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Iverson ponders contract situation
CHRIS TOMASSON ON THE NUGGETS
How low will Allen Iverson go?
Don't expect Iverson to be doing the limbo. But the more flexibility he is willing to show the Nuggets, the more his chances seem to be of signing a multi-year deal with them.
Iverson, who turns 33 on June 7, long has said he wants to finish his career in Denver. Now is his chance to enhance that chance.
Iverson's personal manager Gary Moore, told the Rocky Mountain News on Friday that, in recent discussions with Denver brass, the Nuggets "seem to be very willing'' to offer Iverson a multi-year contract if he were to opt out of his contract by the June 20 deadline.
Iverson is due $20.84 million next season. If he were to opt out, he would become an unrestricted free agent July 1.
But nobody expects Iverson to opt out unless the plan is to sign a new deal with the Nuggets. On the open market, Iverson wouldn't figure to get anything near $20 million for next season.
Let's say Iverson doesn't opt out of his contract and becomes a free agent July 1, 2009. As a 34-year-old guard, Iverson might not even be able to get half his 2008-09 salary in 2009-10.
With that in mind, Iverson could agree to take a pay cut next season in order to get more years on his contract. But how much would Iverson have to give up in order to get additional years out of the Nuggets?
Due to being deep into the luxury tax, there is an extra advantage to the Nuggets if Iverson would agree to take less money next season. Let's say Iverson is willing to take a $5 million pay cut. The Nuggets would save $10 million next season when one considers the dollar-for-dollar luxury tax.
But the Nuggets obviously would have to make up for Iverson taking a cut by giving him extra years. Would they be willing to sign him for $15 million in 2009-10?
And what about 2010-11, when Iverson is 35? It's hard to project how much he will have slowed down by then. Maybe the Nuggets could offer a contract for that season that is not fully guaranteed.
There is recent precedent for a star player opting out of his contract, and taking an immediate pay cut in order to get more security for the long haul. New Jersey forward Vince Carter agreed last summer to take less money for 2007-08 in exchange for additional contract years.
Carter was due $16.4 million, but opted out of the final year of his deal and signed a five-year contract starting at $13 million. The last year of the contract is a team option nobody expects the Nets will end up invoking.
But the big difference is Carter signed his new deal at 30 ½. That's 2 ½ years younger than when Iverson is potentially eyeing a similar move.
The most years Iverson could command on a new deal is three. That's because a four-year deal would carry into when Iverson is 36. Salary-cap rules change if a player signs a deal beyond a 36th birthday, meaning Denver would take a huge financial hit if they signed Iverson to any deal beyond three years. There's no way the Nuggets would offer any such contract.
Nevertheless, some observers don't believe it makes sense for the Nuggets to sign Iverson to any sort of multi-year deal. After all, if Iverson sticks with his original contract, the Nuggets potentially could clear more than $20 million off their bloated payroll at the end of next season.
And Iverson, if he stuck with his original deal, could be quite a trade piece in the months leading up to next February's trade deadline. Teams likely would be lining up, offering draft choices and prospects, for a chance to clear $20 million off the cap thanks to an expiring contract.
But let's see what happens as Iverson ponders what to do by June 20. How low might Iverson be willing to go with next season's contract number?
May 9, 2008
Reviewing 2004 trade for K-Mart
CHRIS TOMASSON ON THE NUGGETS
A LOOK BACK ON THE KENYON MARTIN SIGN-AND-TRADE IN 2004, WHICH COST THE NUGGETS THREE FIRST-ROUND PICKS
No wonder Rod Thorn likes Kiki Vandeweghe so much. He once handed him three first-round draft picks.
With Vandeweghe having been named New Jersey's general manager and becoming the likely eventual successor to Thorn, the Nets president, it brings back memories of when the two were negotiating in the summer of 2004 regarding restricted free-agent forward Kenyon Martin. It's safe to say Thorn showed off one of the NBA's best poker faces in recent years.
So let's take a look at what happened in the summer of 2004, when the Nuggets, with Vandeweghe then their general manager, ended up acquiring Martin in a sign-and-trade for three first-round picks. It's a move that ended up playing a key role in the Nuggets' descent into luxury-tax hell, and severely has hampered their chances of entering the NBA's elite.
But this posting isn't looking in-depth at what might have happened had the Nuggets not picked up Martin. It looks primarily at what might have happened had the Nuggets simply signed Martin to offer sheet, and dared the Nets to match it.
