The 2013 NBA Free Agency Thread

[TGW]

Signing Charlie Villanueva is definitely an Ernie Grunfeld low reward/low risk type of signing.

[Ruzious]

I would pass on Villa - even for the minimum. After a player is disappointing for each of his first 7 or 8 seasons... there's a bit of a trend. He's got talent, size, length, great range, and yet - he's not good. Pass.

[nate33]

Villaneuva is sure as hell better than Jamison at this point. If it's for the vet minimum, I'd be in favor of it.

[mhd]

Detroit needs shooting, so I think they may keep Charlie V, or at least use him as cap filler in a potential trade. I'd offer Ves+Singleton for him, but I doubt Detroit bites.

[fishercob]

Villaneuva is sure as hell better than Jamison at this point. If it's for the vet minimum, I'd be in favor of it.

I dont know how anyone could look at their numbers last season side by side and conclude that "Villanueva is sure as hell better than Jamison."

Jamison blows him away in TS%, ORtg, WS/48. CV may be a better defender, but he's certainly not any good. With all of Jamison's faults, the guy at least keeps himself in shape. Villanueva got kicked off the Dominican national team for being too fat and out of shape.

If I had to choose, I'd much rather have Jamison.

[Benjammin]

^^
I'd much rather have neither.

[verbal8]

Villaneuva is sure as hell better than Jamison at this point. If it's for the vet minimum, I'd be in favor of it.

I dont know how anyone could look at their numbers last season side by side and conclude that "Villanueva is sure as hell better than Jamison."

Jamison blows him away in TS%, ORtg, WS/48. CV may be a better defender, but he's certainly not any good. With all of Jamison's faults, the guy at least keeps himself in shape. Villanueva got kicked off the Dominican national team for being too fat and out of shape.

If I had to choose, I'd much rather have Jamison.

CV's season was so bad last year, it almost has to be better this year. The only thing he did decently was shoot 3s last season.

However that said I would probably go with Jamison if both were available on minimum deals. Jamison seems to be a more versatile offensive player, and the conditioning difference outweighs the age difference.

[Dat2U]

^^
I'd much rather have neither.

I'll take what's behind door number 3 please. LOL

[Nivek]

Yeah, Jamison was still better than Villanueva last season. Villanueva was better on defense, but still below average. Jamison was even further below average defensively, but was 15 points per 100 possessions more efficient on offense.

I'd hope this discussion is purely academic, though. While either guy would be an upgrade off the bench over what the Wizards had last season, I'd hope that neither is a Wizards target.

[gesa2]

I'd rather have Anthony Tolliver, if we're looking at cheap end of bench stretch 4s. At least he tries to play D.

[mhd]

Jamison going to the Clips? My god, they'll be HORRIBLE in the frontcourt on defense. Griffin is a pretty bad defender, and Jordan was abused by Gasol in the playoffs. Their only other backup big is Hollins who is rail thin.

[fishercob]

^^
I'd much rather have neither.

I'll take what's behind door number 3 please. LOL

Could Kirilenko be door number three?

Spurs' talks for Andrei Kirilenko end without deal

The Spurs seriously considered a multiyear offer for Kirilenko, but Minnesota general manager Flip Saunders has shown little, if any, inclination to assist him in securing a significant financial contract elsewhere, sources said.

San Antonio envisioned Kirilenko, a 6-foot-9 forward, as an ideal fit for its system. He's a gifted scorer, passer and shot blocker, and is able to defend multiple positions.

There were possible combinations of Spurs assets that appealed to the T'wolves, but ultimately Minnesota was unable – or unwilling – to take back the contracts on what could've been an $8 million to $9 million annual salary agreement for Kirilenko, league sources said.

Could Flip would be more willing to help Kirilenko get the deal he wants in Washington than he would be in San Antonio?

Ariza, for one, could really help the T-Wolves; they're going to have serious problems with perimeter defense. And if they don't want his salary back, Flip may want to try to rehabilitate is old buddy "Yaaan" who he can sell to the fanbase as AK23.5. I'd think FLip's relationship with his old buddy Randy Wittman -- and the fact that his son Ryan is still on Witt's staff -- would make him more apt to facilitate AK landing a deal here than in San Antonio.

Maybe this is the type of deal Witt was alluding to on the radio yesterday. A man can dream.

[LyricalRico]

Monta Ellis changes agents.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/94663 ... jeff-fried

Monta Ellis, one of the premier players remaining on the free agent market, parted ways with his longtime agent, Jeff Fried, on Wednesday.

