Dice: "I'll be back"

[slinslin]

He can play in the summer, get his game in shape, his body a little bit better,” said Head Coach Mike D’Antoni. “After you blow out a knee, it takes you a year to come back to play. I think next year he’s going to be better than he is right now, and he’s pretty good right now as a big guy.

“He’s a great guy in the locker room. Amaré (Stoudemire) loves him. He can talk to Amaré. He’s a great guy.”

“I think McDyess is a great addition to the team,” agreed Stoudemire. “He’s come along strong these last couple of weeks, grabbing 14-15 rebounds. That’s huge. That’s telling you that he’s back and his injury is not really affecting him anymore. When we’re out there playing, we’re very comfortable out there on the court. I think he’s a good addition to the team.”

A free agent this summer, McDyess hopes he has proven worthy of a chance to play and has designs on returning to Phoenix next season. Whether he returns or not, he is grateful for the opportunity to play this year regardless of where he winds up next fall.

“It’s my expectation to be back here,” he said. “If not, I’ve had a great time here. I’ve rehabbed well. Hopefully, if things go well, I'll be back.”


http://www.nba.com/suns/news/mcdyess_040421.html

Of course some Bulls fan who claims knows McDyess personally keeps telling me that he saw McDyess at his place on the upper west side in the Trump building.
And that he knows for a fact that Antonio wants to go back to New York and play for the Nets next season.

 

[nathan]

Of course some Bulls fan who claims knows McDyess personally keeps telling me that he saw McDyess at his place on the upper west side in the Trump building.
And that he knows for a fact that Antonio wants to go back to New York and play for the Nets next season.

Does he want to back up Kenyon Martin (assuming he's still there)? Based on past experience, he isn't the type of person that likes large media markets and the scrutiny that comes with them. I like the Suns chances.

 

[George O'Brien]

Most of the rumors about Dice going to the Nets was based on the belief that K-Mart would leave. That seems doubtful.

Dice used to be close to Kidd but I'm not sure he is any more. If anything, his growing friendship with Amare may be as much a reason to stay as his previous friendship with Jason.

As it stands now, if Dice stays he would start next season for the Suns. I hope he stays.

 

[Chaplin]

I'm now at the point where I hope he stays as well, but not at the expense of not improving ourselves in other areas. Make of that what you will...

 

[George O'Brien]

I'm now at the point where I hope he stays as well, but not at the expense of not improving ourselves in other areas. Make of that what you will...

Obviously it will depend on the price, which is pretty much true of every free agent under discussion. Even Kobe if he insisted on starting at $17 million might cause some hesitation.

Most debates over possible free agents involved guessing how much someone will ask and then trying to figure out if they are worth it. There are some guys that would not be a good fit no matter what the price, but many are simply a question of whether they are a "good buy".

With Dice, I am hoping that he will not require a big or long term contract to stay. He could easily price himself too high for the Suns who cannot risk too much money on a guy with his history of injuries. But if he stays in the $2 to $2.5 million a year range for two years, I think he would be worth it.

I would like to see the Suns get a physical defensive player who is more mobile than White and a better shot blocker, they need another shooter, and possibly a veteran PG. But for the right price, I think Dice could be a big help.

 

[slinslin]

Umm nobody can pay Kobe something starting at 17M$.

 

[George O'Brien]

Umm nobody can pay Kobe something starting at 17M$.

They can if they have the cap space. Of course realistically Kobe only gets that amount in a sign and trade, because he is not going to Atlanta or Utah.

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

They can if they have the cap space. Of course realistically Kobe only gets that amount in a sign and trade, because he is not going to Atlanta or Utah.

I am pretty sure that is not true. The max contract a player can recieve is 30 percent of the cap (with his tenure). Assuming the cap is at 45 million, then his max starting contract is 13,500,000.

If the last year of a player's current contract is more than the 30 percent value, then they can have their new contract start at 105% of their previous deal. Kobe is listed at $13,497,500. So if the cap is below about $44,100,000 than the max starting contract he can recieve is $14,172,375.

I can't remember the rules for a team resigning their own player (and I dont have time to look it up right now), but I am pretty sure they can offer 105% of the old deal (so the 14,172,375 starting) and add an extra year.

Anyways, I am pretty certain there is no way for him to start much higher than the 14 million number I threw out, and definitely cannot start near 17 million in any situation.



COuld someone possibly verify/correct the rules on resigning your own player? I am curious about that one.

 

[elindholm]

COuld someone possibly verify/correct the rules on resigning your own player? I am curious about that one.

Playstation's Larry Coon thread has it all spelled out.