Most observers believe the Nets wouldn't have matched it, and the Nuggets would have retained their three first-round picks. Those picks could have netted the Nuggets in 2005 forward Danny Granger or forward Hakim Warrick and in 2006 perhaps both point guard Rajon Rondo and a solid big man (Craig Smith and Paul Millsap were both second-round picks that year).
Instead, the Nuggets have become an aging team with a bloated payroll, and haven't had a first-round pick since 2005. They sure could have made good use of those draft picks.
HERE'S HOW NEW JERSEY STOOD IN THE SUMMER OF 2004
With Bruce Ratner having taken over as the Nets' new owner, there were early indications he had no intention of keeping Martin with a huge contract. Martin was barking about getting a maximum deal.
An upset Martin pretty much cut ties with New Jersey, and looked to go elsewhere. He primarily was courted by Atlanta and the Nuggets, which both had ample salary-cap room.
There was only one problem. Martin was a restricted free agent, meaning the Nets would have 15 days to match any offer sheet he might sign.
HERE'S HOW DENVER STOOD IN THE SUMMER OF 2004
The Nuggets had unexpectedly made the playoffs in Carmelo Anthony's first season, and there was talk they were one player away from moving into the NBA's elite. Plus, they had nearly enough salary-cap room to hand out a maximum contract.
The Nuggets, though, really needed a shooting guard. Voshon Lenard was nothing more than a stop-gap starter.
The Nuggets wasted valuable time in courting Lakers free agent Kobe Bryant, who no way was going to sign with Denver while sexual assault chargers still were pending against him in Colorado. Then they turned their attention to Manu Ginobili, a restricted free agent with San Antonio. But no way would the Spurs not match an offer sheet on the rising star.
The Nuggets also looked at Quentin Richardson. But he wasn't a guy they wanted to give huge dollars.
With Bryant and Ginobili, as expected, returning to their original teams, Martin was the only big-name free agent left and the clock was ticking. The Nuggets already had Nene at power forward, but there was a feeling the Nuggets needed to spend their money on somebody in order to build on the playoff momentum from the previous season.
TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE
The initial thinking was the Nets wouldn't match a huge offer sheet. The Nuggets were prepared to offer Martin a six-year deal for just over $80 million. They would include a signing bonus of around $15 million in order to hamper the Nets even more from offering.
But at some point the Nuggets got nervous about simply extending an offer sheet. They were wondering if Nets might reverse course match the offer while Thorn put on a brilliant poker face.
So who would blink first?
It turned out to be the Nuggets.
The Nuggets feared there was a chance the Nets might match. And with NBA rules then allowing a 15-day waiting period (it's now seven days), the Nuggets figured every reputable free agent would be gone if the Nets matched, leaving Denver with nobody to spend its money on.
SO WHAT HAPPENED?
The Nuggets agreed to a sign-and-trade deal with New Jersey. They shipped the Nets three first-round selections, a 2005 pick once belonging to Philadelphia, their own 2006 pick and a 2006 selection that once belonged to the Clippers.
Keep in mind that the Nuggets weren't able to negotiate a better deal. They gave away three first-round picks. Not one. Not two. But three.
The deal also meant Martin could sign a seven-year, rather than a six-year deal (he annual raises also would be higher). As it turned out, the sides settled on a seven-year, $92.5 million, including a signing bonus of $1.5 million.
INITIAL THINKING AFTER THE DEAL
The initial feeling was much acclaim for the Nuggets. They were picked by many to be one of the top teams in the West entering the next season. Few focused on the still remaining big hole at shooting guard, and the initial loss of the draft picks.
WHAT ENDED UP HAPPENING?
Lenard tore his Achilles in the first game of the 2004-04 season, and the shooting guard situation became even more dire. Martin developed knee problems, and had micofracture surgeries in each knee in May 2005 and November 2006.
Martin blew up at Karl during the 2006 playoffs and was suspended for turned out to be the final three games of a 4-1 first-round loss to the Clippers. Martin's contract, his bad knees and his contract rendered him untradeable.
After playing in just two games in 2006-07 due to knee problems, Martin came back and had a solid 2007-08. But, with three years left and nearly $47 million left on his contract, he's still considered untradeable.
WHAT IF THE NUGGETS HAD DECIDED AGAINST ACQUIRING MARTIN AND HELD ONTO THEIR MONEY UNTIL THE NEXT SUMMER?
