Official FA Thread

[miller31time]

Rumor on Hoops Hype today (from ESPN) states that Philly may make a run at AJ, starting him out at around $11M per.

Thoughts about whether EG wants to go that high for AJ?

I don't think he has a choice, to be honest. If Philly offers AJ a deal around 11mil and EG doesn't bid higher, then we have a team with a disgruntled star in Arenas. We lose one of the more consistent players in the association and our frontcourt, minus Butler, looks pretty weak offensively.

Let's just hope that this rumored interest from Philadelphia (which, btw, I predicted since he'd be a perfect fit for them -- a forward with 3pt shooting capability, veteran leadership for the youngins', etc) is nothing more than speculation because I'd really REALLY rather not go into lux tax with this team.

EDITED TO ADD -- We do have some breathing room, though. Jamison is the 3rd option for Philadelphia. 1 is Brand and 2 is Josh Smith. I think there's a decent shot the 6ers get one of those two.

[Dat2U]

Jamison would actually make alot of sense for Philly. They need two things, a guy that can play PF and an outside shooter, Jamison solves both problems for them. He'd fit quite nicely in there starting lineup:

PF Jamison
SF T. Young
C Dalembert
SG Iguodala
PG A. Miller

Me thinks the Jamison signing will come down to years. Is Philly willing to offer Antawn at least 4 yrs? If so, will EG be willing to match that? I think money isn't a big issue 10-12 mil sounds about right for Jamison considering he's an all-star with 20 & 10 numbers.

[LyricalRico]

Me thinks the Jamison signing will come down to years. Is Philly willing to offer Antawn at least 4 yrs? If so, will EG be willing to match that? I think money isn't a big issue 10-12 mil sounds about right for Jamison considering he's an all-star with 20 & 10 numbers.

Agreed. It'll be similar to the Steve Nash situation a few years ago. Dallas was willing to match the per year dollars, but Phoenix was willing to add another year (which actually may not be guaranteed, interestingly enough).

It could also be similar to what NOH did with Peja - offer 5 years, $60M to a guy they know isn't worth it but will help the team and keep the fans interested. Jamison brings scoring, rebounding, leadership, class, playoff experience - all the things a young team is desperate for.

Wow, it really does seem like Philly should go after him with all they've got. There hasn't been a peep out of either AJ or the Wiz so far and I don't know what to make of that. Maybe there's a quiet understanding that something is going to get done or maybe both sides are weighing other options.

I wonder...what if Grunfeld is prepared to let Jamison walk because of the cost (a la Larry Hughes) and he has an alternative already lined up? Gil would have to know about it and see it as an upgrade in order for him to have already agreed to re-sign.

[Soup's Uncle]

Yeah, this is a scary situation. I could definitely see Jamison signing with the 6ers. He'd be great for them.

[nate33]

What sucks is that this scenario didn't make any sense at all for Philly as of February last season. At that point, Philly was a young team, well below .500 with their eyes set on the future. Iggy, Dalembert, Thad Young, and Louis Williams were all young guys with "potential" down the road. They had no business even thinking about overpaying for a 32-year-old vet like Jamison.

But after that incredible second-half run, they've suddenly become an exciting "win now" squad. Iggy and Dalembert aren't young guys with upside, they're youngish veterans in their prime. Thad Young came along quicker than anybody expected. Double-checking Andre Miller's age, I see that he is only 32 and not yet over-the-hill. Adding the 32-year-old Jamison doesn't seem so far fetched.

[clubbing_caveman]

I'd like to keep Mason around, he gels well with the team.

Out of the names on that free agent list, I'd like the Wizards to take a look at:

-Tony Allen
-Eddie House
-Juwan Howard
-Tyronn Lue
-Yakhouba Diawara
-Juan Dixon
-Austin Croshere
-Dikembe Mutombo
-Sasha Vujacic
-Ryan Gomes
-Craig Smith
-Jose Calderon
-and, of course, Antawn Jamison

Pretty guard-heavy list, I know...but I think all these may be realistic enough to pursue dollarwise, with the possible exception of Sasha and Calderon.

I would like for us to take a good look at Calderon. He plays good D, and is pretty athletic. In our current system, I can see him play next to GA and Young when the matchup favors it. He can really push the ball and dish it. Thoughts?

[doclinkin]

I would like for us to take a good look at Calderon. He plays good D, and is pretty athletic. In our current system, I can see him play next to GA and Young when the matchup favors it. He can really push the ball and dish it. Thoughts?

Wasted effort, Toronto just swapped TJ Ford because they're keeping Calderon. We don't have the money to offer him jack.