[原文] Nets take steps toward Magloire
Thursday, July 12, 2007
BY DAVE D'ALESSANDRO
Star-Ledger Staff
Ever so subtly, Rod Thorn ratcheted up the pressure on Mikki Moore yesterday,
speaking with surprising candor and enthusiasm about the free agent options
the Nets have to fill the vacancy in their frontcourt.
And all things being equal, maybe -- just maybe -- Jamaal Magloire could be a
better fit, given the way the Nets were shoved around in the paint last
season.
"We met with Jamaal Magloire, and we might go in that direction," the Nets
team president said from Orlando yesterday, when free agents began signing
new contracts. "We did not make an offer. This was a fact-finding mission on
both parts. But Lawrence (Frank) and I met with him (Tuesday) night, and it
went very well. He's a veteran guy who has handled himself well. And as you
know, he's a big, tough guy, which our team could use."
And no, the shopping list doesn't necessarily stop there, unless Magloire can
be had at low dollars. Thorn readily admits his team has, in varying degrees,
interest in Joe Smith ("there are several teams bidding for him, so it might
be difficult), former Knicks center Jackie Butler ("he hasn't had a chance to
play, but he has some upside") and Maceo Baston ("he played well for Maccabi,
but didn't get to play much in Indiana") if Plan A doesn't shake out.
But the 6-11, 260-pound Magloire is the target, for now -- even though Thorn
cannot say what has happened to the 29-year-old center's career since he was
a 13-and-10 guy four seasons ago.
"It hasn't kept going forward as it looked like it could several years ago in
New Orleans," Thorn admitted. "So I'm not sure. But we know coaches who have
had him that like him a lot. And I think he would like to play for us,
because he sees a big opportunity."
Here's the snag: The Nets already know Moore, and though they hesitate to
admit it, he's proven to be a good fit in their system. With Magloire,
there's not even a guarantee that Frank would even play him. At least that
was the feeling around the organization last season, when every team had an
opportunity to obtain him from Portland if it didn't mind picking up his $8.4
million salary.
That, however, was what the dinner meeting was all about.
And when Moore finally gets around to determining how much he can get in the
open market, the Nets may have already moved on. In one sense, they already
have.
"We made an offer, left it open for a certain period of time, and it was not
accepted," Thorn said of his offer to agent Mark Bartelstein, which was
roughly for three years and $10 million. "So that offer is no longer viable.
We'll have more conversations. But we have to decide what direction we want
to go in, just as they have to do."
The Nets and Vince Carter have already decided to stay wedded for at least
four more years, but the contract wasn't signed as of late yesterday because
Carter was in Los Angeles. It is likely to be faxed to him for his signature
today.
"We expect to get it done soon -- probably by (today) or Friday," agent Kurt
Schoeppler said. "Vince is happy with the Nets organization, and things are
headed in the right direction and he wanted to be a part of that."
Thorn said the negotiation was smoother than most he's had with superstars,
noting that the Nets "probably got a break that Orlando was (more) interested
Rashard Lewis," who according to reports received a $110 million deal from
the Magic.
Carter's contract is a back-loaded deal that has four guaranteed seasons
adding up to $61.8 million, with annual salaries of roughly $13M, $15.2M,
$16.3M, and $17.3M. There is a fifth year (2011-12) that calls for a salary
of $18M, but only part of it (between $3-4M) is guaranteed.
"I couldn't wait for July 11th," Carter said yesterday in an ESPN interview
while attending a Gatorade event. The eight-time All-Star, who said he
received a slight push from captain Jason Kidd in an overseas phone call
early in the negotiation, is likely to have a press conference tomorrow at
the Nets' practice facility.
Notes: As his boss had announced in May, Frank will get a two-year contract
extension "very shortly, hopefully this week it'll get done," Thorn said.
Frank's new deal is likely to at least match the league's average salary for
head coaches ($3.8 million) if incentives are met. According to research by
the Dallas Morning News, Frank was the 22nd highest paid coach in the league
last season at $2.5 million. But he has since been leapfrogged by Sam
Mitchell ($4.0M) and presumably P.J. Carlesimo, which makes him 24th entering
the final season of his existing contract.
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