If the Nuggets had retained their money, 2005 was the summer of shooting guard. They might have had enough money to make a run at one of these four: Ray Allen, Michael Redd, Joe Johnson or Larry Hughes.
But holding onto the money wasn't much of an option once Martin said he wanted to go to Denver. The thinking was this was a chance to get a one-time All-Star. So the real decision became whether to broker a deal with the Nets or simply sign Martin to an offer sheet and dare the Nets to match.
WHAT IF THE NUGGETS HAD GIVEN MARTIN AN OFFER SHEET AND THE NETS UNEXPECTEDLY MATCHED?
The Nuggets would have either tried to find some lesser free agents late in the summer or held their money until the next summer. Vandeweghe had held onto money from 2003 to spend in 2004, which is why they had a chance at Martin. But there would have been much pressure on Vandeweghe if free agency had yielded no significant players the summer after their surprisingly playoff run.
Still, the Nuggets would have retained their three first-round picks, helping their long-term development.
WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED HAD THE NUGGETS GIVEN MARTIN AN OFFER SHEET AND THE NETS NOT MATCHED?
Most observers believe that, in the end, the Nets would have decided against matching a huge contract offer on Martin. But, obviously, we'll never know for sure. And once the Nuggets blinked, the Nets didn't have to cross that bridge.
But let's take a look at what would have happened had the Nuggets given Martin an offer sheet and the Nets not matched:
CONTRACT YEARS
Martin still would have a gotten a huge contract. But he'd now have two years left on his deal, rather than three. And he might be a more tradeable asset for a team deep in the luxury tax.
And, if the Nuggets are still in the dollar-for-dollar luxury tax in 2010-11 and Martin is still with the team then, that extra contract year is going to look very ugly on Denver's books.
DRAFT PICKS
Here's where the real fun starts. What if the Nuggets did not have to give up any of those three first-round draft picks? Or what if they had parted with only one or two?
First, we should state the Nets used two of the picks to acquire Vince Carter from Toronto in December 2004. So they certainly initially used the picks wisely (some may grumble, though, that New Jersey's big problem was giving Carter a new contract last summer).
On the surface, the actual picks the Nuggets gave up didn't yield top-notch players.
They netted the following players:
2005: With the No. 16 pick that originally belonged to Philadelphia and in which Toronto got from New Jersey, the Raptors took forward Joey Graham, who showed some initial promise but has done little of late.
2006: With the No. 20 pick that originally belonged to Denver, New York took forward Renaldo Balkman, another reason why Isiah Thomas since has been fired by the Knicks. This pick had been traded from New Jersey to Toronto in the Carter deal and then later was sent to New York.
2006: With the No. 22 pick, which originally belonged to the Clippers and was the only one of the three picks the Nets retained, the Nets took guard Marcus Williams. He's a solid backup point, but won't start any time soon with the Nets due to Devin Harris being around.
WHO WOULD HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE?
Forget what players were taken with the actual picks. That's not that relevant since two of the executives who did the picking have been generally regarded as being very bad at their jobs. The since-fired Rob Babcock selected Graham in Toronto and Thomas, as mentioned above, took Balkman. It's interesting to note the first pick after Graham was forward Danny Granger, now a rising star with Indiana, and the first pick after Balkman was point guard Rajon Rando, now playing a pivotal role in the playoffs with Boston.
So let's take a look at players who would have been available with the first-round picks the Nuggets parted with in the Martin deal:
2005 PLAYERS OF NOTE TAKEN AFTER JOEY GRAHAM WHO WENT NO. 16
.
--Danny Granger (17)
--Hakim Warrick (19)
--Jarrett Jack (22, actually taken by the Nuggets and then traded to Portland)
--Francisco Garcia (23)
--Luther Head (24)
--Linas Kleiza (27, actually ended up with Nuggets on draft-day trade from Portland)
--David Lee (30)
--Monta Ellis (40, second round)
--Louis Williams (45, second round)
--Ryan Gomes (50, second round)
2006 PLAYERS OF NOTE TAKEN AFTER ROLANDO BALKMAN (20) AND/OR MARCUS WILLIAMS (22):
--Rajon Rondo (21)
--Kyle Lowry (24)
--Jordan Farmar (26)
--Craig Smith (36, second round)
--Daniel Gibson (42, second round)
--Paul Millsap (47, second round)
--Leon Powe (49, second round, actually taken by Nuggets and traded to Boston)
REVIEWING IT ALL
Had the Nuggets not parted with their picks, 2005 could have been a special draft. Granger could have been had. So could Warrick, whom Anthony, his former Syracuse teammate, coveted.
