SAR: Is his career near an end?

[KingInExile]

He has started practicing again, working out with the summer league squad in Vegas. However, from the reports, it sounds like that recovery is slow and even he seems uncertain that he will be able to come all the way back. Is retirement in the near future for him?

Abdur-Rahim might be peering at the twilight
The future is cloudy for the gimpy-kneed Kings forward
By Sam Amick - samick@sacbee.com

LAS VEGAS – Quite a few processes are going on here for Shareef Abdur-Rahim. And none are all that pleasant.

The Kings forward, who underwent his second arthroscopic surgery in six months on his right knee in early December, knows this could be the twilight of his career. It has been a process to cite "old age" as a factor when you're 31, especially for a 12-year veteran who spent most of his career as one of the league's steadiest contributors. It has been a process returning to practice at all, but he did for the first time Sunday, joining the Kings' summer league team at UNLV.

The process, however arduous, is not yet over.

"(Sunday) was the most I've done (since the second surgery)," Abdur-Rahim said by phone. "I've been on the court doing a lot of drills running and stuff three times a week. I try to do something five times a week. It's hit and miss sometimes, I won't lie."

Because he knows there's no reason to.

"I think at the end of the day with something like this, it'll make the decision for you," he said. "Anyone's body is only going to let you do what it's going to let you do. That's the thing. I haven't really mentally started adjusting to (the notion of retirement) and thinking like that. I guess my body will let me know."

http://www.sacbee.com/kings/story/1085912.html

[mobiuseinz]

if he retires due to injury, his salary goes off our book because the insurance will pick it up.

[dozencousins]

I have been mentioning this on this board since the very early part of the last season to be clear to the previous poster sharrefs money does not prevent the kings from paying his salary but what his retirement would do is not count against the cap !

This is great news for the kings if he retires as this gives the king an extra roster spot for a young talent or in the event we traded a player at some point we can take 2 players for a 1 player deal without cutting anyone though i think reefs roster spot will be used on singletary,ewing jr. or a player from the d leauge !

[SactownHrtBrks8]

It will be a great off season if we cna somehow trade Thomas with Artest and Rahim retires

[deNIEd]

Trading Thomas is overblown and stupid

[norcal07]

About time SAR retires. I don't think that he will ever return to his earlier form and be a consistent contributor to the Kings. I would like to see the Kings get some value in trade from him but the chances are slim and none. SAR should retire to open a spot on the roster for a younger player.

[pillwenney]

Unfortunately, my best guess, judging from the article is that he'll be just healthy enough to not retire or produce anything.

[RIPskaterdude]

Unfortunately, my best guess, judging from the article is that he'll be just healthy enough to not retire or produce anything.

And still remain ahead of Kenny Thomas on the depth chart

[KingInExile]

Unfortunately, my best guess, judging from the article is that he'll be just healthy enough to not retire or produce anything.

Yeah, before people get too ahead of themselves with excitement about a possible retirement, they need to read the article (and Sam's blog today) to get a better understanding of his mindset. I think he knows the reality of retirement being a possibility...but he's NOT considering it right now.

[SacKingZZZ]

It would be crappy for Reef but his retirement would be the best thing for the Kings at this point. I cringe at the thought of running a Reef/KT/Moore/Miller frontline at this point.

[norcal07]

Despite your fears, it is very possible that we could have a Reef/KT/Moore/Miller frontline. But I think that Hawes would slip into one of those positions by the end of the season. And it is very likely that KT will be traded along with Ron Artest as, basically, a filler.

[dozencousins]

For anyone who disagrees with the philosophy of why trading kenny thomas at this point wich was mentioned by another person earlier the logic of dealing him is simple and i will give a good example why !

I am going to use the lakers (though i hate them with a passion ) as an example

if the kings trade artest & k9 for odom as an example if petrie & the maloofs view things as if artest is no longer in the kings future plans then you have to make the deal if there is nothing better !

Look at it like this most all of us can agree that artest is better than odom alone but if artest is not a part of the immediate future plans you make the deal not only are you getting a huge expiring contract you get to get rid of a player in artest who is starting to get to the point of killing his trade value alltogether not to mention you get rid of k9 and you save an additional 9 million dollars off the books going into 09/10 and add the fact you can give his roster spot to a young talent !

Anyone who has a business or wished to have one please tell me if you had an employee who made 8-9 million dollars annually from you that you would not do everything you can do to get rid of the ead weight !
If this was the 09/10 season i would agree with the philosophy that to deal k9,reef etc. for expirings would not make sense.
To get the extra roster spot by dealing k9 with artest for a 2 for 1 player trade is a good thing not bad we need to develope our younger talent guys !

