finley update

[mribnik]

Phoenix Suns entourage makes case to Finley

Didn't see it posted yet, but here goes...

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nba&id=2141440

PRESCOTT, Ariz. -- The Phoenix Suns sent a six-person delegation, including three players, to meet with free agent guard Michael Finley in Chicago on Tuesday to try to persuade him to sign with the team that drafted him a decade ago.

"It was a nice meeting," Suns president Bryan Colangelo told The Associated Press just before flying back to Phoenix. "We had a chance to talk to Michael and his agent and I would say that things went well. Hopefully the story line we presented was a compelling one."

Joining Colangelo in the talks were team owner Robert Sarver, coach Mike D'Antoni and players Amare Stoudemire, Shawn Marion and Raja Bell. Not present but certainly a part of the campaign is Suns playmaker Steve Nash, a good friend and former Dallas Mavericks teammate of Finley.

Phoenix also has a message on its Web site urging fans to send e-mails pleading with Finley to come back to the Suns. Phoenix drafted Finley as the 21st pick overall in 1995. He was traded to Dallas in the 1996-97 season as part of the deal that brought Jason Kidd to the Suns.

The 32-year-old shooting guard has indicated he wants to play for a title contender, and the Suns believe they fit that description after an NBA-best 62 win season. Adding Finley would ease the impact of the departure of Joe Johnson, who went to Atlanta in a sign-and-trade deal after telling Sarver he no longer wanted to play for the Suns.

Phoenix was the second team to send a delegation to Chicago this week to talk to Finley and his agent Henry Thomas. Miami Heat president Pat Riley and coach Stan Van Gundy were there on Monday. Miami can offer Finley the full $5 million midlevel exception, not to mention the opportunity to play with Shaquille O'Neal. The Suns can offer only the $1.1 million veteran's minimum.

Finley, who averaged a career-low 15.7 points last season, was waived by Dallas under a one-time "amnesty clause" that allows teams to cut players to keep their salaries from being subject to the NBA's luxury tax. Finley still will receive the $52 million remaining on his Dallas contract, but the Mavs won't have to pay that same amount in luxury tax, as they would have had he been kept on the roster.

Detroit and San Antonio also have indicated interest, but the Pistons used up much of their remaining money by signing Dale Davis to a two-year, $7 million contract on Tuesday.

Thomas did not return a message left on his cell phone.

 

[elindholm]

Did Miami really make those banners? Wow. I think Finley will help whatever team he's on next season, but frankly I don't see him as a big difference-maker at this stage.

 

[SactownSunsFan]

I Wonder why they sent Raja Bell? So that Raja could tell Finley "You da man?" (i.e. you're going to start in front of me)

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

Nice to see that an entire delegation went. Nash surely has been in contact with Finley on his own, so him going isn't really needed.

I like that Bell went, I hadn't even been thinking about him as a possible draw.


Kind of surprised Jerry wasn't there though.

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

I Wonder why they sent Raja Bell? So that Raja could tell Finley "You da man?" (i.e. you're going to start in front of me)

They played in Dallas together for a few years. Just another friend connection.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

Did Miami really make those banners? Wow. I think Finley will help whatever team he's on next season, but frankly I don't see him as a big difference-maker at this stage.

That banner cant be real....even the crazy south beachers cant be that pompous and arrogant....if that is legit i really hope we get him and smoke those mf'ers in the finals 4-0!

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

Did Miami really make those banners? Wow. I think Finley will help whatever team he's on next season, but frankly I don't see him as a big difference-maker at this stage.

I definitely don't see him as a big difference maker in Miami, SA or Detroit. He would just be icing on the cake for those teams.

If the Suns have legitimate concerns about Jimmy holding up, then he could be a huge difference maker here. I personally think Jimmy can hold it down, but you cannot really complain about a starting 2g for the minimum. Especially when it is a PR slam dunk.

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

That banner cant be real....even the crazy south beachers cant be that pompous and arrogant....if that is legit i really hope we get him and smoke those mf'ers in the finals 4-0!

It is real. A bunch of people on RealGM have driven past it to get their own pictures.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

Wow, the Suns have 51 million fans!!!

I havn't checked my cencus lately...is there really 300 million strong in the great US of A?

 

[KloD]

I havn't checked my cencus lately...is there really 300 million strong in the great US of A?

I believe it is just under.

 

[JCSunsfan]

That banner cant be real....even the crazy south beachers cant be that pompous and arrogant....if that is legit i really hope we get him and smoke those mf'ers in the finals 4-0!

The banner is real. There are a number of them. They are in Chicago. Miami was using them as a recruiting tool to get Finley. They put them along a driving path that Finley is know to travel.

 

[George O'Brien]

The banner is real. There are a number of them. They are in Chicago. Miami was using them as a recruiting tool to get Finley. They put them along a driving path that Finley is know to travel.

$10,000 books are better.

