scotsman13
Registered User
nash news in dallas
i got these from phxsuns.net but they answer some questions about this deal.
Missing the point
Mavericks owner demonstrates Minus Touch
11:46 PM CDT on Thursday, July 1, 2004
FORT WORTH – The Mavericks' summer league team couldn't beat China on Thursday night. Whether the Mavericks' fall-winter-and-spring team can beat anybody of note next year depends on how much more owner Mark Cuban can mess things up.
It wasn't so bad when Cuban's best laid plans of the summer of 2002 fell apart. It was a long shot to get Rashard Lewis out of Seattle, anyway. And as a matter of fact, it was a very good thing when Cuban failed miserably to land his free agent of choice last July.
That would be Alonzo Mourning, now done with basketball for medical reasons and draining millions from the New Jersey Nets' payroll.
Losing Steve Nash to Phoenix was a completely different matter. A completely disastrous one for Dallas.
"A tough day in Maverickville," president Donnie Nelson called it.
Worst than that, really, for one reason. It was not inevitable. It was Cuban's call.
Get this straight, Cuban fans: Money talked and Mark balked.
So there will be no Shaquille O'Neal trade this summer, not to Dallas, anyway. If the Mavs now packaged what it would take to get O'Neal – Dirk Nowitzki, Antoine Walker and a good young player such as Marquis Daniels or Josh Howard – that would leave Dallas with the Shaq 'n' Stack Show (as in Jerry Stackhouse).
That's not a good idea.
The kicker is that NBA rules did not restrict Cuban from matching Phoenix's offer of five years for just more than $60 million. The Mavericks were willing to go into the $10 million-$10.5 million range per season. They wanted four years, not five.
That's where they stopped. That's when Nash walked.
Donnie Nelson's explanation: "We felt it was in our best interest to have some flexibility."
What that means is that Cuban came into this league, tossing millions all over the place. He gave Nowitzki a maximum contract (no argument there). He gave Finley a maximum contract (some argument there).
He gave Raef LaFrentz $69 million for seven years. Hold everything there.
Cuban had to spin LaFrentz into Walker and his huge contract last summer. Throw in Shawn Bradley's $30.5 million contract, and that's why the Mavericks are way up there over the luxury tax limit. That's why Cuban didn't want to spend what it took to keep Nash.
He either just didn't want to keep on losing those millions or didn't believe in Nash the way Don and Donnie Nelson believe in Nash.
The Mavericks coach was not a happy man Thursday night.
"We're going to have to regroup now, really," Nelson said. "It's not like a trade where you get something back. To lose one of your best players and get nothing in return is tough.
"Steve took us from being a very, very poor team to being a very, very good team."
The Mavericks are less than that now. They are the third-best team in the state, and who knows where they rank in the West. Are they even better than Phoenix? The rest of the summer will determine that.
What we know after just one day – one day – of free agency is that the Mavericks are off to a terrible start.
The Big Three is a thing of the past. The guy who knows Nellie's offense backward and forward is gone. The guy who elevated Nowitzki's offensive game to elite status is gone.
The Mavericks' best three-point shooter is gone. The Mavericks' chances of trading for Shaq are gone.
The owner with the reputation for being the most player-friendly in basketball, maybe in pro sports, has less of a nucleus than he inherited from Ross Perot Jr.
Nelson, Nowitzki, Nash and Finley were all on board when Cuban bought the team. He has failed to add players of consequence to that mix – players who last, anyway – and now an integral part of the mix is gone.
When the Mavericks traded Antawn Jamison before the draft, some viewed it as another piece in the puzzle that would lead to Shaq. In reality, it may have been more about just saving money on Jamison's contract.
On Thursday, the Mavs lost Nash. Maybe Cuban didn't care for the ultimatum that Nash's agent, Bill Duffy, presented him with in the afternoon.
The man who gives away money on his own reality show is, in reality, saving millions more each day.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... bda36.html
Suns outbid Cuban, make offer Nash doesn't refuse
12:22 AM CDT on Friday, July 2, 2004
By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News
FORT WORTH – Steve Nash is as loyal as NBA players come. He's also as human as they come.
