Avery signs new deal with Mavs - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

Dirk Diggler · 10-12-2006, 02:18 PM

5 years at 20 million (4 mil/year) per FWST

jthig32 · 10-12-2006, 02:28 PM

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/15742288.htm

Avery Johnson gets a new five-year contract worth $20 million

By ART GARCIA

STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER

Avery Johnson is committed to delivering the Mavericks their first NBA championship. Mark Cuban is committed to Avery Johnson.
Four months after being on the verge of that first title, the Mavs coach and billionaire owner agreed on a new five-year contract worth $20 million. The agreement ends an off-season of negotiations that sometimes turned touchy, but ultimately proved fruitful for both parties.

“This is just another sign that Mark and I are committed to work with each other,” Johnson told the Star-Telegram on Thursday afternoon. “We have laid the foundation of where we want to go. We haven’t gotten there yet, but we’re both committed to do whatever it takes, however long it takes, to get there.”
Johnson’s deal is now in line with many of his successful peers around the NBA. Cuban has arguably the league’s top young coach locked up through 2010-11, which coincides with Dirk Nowitzki’s extended contract and the Mavs’ likely championship window.

Johnson’s first contract averaged $2.5 million over four years, ranking him in the bottom third of league coaches. That contract was appropriate for a rookie coach.
Guiding the Mavs within two wins of the championship led to the renegotiations. The team’s success also reaffirmed Cuban’s decision to go with Johnson after Don Nelson resigned with 18 games left in the 2004-05 season.
Johnson, 41, led the Mavs to a 60-22 record last season, tying the best mark in team history, and earned NBA Coach of the Year honors. Johnson bolstered his stock even more with the team’s remarkable run through the Western Conference playoffs.

Perhaps the biggest win since the birth of the franchise came in Game 7 of the conference semifinals when the Mavs beat the defending champion San Antonio Spurs on the road in overtime. That was followed by a six-game triumph over two-time MVP Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns to earn a Finals trip.
The Mavs beat Miami in the first two games of the championship series and led by 13 with six minutes left in Game 3 before Dwyane Wade led an improbable comeback that culminated with the Heat winning four straight.

The disappointment of falling short has fueled Johnson and the rest of the retooled Mavs going into this season. The team is recognized as the one of the favorites in the West.
“Any individual reward that I receive is a product of the players’ commitment to our vision, their commitment to defense and being unselfish on offense,” Johnson said. “That’s the reason I’m in the position I’m in.”

There were contentious feelings in Johnson’s camp earlier this summer when talks to renegotiate his contract hit a snag. Johnson and Cuban hammered out the new contract together.
It’s been a busy and expensive off-season for Cuban. He’s committed nearly $120 million to new deals for Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry
Negotiations are ongoing on a contract extension for fourth-year forward Josh Howard, though those discussions may be tabled until after the season.

V2M · 10-12-2006, 02:54 PM

Glad to see it's done... one less distraction!

Wonder what Cuban has to say about it now after his blog of July 2 talking indirectly (or actually quite directly!) about how Avery doesn't deserve a raise as he had just met expectations and nothing more!

fluid.forty.one · 10-12-2006, 02:55 PM

God I love Cuban

MavsX · 10-12-2006, 02:58 PM

jackpot

MavKikiNYC · 10-12-2006, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirk Diggler

5 years at 20 million per FWST

Shit that sounds like a $100 MM contract, if you read it the wrong way.

I thought Cuban had overpaid for a minute.

nashtymavsfan13 · 10-12-2006, 03:03 PM

Good to see this deal finally get done. Great job by Cubes.

HexNBA · 10-12-2006, 04:23 PM

Good to hear

Bookit · 10-12-2006, 04:28 PM

Now on to Josh.

Flacolaco · 10-12-2006, 04:31 PM

Awesome. I love Avery so much.

I guess he won't be needing that "loan from Dirk" he was joking about.....

snoop · 10-12-2006, 05:27 PM

Very good I wonder if he had a sat down with Cubes about his sideline manner

StackAttack · 10-12-2006, 05:29 PM

Excellent, not just because we've got Avery locked up but it's a good sign that Cubes is trying his best to work out something with Josh.

rabbitproof · 10-12-2006, 06:02 PM

Go Cuban Go Cuban Go!

Big Shot Rob · 10-12-2006, 07:12 PM

That is fantastic news. As A Spurs fan who continues to hold AJ in very high esteem, this man has worked so incredibly hard his entire career to get to this point.

No one deserves this more than AJ--

CONGRATS TO AJ!

birdsanctuary · 10-12-2006, 07:35 PM

I think we just locked in a championship...!

V2M · 10-12-2006, 09:18 PM

Mavs sign Johnson to new 5-year deal
October 12, 2006

DALLAS (AP) -- Mavericks coach Avery Johnson has signed a new five-year, $20 million contract that will keep one of the NBA's most successful young coaches in Dallas through 2011.