But since the Nuggets actually had the Nos. 20 and 22 picks in that first round (No. 20 was the disastrous selection of Julius Hodge), they have nobody but themselves to blame for not landing some of the later studs in that draft, including Monta Ellis going No. 40 in the second round to Golden State.
As for 2006, Rondo sure would have looked good in a Nuggets uniform. So would Farmar or Gibson, a pair of point guards who also would have been available. It should be mentioned the Nuggets, in that draft, loved Paul Millsap, who ended up being a steal at No. 47. So it's not unreasonable to think they might have looked at Millsap at No. 20 or No. 22.
But the Nuggets only entered that draft with the No. 49 pick. They would have had Nos. 20 and 22 that year as well as No. 20 in 2005 had they not lost those picks in the Martin trade. Those picks could have provided much youthful invigoration for a Nuggets team that is now aging and has a bloated payroll.
May 8, 2008
Nuggets' big scorers snubbed
CHRIS TOMASSON ON THE NUGGETS
Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony scored, scored and then scored some more.
Media members around the NBA were not impressed.
It was a snubbing of historical proportions when neither Iverson nor Anthony, the two Nuggets stars, were selected Thursday to any of the three All-NBA teams.
Iverson finished third in the NBA in scoring (26.4) and Anthony (25.7) fourth. Since the league went to three All-NBA teams in 1988-89, the only other time a player ranked in top three in scoring did not make one of the teams was Detroit's Jerry Stackhouse, second in 2000-01.
The only other players ranked in the top four in the past 20 years to not make one of the teams were Portland's Clyde Drexler (fourth in 1988-89) and Vancouver's Shareef Abdur-Rahim (fourth in 1998-99).
Consider, though, Stackhouse's Pistons went 32-50 during his season of snubbing. Drexler's Trail Blazers went 39-43 and Abdur-Rahim's Grizzlies a brutal 8-42 during a lockout-shortened season.
The Nuggets went 50-32. So both Iverson and Anthony became the first top-four scorers from a winning team to be snubbed in the 20 years the NBA has named three All-NBA teams.
Both came close, Iverson finishing as the leading remaining vote-getter at guard and Anthony the leading remaining one at forward. But, ultimately, the voters apparently didn't believe the Nuggets, the West's No. 8 playoff seed, won enough.
Not one of the 15 players selected for the three teams came off a losing team, and all but Cleveland's LeBron James came off teams that won more games than Denver. And James' Cavaliers at least were the East's No. 4 seed (So you don't have to call up another file, the All-NBA teams are listed below).
It's hard to complain about the last two players picked ahead of Iverson and Anthony at guard and forward, respectively. With 127 media members voting and players getting five points for a first-team vote, three for second team and one for third, San Antonio's Manu Ginobili was the last guard honored, besting Iverson 123-116. Boston's Paul Pierce was the last forward honored, a whopping 62 points ahead of Anthony.
Anthony didn't do himself any favors by being arrested on suspicion of drunk driving just before votes were due at the NBA office. One highly respected NBA writer told me he pulled Anthony off his ballot after the incident.
Still, due to Pierce's wide advantage, it's highly doubtful the incident cost Anthony a spot on the third team. Anthony, by the way, had made the third team in each of the precious two seasons.
A third Denver player also was the first runner-up at his position. Nuggets center Marcus Camby finished with 59 points, 12 behind third-teamer Yao Ming of Houston.
This looked to be the year Camby, who led the NBA in blocked shots and was second in rebounding, finally might get his first nod on an All-NBA team, with Yao having played in just 55 games due to injury. But Camby couldn't overcome his unimpressive scoring average of 9.1.
So when was the last time a player finished in the top two in the NBA in rebounding and didn't make one of the three All-NBA teams? Let's go to the record book.
Well, you don't have to go back too far. The Hornets' Tyson Chandler, considered by many a young Camby, was second last season, and got no love from the voters.
