Avery Johnson gets a new five-year contract worth $20 million
By ART GARCIA
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER
Avery Johnson is committed to delivering the Mavericks their first NBA championship. Mark Cuban is committed to Avery Johnson.
Four months after being on the verge of that first title, the Mavs coach and billionaire owner agreed on a new five-year contract worth $20 million. The agreement ends an off-season of negotiations that sometimes turned touchy, but ultimately proved fruitful for both parties.
“This is just another sign that Mark and I are committed to work with each other,” Johnson told the Star-Telegram on Thursday afternoon. “We have laid the foundation of where we want to go. We haven’t gotten there yet, but we’re both committed to do whatever it takes, however long it takes, to get there.”
Johnson’s deal is now in line with many of his successful peers around the NBA. Cuban has arguably the league’s top young coach locked up through 2010-11, which coincides with Dirk Nowitzki’s extended contract and the Mavs’ likely championship window.
Johnson’s first contract averaged $2.5 million over four years, ranking him in the bottom third of league coaches. That contract was appropriate for a rookie coach.
Guiding the Mavs within two wins of the championship led to the renegotiations. The team’s success also reaffirmed Cuban’s decision to go with Johnson after Don Nelson resigned with 18 games left in the 2004-05 season.
Johnson, 41, led the Mavs to a 60-22 record last season, tying the best mark in team history, and earned NBA Coach of the Year honors. Johnson bolstered his stock even more with the team’s remarkable run through the Western Conference playoffs.
Perhaps the biggest win since the birth of the franchise came in Game 7 of the conference semifinals when the Mavs beat the defending champion San Antonio Spurs on the road in overtime. That was followed by a six-game triumph over two-time MVP Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns to earn a Finals trip.
The Mavs beat Miami in the first two games of the championship series and led by 13 with six minutes left in Game 3 before Dwyane Wade led an improbable comeback that culminated with the Heat winning four straight.
The disappointment of falling short has fueled Johnson and the rest of the retooled Mavs going into this season. The team is recognized as the one of the favorites in the West.
“Any individual reward that I receive is a product of the players’ commitment to our vision, their commitment to defense and being unselfish on offense,” Johnson said. “That’s the reason I’m in the position I’m in.”
There were contentious feelings in Johnson’s camp earlier this summer when talks to renegotiate his contract hit a snag. Johnson and Cuban hammered out the new contract together.
It’s been a busy and expensive off-season for Cuban. He’s committed nearly $120 million to new deals for Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry
Negotiations are ongoing on a contract extension for fourth-year forward Josh Howard, though those discussions may be tabled until after the season.
Good to see the General taken care of and locked up for a while.
thats kind of a middle of the road deal he got there. Cubes made out like a bandit. then again, i guess if the previous contract was torn up for this one, it can be done again.
AJ should be making more like 6 or 7 million a year IMO.
Cuban didn't have to give Avery a raise at all. And while you think it might be low, remember this is still only Avery's 2nd full season as a head coach. If Avery wasn't pleased he wouldn't have signed it. Locking him in for the duration of Dirk's contract was a nice move.
Considering all that Avery has been through just to get to this point, I don't see the hard work ever stopping. Larry has been coaching a lot longer. Plus has some skins on the wall. Hopefully Avery will have that type of success one day.
i wish avery nothing but the best. it was alot better when he was on our side of the fence, but you cant keep a pitbull chained forever...we let him go and he ended up biting us in our rear.
Considering all that Avery has been through just to get to this point, I don't see the hard work ever stopping. Larry has been coaching a lot longer. Plus has some skins on the wall. Hopefully Avery will have that type of success one day.
I don't know much about Avery at all. Can you tell me everything he has been through just to get to this point?
Does he have a phenomenal work ethic/ one of the hardest working coaches?
Avery gets a new contract!
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