So when he felt no love from the Mavericks in their opening bids to re-sign him, the All-Star point guard did the human thing.
"I'm a little surprised," he said Thursday evening, "that they didn't value me a little more."
Because Phoenix did, Nash agreed to a five-year contract with the Suns that will pay him over $60 million. The Suns have an option for a sixth season. Nash will sign the deal on July 14 when the signing period begins.
"Steve got a once-in-a-lifetime contract," coach Don Nelson said. "We've lost a big part of our team and are getting nothing in return. I never dreamed we'd lose Steve Nash. We're not going to be as good without Steve, that's for sure."
Owner Mark Cuban had the final say in whether the Mavericks would match Phoenix's offer. The Suns made a serious push by sending an entourage of 12 people to Dallas for a 1 p.m. meeting. By mid-afternoon, the deal was done.
Both Nash and agent Bill Duffy went to Cuban and president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson to give them a chance to match the offer.
"We felt it was in our best interest for our future to stay flexible," Donnie Nelson said. "Our counter offer wasn't good enough."
Said Cuban via e-mail: "We said we wouldn't max him out. At $65 million for five years, that's about as close as you can get. We made a very fair offer for a five-year deal.
"Steve is a class act. We wish him nothing but the best – except when he plays the Mavs. Short term, Steve will be difficult to replace. Long term, it was best for the organization. We just weren't comfortable facing the prospect of having little or no flexibility and the core of our team being 35 or older."
The Mavericks were believed to be willing to get to $10 million per season or perhaps slightly more. But when the Suns came in with $12 million per year, the Mavericks relented.
"I have very mixed feelings," Nash said. "I feel bad that it didn't work out. It's going to be hard not working with Dirk [Nowitzki] and Fin [Michael Finley]. But while it's disappointing in some ways, I'm really excited because Phoenix really, really wanted me. It's unbelievable what they did, and once I get past the disappointment and hurt, I know I'm going to a great situation."
Asked if there was any chance he would reconsider if the Mavs had second thoughts about matching Phoenix's deal by July 14, Nash said: "It's over. I shook hands with all the Phoenix people."
Nash played six seasons for the Mavericks. It took barely 14 hours for it to unravel. Suns chairman and CEO Jerry Colangelo headed Phoenix's group that came to Dallas on a private jet.
Colangelo said NBA rules prohibited him from talking about the Nash situation until July 14.
The Mavericks were stunned by the magnitude of the Phoenix offer. But with a payroll that will be in the $80 million range even without Nash, Cuban clearly was working under some significant financial restraints.
"Steve poured his heart and soul into this team," Donnie Nelson said. "This is a tough day in Maverickville."
Duffy, one of the shrewdest agents in sports, had come to Dallas on Wednesday night to open discussions with the Mavericks, which team officials took as a positive sign. But shortly after midnight, Phoenix representatives called Duffy to set up the afternoon meeting.
"Phoenix stepped up to the plate," Duffy said. "The dollars are significant, but also the years are important."
The Mavericks' original offer was for only four years rather than five.
"Mark is a guy who is extremely generous," Donnie Nelson said. "We gave what we felt was a legitimate offer. In the past, Mark hasn't been a low-ball guy."
This time, at least in the eyes of Nash and Duffy, he was.
"I think he [Cuban] was caught off guard," Duffy said. "I think he underestimated us. Phoenix came to us and asked what we were looking for. Everything turned around very quickly."
For Nash, it was an emotional end to a wonderful Mavericks career. In six seasons, he was an All-Star twice. He opted out of the final year of his contract after last season.
Now, he's no longer part of the Mavericks' Big Three. Instead, he's going back to Phoenix, the team that drafted him in 1996 and for which he played two seasons before being traded to the Mavericks.
"Not working with those guys is going to be the toughest part," said Nash, who talked to both Nowitzki and Finley before the deal was announced. "It's just been a very tough day."