 

[sunsfn]

Nice to see that an entire delegation went. Nash surely has been in contact with Finley on his own, so him going isn't really needed.

I like that Bell went, I hadn't even been thinking about him as a possible draw.


Kind of surprised Jerry wasn't there though.

JC had a prostate cancer operation a few months ago, and he is going to need close to a year to recover from that.

He obviously is working, but there has to be times when he is not feeling very good.

-

 

[cly2tw]

I guess Marion went along to ensure Mike that he regretted to have complained during the playoff about no play set for him stuff. He now saw the big picture and would accept Mike as a scoring option ahead of himself. Cool!

 

[SactownSunsFan]

I guess Marion went along to ensure Mike that he regretted to have complained during the playoff about no play set for him stuff. He now saw the big picture and would accept Mike as a scoring option ahead of himself. Cool!

Are you making this up? I haven't heard anything about Marion saying this to Finley.

 

[simply_amare]

Can't help but be impress by Amare's proactive approcach in free agent recruitment. That's part of his desire to win, I guess.
If I was that player being recruited, I'd feel very special that a future great of Amare's caliber is knocking on my door trying to convince me to be a part of the team. I can't recall if Jordan or some other great ever did that?

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

Can't help but be impress by Amare's proactive approcach in free agent recruitment. That's part of his desire to win, I guess.
If I was that player being recruited, I'd feel very special that a future great of Amare's caliber is knocking on my door trying to convince me to be a part of the team. I can't recall if Jordan or some other great ever did that?

I like it too. It also shows that Amare has the desire to remain in Phoenix. I will take those reassurances anytime I can get them.

Shaq has been very vocal in getting free agents before. He almost solely brought Malone and Payton to LA, and has talked to all of the aquisitions this year. He was actually one of the first people to call Finley (along with Nash). From what I have heard from Heat fans Riley almost always goes on delegations alone, most were surprised SVG went as well.

Jason Kidd is usually active in FA pursuits, although never like what Amare has been doing.

 

[Folster]

I can't recall if Jordan or some other great ever did that?

Jordan didn't need to.

 

[cly2tw]

Are you making this up? I haven't heard anything about Marion saying this to Finley.

Just having fun speculating as everybody else here. But it'd be cool if he said that, right?

 

[George O'Brien]

It's interesting that Marion and Bell came along. Do you think Posey went with the Miami Heat contingent?

Amare is certainly taking his leadership role more and more seriously. It is a sign of just how much he has matured that veterans like Nash, Jackson, Bell and Grant are selecting Phoenix as the place to be due to one guy barely old enough to drink.

Not all great players can convert their talent into winning. Garnett has been out of the first round of the playoffs only once. Much of this is that KG seems to have a terrible time getting along with his teammates. It seems that Amare is able to attract strong teammates rather than drive them away.

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

Much of this is that KG seems to have a terrible time getting along with his teammates. It seems that Amare is able to attract strong teammates rather than drive them away.

A lot of that is because Garnett has terrible personalities for teammates.

Amare gets along with good guys like Nash, Marion, Q, JJ, Jackson ect.

Garnett deals with Wally, Spree, Kandi, Cassell

 

[elindholm]

A lot of that is because Garnett has terrible personalities for teammates.

Maybe. I don't think that Garnett's interpersonal problems can be exclusively blamed on everyone else.

That said, I wish the Suns could have gotten him for Marion and Johnson when they had the chance.

 

[reader]

A lot of that is because Garnett has terrible personalities for teammates.

Maybe. I don't think that Garnett's interpersonal problems can be exclusively blamed on everyone else.

Sarcasm alert .. Sarcasm alert ....

Yeah, KG must have terrible teammates, why else would someone of his talent and stature, punch out a scrub in practice? I don't like KG, never have, never will.

Rant alert ..
Two years ago when he was in the running for MVP, the Wolves had stickers that looked like license plates that said, KG4MVP .. Tacky .. Compare that to the Nash campaign, oh, right, there wasn't one. Why, you ask. Nash said if he was to win, it would not be because he had a, "scintillating DVD". That always amused me, I always thought of KG's, scintillating license plate.

End of rant alert.

 

[elindholm]

Compare that to the Nash campaign, oh, right, there wasn't one. Why, you ask. Nash said if he was to win, it would not be because he had a, "scintillating DVD".

That's pretty cool. But remember that Stoudemire won Rookie of the Year partly on the basis of his scintillating DVD, which almost everyone on this board was in favor of, so it works both ways.

 

[reader]

Compare that to the Nash campaign, oh, right, there wasn't one. Why, you ask. Nash said if he was to win, it would not be because he had a, "scintillating DVD".

That's pretty cool. But remember that Stoudemire won Rookie of the Year partly on the basis of his scintillating DVD, which almost everyone on this board was in favor of, so it works both ways.

Now, don't start an argument by bringing up facts that don't support my postion.