The 2013 NBA Free Agency Thread

[montestewart]

Sprewell actually got offers from the Mavs, Spurs, and Lakers. "Gist said that Sprewell would not be interested in signing for any team's $5 million mid-level exception, calling that amount "a level beneath which [Sprewell] would not stoop or kneel!"" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latrell_Sprewell

Guess you need to value your confidence that much while you are on the court in the NBA- a lot of it seems like delusion.

I just went and read that. It's filled with darkly comic predictability. He refuses to sign a $21 million contract because his kids have to eat, and of so course refuses to sign other offers for the MLE (as you mentioned) and poof, that's the end of his NBA career, and within the next two years, his houses and his 70-foot yacht are repossessed and his companion sues him on behalf of their kids, you know, the ones that have to eat! WTF did he think was going to happen?

[Kanyewest]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7G9yS2-x5sA[/youtube]

Monta Ellis thinks just a little highly of himself.

[hands11]

Andrei Kirilenko Agrees To Two-Year Deal With Nets

Andrei Kirilenko for the mini mid-level on a two-year deal starting at $3.18 million Kirilenko will have a player option in the second season.

Kirilenko spent last season with the Minnesota Timberwolves and opted out of his $10.2 million contract for the 13-14 season.

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/22 ... -With-Nets

Wow. He really wanted out of Minny badly. Looks like the NJ is the place for trophy chasing this year. PP and KG and coming to get Ray Allen.

---

Nick Young Agrees To Deal With Lakers
http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/22 ... ith-Lakers

Nick to LA... Thats pure awesome. Ya think he and Kobe will be hanging out ?

[miller31time]

Do we have any available money to throw at Greg Oden?

Not that we would pursue him even if we had the money but I'm just curious.

[Deeptu McPullup]

Kirilenko probably has a handshake "...and years from now, what is piddly pooping Adam Silver going to do if I bequeath you the suzerainty of South Ossetia?" deals from Proky.

Russian billionaire owing you a favor for life > whatever contract you were going to get in the summer of 2013.

[Ruzious]

Kirilenko probably has a handshake "...and years from now, what is piddly pooping Adam Silver going to do if I bequeath you the suzerainty of South Ossetia?" deals from Proky.

Russian billionaire owing you a favor for life > whatever contract you were going to get in the summer of 2013.

Exactly. This screams totes bogosity, as the kids might say. It sounds like it's up there with the hidden Joe Smith contract that stained Kevin McHale.

[Dat2U]

New Jersey, er Brooklyn is stacked. They legitimately go 9-10 deep. I think they've put themselves in the conversation with Indiana & Chicago as Miami's stiffest competition. They have enough depth to really not overwork the older guys including Pierce, Garnett & Johnson. My one big worry was that they were vulnerable to small ball with a Garnett/Lopez front line but Kirilenko now gives you an ideal small ball 4.

I think a team that will likely slip a bit is New York. The Knicks acquisition of Bargnani for picks may go down as one of the worst of the offseason. There is absolutely no way that Amar'e & Bargs can share a front court defensively. The eyes of opposing coaches & players will light up. Same goes for Amar'e & Carmelo or Bargs & Carmelo. It's pretty bad when 3 of your 4 front court players are simply brutal defenders. The lack of depth on the perimeter is something a World Peace agreement wouldn't solve. I don't trust J.R. Smith to duplicate last season's performance either. The Knicks look like a 7th or 8th seed to me.

[fishercob]

New Jersey, er Brooklyn is stacked. They legitimately go 9-10 deep. I think they've put themselves in the conversation with Indiana & Chicago as Miami's stiffest competition. They have enough depth to really not overwork the older guys including Pierce, Garnett & Johnson. My one big worry was that they were vulnerable to small ball with a Garnett/Lopez front line but Kirilenko now gives you an ideal small ball 4.

