It wasn't about the money. All three teams offered the same MLE, it just all went down to the contract details. This is what Mike James had to say on the local radio station in Houston:
"Why Minnesota? I asked for the same deal from everyone," James told 790. "I asked for a player option for a fourth year and a trade kicker. Minnesota was the only team to comply with both."
"It was the same money from all the other teams," said James. "I would take the same money to go back to Houston. But the problem was, they didn't want to give me a player option after my third year."
It's his friggin job, of course it's about money. I don't understand people who get upset about that fact. What fantasy world are you living in?
Extremely valid point. If any of you have an option to do the same job for the same money but have more security (in James's case, an extra year on the contract), you take the security. The athletes are held to a different standard? Why? Because people watch them?
Quote:
Originally Posted by bagelred
He's making great money either way. But the guy chose a few extra bucks to play in Minnesota to lose for the next four years.....
Do you really think James believes that? You don't think that James believes he'll be a meaningful part of a winning team? James wouldn't sign in Minnesota if he didn't believe he could help make them a winner. Honestly, what player in the whole league signs somewhere and thinks "well, I'm going to be losing for a few years now" ?
Another quick fix in the PG department for Minny. Not that its a bad signing or anything, this years FA market didnt offer much, and James is a guy who can drop 30 plus points on any given night, but for once I'd like to see KG have a proper supporting cast. None of these half way jiffy signings that still leaves him at a first round exit.
Do you really think James believes that? You don't think that James believes he'll be a meaningful part of a winning team? James wouldn't sign in Minnesota if he didn't believe he could help make them a winner. Honestly, what player in the whole league signs somewhere and thinks "well, I'm going to be losing for a few years now" ?
bagel red go hang in the ghetto with handle the rock and the real next knick and brush up on your bball knowledge. It seems EVERY SINGLE KNICKS FAN just doesn't understand anything.
What does that even mean? How does that fit into the context of what we're discussing? How is that not just a stupid restatement of your opinion with absolutely no supporting facts or logic to back it up?
But the guy chose a few extra bucks to play in Minnesota to lose for the next four years.....
To me, the difference between 18 million and 25 million is more than a "few bucks".
To put it into more easily conceivable salary terms, that's the difference between making 36000 a year, and making 50,000 a year. Bot are a decent living, but it's a significant difference.
This was a good signing. If you are building minny you have to believe that kg is better than dirk(because thats the only prayer you have of being good).(i dont believe he is but he is they guy they have to build around.) IF you believe that, James is very similar to jet and foye is better than anything the mavs have at the 2 while davis can be their jho. They need a C as the mavs Cs are more important to their success than people think but basically from what i can tell minny is trying to emulate dallas which they might as well do because it sure as hell beats staying the 10th best team in the conference. At the very least they have caught the lakers and grizz havent they?
Would minny be better off with an AI or pierce or something like that? Sure but they dont have the pieces for one of those moves without moving kg either.
Last edited by raiderfan19 : 07-11-2006 at 06:33 PM.
they arent the same player i understand that but they are both solid athletic swingmen. Ricky is better at creating his own shot and has better handles while josh is a better rebounder(which leads to putbacks) and defender. James is extremely similar to jet if he is as good as he was last year. Are the teams twins or anything? Not in the least. That said the twolves are setting themselves up to have many of the same strengths the mavs do.
