Stevenson signs with Wiz for league min.

[Kings113]

Free agent DeShawn Stevenson agreed to terms with the Washington Wizards on Thursday, his agent, Mark Bartelstein told ESPN.com.

According to Bartelstein, Stevenson agreed to a two-year contract worth the NBA minimum salary. Since he has six-plus years of service, that would be $932,015 for the first year. Stevenson has a player option in the second year of the contract.
The deal is a pretty big blow to Stevenson financially. He opted out of a contract this spring that would have paid him $3 million and then turned down a three-year, $10 million contract from the Magic in early July.
Stevenson then changed agents and agreed to the deal with the Wizards.
"There just isn't much money left out there," Bartelstein said. "This gives DeShawn an excellent opportunity to play significant minutes on a very good team. I think by next summer, the rest of the league will see his real value and he'll earn back the money he lost."
The next big step for the Wizards will be deciding whether to match the Knicks' offer sheet to restricted free agent Jared Jeffries.
The Knicks made Jeffries a five-year, $30 million offer that the Wizards have until Monday to match. Several sources familiar with the Wizards' thinking believe that they are leaning against matching the offer due to luxury tax concerns. Matching the Knicks offer would put the Wizards over the luxury tax threshold.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2538921

IMO, this is a steal at that price. Solid, improved defender, good mid-shooter, very good slasher and athlete, can handle the ball a bit. I like it for the Wizards, thought Stevenson would get more than this though. Guess he just gave in to the offers.

 

[SacTownKid]

Bonzi Wells....this is your future.

 

[RS189]

i thought he didnt sign with the magic because they offered too little

 

[Bricklayer]

He's an idiot, and not a particularly talented one either.

Nice little coup for the Wiz though. That's the way you add to your talent base -- guys for cheap.

Different players, but nonetheless:

Stevensen -- 6'5" 210lbs Age: 25
32.3min 11.0pts 2.9rebs 2.0ast
cost: 2yrs $2mil

Salmons -- 6'6" 207lbs Age: 26
25.1min 7.5pts 2.7reb 2.7ast
cost:5yrs $25.5mil

 

[Bad Boy Bo]

Oh man, what a steal.

 

[SLAB]

Now that this has happened, I am really disliking John Salmons a little more.

I can't believe we are stuck with the 25 million Salmons when we could have had league minimum Stevenson...

ARG!~

 

[Kings113]

Now that this has happened, I am really disliking John Salmons a little more.

I can't believe we are stuck with the 25 million Salmons when we could have had league minimum Stevenson...

ARG!~

I think you're being too hard on the guy, he hasn't even played a game yet in a new situation with the Kings.

Suns/Raps were offering MLE-ish deals as well. I agree it's iffy signing Salmons for that much, but at least wait to see how he does with us.

 

[cfechter]

He's an idiot, and not a particularly talented one either.

Nice little coup for the Wiz though. That's the way you add to your talent base -- guys for cheap.

Different players, but nonetheless:

Stevensen -- 6'5" 210lbs Age: 25
32.3min 11.0pts 2.9rebs 2.0ast
cost: 2yrs $2mil

Salmons -- 6'6" 207lbs Age: 26
25.1min 7.5pts 2.7reb 2.7ast
cost:5yrs $25.5mil

Couldn't agree with you more brick!!!! I think Petrie is a genius but the Salmons signing is just perplexing...

 

[AriesMar27]

we'd all be doing backflips if thats what the paid salmons.... if we had waited, we could have offered stevenson that.... oh well...

 

[RaY Z]

He's an idiot, and not a particularly talented one either.

Nice little coup for the Wiz though. That's the way you add to your talent base -- guys for cheap.

Different players, but nonetheless:

Stevensen -- 6'5" 210lbs Age: 25
32.3min 11.0pts 2.9rebs 2.0ast
cost: 2yrs $2mil

Salmons -- 6'6" 207lbs Age: 26
25.1min 7.5pts 2.7reb 2.7ast
cost:5yrs $25.5mil

your a stats man...

have you even seen him play? if you have you would know he does have talent... kings113 has pointed out his major strentghs last season... and his defense use to be terrible, when he was with the jazz but he's improved greatly on it..

 

[Kings113]

I didn't think much of him but a chucker/athlete who didn't care muchabout defense before this past season.

But in 05-06, as I watched the Magic with pretty good regularity all season, he impressed me with his versatility, and significantly cut down his three point attempts. Which he hasn't become good at yet. Overall he improved his game, and became a solid SG. From what I've read on the Magic Real GM forum, a lot liked him.

 

[Bricklayer]

your a stats man...

have you even seen him play? if you have you would know he does have talent... kings113 has pointed out his major strentghs last season... and his defense use to be terrible, when he was with the jazz but he's improved greatly on it..

His major strengths being...that he didn't trip over his own shoelaces on the way onto the court? That's always embarrassing.

His big step forward last year was that he mostly quit chucking. That was helpful, and may have removed him from the "blight" category. But aside from a nice dunk every two games that's it. Almost any quality NBA guard can give you similar production to what Deshawn gave the Magic as a starter. Complete non-impact player just holding down the spot for lack of better alternatives. Make a nice athletic play or two every game, otherwise you would barely know he was on the court. And given the Magic's contract number, and then what he ended up signing for, I think the GMs around the league have realized it. He's no longer so young that you can hang the "P" word on him indefinitely -- fact is that shot selection aside he hasn't gotten better in three years. What you see is what you get. And what you get is a pretty mediocre OG without a calling card in any one area of the game. Doesn't "suck", and I certianly wouldn't have complained about picking him up at 2yrs for $2mil but he's a complete shrug. If Kevin never gets an ounce better than his half season for us, I think he's already better than Stevenson.