I think a team that will likely slip a bit is New York. The Knicks acquisition of Bargnani for picks may go down as one of the worst of the offseason. There is absolutely no way that Amar'e & Bargs can share a front court defensively. The eyes of opposing coaches & players will light up. Same goes for Amar'e & Carmelo or Bargs & Carmelo. It's pretty bad when 3 of your 4 front court players are simply brutal defenders. The lack of depth on the perimeter is something a World Peace agreement wouldn't solve. I don't trust J.R. Smith to duplicate last season's performance either. The Knicks look like a 7th or 8th seed to me.

I would be overjoyed if the Knicks have a worse season AND the Nets do well, and agree it's a real possibility. Knicks fans would lose their minds.

[Ruzious]

New Jersey, er Brooklyn is stacked. They legitimately go 9-10 deep. I think they've put themselves in the conversation with Indiana & Chicago as Miami's stiffest competition. They have enough depth to really not overwork the older guys including Pierce, Garnett & Johnson. My one big worry was that they were vulnerable to small ball with a Garnett/Lopez front line but Kirilenko now gives you an ideal small ball 4.

I think a team that will likely slip a bit is New York. The Knicks acquisition of Bargnani for picks may go down as one of the worst of the offseason. There is absolutely no way that Amar'e & Bargs can share a front court defensively. The eyes of opposing coaches & players will light up. Same goes for Amar'e & Carmelo or Bargs & Carmelo. It's pretty bad when 3 of your 4 front court players are simply brutal defenders. The lack of depth on the perimeter is something a World Peace agreement wouldn't solve. I don't trust J.R. Smith to duplicate last season's performance either. The Knicks look like a 7th or 8th seed to me.

The one weakness on NJ is that they are sssssllllloooowwww. They have arguably the most skilled roster in the NBA, but if they don't control tempo, they're not going to be the dominating team they might look like on paper. But if they stay healthy, they're built for the playoffs - when the pace usually does get slower.

[Upper Decker]

I can see the Knicks season filled with real turmoil. Can't Melo opt out after this year? I've started hearing rumblings that Melo's going to bolt for LAL after the season. Can you imagine what will happen if Tyson continues to be injured and their team just melts under the spotlight, all the while the elephant in the room is that Melo will opt out and not resign. HAHA, I love it.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

^
Yep, two more, although I've heard some say that Kirilenko might not mind just going back to Russia, which may have given him the nerve to roll the dice. Some of these other decisions, especially Wells and Sprewell (he never got another offer from anyone, right?), seem like a mixture of self-delusion and really bad agent advice (or maybe they just ignored their agents' advice).

Perhaps Kirilenko just wants the opportunity to play with KG and Pierce, who have joined Deron Williams and Brook Lopez. Oh yeah, the owner is a Russian billionaire. That helps.

An agent probably would not have given Kirilenko anything but the options that were most lucrative to pursue. The decision AK47 reached sounds to me like it wasn't about the money.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Kirilenko probably has a handshake "...and years from now, what is piddly pooping Adam Silver going to do if I bequeath you the suzerainty of South Ossetia?" deals from Proky.

Russian billionaire owing you a favor for life > whatever contract you were going to get in the summer of 2013.

Exactly. This screams totes bogosity, as the kids might say. It sounds like it's up there with the hidden Joe Smith contract that stained Kevin McHale.

Not necessarily. Like my last post, I think there doesn't necessarily have to be anything but pure motives for the signing.

It could be they are testing Adam Silver's firmness. (However, David Stern is still the emperor until February, 2014, his 30th anniversary and retirement date.) I just don't think so.

[LyricalRico]

The decision AK47 reached sounds to me like it wasn't about the money.

Yeah, it was because his family in Russia is being held hostage by the guy with the mini giraffe.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

The decision AK47 reached sounds to me like it wasn't about the money.

Yeah, it was because his family in Russia is being held hostage by the guy with the mini giraffe.

That is one possibility, LR.

Another: Mikhail Prokhorov made an indecent proposal to Mrs AK47. She steered hubby to accepting less money to play in Brooklyn.

(Please don't start any false, malicious rumors -- this is just how my mind goes at times.)

