Dampier will not be a Hawk.....

[emeans]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1852303

From all indications Dampier doesn't want to be a Hawk. Let the fool go for less money. What he doesn't realize is that the Knicks are in extremely bad financial standing and they are a year away from rebuilding themselves.

The Knicks are not a good team!! And they are about to trade away very important pieces to get Dampier (Kurt Thomas and Nazr).

He will be regretting not taking the Hawks deal in 2 years, when he sees the Hawks sitting above the Knicks in the standings.

What a fool!!! The Knicks are a year away from disaster and the lottery because of their pathetic cap standing. They can't add anything without giving up something and they don't have a lot to give up other than Marbury. Nobody wants anyone else on that team.

[Inside_Man]

He's an idiot for opting out of 2 years and whatever$$ at GS.

He's an idiot for not taking the most money on the table now.

If he's injured in a year, he'll wake up some day and say, "I'm an idiot."

I don't want idiots on this team.

[Diesel]

Right now, he's hoping that NY can work a SNT because they will pay him 6 yr 67 million dollars.

I think our offer is between 40-50 million with less years if that.

He opted out because after 2 years he would have been 32 and NO team would have given him a 6 yr deal no matter how good he had played.

If he takes a 1 yr deal, it would be a big problem. He will not get a 6 yr deal next year but he will get some attention because there will be many teams with capspace.

[Employee8]

I hope we kick the living crap out of the Knicks when we face them....

I Hope Toine makes Dampier his personal bytch...dropping dimes off his fat head, rebounding the ball better than Erick DUMB-PEE-er, and just plain owning that Stupid MOFO.

I hope AL scores 18-20 a game and gives DUMB-PEE-er a vicious ball-in-your-face-FACIAL!!!

And Then after Toine and AL have warmed up, they will REALLY start Playing some serious ball!

[emeans]

He is leaning toward taken the 1 year deal. His value may drop after the Knicks don't do as well as they think. Plus he better play an entire season. History shows that he will not.

He will regret not signing here....trust me!!

[Wretch]

They've dealt away future draft picks. They will have a serious headache if they try to rebuild and Damp will be right in the middle of it. Damp's biggest concern should be getting a long term deal. Taking a 1 or 2 year deal for the mid level could spell disaster if he gets hurt or has a bad season.

[emeans]

If he is that stupid maybe we don't want him in a Hawks uniform anyway.

I see a much larger upside to the Hawks team than the Knicks.

We need to pull the offer and sign Pryz and a PG/SG and call it an offseason.

[Gray Mule]

Now, Hawks can get on with the job of rebuilding and quit

worrying about, will he or will he not come here ---

If he is quoted corectly, and who knows unless we hear

it directly from him, he doesn't want to come here.

Well -- Goody. He ain't the only fish in the sea.

If he don't want to come to Atlanta, then we don't

want him. If he comes for the money and not for the

team, he wouldn't help. Let him go to Isiah.

Somewhere out there, there are players who will like

our money. They will take it and be happy to be a Hawk

and want to be a part of building a winner here.

Glad we got that out of the way. That opens up other options. We can spend our money or save it for later.

[Diesel]

If Damp signed with us tommorow, you would be happy we got him.

I'm not upset that Damp hasn't agreed to our deal. I think this is bidniz... And, I can't knock him for saying that we're rebuilding... we are.

I just think that he signs... Good.

He doesn't sign... Good.

We still have things to prove.

[Packfill]

Agreed.

[AHF]

Yeah. Nice post Diesel.

No reason to be bitter. I'd much rather see him go to the Knicks than have us sign him to a long-term deal.

My top choices would be a 3yr deal with Dampier; signing him to whatever and then trading him for someone I like; or letting him go to another team for a long-term contract.

Think about it this way - he is a good center now but he just had his career best season and played with some decent players (Dunleavy, Richardson, Arenas, etc.) over the last two years and his teams weren't close to the playoffs.

Why would you pay 11 million per year for someone like that?

[Diesel]

From Damp's perspective....

Say we met part of his demand.

Starting at 9 million... OK.

