Rashard Lewis reportely opting out of Sonics!

YouTube · by **shadowgrin** on Sun May 27, 2007 9:59 pm

Indy wrote:If Portland were really shopping Jack I would be willing to give up Granger and Jermaine for Jack/Roy and a future first.

Tell me you're kidding Indy.
Two bigs for guards?

by **Indy** on Mon May 28, 2007 2:23 am

shadowgrin wrote:
Indy wrote:If Portland were really shopping Jack I would be willing to give up Granger and Jermaine for Jack/Roy and a future first.

Tell me you're kidding Indy.
Two bigs for guards?

I guess we'd need Pryzvilla or Magloire too, but yes. I am definitley willing to trade bigs for guards this offseason. We are full of frontcourt players, and in desperate need of a 1 and a 2. Granger, Shawne Williams, Troy Murphy, Ike Diogu, Jeff Foster, Jermaine, Maceo Baston, Mike Dunleavy and David Harrison give us enough front court players to put out a good team. However, Jamaal Tinsley and Marquis Daniels are really our only quality players at the guard positions right now. Jamaal has his obvious problems and Quis was injured for a large part of last season.

by **maes** on Mon May 28, 2007 3:21 am

Phoenix is going to have to make a major move with that Knicks-like roster (in terms of money, not quality). They seemed to have learned from their past mistake and extended Barbosa for many years at a bargain rate, instead of waiting until he could demand $10M, like they should have with Joe Johnson.

I think they'll keep Marion but trade Diaw for salary relief, which would leave them with nobody that can do anything in a half-court setting when Nash is not on the floor.

They're in a bind, they can only get worse in the off-season.

by **Axel** on Mon May 28, 2007 4:46 am

The Suns need to ditch Banks, and Diaw. That would save them 13 million or so if they could find a potential suitor.

YouTube · by **shadowgrin** on Mon May 28, 2007 5:46 am

The Lakers might want Diaw and Banks.

by **Sauru** on Mon May 28, 2007 7:16 am

i dont honestly see the hawks trading the pick. infact i dont see how the hawks cant take a point guard at the 3rd pick, even if the player they take does not deserve a 3rd pick. i live in atlanta now and the hawks get slammed constantly for not drafting a point when they had the chance so many times. i honestly cant see them not taking conley at the 3rd unless they get a good point guard in a trade that gives up the 3rd. say a team who wants a player like Yi or something so they gotta move up. i dont know i just dont see them not getting a point this year.

by **Rip32** on Mon May 28, 2007 7:38 am

Sauru wrote:i dont honestly see the hawks trading the pick. infact i dont see how the hawks cant take a point guard at the 3rd pick, even if the player they take does not deserve a 3rd pick. i live in atlanta now and the hawks get slammed constantly for not drafting a point when they had the chance so many times. i honestly cant see them not taking conley at the 3rd unless they get a good point guard in a trade that gives up the 3rd. say a team who wants a player like Yi or something so they gotta move up. i dont know i just dont see them not getting a point this year.

Your 100% right, the Hawks NEED a point guard but honestly I think they should wait beyond the 3rd pick for one. If you can get yourself a Center like Branden Wright at #3 and fix the other glaring need on that team, you might be able to wait and hopefully land Acie Law at #11.

Atlanta could get rid of 3 or 4 of their 8 small forwards and get a vetran PG that way too.

by **Sauru** on Mon May 28, 2007 8:51 am

that would be 1 good way to go, try and trade away a few players to nab a good pg. either way if they dont enter next season with a quality point guard they are gonna suck again and thier fans will stay even further away

by **1CenT** on Mon May 28, 2007 12:59 pm

Hawks have speedy

I say get Conley at #3.. he might be better than people think in the NBA... A PG is really important nowadays.. with Hawks especially where there aren't really any all-star guy that can create things other than Johnson..

Look at Baron Davis's effects on the Warriors, TJ Ford on the Raps, Nash on Suns, Kidd with the Nets...

All teams jumped like 10 games +.....

Hawks with guys like Marvin Williams, Childress, Salim.. Talent and okay athletic players.. they need a PG..

Lets get back to Lewis...

I don't know how good he is seriously.. He reminds me of hmm Antawn Jamison level? i don't know...

Orlando, he can be a 25point scorer... that might help... Him and Dwight...
Blazers would be nice to have him... Oden, Aldridge, Lewis, Roy, Jack....
Trade Randolph for some veterans to fill the gaps, maybe a decent backup point and big...

by **Silas** on Mon May 28, 2007 1:20 pm

Lewis is a very potent scorer, he has the ability to average many more points than he does, but he defers to Ray Allen, and rightfully so... but, he's not a very strong defender. He's a better scorer than Antawn Jamison but he lacks Jamison's toughness and rebounding ability.

by **magius** on Mon May 28, 2007 6:33 pm

if he wants to win he will have to go somewhere in a limited role with a limited paycheck... doubt thats going to happen. 2 and 3 wings are all over the place - he may have a slightly higher calibre then average, but no self respecting gm would pay him the money he is probably expecting. if he wants to put up his numbers, and maybe get into the first round he'll go the east, there is probably some idiot over there who will pay him. or, best case scenario, one of the run 'n gun teams will deal and free up space to pay him - but he'd probably still have to take a cut.

or maybe atlanta will sign him....

by **Ty-Land** on Mon May 28, 2007 7:49 pm

-Young Buck- wrote:Im thinking maybe the Bucks will try to sign him, they really need to get a good small forward. Not sure if he would want to play here though. I hope we can land Gerald Wallace if not Lewis.

