Sacbee:Marty Mac's World: Kings are mistreating Hart, his agent says

[slugking50]

http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/108357.html
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Marty Mac's World: Kings are mistreating Hart, his agent says

By Martin McNeal - Bee Columnist

Last Updated 2:00 am PST Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C2
Print | E-Mail | Comments (0)
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]
Agent Bill Neff is steaming at the way he says his client, veteran guard Jason Hart, is being treated by the Kings.
Neff said Monday that he has received mixed messages regarding Hart, who has played in just 12 of 35 games this season.

"I asked (coach) Eric (Musselman), whom I've known for a long time, why he wouldn't give Jason a chance, and he said upper management wouldn't let him," the New York-based agent said. "He said he was being told to play" different people.

So I went to (Kings basketball president) Geoff Petrie and asked him, and he said he's never told a coach who to play. He said he didn't do it when Rick (Adelman) was here, and he hasn't done it with Eric. So I went back to Eric and asked him again, and he insisted upper management wanted him to play (John) Salmons and (Quincy) Douby."

Petrie did not return a call to The Bee on Monday.
After speaking with Musselman and Petrie, Neff said he initially believed both men were lying to him, then wondered if they were both telling the truth.

"Maybe 'upper management' was one or either both of the Maloofs," Neff said of Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof. "So I called them about a week or 10 days ago, and they haven't returned my call yet. I just want someone to tell me why the Kings will not give Jason a chance. Or why the Kings will not trade Jason or even waive him. I want someone to say Jason has been outplayed, but that has never been said. I want someone to say Jason has a bad attitude or something because he's certainly not being given a chance.

"I'd even talk to them about a discount on a buyout, but we can't even get that far. But I do know what the Kings are doing to Jason just isn't right. It stinks, and it's not something that other players don't notice."

Hart has been inactive in five of the past six games. One of those inactives was for personal reasons. Neff said other players were asking Hart if he had done something to Musselman to warrant such treatment.

"When players see other players being mistreated," Neff said, "it makes them think because they know it also might happen to them.

When a team won't even give a guy a chance at a position in which players have been struggling, it makes players think they're not trying to win. I'm just so disappointed in the change in the organization's direction. It didn't used to be like this.

"We had Matt Barnes in with the Kings, and they had paid some money to David Bluthenthal, but that didn't make a difference. Matt outplayed him, and they kept Matt. That's what teams do when they are trying to win."

Neff said the Kings have bypassed three opportunities to trade Hart, who came into training camp determined to make amends for an admittedly poor 2005-06 season. Neff said each of the opportunities would have brought back salary beyond this season.

"What I think the weirdest thing is why they won't waive him," Neff said. "They won't play him, they won't trade him, and they won't waive him."

Neff said Hart was told during training camp he wasn't in the team's plans.

If Hart was told that, it appears to have been a truthful statement
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[Variant]

Ok, so he's not playing for one reason or another. I would hardly call this being 'mistreated'. It's not like they're taking him back out behind the shed and whipping him or something after losses....

 

[Double-K]

Ok, so he's not playing for one reason or another. I would hardly call this being 'mistreated'. It's not like they're taking him back out behind the shed and whipping him or something after losses....

I would like to see that in action...





ok on a 2nd thought, maybe not....

 

[sidney]

Could not care less about Hart making millions, not working, and claiming mistreatment

It is interesting, though, to get a view into how the decisions are being made. Sounds like Muss is the Maloof's pet even more than I thought. Have some respect for yourself and at least come up with a reason other than "my boss told me to do it". The guy seems to have no control over what is happening.

 

[SLAB]

Maybe that classless three at the end of a blowout has something to do with it.

You were potentially playing your way into the rotation, then do that and, WHOOP! Welcome to the inactive list!

 

[Heuge]

http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/108357.html
========================================
Marty Mac's World: Kings are mistreating Hart, his agent says

By Martin McNeal - Bee Columnist

Last Updated 2:00 am PST Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C2
Print | E-Mail | Comments (0)
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]
Agent Bill Neff is steaming at the way he says his client, veteran guard Jason Hart, is being treated by the Kings.
Neff said Monday that he has received mixed messages regarding Hart, who has played in just 12 of 35 games this season.

"I asked (coach) Eric (Musselman), whom I've known for a long time, why he wouldn't give Jason a chance, and he said upper management wouldn't let him," the New York-based agent said. "He said he was being told to play" different people.

So I went to (Kings basketball president) Geoff Petrie and asked him, and he said he's never told a coach who to play. He said he didn't do it when Rick (Adelman) was here, and he hasn't done it with Eric. So I went back to Eric and asked him again, and he insisted upper management wanted him to play (John) Salmons and (Quincy) Douby."

