Call me clueless. Honestly, I won't be offended. When it comes to some of the recent NBA free agent signings and rumors, I am scratching my head, furiously.
Here's what I'm talking about:
1) Ryan Gomes...a 5 year contract? I saw this small ticker blurb while watching Twins Live last night, and from a NBA.com headline, but not much more. I like the signing, and Gomes, but 5 years for a tweener who is the down the pecking order a bit seems a little long to me. I imagined with the disastrous Jaric--and frankly Mark Madsen--long term deals, the club had learned it's lesson about role player contract rewards. I hope there's some team options in the deal, in the 4th or 5th year, if this information is at all accurate.
2) Ricky Davis....to the Clippers? They had done pretty well in surviving the Elton Brand defection with the Marcus Canby steal, but now have ruined any chance of making an impact by adding the boneheaded, braided Davis to their roster. Tim Thomas and Davis on the same club...can that team--if not the league--survive? How does Mike Dunleavy get along with that front office group?
3) Kwame Brown...to the Pistons? Okay, after dumping Flip somewhere on a Lake Minnetonka shore, Joe Dumars tells anyone who is listening that everyone on his team is available, there are no sacred cows. A lot of noise about Carmelo Anthony and Tracy McGrady ensues, but after bringing Michael Curry on to lead this bunch, the best he can do to date is add this stiff? At least find someone Rasheed Wallace can respect to keep the Tar Heel in line, especially around playoff time. Otherwise, it's another Eastern Conference playoff exit.
4) Finally, there's been a lot of bulletin board/Real GM scuttlebutt about a three way trade, with the Wolves getting Brandan Wright, and us giving up McCants and potentially a number one pick. I'm not a big McCants fan, but even though we have a stockpile--incredibly--of number one's, why would we need another skinny, developing big man? Finding a deal to get rid of Calvin Booth and acquiring a decent combo guard seem to be better uses for excess first round picks. I think Wright has some talent, but how and where would he fit in, especially with Love, Smith, Richard and Gomes in the fold? I truly hope that's board fodder. Then again, maybe we'll hear more at the Gomes/Wolves press conference today.
But like I said, if someone's got an explanation, or real information, I'm all ears.