Ellis, who opted out of the final year of a six-year, $66 million deal, is frustrated that he has yet to receive a high-paying contract offer. Industry sources expect him to sign with agent Dan Fegan.

But here's the most interesting part IMO:

Having rejected a contract extension from the Milwaukee Bucks that would have enabled him to make $36 million over the next three years, he is hoping to make $40 million over four years.

So he turned down 3/36...because he wanted 4/40? Huh? He didn't think he could get a 1-year deal worth at least $4M from somebody 3 years from now? I would think he could. If that's what his agent advised, then he should be fired IMO.

[nate33]

Monta Ellis should be thanking his agent for securing his last contract. The guy is a dog.

[SUPERBALLMAN]

Roger Mason Jr anyone?

[flash22]

Monta Ellis changes agents.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/94663 ... jeff-fried

Monta Ellis, one of the premier players remaining on the free agent market, parted ways with his longtime agent, Jeff Fried, on Wednesday.

Ellis, who opted out of the final year of a six-year, $66 million deal, is frustrated that he has yet to receive a high-paying contract offer. Industry sources expect him to sign with agent Dan Fegan.

But here's the most interesting part IMO:

Having rejected a contract extension from the Milwaukee Bucks that would have enabled him to make $36 million over the next three years, he is hoping to make $40 million over four years.

So he turned down 3/36...because he wanted 4/40? Huh? He didn't think he could get a 1-year deal worth at least $4M from somebody 3 years from now? I would think he could. If that's what his agent advised, then he should be fired IMO.

I think you misunderstood the situation, he originally wanted 3/36 now hes settling for 4/40. Either way his agent should be (and i believe has been) fired.

[montestewart]

Monta Ellis changes agents.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/94663 ... jeff-fried

Monta Ellis, one of the premier players remaining on the free agent market, parted ways with his longtime agent, Jeff Fried, on Wednesday.

Ellis, who opted out of the final year of a six-year, $66 million deal, is frustrated that he has yet to receive a high-paying contract offer. Industry sources expect him to sign with agent Dan Fegan.

But here's the most interesting part IMO:

Having rejected a contract extension from the Milwaukee Bucks that would have enabled him to make $36 million over the next three years, he is hoping to make $40 million over four years.

So he turned down 3/36...because he wanted 4/40? Huh? He didn't think he could get a 1-year deal worth at least $4M from somebody 3 years from now? I would think he could. If that's what his agent advised, then he should be fired IMO.

Remember 29-year old Bonzi Wells turning down a 5-year, $37 million contract? Rather than upping their offer, the Kings signed FA John Salmons to a 4-year, $20 million contract, and then the best Wells could get was a 2-year, $4.5 million contract, at the end of which he was out of the league. What was he thinking?

Or how about DeShawn Stevenson turning down a 3-year, $10 million contract. Rather than upping their offer, the Magic signed FA Keith Bogans to a 3-year, $7.5 million contract, and then the best Wells could get was a 2-year, $2 million contract, at the end of which he was...

[Kanyewest]

Monta Ellis changes agents.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/94663 ... jeff-fried

Monta Ellis, one of the premier players remaining on the free agent market, parted ways with his longtime agent, Jeff Fried, on Wednesday.

Ellis, who opted out of the final year of a six-year, $66 million deal, is frustrated that he has yet to receive a high-paying contract offer. Industry sources expect him to sign with agent Dan Fegan.

But here's the most interesting part IMO:

Having rejected a contract extension from the Milwaukee Bucks that would have enabled him to make $36 million over the next three years, he is hoping to make $40 million over four years.

So he turned down 3/36...because he wanted 4/40? Huh? He didn't think he could get a 1-year deal worth at least $4M from somebody 3 years from now? I would think he could. If that's what his agent advised, then he should be fired IMO.

Remember 29-year old Bonzi Wells turning down a 5-year, $37 million contract? Rather than upping their offer, the Kings signed FA John Salmons to a 4-year, $20 million contract, and then the best Wells could get was a 2-year, $4.5 million contract, at the end of which he was out of the league. What was he thinking?

Or how about DeShawn Stevenson turning down a 3-year, $10 million contract. Rather than upping their offer, the Magic signed FA Keith Bogans to a 3-year, $7.5 million contract, and then the best Wells could get was a 2-year, $2 million contract, at the end of which he was...

Kirelinko is also standing to lose a lot of money with his opt out. AK47 and Ellis should probably hire Okafor or Ariza's agent, neither of whom opted out.

These stories also remind of Latrell Sprewell who turned down a $21 million extension because it wasn't enough to feed his family.

[montestewart]

^
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).

[Kanyewest]

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.