I'm honestly not that surprised about this, and I'm not that disappointed either.
First of all, any time that Bill Duffy is involved, the Timberwolves will almost always be the favorites to land said player. McHale and Duffy were roommates in college, if I'm not mistaken. It just sort of always seems that Duffy guys find their way to Minnesota no matter the circumstances - Olowakandi and Anthony Carter are the two most prominent I can think of.
Anyway, I don't hold it against Mike James for wanting more security or money. The Wolves offered more than anyone else - so he took it. It does minimize some of the championship talk though, doesn't it? I would be willing to bet that Houston and Dallas would not promise him a starting job either though. That's just a hunch.
On one hand, it's annoying that Dallas picks out one player in the free agent market that they can actually afford - unlike some of the pipe dreams this organization has had - but still can't close the deal. As others have mentioned, if the player was worth three years, he should have been worth four. I don't quite understand that thinking.
On the other hand, I'm actually kind of relieved. I was concerned about how James would fit in this lockerroom. I was also concerned about how the minutes would be divided. Unlike some, I don't think Devin Harris is a lost cause. In fact, I think Harris is going to be the most improved player on this team next season - and he was already better than many realize. I'm sort of relieved that he is going to get an opportunity (apparently) to assume a much larger role on this team.
Like everyone else I am interested in what the next step is. I still think it would be a nice idea to try to get a role playing guard who can defend a little bit and drill an open jumper. Unfortunately, I don't see much on this free agent market, and I'm not crazy about making more trades. We'll see...
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