Still another: AK47 sees the marketability he can gain by being a Net.

His brand gets a HUGE boost playing there instead of in Minnesota. New York media might not really know how great of a player AK47s been for so long, but they'll learn. Taking less money up front could prove to be a huge career boost later. Balling with KG and Pierce is going to earn Kirilenko greater status and marketability.

[Ruzious]

The decision AK47 reached sounds to me like it wasn't about the money.

Yeah, it was because his family in Russia is being held hostage by the guy with the mini giraffe.

It's not an abSerb idea.

I hear ya, CCJ, but I find it hard to believe someone gives up 10.2 mil to take 3.2 just so they can do the same thing in Brooklyn that they were doing in Minnesota. If it's above board, the Players' Union is not going to be happy. If it's below board, the NBA's not going to be happy. Either way, somebody even more important than me is going to complain.

Edit - I don't know about more marketing chances. Remember, he's going to be a backup for Brooklyn. And speaking as the son of someone who grew up in Brooklyn, it's considered the weak little sister of the Knicks by New Yorkers.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

The players union and the league should consider the following:


Kevin Love ... or Kevin Garnett?
Rick Rubio ... or Deron Williams?
Nikola Peckovic (if resigned) ... or Brook Lopez?
Kevin Martin ... or Paul Pierce?

Which set of guys was better for Kirilenko to play alongside?

Minnesota ... or Brooklyn?

Where would any star athlete want to play after being in Utah and Minnesota all his career?

Kirilenko is not going to be winning in Minnesota like he will have a chance to win with Brooklyn.

[Ruzious]

The players union and the league should consider the following:


Kevin Love ... or Kevin Garnett?
Rick Rubio ... or Deron Williams?
Nikola Peckovic (if resigned) ... or Brook Lopez?
Kevin Martin ... or Paul Pierce?

Which set of guys was better for Kirilenko to play alongside?

Minnesota ... or Brooklyn?

Where would any star athlete want to play after being in Utah and Minnesota all his career?

Kirilenko is not going to be winning in Minnesota like he will have a chance to win with Brooklyn.

I can't get past the 10.2 vs 3.2, and the players you mentioned wouldn't come close to swaying me. I'd definitely take Love (and his great passing ability) over an old KG. And Peckovic v Lopez is not really 1-sided - especially if I ever want to get the ball. Lopez takes an awful lot of shots - as does Pierce... and Johnson. AK is never going to get the ball in Bwooklyn. If I'm a quality player, I want the ball. He'll be lucky to get 8 PPG there.

Promise$ were made.

[jimij]

Ruz,

It's not really 10.2 vs 3.2. He declined the option prior to the FA period starting thinking that he would sign long-term deal. The 10.2 opportunity is basically gone at this point. The question is what was he being offered by other teams this week versus the 3.2. Very similar to what's going on with Monta Ellis right now - not sure what he'll end up settling for either.

That said I expect when his NBA days are done he'll be getting some LARGE contract offers back in Russia to balance the scales.

[Ruzious]

Ruz,

It's not really 10.2 vs 3.2. He declined the option prior to the FA period starting thinking that he would sign long-term deal. The 10.2 opportunity is basically gone at this point. The question is what was he being offered by other teams this week versus the 3.2. Very similar to what's going on with Monta Ellis right now - not sure what he'll end up settling for either.

That said I expect when his NBA days are done he'll be getting some LARGE contract offers back in Russia to balance the scales.

Eh, Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings are dopes. I don't think AK is. I doubt he'd have opted out of the 10.2 unless he knew what the market was for him. I find it hard to believe he couldn't get a multi-year deal starting at 7 mil with the Bucks or some other team under the cap. Say, he was offered 15/2 by the Bucks. What's he getting - about 7/2 from Brooklyn? That'd still be about 8 mil over 2 years that he'd be giving up - not to mention good brotworsts.

[jivelikenice]

Looks like he chose to be in a competitive situation over $. You also have to think that he'll be taken care of by the Nets owner at some point.