In his first full stint as head coach last season, the Mavericks reached the NBA finals for the first time, losing to the Miami Heat in six games.

The 41-year-old Johnson led Dallas to a 60-22 record last season after coaching the final 18 games in 2005 when Don Nelson stepped down.

The new contract makes Johnson the latest member of the organization to be locked into a long-term deal by owner Mark Cuban. During the offseason, All-Star forward Dirk Nowitzki received an extension that also will keep him in Dallas through 2011.

"I think it's a really nice gesture on Mark's part," Johnson said before Thursday night's preseason game against the Sacramento Kings. "We promised each other that we would never have any disagreements as it relates to contracts. It doesn't change anything. We're going to keep working towards our goal of winning a championship."

Johnson had three years left on his previous contract, which averaged $2.5 million per season.

Discussions with Cuban on a new deal had been ongoing since the Mavericks were eliminated from the finals. There had been questions about Johnson's long-term future with the Mavericks when he entered training camp without a new contract.

"It's over with," Johnson said. "Anything that's been said in the past is all behind us now. We have a positive organization. I really like our foundation and we don't need any drama, especially as it relates to my contract."

Cuban was in New York on business on Thursday, but he said in a statement issued by the club, "I'm thrilled that Avery will be coaching the Mavs for years to come. He's a great partner and person that makes us a better organization. Plus, he's a great coach too. I couldn't be happier for Avery and his family."

The players were pleased at the news.

"He deserves it," guard Jerry Stackhouse said. "He put his word on the line that he's going to get us to where we want to be and has shown he has the ability to do that."

As a player, Johnson won an NBA championship with the San Antonio Spurs in 1999. He began his coaching career as a Mavericks assistant after retiring as a player on Oct. 28, 2004.

Updated on Thursday, Oct 12, 2006 8:09 pm EDT

Rick41 · 10-12-2006, 09:31 PM

Good news! Now lets sign Howard ASAP!

MavsX · 10-13-2006, 07:24 AM

you got to pay the boss

kriD · 10-13-2006, 08:10 AM

Avery most worthy of big check marks

01:26 AM CDT on Friday, October 13, 2006
[By Tim Cowlishaw / The Dallas Morning News]

With a new five-year, $20 million contract, Avery Johnson now has more security than any other coach in the area. It makes sense.

That's because Mavericks fans should feel more secure that their team is in good coaching hands than fans of the Cowboys, Stars or, obviously, the Rangers have a right to feel.

Bill Parcells certainly has more history and more championship rings than Avery. And he's closer to the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, than Johnson is to the one in Springfield, Mass.

There's no denying that.

But Parcells has had a false start in his stay in Dallas. Still searching for that first playoff win in his fourth season. That happened to him in New England, too, but he took the Patriots to the Super Bowl that year.

Clearly, the Cowboys have more talent than they possessed in 2003. But Parcells has to make that translate into something in January. He doesn't sound so sure that it will happen.

As he said Thursday, "I know we have enough players here to have success. I'm not sure what the team is about yet."

We certainly aren't sure what the Stars are about under Dave Tippett. Regular-season success has turned into playoff disaster on his watch. He has only one series win (which is another way of saying that Marty Turco has only one series win), so this is a make-or-break year for Tippett.

And, of course, the Rangers don't even have a manager and have announced they aren't going after anyone most of you have ever heard of. That might be a good thing. Maybe they uncover the baseball equivalent of Avery Johnson.

But let's wait and see.

Johnson was an unknown quantity as a head coach when Don Nelson belatedly told Mark Cuban he wanted to step aside. Since then, the Mavericks have taken off.

In his second playoff appearance, Johnson took the Mavericks where Dick Motta and Nelson never could. He didn't quite finish the job, and maybe, just maybe, it was Johnson's and his team's inexperience that allowed the Game 3 meltdown in Miami to occur.

Maybe Johnson could have gone to Hack-a-Shaq strategy or done something to disrupt the Heat's rally. But after owning the Heat for the first two games and three quarters, it probably didn't seem necessary.

With a 76-24 record after 100 games, Johnson is the best young coach in the league. He deserved to be rewarded, and Cuban elevated him to the level below the elite.

"I'm happy with Avery, his accomplishments last year and where we can take this team," Cuban said by e-mail Thursday.

San Antonio's Gregg Popovich, whose team lost to Johnson's in seven games last season, and Miami's Pat Riley (well, you know what the Heat did) both earn in excess of $7 million. But the rings Riley has won in two cities and the three rings Popovich has acquired in San Antonio say they deserve those figures.

Johnson has little trouble making sure players understand who's in charge. Even though he's barely removed from his playing days, Johnson has managed the not-so-easy trick of earning the players' respect while showing them he's the ultimate authority on the bench.

A contract that pays him through the spring of 2011 now matches Dirk Nowitzki's in terms of length.

By the time those two deals expire, if those two haven't combined to bring an NBA title to Dallas, something has gone wrong.

