D-day for Dampier

[vinnieponte]

This just came in from the New York post. Lets hear your thoughts and there is no mention of the Mavericks what so ever, what now??

July 19, 2004 -- It's D-Day for Erick Dampier.
The Warriors have accepted the Knicks' sign-and-trade offer of Nazr Mohammed and Othella Harrington, but before agreeing to sign with the Knicks, Dampier, the 7-foot free-agent center, has a meeting with the Hawks' brass today in Atlanta, sources said.

The Knicks want Dampier to visit New York tomorrow before he makes his decision, which could come as soon as today, but Knicks president Isiah Thomas has had phone conversations with Dampier. The Knicks have offered Dampier six years starting at $9 million after Thomas met Saturday night in L.A. with agent Dan Fegan.

The Hawks can sign Dampier outright because they are under the cap and can offer a maximum deal. However, the Knicks can extend a seventh year under sign-and-trade rules.

Even though Dampier is a southerner from Mississippi, his preference could well be the Knicks over the Hawks. Dampier, who averaged 12.3 points and 12.0 rebounds in finally fulfilling his potential, has reservations about the Hawks, wanting the team to upgrade its roster.

The Pacers also were talking to Golden State about a sign-and-trade, but The Post reported Saturday that Thomas became the front-runner when he made an offer of Mohammed and Harrington. Golden State GM Chris Mullin needs a backup center who can score behind Adonal Foyle, and Mohammed is as good as he'll get for his salary ($5.25M). Mullin had wanted from the Pacers a package of Jonathan Bender and Austin Croshere. Pacers president Donnie Walsh views Bender as untouchable and was rejected in a Croshere/Scot Pollard scenario.

Walsh, who drafted Dampier in Indiana, told The Post recently, "Erick's the second-strongest player in the league. He can rebound, block shots and he was a double-double guy last year."



Golden State was pushing Nick Van Exel on the Knicks in a larger Dampier deal, but Isiah had scant interest. Van Exel is a point guard but can play shooting guard despite his lack of size. However, Chicago's Jamal Crawford is a much better fit — younger, bigger, improving. The Knicks will have to get lucky to be able to get both Dampier and Crawford in sign-and-trades, as Harrington, who wants out in a big way, was a key component to the Crawford talks because of his expiring contract.

"Erick wants to win a championship and the Knicks are definitely in the mix," said Ed Jones, Dampier's business manager and director of his kids foundation.

[PlanoJ]

"Erick wants to win a championship and the Knicks are definitely in the mix," said Ed Jones, Dampier's business manager and director of his kids foundation.

Up until that last line this article made some sense. I think a package of Othella and Nazy is weak but if you need a back up center then I guess it works. But there is no way the Knicks will win a championship in the forseeable future. The Heat, Pistons, Indiana, probably still the Nets, Cavs and other teams are ahead of them in the west and they wouldn't even have a hope of playoffs in the West. That is a bad team.

edit: typo

[DevinHarriswillstart]

6 years starting at 9 million is ridiculous....

[Drbio]

I agree with DHWS....both times. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Yeah, you know the internet sometimes, don't you hate when you press reply, and he goes halfway, then just stops, so you never know if it's gonna post or not....lol well since this is just a reply to you, after you read it, you can delete this [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

[vinnieponte]

So where do you think this leaves Dallas. With not one mention so far of sign & trades or even the normal rumors??????

[DevinHarriswillstart]

That is the problem it seems Vinnie. Nobody really knows. I too, am dying for some new rumors or news. I just wish Management, every summer, would stop saying "we're going for a big man" and it just never happens. I honestly think they should just keep their mouth shut, and just go along the lines of improving the roster. We have the curse of never having a decent center.

[Drbio]

If you think back to all of the recent Mavs trades, you will recall that noone heard a peep out of the Mavs prior to the trades. Be patient. Obviously, something has to happen.

[Misfit Mav]

Originally posted by: Drbio
If you think back to all of the recent Mavs trades, you will recall that noone heard a peep out of the Mavs prior to the trades. Be patient. Obviously, something has to happen.

I agree that a trade will come, and probably out of the blue. However, I'm worried that as Cuban bides his time, the available big men will all be snapped up. It looks like Damp and Nazr may no longer be available, and though they were far from ideal, they were some of the only options we had.

[FolterKammer84]

if dampier would cost us a 6 year contract starting at 9 mil $ he wouldnt give us what we need . and we would never have any cap flexibility. i hope ny takes him [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] its their fault!

and i agree with bio that the mavs normally dont talk about trades until the day of the trade. just wait until august 25 and u will see that something will happen!

[mattyd]

the 9 mil per year is not too bad, considering the ridiculous amount of money being tossed around. but to be saddled with that contract for 6 years - no thanks!

[EricaLubarsky]

Man, New York was already the worst team off financially.

[endtroducing]

yeah, it's official. isiah thomas is officially worse than ainge AND jordan combined.

