I feel like this should be mentioned, but I don’t actually want to talk about it:
But now, only two weeks before the commencement of free agency, the Billups-to-Milwaukee rumor has resurfaced yet again. The scuttlebutt is the Bucks, who are one of the few teams that could have the money to sign a high-profile free agent, want an established veteran to orchestrate their offense and alleviate the pressure on star shooting guard Michael Redd.
Thus, there have been whispers the Bucks are working on a lucrative offer for Billups and will try to lure him away from the Pistons.
Stay tuned.
No, I won’t stay tuned, because it’s effin’ ridiculous. Just because some columnist in Cheeseland (err, The Journal Times, “Racine County’s Daily Newspaper”) wants to pretend Billups might sign with the Bucks does not make it so.
The Bucks have an up-and-coming free agent point guard of their own named Mo Williams, a 24-year-old kid who is coming off a breakout season (17 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 6.1 apg) who can be had for at minimum $4-5 million less per season than Billups. Unless they’re confident Williams is going to bolt Wisconsin, there’s no use throwing dollars at Billups, who will likely be near the end of his contract and past his prime by the time the Bucks are ready for a serious playoff push.
I know this, Bucks GM Lenny Larry Harris knows this and Billups knows this. If the Bucks are feigning interest, it’s to drive up the final price tag on a division rival. But I’d be surprised if even that is going on. This is a recycled rumor filling space in an otherwise slow period — nothing more, nothing less. Anyone want to re-hash ‘Billups to the Grizzlies?’
That is all. Let’s not bother with this anymore.
(Hat-tips all around: Full-Court Press, Need4Sheed, FanHouse)
Actually Sir, imho I don’t even think “driving up the price on a division rival” is a realistic reason for this to be happening either for two major reasons:
A) Billups was going to sign a near max deal anyways and Detroit has clearly prepared to match IF one of the two teams that CAN offer him max does.
B) Seeing as in how they are NOT going to get Billups and this much is evident, it makes ZERO sense to increase the value of PG on the market overall when you still have to resign YOUR starter. Remember, everything works on comparative contracts, thats why ANYONE with talent in the NBA makes serious money because their agent can always say “Well New York gave Jerome James 5.5 Million a year and my guy is THREE times the play fat a$$ Jerome James is sucka!”
The sad part is that this ENTIRE rumor just goes to show how poorly Bucks fans/media understand basketball because GUARD is not the problem in Milwaukee and their cap space would MUCH better be spent on another big to rotate or a SF.
Put a fork in this rumor it’s done.
First of all, the only team that can offer Billups a max deal outside Detroit is Charlotte. Unless the salary cap takes a big leap, his agent will have a hard time building the case for max money.
Secondly, I think fans toss around terms like “max contract” without knowing what the maximum salary for Billups would be. And if they knew, it would probably make them ill to consider that under a max deal, he would be making more than $20 million a year at the age of 34.
Joe is too wise to have someone drive the value up without an offer sheet. A team will have to commit to Billups and take the risk that they might land him for too much money.
Joe knows when to show’em and fold’em.
I’m fully aware that he was due over 15 at Max. Most reports indicated both Char and Mil had the money to offer that. I’m also very much aware of the sheer lack of talent in the NBA free agent pool.
Chauncey is going to get ALOT more money than people seem to realize. Trust me if Agent Zero is OPTING out so he doesn’t get stuck at 12 million a year, Chauncey is going to get paid…… thus near max
15, 20, it’s still capbreaking.
I don’t know how real the offer actually is, but why not? Yes the odds of getting him are low, but the Bucks have a lot of young pieces plus a scorer in Redd. The chances of trying to win with a new team (whether it’s the Bucks or not) might be too much for Billups.
There is a lot of pressure to win now in Milwaukee (especially after last year’s disaster).
Do I think it’s likely Billups leaves? No. It can’t hurt for Bucks GM LARRY Harris to try though.
Williams still leaves a lot to be desired, where Billups brings winning experience.
I’m sure Larry and Larry (coach and general manager) are looking into doing to the Pistons what the Brewers did to the Cardinals (sign Jeff Suppan in the off-season from a division rival).
Should be interesting to watch.
who’s to say he’s going to get a max contract offer? everyone’s talking about how he’s definitely going to max out a deal, but how do we really know? Billups is one of the better point guards in the league, and to be honest, he should be paid as the 4th or 5th best point guard. He has done really nothing to prove that he’s a $20m per player, at 21 or at 31 he has not proven that he’s valuable enough to be a KG-contract type of player. I can understand maxxing him out after his rookie deal is up if he’s Deron Williams type, but he was still a relative unknown and got the MLE after one solid season off the bench in MIN. He has played great for DET, but who’s to say he’d carry a team like the Knicks?
Much like Kurt Warner of the Rams from back in the day, I think Billups is a product of the system and the environment. As evidenced in the playoffs, he couldn’t get it done when he continually said he needed to step up and carry the team. Billups was at his best with 3 other all stars on the floor with him. No other team has that, outside of possibly Chicago.
$10m - $12m per, for 4 years is what I’d offer. If he doesn’t want it, then try to sign and trade him. I don’t think Dumars would be as harsh as I am with it, but Billups can thrive in the system that Saunders has in place, and if he doesn’t see that he may struggle in a system that’s more run and gun then he truly is after only the money.