Is there any other coach here who you would say you'd be shocked if he doesn't bring a championship to town?

kriD · 10-13-2006, 08:12 AM

MONEY TALKS: No hard feelings after all, as Avery gets the raise he wanted

By ART GARCIA
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

Avery Johnson is committed to delivering the Mavericks their first NBA championship. Mark Cuban is committed to Avery Johnson.

That partnership is stronger than ever.

Four months after being on the verge of that first title, the Mavs coach and billionaire owner agreed on a new five-year contract worth $20 million plus incentives. The agreement ends an off-season of negotiations that sometimes turned touchy but ultimately proved fruitful for both parties.

"This is just another sign that Mark and I are committed to work with each other," Johnson said Thursday afternoon. "We have laid the foundation of where we want to go. We haven't gotten there yet, but we're both committed to do whatever it takes, however long it takes, to get there."

Johnson's deal is now in line with many of his successful peers. Cuban has arguably the league's top young coach locked up through 2010-11, which coincides with Dirk Nowitzki's extended contract and the Mavs' likely championship window.

"It's great," Jerry Stackhouse said of Johnson's contract, "but, at the same time, his focus is trying to improve the team and continue to build and accomplish the goal that we fell a little short of last year."

Johnson's first contract averaged $2.5 million over four years, ranking him in the bottom third of NBA coaches. That contract was appropriate for a rookie coach.

Guiding the Mavs within two wins of the championship upped Johnson's earning potential. The team's success also reaffirmed Cuban's decision to promote Johnson after Don Nelson resigned with 18 games left in the 2004-05 season.

"A.J. is an amazing partner and coach," Cuban said. "I can't speak highly enough about him."

Johnson, 41, led the Mavs to a 60-22 record last season, tying the best mark in team history, and earned Coach of the Year honors. Johnson bolstered his stock even more with the team's remarkable run through the Western Conference playoffs.

Perhaps the biggest win since the birth of the franchise came in Game 7 of the conference semifinals when the Mavs beat the defending champion San Antonio Spurs on the road in overtime.

That was followed by a six-game triumph over two-time MVP Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns to earn a trip to the Finals.

The Mavs beat Miami in the first two games of the championship series and led by 13 with six minutes left in Game 3 before Dwyane Wade led an improbable comeback that culminated with the Heat winning four straight.

The disappointment of falling short has fueled Johnson and the rest of the retooled Mavs going into this season.

The team is recognized as the one of the favorites in the West.

"Any individual reward that I receive is a product of the players' commitment to our vision, their commitment to defense and being unselfish on offense," Johnson said. "That's the reason I'm in the position I'm in."

There were contentious feelings in Johnson's camp earlier this summer when talks to renegotiate his contract hit an impasse. Johnson and Cuban hammered out the new contract together.

"It was never in doubt," Cuban said. "It's just so much fun to get [the media] excited. Of course, I'm thrilled to get the deal done and get everyone focused on the season."

Cuban and Johnson agreed to the contract before training camp started this month. Lawyers reviewed the deal Wednesday and signed off on it Thursday.

It's been a busy and expensive off-season for Cuban. He committed nearly $120 million to new deals for Nowitzki and Jason Terry

Negotiations are ongoing on a contract extension for fourth-year forward Josh Howard, though those discussions may be tabled until after the season.

Drbio · 10-13-2006, 09:12 AM

Negotiations are ongoing on a contract extension for fourth-year forward Josh Howard, though those discussions may be tabled until after the season.

I wonder if this because of at least 6 factors that are holding up the negotiations?

jthig32 · 10-13-2006, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drbio

Negotiations are ongoing on a contract extension for fourth-year forward Josh Howard, though those discussions may be tabled until after the season.

I wonder if this because of at least 6 factors that are holding up the negotiations?

How could it not be. We've got our own insider telling us all about the intricacies of the NBA contract. I know I believe him.

bernardos70 · 10-13-2006, 10:05 AM

Jeez, this puts us over the cap for the foreseeable future.

sike · 10-13-2006, 10:36 AM

^^ where is the moon when you need it?

Flacolaco · 10-13-2006, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drbio

Negotiations are ongoing on a contract extension for fourth-year forward Josh Howard, though those discussions may be tabled until after the season.

I wonder if this because of at least 6 factors that are holding up the negotiations?

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Drbio again.

I wonder if he can give me advice about my credit.....

sike · 10-13-2006, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flacolaco

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Drbio again.

I wonder if he can give me advice about my credit.....

yeah...but let me tell you, don't go to an amateur...you need someone with years of experience...someone who is a specialist...but you also want someone who is also "down wit it" so they may not even spell it correctly...

Flacolaco · 10-13-2006, 10:47 AM

Where can such a man be found, if there "Xsists" such a man?

nikeball · 10-14-2006, 03:04 AM

lets go josh!

last piece of our young core group i guess?