PixelPusher
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I'll post a few lines from the article, you can read the whole thing here:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&id=2113328
Houston, Finley gone; other big names staying put
By Marc Stein
ESPN.com
Archive
Imagine a free-agent universe where a slew of big-name vets become available in late July because their contracts are too expensive for their current teams to keep.
Don't expect the Magic to cut Grant Hill and his healed ankle.
Imagine a marketplace that suddenly offers up, say, the stately Grant Hill at a starting salary of no higher than $5 million.
Imagine a former All-Star like Eddie Jones in the same price range. Or a scorer in the Jalen Rose class.
Imagine Chris Webber being cut loose and, to really spite his old friends in Sacramento, joining Kobe Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers in a cut-rate deal.
Well, guess what?
You pretty much have to imagine all that, since roughly none of it will end up happening that way...
...And Webber?
For all the concern about his mobility, cutting Webber holds little appeal to the Sixers. He had less than half a season alongside Allen Iverson, and Philadelphia just fired Jim O'Brien to bring Mo Cheeks back to town. Philly understandably wants to give the Iverson-Webber partnership more time to click under a new coach ... especially since the Sixers would still be required to pay the $62 million over the three seasons that remain on Webber's contract.
"The Lakers would love that," said one Webber confidante. "But it's not going to happen. Trust me."
So, no bonanza.
No matter what you might have heard or wished for.
Marc Stein is the senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. To e-mail him, click here. Also, click here to send a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&id=2113328
Houston, Finley gone; other big names staying put
By Marc Stein
ESPN.com
Archive
Imagine a free-agent universe where a slew of big-name vets become available in late July because their contracts are too expensive for their current teams to keep.
Don't expect the Magic to cut Grant Hill and his healed ankle.
Imagine a marketplace that suddenly offers up, say, the stately Grant Hill at a starting salary of no higher than $5 million.
Imagine a former All-Star like Eddie Jones in the same price range. Or a scorer in the Jalen Rose class.
Imagine Chris Webber being cut loose and, to really spite his old friends in Sacramento, joining Kobe Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers in a cut-rate deal.
Well, guess what?
You pretty much have to imagine all that, since roughly none of it will end up happening that way...
...And Webber?
For all the concern about his mobility, cutting Webber holds little appeal to the Sixers. He had less than half a season alongside Allen Iverson, and Philadelphia just fired Jim O'Brien to bring Mo Cheeks back to town. Philly understandably wants to give the Iverson-Webber partnership more time to click under a new coach ... especially since the Sixers would still be required to pay the $62 million over the three seasons that remain on Webber's contract.
"The Lakers would love that," said one Webber confidante. "But it's not going to happen. Trust me."
So, no bonanza.
No matter what you might have heard or wished for.
Marc Stein is the senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. To e-mail him, click here. Also, click here to send a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.