 

[DaMan]

Most of what Bricks said is ture,in Orlando he was a very solid player, a very good def player. The magic wanted him back and gave him a decent contract but weren't willing to overpay for him. Looks like the move back fired on him big time, lol.

 

[Arby's Roast Beef]

Stevenson is one of those players I absolutely despise; he has the tools and especially the athleticism to become a star, and the comparisons ran rampant with Michael Jordan on draft night. But instead, he turns out to be a finesse player; I know he doesn't chuck up as many shots now, but he still takes an awful lot of mid-range jumpshots. And even if he's proficient at it, he's not exploiting his offensive options; he can slash, but I definitely don't associate his game with slashing. Again, with his athleticism, he should be dunking a whole lot and making a name for himself in that area--but he hasn't. And he's a borderline pathetic three point shooter as well, I think he may need to expand his range to spread out the defense--as a shooting guard that is a near must. He's developed into a solid defender, but again, nothing really notable there. He's not a real prolific offensive player--roughly 10 points in 30+ minutes isn't saying much. He's really a role player, the type of 6th or 7th man you'd like to bring off your bench. Playing behind Caron Butler, Antonio Daniels and other wings, he may fit in Washington.

 

[SLAB]

I think you're being too hard on the guy, he hasn't even played a game yet in a new situation with the Kings.

Suns/Raps were offering MLE-ish deals as well. I agree it's iffy signing Salmons for that much, but at least wait to see how he does with us.

My opinion of Salmons isn't going to change until he proves me wrong.

Hes going to be 27...Not old, but he isn't terrible young either...It's not like he's 23 with the potential to improve...He's in all reality most likley going to stay around the same 7/3/3 guy we signed.

And when we could have someone who's more an 11/3/2 guy, who's only 24 for about 22 million dollars, and 3 years, less, yes Im going to be a bit angered.

 

[Kings113]

lol, okay then. We'll agree to disagree.

 

[bibbyweb]

He's an idiot, and not a particularly talented one either.

Nice little coup for the Wiz though. That's the way you add to your talent base -- guys for cheap.

Different players, but nonetheless:

Stevensen -- 6'5" 210lbs Age: 25
32.3min 11.0pts 2.9rebs 2.0ast
cost: 2yrs $2mil

Salmons -- 6'6" 207lbs Age: 26
25.1min 7.5pts 2.7reb 2.7ast
cost:5yrs $25.5mil

Please don't put these kind of figures next to each other. Hurts to see

 

[bibbinator]

He's an idiot, and not a particularly talented one either.

Nice little coup for the Wiz though. That's the way you add to your talent base -- guys for cheap.

Different players, but nonetheless:

Stevensen -- 6'5" 210lbs Age: 25
32.3min 11.0pts 2.9rebs 2.0ast
cost: 2yrs $2mil

Salmons -- 6'6" 207lbs Age: 26
25.1min 7.5pts 2.7reb 2.7ast
cost:5yrs $25.5mil

Adjusting for the PT difference:

Stevensen -- 6'5" 210lbs Age: 25
32.3min 11.0pts 2.9rebs 2.0ast
cost: 2yrs $2mil

Salmons -- 6'6" 207lbs Age: 26
32.3 min 9.7pts 3.5reb 3.5ast
cost:5yrs $25.5mil

Looks a bit better than Stevensen. There must be some intangibles with Salmons that make his numbers misleading.

 

[SacTownKid]

You can't compare Stevenson and Salmons. Salmons is a PG, SG, SF. Stevenson is a SG and a little one at that. I have seen Salmons play quite a bit, now I don't know what life will be like without AI, but the guy can play the point. He also doesn't seem like a guy you would look to the stat sheets to see his impact on the game.

 

[HndsmCelt]

Ok comparing stats always make you look smart BUT there are some things that jsut don't get fleshed out in the numbers. In this case it's potential. despite his reletivly young age Stevenson is compleetly know intitey. More than one scout and GM has seen Salmons as player who still has an upside and possibly a big one.

Now I am no big Salmons jocker or even on the Petrie is wizzard bandwagon. Could be Salmons turns out to be a margial palyer who nabbed an oversized paycheck but Im willing to wait untill atleast January to make a call on that one. Stevenson though is just about where he belongs. the promising skills he took to NBA have translated into a barely acceptable vetran game but the guy makes Larry the Cable guy look like Einstine. Being dumb is no crime and playing in the NBA does not require even triple digit IQ's but in DeShawn's case he just never even seems to figgure out the offensive he is playing in much less the one he is defending against. People talk about his man to man skills but he HAS to paly man to man beceause other wise he mises his assingment everytime. Really not the kind of guy any contending team wants in a starting otation but just the kind of scorer who can come in with a middeling second unit and put up points.

 

[Kings113]

You can't compare Stevenson and Salmons. Salmons is a PG, SG, SF. Stevenson is a SG and a little one at that. I have seen Salmons play quite a bit, now I don't know what life will be like without AI, but the guy can play the point. He also doesn't seem like a guy you would look to the stat sheets to see his impact on the game.

Tend to agree.