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Ira Winderman: Walter McCarty Bought A Couple Of Furbies
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[Ira Winderman]
Unsettling part of settlement: Some to lose millions
January 08, 1999
It was difficult to watch union leader Billy Hunter sit next to David Stern at
Thursday's NBA Board of Governors meeting in New York after the documents of surrender
were signed.
Eyes straight ahead, Hunter had the look of Ron Rothstein when Rothstein was
allowed to resign as first coach of the Heat.
Yet there was Stern, having carved his pound of flesh, discussing how, in the
end, there only were winners in the negotiation that delivered the NBA's latest
collective-bargaining agreement.
Hunter, an honorable and decent man, was no winner. But he also was not alone in
defeat.
To wit:
X -- Glen Taylor. Had Taylor not acted so hastily a year ago to sign forward
Kevin Garnett to a rookie-contract extension, the Timberwolves owner would have saved
a tidy $40 million.
The recipient of a six-year, $126 million extension in '97, Garnett, under the
new salary system, could have netted no more than a new seven-year, $85.68 million
package.
With that extra savings, Taylor might have been in better position to retain Tom
Gugliotta in the coming free-agent derby.
X -- Shaquille O'Neal. One of the prime features of the seven-year, $121 million
contract O'Neal signed with the Lakers when he left the Magic in '96 was an opt-out
clause after the third season.
Yet when that opt-out arrives this summer, O'Neal will be due more in 1999-2000
under his contract than the $11 million he could receive under the new maximum-salary
scale.
Even better for the Lakers, now that it's practically definite that Shaq stays,
Kobe Bryant likely will remain, too.
X -- Penny Hardaway. Like his former Magic teammate O'Neal, the Orlando guard
finds himself with an opt-out clause that doesn't carry the clout he once thought.
Limited by the new salary scale to a free-agent contract starting at $9 million
in the offseason, Hardaway well may find it easier to ride out his deal, with salaries
of $8.7 million in '99-2000, $8.9 million in 2000-01 and $9.7 million in 2001-02.
X -- Tom Gugliotta. Unlike his teammate Garnett, the timing is all wrong for the
Minnesota forward.
With six seasons of experience, Gugliotta is limited to a new deal with the
'Wolves that would start at $9 million. However, if he waits one more year for his
payday, he would move up the scale to the $11 million starting point for those with
seven or more years of experience.
In addition, with the cap at only $30 million this season, outside dollars could
be tight. With the cap to rise to $34 million for 1999-2000, there could be incentive
to take a one-year deal and wait for a free-agent bonanza.
"That's certainly a possibility," he said.
X -- Patrick Ewing. Honorable to the end in his role as union president, the
Knicks' center put himself in the middle of a public-relations disaster.
"At times it was rough," he admitted. "But someone had to do it. I'm glad that I
did it. I fought for what I believe in. If I had to do it all over again, I'd do the
same thing.
"I know I might get booed, but that doesn't bother me. It never has. I've been
booed before."
X -- The Knicks. Ewing, 36, may not have helped the union get fat off the new
agreement, but the constant negotiations took a toll on his conditioning.
Said Dave Checketts, who runs Madison Square Garden and the Knicks, "Maybe we
pay more of a price than anyone, because our key guy sat in every meeting and every
negotiation, and that's prevented him from completely rehabbing (from wrist surgery)
and getting in shape. We made our contribution at the office.
"I told Patrick, `Your concern is no longer the NBA players. Your concern is one
thing, the New York Knicks, and you have to get ready.' "
X -- The Suns. At one point expecting to have more than $15 million to spend on
the free-agent market, the Suns were rocked by a lower-than-expected salary cap of $30
million and new roster rules that severely limit flexibility.
Should the Suns opt to retain their rights to re-sign free agents Rex Chapman,
Antonio McDyess and Cliff Robinson and also sign first-round pick Pat Garrity, they
will be left with a measly $5 million to spend. And that's after having to give up on
free agents Dennis Scott, George McCloud and Hot Rod Williams.
Instead of Scottie Pippen, the ex-Bull landing in Phoenix could be center Luc
Longley. Only if McDyess leaves and the Suns regain his $5.7 million in cap space,
could Phoenix mount a charge at Pippen.
