyched to stay.

If not?

AI for the MLE.

[The Guilty Party]

Out of curiosity, why will Allen Iverson sign for the MLE? I still don't understand this completely. Hasn't AI talked about playing into his late 30's??? It's not like he's at the end of the line and looking to pull a Gary Payton.

[Sixersfan87]

I agree with a lot of people on this board that it really doesn't make sense to extend Miller until we see the following:

1. How he gels with an offense that feature a lot more half court sets. Although I know we're still going to be a running team, in close games I think it's safe to assume we're going to pound the ball in to Brand, after all, isn't that why we needed a prime time big man in the first place? As for the whole chemistry issues, we're basically talking about Brand here. Speights is a rookie, Rush and Theo are role players, and Ivey will most likely be spelling Miller. As for Miller and Brand, the played for the Clippers, the team where careers go to die. The fact they made it out alive at all is a testament to their skills. They're both older and wiser and are playing for a team with a shot to compete. Mark me down for not worried at all.

2. The development of Lou - He's shown tremendous improvement between each season, and there's no reason to expect this one is any different. Extending Miller for 1 season wouldn't be too bad, but IMO anything more could be a gamble if Lou usurps the starting PG slot from him next year.

3. What is available at the deadline: Raise your hand if you knew Pau, Shaq, JKidd, & the Matrix would all be switching addresses midseason. With the 76ers being the perfect example, a little salary dumping can net big results the following offseason. It's a bit early to predict who will want to write off the playoffs and dump an all-star caliber player in favor of cap flexibility but it happens every year and this one won't be any different.

[tk76]

Given that Theo Ratliff made 12M last year at age 34, I'm fairly confident that someone will pay AI more than 6M next year. He is a huge draw and is unlikely to go from making 22M to 6M. It might be his last shot a another really big deal.

I think he will sign somewhere for more than 10M/yr, if not significantly more. What do people think he makes on his next contract?

[bebopdeluxe]

I guess that I am just trying to figure out who is going to pay AI something like a 5/70 contract in the summer of '09 - at a time where teams are scrambling RIGHT NOW to clear cap space for the summer of 2010.

I assume at some point, there will be a detailed discussion of who will have cap room next summer to make that kind of offer - who has 1) $10+ million in cap space next summer, and 2) the desire to spend it on AI versus waiting until the following summer to spend it on LeBron, Wade, Bosh, etc...

Until I see a list of teams that have the cap room next summer to give AI $10+ million next year and a logical argument as to why it makes more sense for them to give their cap room to AI instead of saving it for the "motherlode" of 2010, I will assume that "AI for the MLE" is still a possibility.

[The Guilty Party]

I will assume that "AI for the MLE" is still a possibility.

This seems like a silly assumption to me. You're reasoning isn't completely wrong but then again, who was going to give Corey Maggette 5 years/$50MIL this past summer when the Sixers and Grizzlies were the only two teams with cap space going in??? I don't know about Iverson signing a 5 year/$70MIL deal but I certainly could see him signing 4 years/$60MIL. As for where??? I could see someone like the Clippers doing it.