LeBron James really started a trend. Carmelo Anthony considered the shorter deal that James signed, but then decided to take the max. Dwayne Wade originally agreed to the max, but then signed the shorter deal. And now Chris Bosh is expected to sign a three-year deal with a player option for a fourth year. Bosh has never been completely sold on the possibilities of winning a title in Toronto, but with the arrival of GM Bryan Colangelo, there is reason for optimism. It appears that Bosh is willing to give Colangelo three years to turn things around, making the power forward just 25 years-old when his contract would be up (assuming he didn’t take the player option for the fourth year). He’d still be in the prime of his career and he’d be able to sign a huge contract with Toronto or sign a long deal with a team in a better position to win a title. It was a savvy move by James (and Wade and Bosh), but there is an element of risk involved. If one of these players has a career-ending injury during the shorter deal, they would have left all that extra money on the table. In essence, they are gambling that they’ll be healthy when that next contract rolls around, so that they can cash in. I’ll bet their agents have made a few calls to Lloyds of London over the last week or so…The Suns want a decision today from John Salmons, who is deciding between Phoenix and Toronto. Maybe he’s waiting to hear about Bosh’s contract before committing to Toronto. He has to decide if he wants to come off the bench for a winner or potentially start for a team that seems to be on the rise…The rumors are still swirling about the Celtics’ persistent interest in Allen Iverson, but the Sixers apparently have a lot of options in the marketplace, which makes sense considering that AI’s contract is pretty reasonable for what he brings to the table…Cleveland’s negotiations with Drew Gooden aren’t going well; the numbers are just too far apart. Gooden is using the Nene deal as a benchmark, and it is highly unlikely that the Cavs will agree to give the forward a salary averaging $10 M a year…The Wolves finally made an offer to Marcus Banks, but I’m not sure he’s going to want to back up Mike James in Minnesota after playing pretty well as their starter last season. Maybe the Rockets, one of the teams that James spurned, would be a good fit for Banks.
Month: July 2006 (Page 5 of 10)
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger conducted his first interview since his motorcycle accident nearly a month ago and is more than lucky to be alive. According to onlookers at the scene of the accident, Big Ben was very close to dying.
“They told me that I was literally seconds, maybe a minute away from dying because I slit a vein or artery in my mouth or my throat and it was draining blood right into my stomach and luckily the paramedic noticed it and stopped it or else I would have had too much blood in my stomach,” he told ESPN’s Jim Rome in Los Angeles, where he was for the taping of the ESPYS.
Roethlisberger went on to say that he forgot his helmet in the basement that day. Even though he isn’t thinking about riding anytime soon, Big Ben didn’t completely rule out the possibility of riding a motorcycle again. If I were him and were involved in a near deadly motorcycle accident, there’s absolutely no way I would ever sit on a motorcyle again. Kellen Winslow, Jr. has already gone on record stating he would never ride again after his mishap. If Roethlisberger values his career and, more importantly, his life, he should rid himself of any thoughts of motorcycle riding for the rest of his life. Note to Ben: Just say no!
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays have reportedly dealt OF/3B Aubrey Huff to the Astros for a couple of minor leaguers. Huff had been struggling for the Rays this season until recently, hitting a combined .176 in April and May before turning it around to the tune of .359 in June and .389 thus far in July.
It’s a good move for the Astros, who are desperate to give some offensive support to Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte and Roy Oswalt. The NL Central is still very much up for grabs and Huff, a notorious second-half player, gives Houston another weapon.
Fantasy leaguers who own Huff will love that he’s now in one of the best hitter’s parks in baseball, but the bigger fantasy question here is: Will the Rays now call up stud prospect Delmon Young? Bat-flipping incident aside, Young is the best hitting prospect in the minors and many are hoping this opens the door for his promotion. (Especially me: I just picked Young up in my keeper league.)
Dwayne Wade is going to follow the lead of LeBron James, and sign a three-year deal with a player option for a fourth year. Carmelo Anthony was considering doing the same thing, but apparently has decided to go for the max extension. It’s probably a smart move for Anthony. Of the three, he’s the least marketable…It looks like Paul Pierce is going to sign a three-year extension with the Celtics, keeping him in Boston until at least the 2009-10 season. The move indicates that he’s satisfied with the progress the team has made since Danny Ainge took control…It doesn’t look like John Salmons will be back with the Sixers next year, which is their loss. He’s deciding between Toronto and Phoenix and will thrive in the up-tempo systems each team wants to play…Isiah Thomas is still interested in Kenyon Martin, but the Nuggets are only interested in expiring contracts, especially considering the 6-year/$60 M deal that Nene signed…Speaking of that deal, Drew Gooden is using that as the basis for negotiations. It appears that the Nuggets overpaid for Nene and the rest of the league is dealing with the ramifications. Both Gooden and Chris Wilcox are looking for similar deals…The Blazers are having a hell of time trading Darius Miles, whose stock is sinking quickly.
I knew that the Timberwolves were one of three teams to be courting Mike James, but I’m surprised that Minnesota was able to land the free agent point guard. At the end of the season, James said that he wanted to play for Houston, and the Rockets put on a full court press, sending HC Jeff Van Gundy to James’ house on the first day of free agency. Dallas was another option – close to home, closer to a championship, but James chose to play for the Wolves, the team furthest from contention.
Minnesota got James for their full mid-level exception, with a contract length of four years. Rumor had it that he was set to sign a three-year deal, so maybe the extra year put Minnesota over the top. Either way, he should be a real good deal for at least the next two years. He’ll probably start alongside draft pick Randy Foye in the backcourt, and will be happy to provide the scoring that Kevin Garnett and the Wolves desperately need.
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