Atlanta Factor

[George O'Brien]

This came from Newark Ledger

Meanwhile, Thomas remains

interested in Golden State free agent Erick Dampier. An NBA official familiar with the sign-and-trade discussion disclosed last night that Warriors GM Chris Mullin verbally committed to a deal with the Knicks two weeks ago, then reneged. That, the official said, has only made Thomas and agent Dan Fegan more motivated to get Dampier to New York.

Mullin, however, is under a lot of pressure, both internal and external. The organization doesn't want to take on any additional salaries, such as the contracts belonging to Nazr Mohammed and Othella Harrington in the Knicks scenario; and he also has peers such as Jerry West of Memphis and Donnie Walsh of Indiana telling him that he should allow Dampier to sign outright with Atlanta -- just so the Grizzlies and Pacers can get a crack at him when he becomes trade-eligible in December.

"(Fegan) wouldn't have opted Dampier out unless he had a deal with Mullin already worked out," the NBA official said. "But now, Mullin has become a moving target."

Fegan is famous for trying to get the most money possible for his client, but it is not clear that going to Atlanta is a good idea for Dampier. He might make a bit more money, but there is no guarantee that he would get traded and could end up spending his career with a team that is worse than GS.

This claim that there was a "verbal agreement" to take the Knicks deal feels like a reach. My read on it is that Mullin was looking to improve the Knick's deal when the Dale Davis thing came through and made the Knicks deal moot.

 

[F-Dog]

This claim that there was a "verbal agreement" to take the Knicks deal feels like a reach. My read on it is that Mullin was looking to improve the Knick's deal when the Dale Davis thing came through and made the Knicks deal moot.

It wouldn't shock me if there was a verbal agreement, but it wouldn't shock me the other way, either--everybody else who opted out this summer wound up with more money, so it's not like Dampier's people would expect he would have to rely on a Mullin promise.

I'm sure that Mullin thought he would get better offers for Dampier, though. It surprises me that the Grizzlies won't even offer Stromile Swift.

 

[George O'Brien]

It wouldn't shock me if there was a verbal agreement, but it wouldn't shock me the other way, either--everybody else who opted out this summer wound up with more money, so it's not like Dampier's people would expect he would have to rely on a Mullin promise.

I'm sure that Mullin thought he would get better offers for Dampier, though. It surprises me that the Grizzlies won't even offer Stromile Swift.

I have no reason to believe that Dampier had any kind of deal in place with GS. All they had was a potential common interest. However, when it became clear that teams were not willing to pay him the kind of money he wanted without dumping a bad contract in the deal, things began to deteriorate. At the same time, once GS picked up Davis, they did not need a backup center.

I suspect GS would have accepted Posey and Swift from Memphis, but West was not going to overpay and give up two top players as well.

 

[Evil Ash]

Looking at this from a Suns perspective this may be the very reason why the Suns do Not pursue Dampier.

The simple fact is that the Suns may be worried that Dampier would just use a deal with the Suns as bargaining leverage with Golden State to get a sign-and-trade deal done (possibly with the Knicks). Dampier has made threats to go to Atlanta, but the Warriors don't even believe him. However if dampier threatens to go to Phoenix, the Warriors would view that as a legitimate threat and force a sign-and-trade with the Suns or with other teams.

The Suns would want to know as a fact that if they gave him the best offer they could he would sign immediately and not use it as leverage to get a sign-and-trade done with other teams.

 

[Dylan]

If there is a mutual interest between Damp and Suns, I wouldn't be surprised if they already have the contract discussed. He knows what we have as far as money is concerned. If the deal happens, then I bet it will happen pretty fast.

 

[Evil Ash]

If there is a mutual interest between Damp and Suns, I wouldn't be surprised if they already have the contract discussed. He knows what we have as far as money is concerned. If the deal happens, then I bet it will happen pretty fast.

I think thats a fair statement. My whole point was why the Suns possibly wouldn't have interest in going after him. They just wouldn't want to be used for this type of deal.

The question now is ... If Q's contract is matched, do the Suns have interest in Dampier? I keep hearing conflicting reports as to whether they do or not.

 

[Gaddabout]

I'm beginning to think the Dampier situation is why the Suns haven't pushed for Joel P. or some of the other center alternatives. If they weren't interested in Dampier, it seems to me they could have made other bargain basement deals already regardless of the Q. Richardson situation.

 

[fordronken]

I'm beginning to think the Dampier situation is why the Suns haven't pushed for Joel P. or some of the other center alternatives. If they weren't interested in Dampier, it seems to me they could have made other bargain basement deals already regardless of the Q. Richardson situation.

Well, those contracts, I believe, would still count against their cap space, if they end up having any. It would make sense to wait.

 

[George O'Brien]

Looking at this from a Suns perspective this may be the very reason why the Suns do Not pursue Dampier.

The simple fact is that the Suns may be worried that Dampier would just use a deal with the Suns as bargaining leverage with Golden State to get a sign-and-trade deal done (possibly with the Knicks). Dampier has made threats to go to Atlanta, but the Warriors don't even believe him. However if dampier threatens to go to Phoenix, the Warriors would view that as a legitimate threat and force a sign-and-trade with the Suns or with other teams.