Petrie did not return a call to The Bee on Monday.
After speaking with Musselman and Petrie, Neff said he initially believed both men were lying to him, then wondered if they were both telling the truth.

"Maybe 'upper management' was one or either both of the Maloofs," Neff said of Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof. "So I called them about a week or 10 days ago, and they haven't returned my call yet. I just want someone to tell me why the Kings will not give Jason a chance. Or why the Kings will not trade Jason or even waive him. I want someone to say Jason has been outplayed, but that has never been said. I want someone to say Jason has a bad attitude or something because he's certainly not being given a chance.

"I'd even talk to them about a discount on a buyout, but we can't even get that far. But I do know what the Kings are doing to Jason just isn't right. It stinks, and it's not something that other players don't notice."

Hart has been inactive in five of the past six games. One of those inactives was for personal reasons. Neff said other players were asking Hart if he had done something to Musselman to warrant such treatment.

"When players see other players being mistreated," Neff said, "it makes them think because they know it also might happen to them.

When a team won't even give a guy a chance at a position in which players have been struggling, it makes players think they're not trying to win. I'm just so disappointed in the change in the organization's direction. It didn't used to be like this.

"We had Matt Barnes in with the Kings, and they had paid some money to David Bluthenthal, but that didn't make a difference. Matt outplayed him, and they kept Matt. That's what teams do when they are trying to win."

Neff said the Kings have bypassed three opportunities to trade Hart, who came into training camp determined to make amends for an admittedly poor 2005-06 season. Neff said each of the opportunities would have brought back salary beyond this season.

"What I think the weirdest thing is why they won't waive him," Neff said. "They won't play him, they won't trade him, and they won't waive him."

Neff said Hart was told during training camp he wasn't in the team's plans.

If Hart was told that, it appears to have been a truthful statement
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Does anyone find it troubling that the coach is giving away this sort of info. Sounds like trouble in Kingland.

 

[most_casual_observer]

"My boss made me do it" definitely is a self diminishing statement with the added benefit of potentially upsetting the boss . Muss is a Lulu.

 

[thatguy]

Clearly, Jason Hart's agent has never seen him play.

 

[jcassio]

The interesting thing with this article is Muss revealing (to an agent) that mgmt told him who to play and who not to play. Not that it doesn't happen all the time, but to admit it to an agent is not smart, and certainly short-sighted, to say the least. It puts his bosses in a difficult position, which makes you wonder if that wasn't his (subconscious) intention?
The part about Hart is nothing more than an agent using media pressure to get his client traded or released so he can get into a better situation. Who can blame him for that? Don't take it all literally. It's just PR.

 

[ezekielbear]

Hart was told he wasn't in their plans...

So, he picked up his option because he wouldn't get that much money in the open market.

You can't have your cake, and eat it to.

Who's fault is it you lost out to Douby/Garcia/Price?

Play better, and you wouldn't have this problem.

You took your extra year knowing you weren't in the plans, so, take your spot on the bench and wear your fancy little warmup suit with a smile.

 

[creAtivetfh]

Oh no!! He's getting paid over a million dollars to sit on the bench!!?!?!?

I wish someone would mistreat me like that!

...and i dont care, he's wanted out since last year. Hes a major Dbag if you ask me.

 

[Merdiesel]

Ok, so he's not playing for one reason or another. I would hardly call this being 'mistreated'. It's not like they're taking him back out behind the shed and whipping him or something after losses....

.

What a horrible analogy to use the day after Martin Luther King Day...

 

[nbrans]

If he really wanted out he didn't have to pick up the option on the second year of his deal. It's not the Kings' fault he was abysmal and then decided to stick around.

I guess the newest trend in basketball is sucking so much and being such a disruption your team buys you out. Yay.

 

[chelle]

I rarely believe anything an agents says.

 

[Packt]

From the beginning it was apparent that politics were behind why Hart wasn't playing. He's getting paid now, but not playing hurts his future earning potential and you know what, he might actually like playing pro-ball compared to just sitting around.

 

[kupman]

I rarely believe anything an agents says.

I rarely believe anything printed in the Bee.

 

[Chim Richulds]

While I don't think Hart is a worthy backup PG for this team, better communication is clearly needed between management and his agent.

Hart and other expiring contracts should be traded away for draft picks or other, more promising expiring contract players. We know that Hart and Potapenko will continue to languish on their respective sofas for the rest of the season...why not communicate these plans to their agents and attempt to "get something" for these players?

