Not sure which i find more surprising... That Boozer's not going to opt out or that Milwaukee declined to extend a qualifying offer to Charlie Villanueva.
I guess the Boozer choice makes some sense. The only team with Cap, and interested in paying him, is Detroit, but they don't want to start at the 12.5m he's due next year. Plus he's coming off another injury plagued ho-hum season. Take the Jazz's money, put in a good year and cash in 2010 with all the teams that will inevitably lose out on the marquee players...
But I think someone would have wanted Villanueva enough to pay for him and with restricted status it seems the Bucks could have gotten something out of that... Guess those guys know what their doing.
Anyway - Never been a Villanueva fan, but Cleveland can only offer him the mid-level and for that price, he seems like a pretty good gamble...
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4295423
"Bucks general manager John Hammond said Monday that the team already had sent offers to Sessions and Ilyasova, giving Milwaukee the right to match any contract offers from other teams. But with Tuesday's deadline for teams to make offers to their restricted free agents looming, the team decided not to make an offer to Villanueva.
Posting on his Twitter account Monday evening, Villanueva noted that "my journey in Milwaukee has come to [an] end," thanking fans and Bucks owner Sen. Herb Kohl for "three great years."
With a mid-level exception at their disposal, the Cleveland Cavaliers are expected to have interest in signing Villanueva -- and the interest sounds mutual. Perhaps anticipating his free agency, Villanueva posted Sunday that "Cleveland fans are showing me mad love on twitter, appreciate the love."
Hammond said he did not want to elaborate on the reasons behind the free agent decisions. "
Boozer and Okur are out!
"After looking at their options, forward Carlos Boozer and center Mehmet Okur decided to exercise the options on their contracts and stay with Utah.
Boozer will earn $12.7 million and will join the star-studded free-agent class of 2010. The decision was first reported by the Salt Lake Tribune. Okur is due $9 million next season.
"We are excited that Carlos has decided to remain with the Jazz," general manager Kevin O'Connor said in a release. "We are hopeful he can continue to play at an All-Star level and will have an injury-free season."
Boozer averaged 16.2 points and 10.4 rebounds last season but played in only 37 games due to injuries. He has scored 16.8 points and pulled down 10.0 rebounds per game for his career.
Boozer's decision affects the rest of the Jazz's offseason decisions. Up-and-coming forward Paul Millsap is a restricted free agent.
Okur averaged 17.0 points and 7.7 rebounds per game last season. The 6-foot-11 center also hit 45 percent of his 3-pointers. "
Apparently Schottsie's favorite super sleeper, Leon Powe did not get a qualifying offer from the Celtics and is an unrestricted FA.
http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/x1885876814/Celtics-House-staying-home-Powe-left-unrestricted
Eddie House will be back in a Celtics uniform next season.
The futures in Boston of Leon Powe and Stephon Marbury were not so clear last night as the NBA's free agency period kicked off at midnight.
House yesterday chose not to exercise an opt-out clause in his contract, which would have made him an unrestricted free agent. Instead, the shooting guard will remain with the Celtics for the $2.9-million final year of the two-year deal he signed last summer.
But while Ainge said the Celtics were happy to have House still in the mix, the team has waived goodbye - at least for now - to popular power forward Leon Powe. Ainge said the team chose not to extend him a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent.
The Celtics did extend the qualifying offer to Glen Davis - meaning they can match any contract he receives as a restricted free agent - but Ainge said Powe's reconstructive left knee surgery this spring was a determining factor in the decision not to do likewise with him.
He said he believes Powe is planning to continue his rehab in California this summer and that the team could revisit bringing him back later in the offseason.
Ainge also said last night that the Celtics ``would not hesitate'' to bring back Marbury as a backup point guard to Rajon Rondo if a deal can be struck.
In contrast to last year, when Ainge was poised to contact James Posey at 12:01 a.m. to begin contract talks, he said he planned an early night last night. The team's biggest question of the day - whether House would opt for free agency - was already decided in Boston's favor.
``I didn't know what to expect with that,'' Ainge said last night. ``I felt Eddie had a good year with us. But he had some other options, I'm guessing. We are happy he decided to stay with us.''
House's decision may have been a practical one based on the state of the economy. With the NBA suffering the same type of revenue shortfalls as most other businesses, lucrative contracts might be hard to come by this summer for all but the top free agents. Although House had a strong year - breaking Ainge's club record for 3-point accuracy (44.5 percent) in the regular season - he is the type of role player who had a chance of slipping through the cracks as teams watch the bottom line, while also trying to clear salary-cap space and roster obligations in advance of next summer's banner free agent class.
