Shareef Abdur-Rahim retires!

This is good news from our perspective.

Best of luck to Shareef. Thanks for the memories (playing with your jaws wired shut!).
 
As said, classy guy. I was looking forward to seeing him hit the court again but this is probably the best for all involved.
 
always sad to see a player of great class to retire... it was just nice to see he finally got to playoffs...

shame he had to retire at 31, which isn't young in the nba, but it certainly isnt too old...

best of luck reef... thanks for the memories...


Scares the hell out of me (being a mountain bike rider and runner) that knees on a 31 year old can go out like his. I'm 34 :(. My knees aren't as bad as his but they do creek in the cold or in the morning, and it takes longer for me to heal.

Anyhow, good luck Reef! Glad you will be sticking around in another capacity.
 
I admire Reef as a person, role model and you can't argue with his grit. It's too bad that his knees gave out so completely at a relativley young age, but I wish him all the best as he looks forward to the rest of his life. :)
 
His long awaited departure epitomizes the Kings plight over the past few years. He was damaged goods, and other teams saw it -- but the Kings didn't and signed him. Some can be attributed to bad luck, but mostly the Kings have not been as smart as others in putting together a team.

Not even close.
 
Sounds like it won't help the books until next season. But it's still one year earlier than Reef's contract would've been...

From Sam Amick's article in the Bee:
While the Kings wish Abdur-Rahim's decline hadn't come with two seasons left on his contract, there is a silver lining in the situation. There is a strong possibility that they will have Abdur-Rahim's salary ($6.6 million) come off the salary cap for the 2009-10 season. According to the league's collective bargaining agreement, the Kings would have to apply for his salary to be covered by insurance because his career was cut short by injury.
If the league-appointed doctor confirms his condition as the reason for retirement, the Kings' current payroll for the 2009-10 season would decrease from approximately $54 million to $47 million.
The league's salary cap for the coming season is $58.6 million. Petrie said it was his intention to apply for the relief.
 
So, this is our salary situation: http://hoopshype.com/salaries/sacramento.htm

If Shareef's salary comes off the books...
I think we'll exercise team options on contracts of Bobby Brown and Spencer Hawes and extend qualifying offer to Francisco Garcia.
Shelden Williams and (maybe, not sure) Quincy Douby will be free agents next summer...
This means that our team salary will be about 51.548.000 $

So we will have to spend about 6-7 milions signing free-agent(s).
I think we have to try to sell Miller and/or Thomas (is it possibile?)...
 
I saw the news when it broke yesterday, I just haven't had a chance to get on the site.

Thanks for everything Shareef. This was the best thing for both sides. Sorry that your knees can't handle the rigors anymore. SEe you around at Jack's in Natomas soon.
 
True quality guy. We need more people like him in the NBA and world in general.

And as a King he managed to play and excell in his first and only playoff series, getting that monkey off his back.

I wish him the best of luck, but from a Kings Fan's standpoint I'm glad to see this finally happen and put behind us.
 
Sounds like it won't help the books until next season. But it's still one year earlier than Reef's contract would've been...

From Sam Amick's article in the Bee:


Depending of course on how strongly we do or do not believe in the 2010 LeBron/Wade etc. pipedream, this could become a major incentive for us to find ways to jettison our other long term veteran contracts during the course of this season. Everybody will have money in 2010 -- we will have to outmaneuver/bid a dozen teams. But with the Reef deal off the books, if we were to find a way to bring back an ender for Brad for instance, we could all of a sudden be one of only a handful of teams with major caproom next summer. Rather than competing with a dozen teams for LeBron, we mgiht be competing with 3 or 4 for lesser guys. Problem of course being that then you maybe feel lie you have to spend it even if the guys aren't worth it. But hey, two of the better ones available will be Mike Bibby and Ron Artest so... ;)
 
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After looking at several sites on salary's, it appears the Kings could have significant room under the cap at the end of next year. At the end of the year their starting team salary should be around 56 million. The team has options on Moore, Williams, and Douby. Assuming that they don't pick up the options on any of them, which is highly possible, along with the retirement of SAR, their team salary could be as low as 36.5 million.

With the cap around 58 million this year, it would be safe to assume that the cap should be around 60 million or slightly more at the end of next year. That would give the Kings roughly 23.5 million under the cap to work with. Now they still have Cisco to deal with, and possibly the retention of BJax.

My point is, that even if they don't do anything with Miller, they should be able to make a fairly large move, if they desire to do so. I agree with Bricky that the Kings would be one of the few teams next year with significant cap space, which would be a huge advantage they wouldn't have at the end of the 2010 season.
 
SAR gave it his best shot and that would have been better than majority of the PF in league. Too bad. He is great guy, benevolent, and his 100% will be missed on the Kings. I know what it's like to have your knee(s) go and not get back 100% so SAR, you have my sympathies and best wishes. The Kings will get a class act to help with the big picture. Time to march one big guy. Thanks for the memories. ;)
 
* On that note, I have learned that the Kings may be able to get Shareef Abdur-Rahim's salary removed from this season's salary cap number after all.

sacbee.com/kingsblog
 
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