That would mean that we could sign him to a 4 yr 39.6 million dollar deal.

In a MCE deal for 6 yrs, he could not match our total. I think it would be 6 yrs 33 million.

With our deal, he would be 34 yrs old looking for a new contract... Could he get one? Probably not. I would suppose he would want an extension after the 2nd yr or maybe an opt out after the 3rd...Which is standard...

Moneywise, right now, we have the best offer on the table.

MY question is why haven't other teams anted up to try to trade for him.

It sounds like GS would trade him if they got a good deal in the process.

Why hasn't toronto asked about Damp/Richardson for Carter.

Why haven't Dallas anted up Finley or Stackhouse for Damp?

Why haven't Sactown said... OK.. we'd give ______ for Damp?

There's something wrong with this picture.

[tmac13]

Almost everything I have read lately points to a 50 mil deal on the table..I suspect it is a 5 year 50 mil deal with a player option after 3.

[emeans]

You are right Diesel....I would be elated if he signed but at the same time he doesn't impress me to the point I will be angry if he doesn't sign. Plus we will keep that money and spend it elsewhere.

It is a win/win situation either way even though I think he is dumb not to take the Hawks offer...and I am trying to look at it from an unbiased perspective.

[Weez]

I agree with Diesel. again. scary.

People need to realize what Damp is trying to do, and why he opted out of his contract in the first place.

He had a stellar year, finally playing more minutes, and giving great production. if you read the page two article about him a few weeks back...he sounds like he's really got his head on straight, a good guy.

He opted out not for the money, but for the years. He knew, as stated, that he wouldn't get much money/years at 32, regardless of what he did. it's the stigma of centers after 32 (another great page 2 article...oh which only Hakeem did anything). Thus, he opted out.

I don't blame him for trying to get all that he can. At the same time, I'm very very pleased at how our mgt. has handled the issue...saying yes, we like you and want you...but we can't risk our future on you, what you're asking. Here's what we think yoiu're worth, and it's generous, take it or leave it. that's what we're offering.

but like D said, we'd all be pleased if we acquired him with that deal. we'd route him on during the year....

it's the business side of things...

[_sturt_]

...if that was all that matters, he'd already have signed or the deal would have already been made.

His quotes in the press can serve one purpose at this point... to attempt to drive up the Hawks offer.

[KB21]

I believe that is being thrown out there by Dan Fegan, and Chris Ford is just running with it. I do not believe the Hawks have offered anything more than 3 years at somewhere between $24-27 million. A long term deal for Dampier makes very little sense from the Hawks perspective. A short term contract, like the one I believe is being offered, makes better sense. It allows them time to get and develop a young guy to replace him in 2 years, at which time Dampier's contract will probably be a valuable trade commodity.

[Diesel]

There is really not a strong C that will be available for any money in the next 3 yrs. 4 yrs is long enough to find a new C (hopefully by the third year), get him rotating in and out with Damp and have Damp replaced by the end.

For us to take Damp for just three years doesn't even make sense according to our pay cycle or the fa cycle. It's more beneficial to hook Damp for 4 yrs for the growth of the team and to secure Damp.

Now, I would give a 4 yr 40 million dollar deal.

It's very generous based on his career.

a 3 yr 27 million is Alright but he would do better with a 5 or 6 yr deal at the MCE.

His age is the biggest driving force. I think he wants a better deal than Foyle got also... Well, he can sign now and hope for an extension because if he risk this yr and get injured, his whole future is over.

Right now, we are the gift horse....

The question is, will he take a 4 yr deal?

Good negotiations by BK.

Like I have said before, I would hate to play Poker with BK...

[KB21]

I disagree. Not when Atlanta could probably deal a 2nd round pick to Washington and get a player in Brendan Haywood who is, quite honestly, a comparable player to what Erick Dampier was a couple of years ago.

Right now, I think I'd pull the offer to Dampier, force him to sign with the Knicks, and then go the developmental route with a resigned Joel Przybilla and a traded Brendan Haywood. Between the three of Przybilla, Collier, and Haywood, Atlanta should be able to get some semblence of center play.