 

[Smills91]

My question to Jason's Agent, "So why the hell did you advise him to pick up his option?" We didn't choose him this year, he chose us. Shut up and collect your checks.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Boo hoo on Hart. He picked up his option when it was pretty clear he wasn't a good fit here last season.

Oh right, he did it to make amends for last season. Give me a break.

And how can he blame us for not taking a trade that would bring players back with long term contracts when we're finally about to shed some salary in the offseason?

 

[Bricklayer]

And how can he blame us for not taking a trade that would bring players back with long term contracts when we're finally about to shed some salary in the offseason?

Yeah, that's the amusing one.

Much less amusing is Muss and management apparently playing hot potato wiht responsibility. I suggested the possibility some weeks ago that this is what he was doing wiht Artets, leading to some odd (okay odder) quotes from Ron. But wow, if true that's bad on all kinds of levels. Bad its going on. Bad that Muss would reveal it. Bad than an NBA agent may not want to deal wiht us in the future. Just bad.


As a further aside, if we have no intention of playing him, I think there is actually a courtesy thing you do at some point where you waive him. Don't have to pay him any more than you would have, the contract still ends after the season, he wasn't going to suit up for you anyway, so it would be a courtesy to just let him go hit the open market and maybe find a team that will give him some minutes. Without minutes, his NBA career will be in real jeopardy and he will likely be reduced to a camp invite type non-guaranteed guy ala Loren for us this fall. Who knows though, maybe we are keeping him around as a potential trade throw in/balancer.

 

[reyes13]

Wasn't there a 2nd page to this thread?

 

[Spike]

Could we get a 2nd rounder for Hart?

 

[pdxKingsFan]

As a further aside, if we have no intention of playing him, I think there is actually a courtesy thing you do at some point where you waive him. Don't have to pay him any more than you would have, the contract still ends after the season, he wasn't going to suit up for you anyway, so it would be a courtesy to just let him go hit the open market and maybe find a team that will give him some minutes. Without minutes, his NBA career will be in real jeopardy and he will likely be reduced to a camp invite type non-guaranteed guy ala Loren for us this fall. Who knows though, maybe we are keeping him around as a potential trade throw in/balancer.

Normally I'd agree but by the same token Hart should have opted out if he wanted to prove himself elsewhere. This wasn't a long term deal where things just went sour, it was a two year deal with an option at the end of the first when it was clear he wasn't a good fit. He made the choice to stick around this season and now he gets to deal with the repercussions. Like you pointed out as an expiring contract he's theoretically a potential trading component to get salaries close so he should at least shut his yap until the trade deadline. Maybe someone else gets moved and he slides back into the rotation. Who knows at this point but I don't think he is doing his long term career prospects any favors by publically being a malcontent.

 

[JB_kings]

The courtesy point is one day after the trade deadline. At that point he is no longer of any value other than emergency backup at the PG. I doubt that would even be necessary. He has value as an expirring contract for a throw in player in a trade. It's looking like the Kings may not go after a quick fix player with a longer contract, but no use in cutting him until after the deadline.

 

[CruzDude]

As others have said, you just can't believe an agents feedback about anything. I doubt Coach said what the agent indicated. Afterall, the agent wants his charge to be active to increase his value for re-sign or trade. Inactivity, for any reason, decreases his future value thru perception more than anything.

Don't listen to agents and if you do "believe only half of what you see and nothing of what you hear".

 

[VF21]

Wasn't there a 2nd page to this thread?

Some posts, that were not in compliance with the stated rules/guidelines of this board, have been deleted.

 

[Packt]

Normally I'd agree but by the same token Hart should have opted out if he wanted to prove himself elsewhere. This wasn't a long term deal where things just went sour, it was a two year deal with an option at the end of the first when it was clear he wasn't a good fit. He made the choice to stick around this season and now he gets to deal with the repercussions. Like you pointed out as an expiring contract he's theoretically a potential trading component to get salaries close so he should at least shut his yap until the trade deadline. Maybe someone else gets moved and he slides back into the rotation. Who knows at this point but I don't think he is doing his long term career prospects any favors by publically being a malcontent.

New coach, new system, potential roster spot, and guaranteed money: That's all a player like him would be getting on the market.

 

[SacTownKid]

I don't believe anything that agent says. It will probably get even more interesting towards the deadline. I wouldn't be too surprised if he makes a huge stink and Jason is eventually waived because this guy lobbies threats or something. I can understand where Jason is coming from though, he is on the verge of being forgotten at that NBA level just when he is about to enter free agency.