The Suns would want to know as a fact that if they gave him the best offer they could he would sign immediately and not use it as leverage to get a sign-and-trade done with other teams.

I am confused by this. The Warriors cannot force anything, they can only refuse to cooperate. If Dampier decided that he would accept the Suns offer, then the Warriors could do nothing about it.

The Warriors do have the option of making a counter offer to Dampier based on a previously rejected sign and trade, but that is hardly the same thing. If the threat of the Hawks giving him $50 million over six years doesn't worry them, then why would the Suns giving him $45 force them to change their plan?

 

[Evil Ash]

I am confused by this. The Warriors cannot force anything, they can only refuse to cooperate. If Dampier decided that he would accept the Suns offer, then the Warriors could do nothing about it.

The Warriors do have the option of making a counter offer to Dampier based on a previously rejected sign and trade, but that is hardly the same thing. If the threat of the Hawks giving him $50 million over six years doesn't worry them, then why would the Suns giving him $45 force them to change their plan?

Because the Suns are a team that he can legitmately go to for what is available and don't want to lose him for nothing. The Hawks are a bad team that Dampier is just using for leverage, so he can get a sign-and-trade somewhere.

The possibility of Dampier going to a good team and the Warriors getting nothing in return is a distinct possiblity. Thus possibility pressuring the Warriors to get SOMETHING in return rather than losing him for nothing.

I'm not saying that what's going to happen but it is a possibility

 

[George O'Brien]

Because the Suns are a team that he can legitmately go to for what is available and don't want to lose him for nothing. The Hawks are a bad team that Dampier is just using for leverage, so he can get a sign-and-trade somewhere.

The possibility of Dampier going to a good team and the Warriors getting nothing in return is a distinct possiblity. Thus possibility pressuring the Warriors to get SOMETHING in return rather than losing him for nothing.

I'm not saying that what's going to happen but it is a possibility

Your statement was, "However if dampier threatens to go to Phoenix, the Warriors would view that as a legitimate threat and force a sign-and-trade with the Suns or with other teams." You may have MEANT to say that Dampier could force a "sign and trade", but without the extra coma, it reads the Warriors would force a sign-and-trade.

Maybe, but there is a rumor that the Hawks would sign him and then trade him in 60 days. Since one of the teams that might be the target of such a trade is Memphis, itis hard to see how this is vastly different than the Suns.

I suspect that Dampier's agent is going out of his mind. He wasted too much time with the Knicks deal and let the Jazz and Nuggets use up their cap space without him even talking to them. He grossly miscalculated what the Warriors might do (the NVE for Dale Davis was a huge shock) and really did not have a serious fall back position. Atlanta? He gets to tell future clients, "Yes, I had my guy give up $17 million over two years to get less money to play for an even worse team than what I had before while getting to play Shaq twice as often as if he had stayed put."

 

[fordronken]

...but without the extra coma, it reads the Warriors would force a sign-and-trade.

And without the extra "m", it reads like a medical condition or a nebulous luminescent cloud.

 

[elindholm]

Maybe, but there is a rumor that the Hawks would sign him and then trade him in 60 days.

I've heard that too, but I think it's an invention of the media. It would be very risky and stupid for Atlanta to sign him to a big deal just because they want to trade him in two months. A lot can change in two months, and they could easily find themselves unable to move him.

Let me just say that, if the Clippers match on Richardson and Dampier ends up going to some other team for less money than the Suns could have offered, I am going to be pissed.

 

[fordronken]

I've heard that too, but I think it's an invention of the media. It would be very risky and stupid for Atlanta to sign him to a big deal just because they want to trade him in two months. A lot can change in two months, and they could easily find themselves unable to move him.

Let me just say that, if the Clippers match on Richardson and Dampier ends up going to some other team for less money than the Suns could have offered, I am going to be pissed.

I was thinking about that, but I think there are two teams who he could concievably go to for the full mid-level over the Suns, and that's the Knicks and the Bucks. I think his east coast prefefence shouldn't be overlooked.

 

[George O'Brien]

I was thinking about that, but I think there are two teams who he could concievably go to for the full mid-level over the Suns, and that's the Knicks and the Bucks. I think his east coast prefefence shouldn't be overlooked.

I'm sure he is itching to play Shaq four times.

Seriously, the East still is weaker top to bottom than the West, so I would guess he would do better.

 

[fordronken]

I'm sure he is itching to play Shaq four times.

Seriously, the East still is weaker top to bottom than the West, so I would guess he would do better.

And in the west, with the exception of say, Yao Ming, he would be guarding power forwards.

 

[George O'Brien]

And in the west, with the exception of say, Yao Ming, he would be guarding power forwards.

Magloire is now in the West, but I know what you mean.

 

[fordronken]

Magloire is now in the West, but I know what you mean.

That's right. I knew I was missing someone. Yao is the only potentially dominant center, though. I mean, he'd probably end up guarding Foyle, Camby and Shawn Bradley too, but...