ALL NBA-TEAMS
FIRST TEAM
Forward: Kevin Garnett, Boston
Forward: LeBron James, Cleveland
Center: Dwight Howard, Orlando
Guard: Kobe Bryant, Lakers
Guard: Chris Paul, New Orleans
SECOND TEAM
Forward: Tim Duncan, San Antonio
Forward: Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas
Center: Amare Stoudemire, Phoenis
Guard: Steve Nash, Phoenix
Guard: Deron Williams, Utah
THIRD TEAM
Forward: Carlos Boozer, Utah
Forward: Paul Pierce, Boston
Center: Yao Ming, Houston
Guard: Tracy McGrady, Houston
Guard: Manu Ginobili, San Antonio
May 5, 2008
Nuggets' Dunlap being courted
CHRIS TOMASSON ON THE NUGGETS
A well-established member of the Chicago media, hearing Mike Dunlap had interviewed to be Bulls head coach, professed to know nothing about Dunlap.
That's not surprising. He might be the best coach around few have heard about.
Then again, people in basketball know all about Dunlap, who recently completed his second season as a Nuggets assistant. When Dunlap was up for the California head position earlier this spring, legendary former Bears coach Pete Newell gushed about him.
For somebody that might not be known nationally, Dunlap is sure getting a lot of attention these days. Not only did he confirm Monday he interviewed with the Bulls, he said he interviewed last week to be associate coach at Arizona under Lute Olson.
Also this spring, Dunlap, who led Metro State to a pair of NCAA Division II crowns before joining the Nuggets, was contacted by Stanford, Oregon State, Loyola Marymount and Rice. He declined to interview at the latter three, apparently not believing they were the type of situations where he could have the long-term success he seeks.
Dunlap called himself a "dark horse'' candidate with the Bulls. At last look, Bulls brass was hot after Mike D'Antoni, who wants to out of Phoenix.
With Dunlap having been in the mix for so many college head positions, one wonders why he's flirting with Arizona, where he is a strong candidate. But consider for a moment this isn't your ordinary assistant's position.
If it worked out, as noted earlier, Dunlap would have the title "associate head coach.'' It sounds as if it could a similar situation as to what Kevin O'Neill had.
O'Neill took as interim coach last season when Olson sat out with personal problems, and eventually was named the man who would succeed Olson, 73, when he steps down. Alas, O'Neill eventually fell out of favor and has left Arizona.
While I don't know if there's any possibility Dunlap could be Olson's eventual successor, you've got to wonder if it's a possibility. The two have a relationship going back to the mid-1990s.
One thing is for sure. Nuggets coach George Karl, who speaks glowingly of Dunlap, would hate to lose him. But Karl has been saying for a while he thinks the day will come when it happens.
Dunlap lauded Karl on Monday. He said the respect Karl commands is a key reason he's been getting so much interest lately for jobs.
One gets the feeling Dunlap, who loves developing players, might be happier long term as a college than a pro coach. But only time will tell if that is the case. If Dunlap were to leave the Nuggets for Arizona, where he wouldn't be the head man, then it would become readily apparent he's a college guy at heart.
J.R. Smith's summer options
CHRIS TOMASSON ON THE NUGGETS
The Nuggets want J.R. Smith back.
Smith wants to return.
Does that mean it will be an easy negotiation when the shooting guard becomes a restricted free agent July 1?
Not necessarily.
Smith, you see, doesn't have to sign any deal this summer that he doesn't like. Smith, who made $2.14 million in 2007-08, has the option of accepting a $3.04 million qualifying offer and becoming an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2009.
After a strong second half of the season and a fine playoff series, Smith's value in free agency is higher than anybody would have projected several months ago. So it's possible he could land an offer sheet starting at around the midlevel exception of about $5.5 million, which the Nuggets would have seven days to match.
Then again, a team might be reluctant to hand out such an offer, thinking the Nuggets quickly would match. And it might be tough for a team, with money tight in the NBA and with Smith still not having proved his worth long term, to offer more than the midlevel.
That brings us to the Nuggets. If they offer a deal around the midlevel, that might be able to get it done unless Smith's representatives really want to play hardball.
But if the Nuggets are thinking more in the $4-5 million range as a starting salary, that could make for a tough negotiation. There might not be any reason for Smith to lock himself into a long-term deal starting in the $4-5 million range as opposed to coming back for the $3.04 million qualifying offer and possibly cashing in as an unrestricted free agent in 2009.