In closing i would like to add i would hate to trade artest to the lakers/fakers but that said business is business and any employee that caused me problems or as long as they are physically capable of performing but didnt i would do everything i could do to get rid of that scrub !

KINGS 4 LIFE ..........................

[_SRV_]

Yep, people treat contracts and cap as numbers, and forget that saving 9 millions dollars is a very serious portion of season's revenue.
Not paying 9 millions on KT next season is an added value, and a lot of it, even if it wouldn't help the Kings sign a FA.

[dozencousins]

SRV its nice to see another understand this as i am sure some others do also !

Its unfortuate that some others are blinded by these facts in our case by this happening it opens the door for another young talent.

Look what happened when bibby went down we ended up with Beno as a cheap pick up even if he doesnt ammount to be the teams future point guard down the line he has became a true assett to our team !

[ICMTM]

I think everyone understands BUT one why Kenny needs to go.

[deNIEd]

I think everyone understands BUT one why Kenny needs to go.

I understand why he needs to go, purely from an owners stand point (which is really all that matters). It saves them 9 million dollars, going towards a useless ballboy.

However, from a team's perspective, trading Thomas is a bad move.

Thomas is an expiring next year, so from a TEAMS standpoint, his contract doesn't hurt us (since we won't be able to, and most likely won't go after any FA in 09).

Thomas also has negative value currently, but positive value next year. The issue is that Thomas brings down the overall quality of whatever package we get back. I think its a given that our team isn't as talented as many teams, Por, NO, Bos, Philly, LAL etc. and while players could pan out, currently, we need to add as much talent as possible.

Take the Lakers, Artest has more value than Odom, therefore, a package should be Artest for Odom + more incentive. Whether that incentive is Farmer or Picks or whatever, there has to be more incentive. When that incentive is taking on a bad contract, it ultimately lowers our overall team's talent pool opposed to the incentive being a pick or young player.

Now, then again, we aren't paying Thomas 8 million dollars, therefore for the Maloofs its a good deal. But for the team, getting a late 1st is better than getting rid of Thomas' contract.

[Serpo]

Wow the Nets doctors called it right considering the heat Rod Thorn recived for what happened in the summer of 2005 you have to give him credit now to cancelling that signing . Exactly that right knee that never made problems where our doctors found that scare tissue is now shot .

[BMiller52]

I think everyone understands BUT one why Kenny needs to go.

I understand why he needs to go, purely from an owners stand point (which is really all that matters). It saves them 9 million dollars, going towards a useless ballboy.

However, from a team's perspective, trading Thomas is a bad move.

Thomas is an expiring next year, so from a TEAMS standpoint, his contract doesn't hurt us (since we won't be able to, and most likely won't go after any FA in 09).

Thomas also has negative value currently, but positive value next year. The issue is that Thomas brings down the overall quality of whatever package we get back. I think its a given that our team isn't as talented as many teams, Por, NO, Bos, Philly, LAL etc. and while players could pan out, currently, we need to add as much talent as possible.

Take the Lakers, Artest has more value than Odom, therefore, a package should be Artest for Odom + more incentive. Whether that incentive is Farmer or Picks or whatever, there has to be more incentive. When that incentive is taking on a bad contract, it ultimately lowers our overall team's talent pool opposed to the incentive being a pick or young player.

Now, then again, we aren't paying Thomas 8 million dollars, therefore for the Maloofs its a good deal. But for the team, getting a late 1st is better than getting rid of Thomas' contract.

Eh I think a RFA this year(Okafor, J Smith, etc.) will take the QO and be an UFA next year. I rather have cap space then, which is possible if SAR retires and Kenny is traded with Ron for Odom.

[SacKingZZZ]

Wow the Nets doctors called it right considering the heat Rod Thorn recived for what happened in the summer of 2005 you have to give him credit now to cancelling that signing . Exactly that right knee that never made problems where our doctors found that scare tissue is now shot .

I am pretty sure I remember reading somewhere that this has nothing to do with that particular problem.

[dozencousins]

So basically DENIED you would wast 8-8.5 million dollars of your money this year if you were running the kings for the hopes of getting rid of k9s bad 9 million dollar contract next year in a trade that is team and financial suicide thank god your not our GM and that PETRIE is !
I am not trying to be rude but you dont make good business sense at all .

This is a perfect time for the kings to kill 2 birds with 1 stone

a. get rid of artest now as he is becomming a huge problem and distraction now.
b. get rid og k9s bad contract & dead weight .

You take the guarantee now to rid yourself of these issues rather than waste another year in the hopes that you can finally dump k9 and then have wasted 8.5 million this year on k9 to sit on his dumb fat @ss !

Even if the kings went after nobody major in the 08/09 free agency market we have rid ourselves k9 off the books and can save the money for the 09/10 free agency season .

Wake up and smell the coffee Man !