The Perpetual NBA Thread

**ILuvDetailing** · July 15th, 2004 04:34 PM

Top 8 teams in the West (IMO): Spurs, Wolves, Utah, Houston, Memphis, Dallas, LAL, Phoenix

**kimpOy** · July 15th, 2004 05:43 PM

boozer promised to the cavs the he will re-sign if they (cavs) did not pick his option 675,000 next season

so the deal was since free agent na siya mag si-sign siya sa cav ng mid level salary (48M 6 years)

eh kaso ogags etong si boozer at yung agent niya pumayag sa offer sheet ng jazz

ngayon wala ng reputation si boozer pero maraming pera.

makakarmahan din yan.

**baiskee** · July 15th, 2004 05:50 PM

tapos sabay alis yung agent nya...

galing..kumuha lang ng commission. utak manggagantso.:D

**ILuvDetailing** · July 16th, 2004 12:43 AM

Originally posted by baiskee
tapos sabay alis yung agent nya...

galing..kumuha lang ng commission. utak manggagantso.:D

According to reports Boozer's former agent Rob Pelinka (which is also the agent of Kobe) and his employer SFX will not pick up the standard 4% commission or $2.7M.

Jim Paxson says that Carlos Boozer made a promise to them, Boozer said that he was surprised that Cleveland didn't pick up the option which would pay him around 700+K. The truth could be right there in the middle. $28Mil is a lot of money...

**ILuvDetailing** · July 16th, 2004 12:52 AM

Reports: Nuggets are close to acquiring PF Kenyon Martin from the Nets for three future 1st Round Picks.

The Nuggets are LOADED in the frontcourt, with a rotation of Marcus Camby, Nene, Carmelo Anthony, and Kenyon Martin. I think this acquisition puts them ahead of the Utah Jazz as being the third best team in the West. With Shaq in the East, its gonna be wide open in the Wild Wild West. Wow it keeps getting better and better.

**newkidontheblock** · July 16th, 2004 09:51 AM

Kobe has opted for the Lakers over the Clippers. ;) parang pinaalis nya lang si shaq sa L.A. hehehehe..si fisher naman nasa warriors na..

**skipper** · July 16th, 2004 09:53 AM

A day after trading Shaq, Kobe makes it known that he will remain a Laker. The contract will be more than $136.4M in 7 years.

And the Spurs bag free agent Brent Barry and re-sign Ginobili.

**baiskee** · July 16th, 2004 10:06 AM

Originally posted by newkidontheblock
si fisher naman nasa warriors na..

huh? final na ba to? kababasa ko lang to this morning.

Kupchak also said the Lakers hope to re-sign three other unrestricted free agents -- Karl Malone, Derek Fisher and Slava Medvedenko.

**theveed** · July 16th, 2004 10:54 AM

My goodness... Denver became one of my target "A" teams..

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Nuggets poised to get K-Mart in big trade
Story Tools:
FOXSports.com
Posted: 7 hours ago

Kenyon Martin was on the verge of being traded Thursday from the New Jersey Nets to the Denver Nuggets for three future first-round draft picks, a source told the Associated Press.

The deal was the result of several days of on-and-off talks between the teams, the Nuggets successfully resisting New Jersey president Rod Thorn's efforts to acquire Nene as a replacement for Martin at power forward.

Without Kenyon Martin, the New Jersey Nets might attempt to sign a free agent from a list that is dwindling. ( / AP)

The draft picks will include one of the Nuggets' own picks, along with two picks from a pool of three formerly belonging to the Los Angeles Clippers, Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers. There are varying levels of draft lottery protection on the three picks, though none are protected beyond 2006, according to a source closely involved in the trade discussions who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The trade, expected to be completed later Thursday, will be a sign-and-trade deal — Martin signing a seven-year contract with New Jersey and then immediately being shipped to the Nuggets for the three picks.

Denver can absorb Martin's salary without having to trade any payroll back because it is far enough under the cap to absorb Martin's first-year salary — nearly $11 million if Martin gets the maximum amount allowed under collective bargaining rules.

The Nuggets will still have salary cap space remaining after the trade, though the exact amount will be determined by the structure of Martin's new contract.

Martin, the overall No. 1 pick of the 2000 draft, averaged 16.7 points and 9.5 rebounds last season. He is known as one of league's best defensive forwards.

