[h2]
Well, well, well[/h2]
By Geoff Lepper
Tuesday, July 1st, 2008 at 8:34 am in
Austin Croshere,
Baron Davis,
Chris Mullin,
Don Nelson,
Matt Barnes,
Mickael Pietrus,
Monta Ellis,
Roster moves.
Where to begin? Of all the things I thought might happen to the Warriors this summer - and that's a mighty lengthy list - Baron Davis passing on $17.8 million is not one of them. Of course, that's because Baron was telling everyone who would listen it wouldn't happen.
First off, let's cover some turf that was discussed in the story you'll never read - the one I sent into the office around 6 p.m. or so last night, or just in time for me to call back within the hour and say, "Tear that sucker up."
Obviously, this was before BD dropped his bombshell, so I'm not sure this stuff still has relevance in the new Warriors world, but . . .
Don Nelson had this to say at Monday's press conference for rookie picks Anthony Randolph and Richard Hendrix: "Matt Barnes and Cro, those guys will not be back, so there's going to be some minutes there (at the forward spots). The team is going to take on a different shape, a different look. So there will be more opportunities for our youth."
Chris Mullin didn't necessarily agree, but did say it wasn't realistic to think the Warriors could bring back both Barnes and Mickael Pietrus. And he said Patrick O'Bryant is as good as gone.
For his part, Barnes said, via text message: "(Nelson) is the boss. I would love to be a Warrior. I owe so much to Nellie and to the organization. But with the tough season I had last year, it doesn't look like I'm wanted. . . . This is a cold game and a tough business."
As for the point guard . . .
Here's a Nelson quote that I couldn't get into the paper due to language restrictions: "Opting out of a $17 million contract, that's ballsy. Nobody can say Baron doesn't have balls."
Although I'm sure that a certain radio host who's not a media member will disagree with me, the Warriors most definitely
have been lowballing Baron. Consider this: When Chauncey Billups was 15 months older than BD is now, he got four guaranteed years worth approximately $11.5 million per season. When Steve Nash was 18 months older than BD is now, he got five guaranteed years worth $13 million per. BD was being asked to take significantly less security than that.
Thing is, nobody should be shocked by this turn of events. Lowballing has been the Warriors' default negotiating position for a few years now; it's how they chiseled Barnes down to a lone season at $3 million after his breakout year in 2006-07, and how they forced Pietrus to eat the one-year qualifying offer last season. It's why the books look better and has worked for the team.
In this instance, however, it appears to have backfired. The Warriors have had plenty of opportunities to discuss an extension, but by sticking with their usual modus operandi, when Elton Brand opted out with the caveat that he's returning to the Clippers, the opportunity was there for Davis to go home. And he's jumping at it. According to multiple sources and several different reports, he will try to head to L.A. as a free agent as soon as possible, with Brand taking a less-than-max deal to make it happen.
"We're grown-ups, and we understood that it was a possibility," Nelson said. "We didn't think it would happen, but it did and we'll deal with it."
According to the
Washington Post, the Warriors' first thought in dealing with it was to make a run at Gilbert Arenas, which would be great except - as always when it comes to Agent Zero and this franchise - the salary-cap cards are stacked against the W's. The Wizards can and are willing, according to the Post, to pay Arenas for one more year than the Warriors can (six versus five), and can give 10.5 percent yearly raises instead of the 8 percent that Golden State can give. The total amounts will depend on the salary cap numbers, since the maximum allowable starting salary is a percentage of the cap.
If Arenas is not an option, where do they go next? Atlanta forward Josh Smith, an RFA, would fill the Warriors' hole at power forward, but the contract would have to be large enough to make the Hawks give up on matching the deal. And that presumes Monta Ellis is ready to run the team on his own.
- Geoff
I really feel bad for Barnes. He had his break out year and then to have his mother pass and a horrible season. He was always out there beforegames working on his jumper, trying to regain that touch he had last season, but it never showed up. It might have helped that Nelson didn't play him asmuch, but damn.