[madape]

Dampier will make a perfect Knick. I can't think of a place he'd feel more at home than among the most overpaid bunch of scrubs in the NBA.

[EricaLubarsky]

here's hoping he plays 5 years of the laziest basketball of his career followed by one "new contract" year.

[chumdawg]

I'll be shocked if he doesn't average another double-double this year. The Knickers got Dampier awfully cheap. Great move on their part.

I'm still just blown away at all the negativity aimed at Dampier. What does a guy have to do in this league to get some respect...

[uberfan]

chumdawg: If you were the Mavs, what terms of a contract would you offer Dampier? I think the only way to get Dampier is to be willing to pay for him, not offering MLE-range salary.

[chumdawg]

I wouldn't want to do a really long deal, but I'd pay the guy 10mm or so for four years.

[uberfan]

Then I guess we have to scratch him off the list.

[madape]

Damper on Dampier

Hard for Knicks to land center

BY FRANK ISOLA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Erick Dampier is still very much a free agent today and no closer to joining the Knicks than he was a week ago.
The Knicks and Golden State Warriors refuted a published report that claimed the two teams had agreed to a sign-and-trade deal and were merely waiting for Dampier's approval to complete the transaction. A person familiar with the negotiations said flatly, "There is no deal."

Chris Mullin, the Warriors' vice president of basketball operations, said yesterday his club is negotiating with "several other teams" regarding sign-and-trade proposals involving Dampier.

"When something becomes clear we're going to regroup and go from there," Mullin added.

Dampier was to meet with officials from the Atlanta Hawks last night in Utah, where the Hawks are participating in the Rocky Mountain Revue Summer League. Of the teams that are interested in Dampier, Atlanta is the only one with enough salary-cap room to sign the veteran center outright. However, the Hawks appear unwilling to meet Dampier's demands for a multi-year contract starting at $9 million.

The Knicks, however, would give Dampier his asking price, which is why the player and his agent, Dan Fegan, are working with Knicks president Isiah Thomas to finalize a deal. In the proposed deal, the Knicks would send Nazr Mohammed and Othella Harrington to the Warriors, which would amount to highway robbery. The Warriors may be better off financially by simply allowing Dampier to walk without compensation.

It is unlikely that Mullin would trade his starting center for a pair of backups, especially when the Memphis Grizzlies and Indiana Pacers are also in the running for Dampier, who set career highs in points (12.3) and rebounds (12) last season.

Both the Grizzlies and Pacers have better players to offer Golden State. Plus, Dampier has said he wants to end up with a contender; Memphis and Indiana won 50 and 61 games, respectively.

Mullin is trying to acquire Pacers forward Jonathan Bender, his former teammate, but Indiana is reluctant to trade him. Memphis could offer Stromile Swift for Dampier. The Knicks may be forced to upgrade their offer by including Kurt Thomas.

However, Isiah Thomas is trying to move his starting power forward in a three-team deal with Dallas and Toronto. The proposed trade would involve Vince Carter heading to Dallas and the Mavericks' Antoine Walker coming to New York. Kurt Thomas and other players would be headed to Toronto.

The Knicks are still in the running for Chicago's restricted free-agent guard Jamal Crawford. However, if Dampier ends up in New York, there is a possibility that the Knicks could offer Nuggets free-agent forward Rodney White, another Fegan client, their mid-level exception.

Denver re-signed Marcus Camby, acquired Kenyon Martin in a sign-and-trade and has offered Minnesota guard Trenton Hassell a contract. Those deals have left little room for White, who can play several positions and would satisfy the Knicks' need to become more athletic.

[withoutmalice]

I think DAL can scratch Z. Ilgauskas from the list too. Why would CLE want to trade him now that Shaq has moved into their conference? CLE can't possibly think they could throw current backup C's D. Diop and T. Battie at him for an entire game. Plus, the East still has centers like Ben Wallace, Jamaal Magloire, and J. O'Neal to have to worry about.

[jayC]

Withoutmalice,

Jamal Magloire plays for New Orleans who now is out West.

[madape]

The movement of Jamal Magloire to the western conference shifts the balance of power back.

[withoutmalice]

Originally posted by: jayC
Withoutmalice,

Jamal Magloire plays for New Orleans who know is out West.

Me is braindead...

[vinnieponte]

I think we might just be sh$t out of luck this year for any good centers, unless I'm missing something here

[Dirkenstien]

The longer we dont hear any reports or rumors of the Mavericks trying to put a trade together for a center the higher the possibility is that we will make a trade to land a center.

[LRB]

I think that we have a much smaller chance of acquiring a "very good" center than Walker has of making a 3pter.

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally posted by: chumdawg
I'll be shocked if he doesn't average another double-double this year. The Knickers got Dampier awfully cheap. Great move on their part.

I'm still just blown away at all the negativity aimed at Dampier. What does a guy have to do in this league to get some respect...

I was just bored and going through some of these old threads and came across this. I couldn't help but laugh a little.