Martin is a restricted free agent, meaning the Nets have the right to match any offer he receives. But the Nuggets were reportedly set to offer Martin a front-loaded contract with a hefty signing bonus, and the luxury tax ramifications would have been costly for incoming Nets owner Bruce Ratner.

But by losing one of the team's best players, the value of the franchise Ratner is acquiring has been diminished — at least on the court. New Jersey won two straight Eastern Conference championships before being ousted last season in a seven-game second-round series against the eventual champion Detroit Pistons.

The Nets have little depth at power forward, with third-year forward Brian Scalabrine and veteran Aaron Williams the most likely candidates to step into Martin's old spot. Rodney Rogers, the Nets' other backup power forward last season, is a free agent.

The addition of Martin will strengthen Denver's frontcourt, which already includes Marcus Camby, Carmelo Anthony and Nene. The Nuggets next pressing need will be acquiring a shooting guard — either a backup to Voshon Lenard or someone who can compete with him to be the starter.

Martin also had been heavily courted by the Atlanta Hawks, who have more salary cap space than any other NBA team but have been unable to find a top-tier free agent willing to take it.

**theveed** · July 16th, 2004 11:12 AM

I think this offseason is centered around selfish stars hehe Boozer... Kobe... who's next kaya.

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Kobe makes 'em pay
by Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports
July 15, 2004

All you really need to know about the kind of guy, the kind of teammate, the kind of employee Kobe Bryant is could be found in the look of mourning and terror painted across Mitch Kupchak's face this week.

The Los Angeles Lakers general manager recently had watched his team implode in the NBA finals, had his legendary coach retire under duress and then was forced to trade away Shaquille O'Neal, the game's most dominant player.

Each was, at least in part, a result of either Bryant's actions or wishes.

"A disappointing day in a lot of ways," Kupchak said Wednesday when he announced the O'Neal trade to Miami.

Yet despite all of this, on Wednesday Kupchak still had no idea what Bryant, the free agent, was going to do. The Lakers had dismantled a dynasty and restructured the entire franchise, and in return Bryant told them, "Let me get back to you."

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Then he made the entire Laker Nation, that so desperately wants to trust him, fret while he strongly considered signing with the Clippers.

Yes, the freakin' Clippers.

Thursday Bryant wound up re-signing with the Lakers for seven years at $136 million, but not until he made them grovel, sweat and humiliate themselves in the process.

What a guy.

If Lakers owner Jerry Buss still had a modicum of self-respect he would have gotten sick over this soap opera and – when Bryant still hadn't assured him he was going to re-sign – pulled the plug on the Shaq deal.

He should have asked Shaq for forgiveness, rescinded his offer to Bryant and moved on with personnel that understand what being a Laker really means.

Instead he sold his soul and mortgaged the franchise on a me-first, team-third guy. A guy who displayed not a thought about what this pathetic cry for attention was doing to the people and fans who always have backed him up.

Did we mention that Bryant is scheduled to stand trial for felony ***ual assault in Colorado beginning August 27, and a guilty verdict could end his playing career?

The Lakers have been one of the proudest and most storied franchises in sports. And Bryant used them like a desperate girlfriend.

The Lakers are better than this.

The thing with Bryant is that it's always about him. There is plenty to like about the guy, from the high-flying game to the high-wattage smile. There is little question he is among the game's five best individual talents, has a knack for crunch-time performances and at 25 still has plenty of peak years ahead of him.

But when it comes to playing nice with others, there is no similar track record of success.

He has been estranged from his parents. He's feuded with teammates and coaches. His first shoe company, adidas, was so fed up with him they dropped him as a spokesperson and let him go unimpeded to rival Nike.

Who knows where things stand with his wife right now?

And this is who the mighty Lakers rolled over for?

They should have been more careful about whom they wished for.

This is the same guy who never could understand that part of his brilliance was a result of playing with Shaq. Who doesn't care enough about winning to figure out a way to coexist with O'Neal and try for a couple more titles. Who never had a problem throwing a game offensively (even in the finals) if it meant proving a point to Phil Jackson.

Despite all of this, the Lakers had done everything they could by Wednesday to keep Bryant – offering max money, changing coaches, dumping O'Neal, pleading and begging.

And in return, Bryant hung them out to dry for another sleepless, gut-wrenching night before grudgingly deciding to stay.

Heck of a guy.