Hmmm ...
Sometimes you had to wonder if anyone had a clue in the lockout. For example:
X -- Mavericks center Chris Anstey, "A lot of us never understood what we were
fighting for in the first place."
X -- Celtics forward Walter McCarty, "We got a lot of things we wanted. We gave
up a lot, but not too much."
X -- Sonics center Jim McIlvaine, "There are no winners, only degrees of
losing."
X -- Pistons guard Joe Dumars, on fans' intolerance, "They shouldn't understand,
because if I wasn't in this situation, I wouldn't understand."
X -- Warriors forward Donyell Marshall, "This was a vote to play basketball;
this wasn't a vote on a good deal."
X -- Gugliotta, "After the dust clears, we'll all make plenty of money doing
what we love. And that's the bottom line, isn't it?"
The starting line
A better read on San Antonio's interest in Latrell Sprewell could come if the
Spurs back off on tentative plans to spend their $1.75 million salary-cap exemption on
Sonics free-agent guard Dale Ellis. . . .
With less cap space than it anticipated, Seattle has put shooting guard Hersey
Hawkins on the trading block in an attempt to clear more room for free-agent signings
in an effort to bulk up its front line. . . .
Not even a lengthy lockout has changed Del Harris' view about Elden Campbell's
inability to share the floor with O'Neal. . . .
During a break at the Board of Governors meeting, the Celtics' Paul Gaston did
not sound like an owner willing to give up on talented forward Antoine Walker,
especially with the new maximum salaries eliminating the chance of a $100 million
contract. "This deal . . . does make the playing field more competitive," said Gaston,
who only would have to ante up a maximum of $85 million over seven seasons to keep
Walker. . . .
While center Michael Olowokandi is committed to the Italian League until Feb.
15, agent Bill Duffy clearly comprehends the value of Clippers camp. "He'll miss some
time," Duffy said of the No. 1 pick in the June draft, "but I don't think that anyone
really is going to benefit from a two-week training camp anyway." . . .
Although the guard at one point had committed to the Knicks for this season, New
York is not certain of regaining Oded Kattash from the Israeli League. Kattash had
been working out in the New York area for months, before deeming the lockout a lost
cause and returning to Tel Aviv for the season. "He's torn between helping his club
finish the season and the opportunity to play here," agent Marc Fleisher said.
Cheater to prosper?
While many agents lament the restrictive nature of the new agreement, Hornets
guard B.J. Armstrong said to just give general managers some time. "There's going to
be time to figure out how to get around these rules," he said. "I'm sure someone's
going to get creative. Someone's going to figure out a way to do something. That's
what these guys do, they figure out ways around it." . . .
While Jan. 18 is the unofficial date for the start of contact between teams and
players and agents, Jazz owner Larry Miller knows better. "The timing pressure gives
us great temptation to cheat," he said. "It's a classic example of the honor system."
. . .
As for the shortened and compacted schedule, Nets coach John Calipari said there
will be no such thing as a minor injury. "Something as small as a blister could keep a
guy out for a week," Calipari said. "But a week could be five games."
Suburbanites sought
Blazers free-agent point guard Damon Stoudamire said only half of the battle has
been won with the NBA's return. "I can tell you that the urban world is happy that
we're back," he said. "But those aren't the people that are paying for the season
tickets." . . .
The heck with the race card. Nets free-agent center Jayson Williams said the
players escaped the negotiations without the ultimate sign of desperation. "I think
it's great that we were able to get a deal without playing our Michael Jordan card." .
. .
Kings forward Chris Webber said it was an odd sight when the players completed
their vote for a new agreement. "It was kind of funny," he said. "Guys that you've
been fouling and bumping all your life were kissing and hugging." Except for Charles
Barkley and Charles Oakley, who had to be restrained from brawling, Oakley angered by
negative comments Barkley had made about him a month earlier. . . .
The Celtics' McCarty found one advantage of traveling to the General Motors
Building in New York for the lockout vote: He was able to snag two Furbies at the
adjacent FAO Schwartz.
[Sun-Sentinel] Copyright 1998, Sun-Sentinel Co. and South Florida Interactive, Inc.