And even tougher for the Mavericks' organization.
i got these from phxsuns.net but they answer some questions about this deal.
Missing the point
Mavericks owner demonstrates Minus Touch
11:46 PM CDT on Thursday, July 1, 2004
FORT WORTH – The Mavericks' summer league team couldn't beat China on Thursday night. Whether the Mavericks' fall-winter-and-spring team can beat anybody of note next year depends on how much more owner Mark Cuban can mess things up.
It wasn't so bad when Cuban's best laid plans of the summer of 2002 fell apart. It was a long shot to get Rashard Lewis out of Seattle, anyway. And as a matter of fact, it was a very good thing when Cuban failed miserably to land his free agent of choice last July.
That would be Alonzo Mourning, now done with basketball for medical reasons and draining millions from the New Jersey Nets' payroll.
Losing Steve Nash to Phoenix was a completely different matter. A completely disastrous one for Dallas.
"A tough day in Maverickville," president Donnie Nelson called it.
Worst than that, really, for one reason. It was not inevitable. It was Cuban's call.
Get this straight, Cuban fans: Money talked and Mark balked.
So there will be no Shaquille O'Neal trade this summer, not to Dallas, anyway. If the Mavs now packaged what it would take to get O'Neal – Dirk Nowitzki, Antoine Walker and a good young player such as Marquis Daniels or Josh Howard – that would leave Dallas with the Shaq 'n' Stack Show (as in Jerry Stackhouse).
That's not a good idea.
The kicker is that NBA rules did not restrict Cuban from matching Phoenix's offer of five years for just more than $60 million. The Mavericks were willing to go into the $10 million-$10.5 million range per season. They wanted four years, not five.
That's where they stopped. That's when Nash walked.
Donnie Nelson's explanation: "We felt it was in our best interest to have some flexibility."
What that means is that Cuban came into this league, tossing millions all over the place. He gave Nowitzki a maximum contract (no argument there). He gave Finley a maximum contract (some argument there).
He gave Raef LaFrentz $69 million for seven years. Hold everything there.
Cuban had to spin LaFrentz into Walker and his huge contract last summer. Throw in Shawn Bradley's $30.5 million contract, and that's why the Mavericks are way up there over the luxury tax limit. That's why Cuban didn't want to spend what it took to keep Nash.
He either just didn't want to keep on losing those millions or didn't believe in Nash the way Don and Donnie Nelson believe in Nash.
The Mavericks coach was not a happy man Thursday night.
"We're going to have to regroup now, really," Nelson said. "It's not like a trade where you get something back. To lose one of your best players and get nothing in return is tough.
"Steve took us from being a very, very poor team to being a very, very good team."
The Mavericks are less than that now. They are the third-best team in the state, and who knows where they rank in the West. Are they even better than Phoenix? The rest of the summer will determine that.
What we know after just one day – one day – of free agency is that the Mavericks are off to a terrible start.
The Big Three is a thing of the past. The guy who knows Nellie's offense backward and forward is gone. The guy who elevated Nowitzki's offensive game to elite status is gone.
The Mavericks' best three-point shooter is gone. The Mavericks' chances of trading for Shaq are gone.
The owner with the reputation for being the most player-friendly in basketball, maybe in pro sports, has less of a nucleus than he inherited from Ross Perot Jr.
Nelson, Nowitzki, Nash and Finley were all on board when Cuban bought the team. He has failed to add players of consequence to that mix – players who last, anyway – and now an integral part of the mix is gone.
When the Mavericks traded Antawn Jamison before the draft, some viewed it as another piece in the puzzle that would lead to Shaq. In reality, it may have been more about just saving money on Jamison's contract.
On Thursday, the Mavs lost Nash. Maybe Cuban didn't care for the ultimatum that Nash's agent, Bill Duffy, presented him with in the afternoon.
The man who gives away money on his own reality show is, in reality, saving millions more each day.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... bda36.html
Suns outbid Cuban, make offer Nash doesn't refuse
12:22 AM CDT on Friday, July 2, 2004
By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News
FORT WORTH – Steve Nash is as loyal as NBA players come. He's also as human as they come.