Stay tuned. It could be an interesting negotiation, one that could drag into September if the luxury-tax strapped Nuggets don't put a competitive offer immediately on the table.
May 3, 2008
"Fire George Karl'' site changes name
CHRIS TOMASSON ON THE NUGGETS
Perhaps George Karl is laughing somewhere.
Well, apparently he already has been.
With indications Karl will return next season as Nuggets coach, the Website www.firegeorgekarl.com, which has gained some national notoriety, has changed its name to www.denverstiffs.com. The name refers to former Nuggets coach Doug Moe long having called nearly everybody a "big stiff,'' including himself.
As for the laughing part, Karl said on his radio show earlier this week he had "giggled'' when the Internet stuff came up in February, apparently referring to that month's launching of www.firegeorgekarl.com.
"I realize that the Nuggets organization has a lot of problems, and they go beyond George Karl,'' said Andrew Feinstein, a Nuggets fan who started the site and still believes Karl should be fired. "I have nothing against him, but making him the only scapegoat lets others off the hook.''
Feinstein said management and players share in the blame for what he believes has been underachieving by the Nuggets.
Whatever the name, it's an interesting, professionally done Website and one worth perusing by Nuggets fans.
And I'm pretty sure about one thing. When Moe hears a site has been named in honor of his "stiff'' references, I'm sure he'll also laugh.
May 2, 2008
Will Camby be traded?
Rumors swirled last summer that Nuggets center Marcus Camby could be traded.
I didn't think there was a chance it would happen, and it didn't.
But I'm not so sure this offseason.
A source close to the situation called Camby the most likely of Denver's five big-salaried players (Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony, Kenyon Martin and Nene being the others) to be traded. Sure, the Nuggets would rather deal Martin or Nene than Camby, but many consider them untradeable.
Think of Camby as a stock. He was at an all-time high a year ago after having won Defensive Player of the Year. He averaged 11.2 points, 11.7 rebounds and a league-high 3.30 blocks
Now think of Camby as a stock that could be leveling off. He was second in Defensive Player of the Year voting. He upped his rebounding to 13.1 and blocks to 3.61, and his scoring dropped to 9.1
But where Camby really fell off was in the playoffs. He averaged a troubling 3.3 points while shooting 5-of-21, although he did average 13.3 rebounds.
Was Camby worn down after playing in a career-high 79 games? Perhaps.
Nevertheless, the Nuggets have to project whether Camby, 34, might be starting to slide. Because he now has a good bit of trade value.
Camby, who has two years left on his contract, could help the Nuggets clear some money off their bloated payroll. And he could bring back a package of solid young prospects and/or draft choices.
Camby would have value to a team believing it needs a big man to a take a big step in the playoffs. And his contract is reasonable.
Camby has a base salary of $8 million next season, with possible incentives that could reach $3.79 million. In 2009-10, he has a base salary of $7.65 million and incentives that could reach $3.725 million.
Among his incentives each season are $500,000 total if he plays in 50-54 games, $1 million total for 55-59, $1.5 million total for 60-64 and $2 million total for 65 or over. In the first four years of that contract, the once injury-prone Camby has earned $7 million of a possible $8 million in bonuses for games played.
Camby's contract has been a bit of a Catch-22 for the Nuggets. Obviously, they've wanted him to play in as many games as possible, figuring that means more wins. Still, it can make it interesting for payroll planning considering the Nuggets are deep into the luxury tax.
At least Camby didn't put as much of a dent in the payroll this season as had been at one time projected. Camby last season earned $3.25 million for total incentives, $2 million for games and $1.25 million for statistical bonuses that only kick in if he averages 10 or more points.
Due to averaging less than 10 this season, the only bonuses he got on top of his $8 million base salary were $2 million for games played. That's still a $4 additional hit for the Nuggets when one considers the dollar-for-dollar luxury tax. But at least the Nuggets didn't take a $6.5 million hit due to Camby's bonuses ($3.25 million doubled).
We'll see this summer what might happen to Camby. It's no secret he hasn't always been pleased with his limited role in the offense, but he's done a good job hiding his displeasure, with the exception of an offhanded comment every now and then.
It definitely would be a risk to trade Camby since the Nuggets would then need a starting center. Nene is a candidate, but his health issues are always a concern.
But it's not out of the question Camby could be dealt. Stay tuned.
-- Chris Tomasson
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Posted by Chris Tomasson at 1:50 AM | Comments (5)
