Just a few extra details not given in the reports yesterday (from what I saw, anyways) and an interesting GP quote at the end.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/13405344p-14246642c.html
For both sides, forward progress
Kings fill a hole, Abdur-Rahim gets a winner
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Shareef Abdur-Rahim walked into the room a $100 million man already, even before the purple ink had been signed.
Before he hit the free-agent market after leaving Portland last season, before his deal with New Jersey fell through Tuesday, the 28-year-old had achieved the sort of feats that bring home dreamy cash, but nothing in the way of priceless legacies.
So when the Kings introduced Abdur-Rahim as their new power forward Friday, the nine-year veteran looked strangely content for someone who will be grossly underpaid by market value.
When it became official, the Kings and their new player who made $14.6 million last season alone agreed to a five-year, $29.3 million contract. The Kings, who are over the salary cap, used their midlevel exception to add the one-time All-Star, with the first year salary of $5 million and subsequent 8 percent annual increases thereafter. The deal was less than the six-year, $38 million one he lost out on with New Jersey or the five-year, $47 million contract he turned down from Milwaukee in the early summer.
Then again, Abdur-Rahim said, it's just not about the money anymore.
"The biggest thing for me was just getting on a team to win, and win big and compete at a high level," said Abdur-Rahim, who has never been on a winning team, let alone in the playoffs. "That's what I want to do for the rest of my career, and the guys that are already here are used to winning."
The question is whether he can be the Bionic Man. Abdur-Rahim came the Kings' way only because New Jersey doubted Abdur-Rahim's longevity, nixing a sign-and-trade with Portland three days before. Scar tissue appeared on an MRI during the 6-foot-9 player's physical with the Nets, leading team president Rod Thorn to fear arthritis in the long term and, in general, pass on what he perceived as a dangerous investment.
Abdur-Rahim was miffed by the whole ordeal. He said the Nets nearly convinced him his body wasn't right, if only because one team doctor out of four, according to his agent, Aaron Goodwin, threw up the red flag.
The Kings' doctors performed their own extensive medical checkup when Abdur-Rahim came to Sacramento on Thursday, including plenty of their own MRIs. Goodwin said Abdur-Rahim has a bone spur in his right knee that has been there since he had arthroscopic surgery at 15, but there were no signs of imminent danger.
"It's like anybody: If you go to the doctor and the doctor tells you you're sick, you think, 'Well it's a doctor, so he must know (what he's talking about),' " said Abdur-Rahim, who never has missed games because of the knee. "But I'd always go back to the fact that I knew how I felt, I knew I hadn't hurt myself, I hadn't missed games. ... I'm happy, I'm thankful, I'm grateful that this situation was here for me."
The clincher in his decision, Goodwin said, was the Kings' confidence in Abdur-Rahim amid so much negative speculation.
"They easily could've said, 'What's wrong with your knee? Maybe we'll bring you in, check you out, offer you a one-or two-year deal,' " Goodwin said. "They didn't. They immediately said, 'We know how good you are. ... We want you. Whether you want a one-year deal or a five-year deal, we want you.' "
Geoff Petrie, the Kings' president of basketball operations, said the knee was a nonissue.
"We're comfortable with his future as a player and his productivity," Petrie said.
Kings coach Rick Adelman, who was active in the courting of Abdur-Rahim as he had been with new guard Bonzi Wells before him, is pleased to have a force on the blocks again.
"In the last few years, we really haven't had much of an inside game with Chris (Webber's) injuries and Vlade (Divac) leaving," Adelman said. "(Abdur-Rahim) really gives us a presence inside, a proven scorer inside, and also a guy who can really step outside and shoot the ball, which blends in nicely with what we do."
The Abdur-Rahim signing could mean Darius Songaila won't return. While the Kings still have an offer sheet out to the forward, they also have Kenny Thomas and Corliss Williamson at the position. Songaila's agent, Mark Bartelstein, did not return calls for comment. "At this point, we're pretty forward-rich, so I'm not sure how that's going to play out," Petrie said.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/13405344p-14246642c.html
For both sides, forward progress
Kings fill a hole, Abdur-Rahim gets a winner
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Shareef Abdur-Rahim walked into the room a $100 million man already, even before the purple ink had been signed.