So when he felt no love from the Mavericks in their opening bids to re-sign him, the All-Star point guard did the human thing.
"I'm a little surprised," he said Thursday evening, "that they didn't value me a little more."
Because Phoenix did, Nash agreed to a five-year contract with the Suns that will pay him over $60 million. The Suns have an option for a sixth season. Nash will sign the deal on July 14 when the signing period begins.
"Steve got a once-in-a-lifetime contract," coach Don Nelson said. "We've lost a big part of our team and are getting nothing in return. I never dreamed we'd lose Steve Nash. We're not going to be as good without Steve, that's for sure."
Owner Mark Cuban had the final say in whether the Mavericks would match Phoenix's offer. The Suns made a serious push by sending an entourage of 12 people to Dallas for a 1 p.m. meeting. By mid-afternoon, the deal was done.
Both Nash and agent Bill Duffy went to Cuban and president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson to give them a chance to match the offer.
"We felt it was in our best interest for our future to stay flexible," Donnie Nelson said. "Our counter offer wasn't good enough."
Said Cuban via e-mail: "We said we wouldn't max him out. At $65 million for five years, that's about as close as you can get. We made a very fair offer for a five-year deal.
"Steve is a class act. We wish him nothing but the best – except when he plays the Mavs. Short term, Steve will be difficult to replace. Long term, it was best for the organization. We just weren't comfortable facing the prospect of having little or no flexibility and the core of our team being 35 or older."
The Mavericks were believed to be willing to get to $10 million per season or perhaps slightly more. But when the Suns came in with $12 million per year, the Mavericks relented.
"I have very mixed feelings," Nash said. "I feel bad that it didn't work out. It's going to be hard not working with Dirk [Nowitzki] and Fin [Michael Finley]. But while it's disappointing in some ways, I'm really excited because Phoenix really, really wanted me. It's unbelievable what they did, and once I get past the disappointment and hurt, I know I'm going to a great situation."
Asked if there was any chance he would reconsider if the Mavs had second thoughts about matching Phoenix's deal by July 14, Nash said: "It's over. I shook hands with all the Phoenix people."
Nash played six seasons for the Mavericks. It took barely 14 hours for it to unravel. Suns chairman and CEO Jerry Colangelo headed Phoenix's group that came to Dallas on a private jet.
Colangelo said NBA rules prohibited him from talking about the Nash situation until July 14.
The Mavericks were stunned by the magnitude of the Phoenix offer. But with a payroll that will be in the $80 million range even without Nash, Cuban clearly was working under some significant financial restraints.
"Steve poured his heart and soul into this team," Donnie Nelson said. "This is a tough day in Maverickville."
Duffy, one of the shrewdest agents in sports, had come to Dallas on Wednesday night to open discussions with the Mavericks, which team officials took as a positive sign. But shortly after midnight, Phoenix representatives called Duffy to set up the afternoon meeting.
"Phoenix stepped up to the plate," Duffy said. "The dollars are significant, but also the years are important."
The Mavericks' original offer was for only four years rather than five.
"Mark is a guy who is extremely generous," Donnie Nelson said. "We gave what we felt was a legitimate offer. In the past, Mark hasn't been a low-ball guy."
This time, at least in the eyes of Nash and Duffy, he was.
"I think he [Cuban] was caught off guard," Duffy said. "I think he underestimated us. Phoenix came to us and asked what we were looking for. Everything turned around very quickly."
For Nash, it was an emotional end to a wonderful Mavericks career. In six seasons, he was an All-Star twice. He opted out of the final year of his contract after last season.
Now, he's no longer part of the Mavericks' Big Three. Instead, he's going back to Phoenix, the team that drafted him in 1996 and for which he played two seasons before being traded to the Mavericks.
"Not working with those guys is going to be the toughest part," said Nash, who talked to both Nowitzki and Finley before the deal was announced. "It's just been a very tough day."
And even tougher for the Mavericks' organization.
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