Ainge said House has been critical to Boston's bench the past two seasons.
``What Eddie does is he shoots,'' Ainge said. ``He's a great shooter. Also, Eddie is a competitor. He scraps, and hustles, and gets in the mix with everything on the court. He's an energizer for the bench and he is confident.''
What he is not - Celtics coach Doc Rivers seems to have determined after two years of using him as Rondo's primary backup to start the season - is a legitimate answer at point guard. While Ainge noted the Celtics were successful in the regular season with House behind Rondo, he agreed House is at his best playing off the ball.
``He plays better when he has a ball-handler out there with him,'' Ainge concluded. ``It doesn't always have to be another point guard. He has played very well with us with Paul (Pierce) bringing the ball up. But he is a shooter.
``The guy makes big shots. Guys know what it's like to play with Eddie and they like playing with Eddie.''
While Ainge said having House in the fold may make getting a bigger wing player more of an offseason priority than another point guard, he added the Celtics will at least explore bringing back Marbury.
``I had contact with Stephon a week ago,'' Ainge said. ``He knows our situation. We will look at circumstances for (re-signing) him and he will have to look at the circumstances for himself also.
``We like Steph. We like what he brought to the table last year. We would not hesitate to bring Steph back.''
After missing 13 months in a bitter conflict with the Knicks, Marbury was bought out of his contract late in February and signed with the Celtics for the rest of the season. But he struggled with rust and unfamiliarity with the system - averaging just 3.8 points and shooting 34.2 percent in 23 regular-season games, and 3.7 points on 30.3 percent shooting in 14 playoff games.
Marbury recently said he would be interested in returning to Boston. Rivers has also endorsed bringing Marbury back.
Aside from the big three (Detroit ~ 18m, Memphis ~13m, OKC ~ 13m) it looks like a couple of other teams are going to have a little cap space to play with...
According to ESPN senior capoligy correspondant Chad Ford:
"The Kings will be $7.5 million under the cap, assuming they renounce Rashad McCants."
"The Blazers won't have significant cap space until they renounce the rights to restricted free agent Channing Frye, who has a fairly significant cap hold. If they waive Frye, they should be $8.7 million under the cap. "
Gordon and Charlie get deals with Pistons... for more than i would have expected...
"The Detroit Pistons made the biggest early splash in free agency on Wednesday, agreeing to terms with Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva.
Former Bulls guard Gordon will receive a five-year, $55 million deal, while former Bucks forward Villanueva gets a five-year deal for $40 million, sources told ESPN.com's Chris Broussard.
Gordon rejected deals from Chicago in excess of $50 million each of the past two seasons. Milwaukee elected to let the 24-year-old Villanueva become an unrestricted free agent earlier this week, after the Bucks determined that matching any restricted free-agent offers would move the team closer to the luxury tax threshold and limit changing the roster.
The Associated Press first reported the Villanueva signing.
Free agents can't officially sign with new teams until July 8.
Gordon, who was taken third in the 2004 draft by Chicago, led the Bulls in scoring each of the past four seasons. He averaged 20.4 points per game on 45.5 percent shooting last year. For his career, he has a 21.3 points per game average.
Villanueva, the seventh overall pick by Toronto in 2006 who has played the past three seasons with the Bucks, averaged 16.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game last season "
Looks like three more dominoes fall tonight... Artest commits to the Lakers (an impressive team assuming they bring back Odom).... Ariza commits to the Rockets.... and everyone favorite backup 7 footer, Gortat, commits to Dallas (though Orlando can still match)...
Celts appear to be leading the Sheed sweepstakes....
And the Cavs so far have nothing...
Another three Free Agents find chairs...
Turkoglu chooses to be paid in Canadian dollars... Sheed commits to signing with the Celts.... Kidd will re-up with Mavs...
OKC and Portland still have cash...
Millsap, Lee and Odom are waiting on offers....
And the Cavs thus far have nothing...
Adding to the tally:
Mavs land Shawn Marrion in a 4 team trade...
Spurs claim McDyess...
Varejao Reups w/ Cavs...
OKC and Portland still have cash....
Millsap, Lee and Odom are waiting on offers...
Cavs apparently have inside track on Channing Frye and Anthony Parker...