Quote:
Originally Posted by dirno2000
I wouldn't call it the ugly side of basketball. If you do your job scouting and developing a player you should have a chance to keep him if he gets good.
As far as Gortat if he really wanted to control his own destiny he could have signed his qualifying offer and been free to play anywhere he wanted next year.
Both Dallas and Gortat knew the risk they were taking so as much as I hate how it turned out Otis Smith didn't do anything wrong by matching the offer. He's trying to keep his team competitive with the East getting better around him.
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You're quite right, sir. Smith did what he thought was best for the organization he's working for. It was clear from the beginning that he was allowed to match the Mavs' offer, regardless of Gortat's preferences. That's what he did, and it happens all the time.
Gortat might be unhappy? Fine, but this man will make more money in one year for throwing a ball into a basket in beautiful Florida than most people will make in their entire lives. When his new contract has run out, he will never have to work again and still live a wonderful life. At age 30. Do we really have to feel for him?
In the NBA, contrary to other sports, players are traded from one club to another all the time without even being asked whether they like it or not. Do you think Donnie asked Antoine Wright about his opinion on the recent four-team trade and whether he wanted to move to Toronto? Probably not. And Donnie might actually have cared about Wright's opinion and destiny, but in the end it just doesn't matter in this league. GMs do what they think is in the best interest of their team. Remember when Devean George had a clause in his contract that allowed him to reject trades, most people were furious about it and didn't want a player (or maybe just George...
) to have that much control over his future.
One might not be fond of that practice, but it seems a little hypocritical to go after Smith for doing his job the way every single GM does it. I'm just as disappointed as most of you that we weren't able to acquire Gortat, but it's a little too simple to blame Smith for it, not to mention throwing blind hate at him. I hope we're just kidding around.