Free agents sit and wait for payday
NBA teams have full rosters and payrolls, making them loathe to spend on an average talent field
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
GEOFFREY C. ARNOLD The Oregonian Staff
Ruben Patterson remains confident he will play in the NBA this season, even though he’s waiting to sign a contract. Count Patterson, who finished last season with Milwaukee, among free agents who are trying to secure deals as teams finalize their rosters and money evaporates.
“No question it makes it harder,” said John Hammond, the Detroit Pistons’ vice president of player personnel. “You can count heads around the league right now, and many teams have (the maximum) 15 players, or more, in some circumstances.”
Advertisement This year’s free agent class, with few superstars, was considered average at best. Many teams chose to wait for next year’s class, with players such as Tim Duncan and Jermaine O’Neal possibly becoming available. That left some players — such as Patterson, P.J. Brown, Anderson Varejao, Earl Boykins, Adonal Foyle, Troy Hudson, Chris Webber, James Posey and Mickael Pietrus — waiting.
Patterson said this is the longest he has waited before knowing what jersey he will wear when camp begins in October. The former Trail Blazers forward acknowledges he’s getting a little nervous. “You could say that. I know it’s the middle of August,” Patterson said last week during a telephone interview from Cincinnati. “You got a lot of guys who haven’t signed.” Some of them will sign, but others won’t. Even those who do sign a contract probably will not get the kind of deal they envisioned when the free agent period began July 1. Then, there was plenty of money available from teams. Now, with many rosters essentially set, many teams want to avoid paying the luxury tax, a dollar-for-dollar penalty for teams that exceed the team payroll salary limit. “If there’s a free agent available and you pay him $1.5 million, it’s going to cost you $3 million ($1.5 million in salary and $1.5 million tax) with the luxury tax,” Hammond said. “It makes it pretty difficult.”
Patterson’s options decreased further when teams decided to consider signing retired players Allan Houston, Reggie Miller, Charles Oakley and Anfernee Hardaway. Hardaway, 36, who last played during the 2005 season, signed with Miami on Aug. 9. Miller, who retired two seasons ago after spending his entire 18-year career in Indiana, is considering a comeback offer from the Boston Celtics. An arthritic left knee forced Houston to retire in October 2005 after 12 NBA seasons, but he’s also working out in preparation for the season.
Patterson said he would prefer to sign with Boston or Miami, and added he’s not concerned about Hardaway signing with the Heat and Miller considering the Celtics.
“It’s going to be interesting,” Patterson said. “Reggie is what, 41, 42? He’s going to be just shooting threes, and he isn’t going to be a 30- to 40-minute per night guy.
“You look at those squads (Boston and Miami) — where’s the stopper? The energy guy? The defensive guy? That’s me. I’m the only guy they’re missing.”
Some players who had breakthrough seasons, which in the past might have translated to big pay raises, had trouble cashing in this offseason.
Golden State’s Matt Barnes attempted to sign a new deal after coming off a strong season during the Warriors’ playoff run. Barnes had hoped to receive a multiyear deal that included a team’s entire $5.36 million annual mid-level exception early in the free agent period. He didn’t receive many offers and signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal with Golden State on Aug. 13.
“I’m sure I’m not the only one the market got up on,” Barnes told reporters last week.
Former Blazers forward Ime Udoka signed a free agent deal with San Antonio for two years and about $2 million, less than he and his agent had sought.
Miami reportedly was interested in Pietrus, but the Heat, with a team payroll of $69.5 million, exceeds the luxury tax threshold and backed off.
Another problem for some players is the lack of competing offers, which weakens their bargaining position.
A player’s current team isn’t going to bid against itself, so decision-makers -wait to see if a player receives an offer. Stars such as Vince Carter or Chauncey Billups — two of the big-name free agents going into the summer — didn’t need to fret about such issues. However, for Patterson, a lack of competing — or any — offers is a big problem.
The unsigned free agents know teams are reluctant to spend much money at this point of the summer. Twenty-two of the league’s 30 teams have payrolls that exceed the salary cap ($55.63 million ), and eight teams exceed the luxury tax limit ($67.865 million).
“There used to be a salary cap number that teams looked at; now people are worried about the tax number,” Hammond said. “That’s what everybody is working around.”
Players who held out or scorned a less lucrative deal in search of something better sometimes regret their decision. That’s what happened to Bonzi Wells two seasons ago. Wells, coming off a stellar playoff performance with Sacramento, rejected a five-year, $37 million deal from the Kings, thinking he could command more on the open market. The market dried up, and he signed a two-year, $4.5 million contract with Houston.
“There’s a certain amount of anxiety that exists with agents if their guy doesn’t sign early in the process,” Hammond said. “Then you have the fear factor — some agents might be saying, ‘Here it is August and my guy is still not signed.’ ”
Patterson would be thrilled to sign a one-year deal at this stage of the offseason. The veteran forward wants to play basketball, and he’s angling to play for a championship contender.
“I’m 32. I’m not old yet, but I’m up there. I’m just trying to win a championship, even if it’s a one-year or two-year deal, I’ll be happy,” Patterson said. “I’m just going to sit back, relax and see what happens.”
Geoffrey C. Arnold: 503-221-8556; geoffreyarnold@news.oregonian.com Catch his radio show, “Spirit in Sports,” Sundays at 5 p.m. on KPDQ 93.9 FM
Tags: Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, NBA, 2007 Offseason, Free Agency, Uncategorized by Groves
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From Charles F. Gardner of the 
