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Originally posted by: chumdawg If the Mavs hadn't decided to jerk their knees and enter the fray last offseason, Dampier would have either signed for the MLE with NY or signed for a bit more with Memphis.
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Absolute nonsense. Indiana was foaming at the mouth for him, as was Memphis. Dampier was a very sought-after free agent last season. You don't have to agree that he should have been, but regardless, he was. Cuban didn't just sign Damp to that gigantic contract because he was in a generous mood, or saw his play last season and said "WOW! Other teams may not be offering much for him, but I think he just deserves a juicy contract, well... just because!" No, several teams, particularly Memphis, Indiana, and obviously Dallas were in a frenzy for him. I specifically remember Jermaine O'Neal making a comment about him like "He would be a big help for us in the middle." Cuban gave him that contract because that's how high the bidding went. Damp certainly got better offers than you suggest.
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Atlanta, as desperate as they are for even passable players, wasn't willing to offer the ridiculous sum that we threw to Dampier. That should tell you something
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If they're so desperate for "even passable" players, then why did they give up Rasheed Wallace and Antoine Walker.
Note: I'm not disagreeing with you that Damp's contract is atrocious, and that he'll end his career as a Maverick, sitting on the bench while we wait for that huge contract to expire. I agree that that's a very possible senario, and I also agree that his trade value is at an extreme low. My point is merely that Dampier had a higher value last offseason than you seem to think.