I hope to god that doesn't happen. He's overrated and will be overpayed. Will already have Simmons earning heaps of $ at that position for starters. We don't need another scorer who doesn't rebound, play defense and is soft. Would prefer to get Wallace, or pay for Pietrus or Mo-Pete on the cheap.

YouTube · by **shadowgrin** on Mon May 28, 2007 8:31 pm

no self respecting gm would pay him the money he is probably expecting. if he wants to put up his numbers, and maybe get into the first round he'll go the east, there is probably some idiot over there who will pay him

Isiah Thomas

by **Sauru** on Mon May 28, 2007 10:32 pm

he will get a max deal and he dont deserve it

by **frenchy** on Mon May 28, 2007 11:18 pm

Expect a sign and trade : maybe to Orlando (to get Darko) or to Portland (for Randolph)

by **Matt** on Tue May 29, 2007 12:55 am

Lewis would make a good fit in Phx....he can actually create off the dribble as well as shoot from anywhere etc.

IMO Lewis is a 10mill a yr player based on rates given to other players, of course they are all overpaid. Personally i'd like to see him in Orlando because the Magic need a scorer.

by **Silas** on Tue May 29, 2007 3:01 am

If they traded Rashard to Portland for Zach Randolph, I'd almost give up on being a Sonics fan... That would be the end of the organization.

They'll either resign him, which I think is by far the most likely outcome since both he and the organization want him to remain in Seattle, or they'll sign and trade him. But I think the odds are heavily leaning towards him remaining in Seattle.

by **lilnate4** on Tue May 29, 2007 6:27 am

I heard he wants to go to Portland What a great Line-up That would be

Oden
Aldrige
Lewis
Roy
Conely Jr.(who they have tryed to trade up 4)

by **Indy** on Tue May 29, 2007 6:48 am

Silas wrote:They'll either resign him, which I think is by far the most likely outcome since both he and the organization want him to remain in Seattle, or they'll sign and trade him. But I think the odds are heavily leaning towards him remaining in Seattle.

Very interesting. I have only heard that Shard has been looking forward to getting out for a while now. I also don't think he would walk on that money and opt out if he had any interest in returning to Seattle. I would put the chances of Rashard returning at 0.5%.

by **Silas** on Tue May 29, 2007 7:42 am

"I'm happy with where I'm at," says Lewis. "It lets you know I've been here for a while. I got drafted here, I've been here for eight, nine years, and hopefully I can continue my legacy and not stop it after this year."

http://www.nba.com/sonics/news/lewis070315.html

Rashard wants to stay in Seattle, but he also wants more money. He's opting out of his contract and testing the market, which he wants to do, so that he can get more money, but he wants to end up back in Seattle, just with a bigger contract.

by **Its_asdf** on Tue May 29, 2007 8:02 am

Silas wrote:Lewis is a very potent scorer, he has the ability to average many more points than he does, but he defers to Ray Allen, and rightfully so... but, he's not a very strong defender. He's a better scorer than Antawn Jamison but he lacks Jamison's toughness and rebounding ability.

I always thought Jamison was too unagressive for a big man which is why he occasionally played small foward to compensate for his softness.

Rashard does not want truely want to be in Seattle. If he truely did, he wouldn't have opted out of his contract and make himself so pricey in the market. The guy's just going after the money, not that there's anything wrong with that, practically all NBA players are in it to "feed their families" so to speak.

by **Indy** on Tue May 29, 2007 9:27 am

Silas wrote:
"I'm happy with where I'm at," says Lewis. "It lets you know I've been here for a while. I got drafted here, I've been here for eight, nine years, and hopefully I can continue my legacy and not stop it after this year."

http://www.nba.com/sonics/news/lewis070315.html

Rashard wants to stay in Seattle, but he also wants more money. He's opting out of his contract and testing the market, which he wants to do, so that he can get more money, but he wants to end up back in Seattle, just with a bigger contract.

We'll just have to see what happens. I really don't think there is any chance he re-signs with Seattle, and I think he already knows that. I would be willing to make some sort of signature bet or something if you want.

by **Silas** on Tue May 29, 2007 9:52 am

haha, no thanks Indy, I'm no gambling man. Had the sonics not gotten entirely new management this off season, I would have written Rashard off completely because they never were willing to spend huge money, except with Ray Allen, and anyone would be stupid not to give him that contract.

In all honesty, I'm not sure how frugal this new management is, but they can't possibly be more frugal than the previous management, which makes me think that they'd be much more willing to spend money to resign Rashard. It just depends on how much money Rashard is willing to settle for. If he's willing to settle for 13 million a year, I think he'll definitely be back with the Sonics, but if he refuses to take anything less than 16 or 17, then yes, he's not going to be a Sonic next year.

I still think he would like to return to Seattle, but I'm not sure how much that will reflect on his final pay check. I certainly don't think he'll leave for nothing though, and I'm not sure the teams with the cap space are going to be willing to spend that much money on him, except maybe Orlando. Regardless of what happens it's going to be interesting to watch. I can't say I don't want to see a Durant-Lewis tandem though.

by **Christopherson** on Tue May 29, 2007 11:46 am

Of all the rumors I've heard, the sign and trade with Orlando for Darko is the most intriguing to me.

by **TSquared** on Tue May 29, 2007 2:42 pm

i think so too.. the orlando is kinda where he's headin since i think the magics will give up on hill... and the cap space would be tremendously huge..

Rashard Lewis reportely opting out of Sonics!

Who is online