My Candidate For the Stupidest Article of the Year

[George O'Brien]

New York Post

ISIAH HEARS PENNY OFFERS

By MARC BERMAN

February 19, 2004 -- Penny Hardaway's inspired play since joining the Knicks on Jan. 5 has been a relevation to fans - and other league GMs.
Suns GM Bryan Colangelo spent two seasons trying to trade Hardaway and his contract and found mild interest. Yesterday, according to sources, Isiah Thomas was actually fielding inquiries about Hardaway before today's 3 p.m. trading deadline.

Isiah won't give him up now, but it's a possibility the Knicks could lose him in the mid-June expansion draft to the Charlotte Bobcats if he continues to play well. The Knicks can protect eight players and likely will gamble the Bobcats - who have talked about not taking on big contracts - will pass.

But Charlotte could do worse than take on a name player such as Hardaway, considering the expensive junk available. Hardaway will only have two years left on his pact.

"I'd love to stay here and win a championship, but you never know what's going to happen," Hardaway told The Post. "You can't get comfortable, not with the expansion draft."

 

[elindholm]

I've been saying the same thing for quite some time. I think it's not impossible that Charlotte would be interested in Hardaway if he were available and had stayed healthy for a full season. Geographically, Charlotte isn't that far from Memphis, and he may have a bit of a following.

 

[Joe Mama]

Originally posted by elindholm
I've been saying the same thing for quite some time. I think it's not impossible that Charlotte would be interested in Hardaway if he were available and had stayed healthy for a full season. Geographically, Charlotte isn't that far from Memphis, and he may have a bit of a following.

No way. The Charlotte bobcats are going to be getting all sorts of bribes to take players better than Hardaway. The New York Knicks don't have much to offer anymore.

Joe Mama

 

[George O'Brien]

Originally posted by elindholm
I've been saying the same thing for quite some time. I think it's not impossible that Charlotte would be interested in Hardaway if he were available and had stayed healthy for a full season. Geographically, Charlotte isn't that far from Memphis, and he may have a bit of a following.

I would guess Penny would have more of a following from his days with the Magic than when he was in college. But in any case, he is as expensive as T-Mac and Kobe. Why would the Bobcats take a guy with sub-mid cap skills at a price of $14.6 million?

 

[cardsunsfan]

Originally posted by George O'Brien
I would guess Penny would have more of a following from his days with the Magic than when he was in college. But in any case, he is as expensive as T-Mac and Kobe. Why would the Bobcats take a guy with sub-mid cap skills at a price of $14.6 million?

Who is only getting older!!!

 

[elindholm]

But in any case, he is as expensive as T-Mac and Kobe. Why would the Bobcats take a guy with sub-mid cap skills at a price of $14.6 million?

Uh, because they can't get T-Mac or Kobe?

I do think it's unlikely, but I also still say it's not impossible. Let's say someone thinks that Hardaway would bring in an extra 1000 good-seat season-ticket holders, which I don't think is too unreasonable. I don't know how much season tickets cost, but let's figure 41 games x $75 per game on average = about $3000. So that's $3 million a year in extra season tickets right there. Hardaway would still be overpaid, but he could also help the team win games, and that has to be worth something, right?

And Joe Mama, I don't think there will be better players than Hardaway offered with bribes. Better contracts, sure. But if healthy, Hardaway is a legitimate eight-man-rotation player on virtually any team in the league, and the "bribe fodder" we've been talking about can't make that claim.