Drew Gooden agreed to a three-year deal worth around $23 M after originally seeking something in the neighborhood of the 6-year/$60 M deal that Nene signed with the Nuggets. That Nene deal was not representative of the market, and caused a lot of free agents to inflate their expectations. Many expected Gooden to be in another city by this time, but the stars aligned, and he’ll be back with the Cavs…The Al Harrington deal that will send the forward to the Pacers for draft picks might finally be done, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. I’m not holding my breath…Bonzi Wells is still looking for a home. The latest rumor is that the Kings are talking to the Nuggets about a sign-and-trade. Wells isn’t worth what he’s asking…Isiah Thomas got a good player, but he paid too much when he signed Jared Jeffries to a 5-year/$30 M deal. Jeffries is solid, but he hasn’t shown the offensive ability to be worth $6 M a season.
Author: John Paulsen (Page 844 of 937)
Domanick Davis continues to struggle with pain in his knee and it is becoming increasingly clear that he may not be all that effective this season. Antowain Smith is there, but he’s not very explosive. Vernand Morency and Wali Lundy are next in line to start if Davis can’t go. Lundy looked particularly good in the Texans’ first preseason game…Clinton Portis has a separated shoulder, but it’s unclear how much time he’s going to miss. His Antsports’ ADP of 1.04 will surely take a beating until he returns to the field. If Portis is out for any extended time, look for Ladell Betts to be very productive in Al Saunders’ offense…Curtis Martin is still being held out of practice, and it looks more and more that he might be out for the season. The Jets have Cedric Houston, but they’ve been inquiring about the availability of several backs around the league, including Tennessee’s Chris Brown…Mike Shanahan has anointed undrafted rookie Mike Bell as the #1 RB for the time being, moving Ron Dayne to #3 after Tatum Bell. By most accounts, Dayne was having a very good camp, but it appears that Shanahan is impressed by M. Bell, at least for now. Every year, Denver’s running back situation is dicey, so it’s best not to commit a high pick on any of these guys…LenDale White spat in the face of Titans’ safety Donnie Nickey. It’s bad enough to spit at your opponent, but it’s far worse to spit at a teammate you have to play with for an entire season. Maybe White’s personality was the reason he dropped so far in the draft…Philip Rivers went 15 for 21, throwing for 169 yards in the first half in the Chargers’ win over Green Bay. Anyone worried about the effect of the departure of Drew Brees on LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates has to feel good about Rivers’ performance.
One of the less-publicized signings from last week was Sacramento’s acquisition of John Salmons in a deal that is reportedly for five years and worth around $25 M. Salmons became an unrestricted free agent after nixing a sign-and-trade deal that would have sent him to the Toronto Raptors. In a puzzling move, the Sixers withdrew their qualifying offer, which allowed Salmons to sign with any team.
The deal is a good one for the Kings, who get a versatile player who will compete with Kevin Martin to start at off guard. Given some of the other contracts we’ve seen this summer, the price is definitely reasonable.
How much has Jamaal Magloire’s stock fallen? Once mentioned in trades involving Charlie Villanueva, Troy Murphy and Carlos Boozer, the Bucks finally shipped Magloire to the Blazers for PG Steve Blake, F/C Brian Skinner and C Ha Seung-Jin.
This is essentially a Magloire for Blake swap, giving the Bucks a backup point guard for Mo Williams after trading away T.J. Ford to the Raptors for Villanueva. Meanwhile, the Blazers get Magloire, who is in the final year of his contract. Many feel that he will be expecting a big deal next summer.
In a strange move, John Salmons cancelled a sign-and-trade that would have sent him to the Toronto Raptors.
“Upon reviewing the basketball situation in Toronto, John decided it’s not the best fit for him,” Salmons’ agent, Joel Bell, said a statement released Friday. “In a very stressful and tough decision, he decided he could not accept the opportunity to play for the Raptors, even though he was excited about the prospect of being in Toronto.”
Huh?
I love it when agents say something but say nothing at the same time. What happened here? It appeared that Salmons would have had the opportunity to start at guard for a team that should be on the rise, with new GM Bryan Colangelo leading the way. Instead, he’s without a contract for next season after turning down an offer from the Suns and having his qualifying offer by the Sixers rescinded earlier in the week. He would be a valuable addition to any team in need of a complimentary swingman. He proved he was able to pick up his play, scoring well in games that Allen Iverson missed due to injury.
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