Before he hit the free-agent market after leaving Portland last season, before his deal with New Jersey fell through Tuesday, the 28-year-old had achieved the sort of feats that bring home dreamy cash, but nothing in the way of priceless legacies.
So when the Kings introduced Abdur-Rahim as their new power forward Friday, the nine-year veteran looked strangely content for someone who will be grossly underpaid by market value.
When it became official, the Kings and their new player who made $14.6 million last season alone agreed to a five-year, $29.3 million contract. The Kings, who are over the salary cap, used their midlevel exception to add the one-time All-Star, with the first year salary of $5 million and subsequent 8 percent annual increases thereafter. The deal was less than the six-year, $38 million one he lost out on with New Jersey or the five-year, $47 million contract he turned down from Milwaukee in the early summer.
Then again, Abdur-Rahim said, it's just not about the money anymore.
"The biggest thing for me was just getting on a team to win, and win big and compete at a high level," said Abdur-Rahim, who has never been on a winning team, let alone in the playoffs. "That's what I want to do for the rest of my career, and the guys that are already here are used to winning."
The question is whether he can be the Bionic Man. Abdur-Rahim came the Kings' way only because New Jersey doubted Abdur-Rahim's longevity, nixing a sign-and-trade with Portland three days before. Scar tissue appeared on an MRI during the 6-foot-9 player's physical with the Nets, leading team president Rod Thorn to fear arthritis in the long term and, in general, pass on what he perceived as a dangerous investment.
Abdur-Rahim was miffed by the whole ordeal. He said the Nets nearly convinced him his body wasn't right, if only because one team doctor out of four, according to his agent, Aaron Goodwin, threw up the red flag.
The Kings' doctors performed their own extensive medical checkup when Abdur-Rahim came to Sacramento on Thursday, including plenty of their own MRIs. Goodwin said Abdur-Rahim has a bone spur in his right knee that has been there since he had arthroscopic surgery at 15, but there were no signs of imminent danger.
"It's like anybody: If you go to the doctor and the doctor tells you you're sick, you think, 'Well it's a doctor, so he must know (what he's talking about),' " said Abdur-Rahim, who never has missed games because of the knee. "But I'd always go back to the fact that I knew how I felt, I knew I hadn't hurt myself, I hadn't missed games. ... I'm happy, I'm thankful, I'm grateful that this situation was here for me."
The clincher in his decision, Goodwin said, was the Kings' confidence in Abdur-Rahim amid so much negative speculation.
"They easily could've said, 'What's wrong with your knee? Maybe we'll bring you in, check you out, offer you a one-or two-year deal,' " Goodwin said. "They didn't. They immediately said, 'We know how good you are. ... We want you. Whether you want a one-year deal or a five-year deal, we want you.' "
Geoff Petrie, the Kings' president of basketball operations, said the knee was a nonissue.
"We're comfortable with his future as a player and his productivity," Petrie said.
Kings coach Rick Adelman, who was active in the courting of Abdur-Rahim as he had been with new guard Bonzi Wells before him, is pleased to have a force on the blocks again.
"In the last few years, we really haven't had much of an inside game with Chris (Webber's) injuries and Vlade (Divac) leaving," Adelman said. "(Abdur-Rahim) really gives us a presence inside, a proven scorer inside, and also a guy who can really step outside and shoot the ball, which blends in nicely with what we do."
The Abdur-Rahim signing could mean Darius Songaila won't return. While the Kings still have an offer sheet out to the forward, they also have Kenny Thomas and Corliss Williamson at the position. Songaila's agent, Mark Bartelstein, did not return calls for comment. "At this point, we're pretty forward-rich, so I'm not sure how that's going to play out," Petrie said.
