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RE: goodbye oh selfish one...




> I know I must be on something to think I want to go after a point from a
> Noah post (forgive me Michael), but this give and take has me bothered.
> Noah as you so often put it, what evidence do you have that shows
> that Kemp
> had anything more than an off-handed aggreement, not even a true
> gentleman's aggreement, with Wally Walker Ackerly or anyone with
> the Sonics
> to redo his deal?

IIRC(the AP articles stating this are long since expired), Kemp had an
agreement with Bob Whitsett(now of Portland) to renegotiate Kemp's contract
when seattle went under the cap when Johnson's and Brickowski's contracts
ended. Whitsett was given the boot by Ackerly and Ackerly subsequently
signed Wally Walker. Walker signed McCilvane which put the sonics over the
cap, making it impossible for the Sonics to renegotiate Kemp's contract.
Only then did Kemp begin holding out in training camp.

>  I travel to Seattle all the time on business
> and can get
> KJR the sports radio and team station in Seattle at my home near
> Portland.
> Kemp was the subject for near 24/7 for months and not once was an
> agreement
> of any type ever refered to in any formal terms.

That's because the agreement was implied. Dudley's constant circumvention of
the cap is never referred to formally. Nor is Rex Chapman's attempts to
circumvent the cap by signing for the minimum in Phoenix. Since Seattle had
a similar "under the table" agreement, it couldn't be referred to formally.

> It also was never
> reported in the PI/Times until Kemp brought up his impression after the
> fact.


> What Kemp had was a burning want for more money and respect, but at best
> what you and probably most outside of Seattle refer to as an agreement was
> actually posturing by Kemp and his agent.

Circumstantial evidence and logic agree with the agreement theory. Remember
Kemp held out from training camp immediately after McCilvane was signed.
That indicates that Kemp was unhappy with the lack of caproom, not
McCilvane's (lack of) performance--which occured after the season began.
That indicates that the problem was larger and more complex than you
indicate. Hardly something that began right after then end of the season.

>The same exact thing,
> and I mean
> virtually 100% exact thing, happened with Clifford Robinson and his agent
> with the Blazers, in that CR and his agent went to the media to talk about
> some deal they thought they had with Trader Bob, which wasn't the case.

Of course the deal is implied not a binding agreement. If the player
involved in the agreement doesn't perform up to expectations the general
manager can convieniently "forget" about the agreement hinted at earlier.

> When they went to media, the called Bob a liar, and Trader basically went
> to the station and bought Uncle Cliffy a one way ticket out of town.

Robinson was not going to be resigned well before that. It was obvious that
the Blazers were lusting after Grant after another weak performance in the
playoffs by Robinson.

> Kemp
> thought he had a deal, with the post-Trader Bob Boys and when he
> was proven
> to not, (he could not renogotiate until the end of his deal because they
> were over the cap and he had already renoged once, and once is all you
> could get from the old/current CBA)

Remember Seattle was under the cap before they signed McCillvane. Kemps
tantrums come almost immediately after McCillvane's contract ate Seattles
remaining caproom. As for not being able to renegotiate, Seattle could have
used the cap room to renegotiate Kemp's contract before the signed
McCillvane, just as Cleveland did after the traded for Kemp.

> Now was Kemp due more money, based on performance and dollars paid to Jim
> Mc et al?

That wasn't the point, Kemp wanted the caproom McCillvane took. McCillvanes
performance and contract size were immaterial outside of their effect on the
salary cap.

>  Probably, but again his AND the teams hands were tied until
> after his renogiated deal was up.

Seattle would have been able to renegotiate Kemp's contract if they hadn't
signed McCillvane.

>To say he flat out got shafted or lied
> to is just not true.  Period.

Hardly. Since we weren't in the negotiating room with Kemp, Whitsett and
Kemp's agent we will never know. One can not make any decisive conclusion. I
would go so far as to say though that the surrounding evidence seems to
support, but not prove, the reneged agreement theory.

>Whether Baker is better or near equal to
> Kemp, probably not, but this team is much happier, and has much better on
> court chemistry without Kemp in town.

During the regular season. During the playoffs Baker's lack of experience
and defensive deficiencies(in comparision to Kemp) killed the Sonics in the
playoffs.

>Of course winning games would help,
> but don't forget that with Kemp they blew up at least twice before, most
> notably against the Nuggets.

Yes he did. But they also made it to the NBA finals with Kemp as well. Baker
has yet to show anything but mediocre ability in the playoffs.

> His career playoff performance is at best a
> B+.

I agree.

Noah