Ainge talking to more bigs ? Kwame Brown is available :)

[grayjonv]

Kwame Brown has been an obvious disappointment.

But if he can just add some bulk to back up Perkins with O'Bryant then could have a role like the Candy Man did.

Garnett might be able to get the most out of what talent and potential he does have.

[fairweatherfan06]

I still think bigs are lower on his priority list, and Kwame Brown just worked out for ATL ( his hometown) he may end up there, but if he sticks around later into free agency who knows?

[the_Bird]

What role did Kandiman ever fill other than taking up space on a twenty-win team?  

No Kwame, he'd drive KG even deeper into insanity.  They've got their project-big, for better or worse, in Paddy O'Blount (I *love* that name ).  Kurt Thomas or Mourning makes a lot more sense; someone professional who can step up and give some consistent play and add back the toughness that we're going to be missing from Pose.  

[Vermont Green]

If Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson could not get anything out of him, I am not sure KG will fare much better.  He may be worth a try but my advice is to be careful about falling into the trap of thinking KG or Clifford Ray or being around winners or whatever is going to make a marked difference in a guy who has been a disappointment for what, 5 years.

[zerophase]

really depends how much we want to pay him and if he would be willing to work. i have faith in cliff ray if he's willing to work hard.

[Mr October]

I thought Kwame would be an excellent gamble for around the minimum. However the "Gamble on a big project" spot is currently taken by O'Bryant.

Kwame was a disappointment as a highly paid starter with stone hands, and #1 overall pick. However if signed to a tiny salary, his excellent low post defense will be useful off the bench to somebody... Off the top of my head, Dallas at the minimum would be a good fit.

[the_Bird]

IIRC, Dallas signed Diop to a decent-sized, long term contract to fill that exact role.

[sk7326]

Kwame is a dog.  If he couldn't hold a Lakers job together, there is not much hope.  A flyer is fine because there is no risk, but anything more, I worry.

On the other hand, sending Pierce and KG down to Miami to beg Alonzo Mourning to come up here and supply his toughness and defense (which has never stopped being exemplary, at least when healthy) to a repeat effort?  Absolutely positively yes.  (and they might very well be doing that)

[reardenmetal]

NO, No, No, No.

[Mr October]

IIRC, Dallas signed Diop to a decent-sized, long term contract to fill that exact role.

My bad. I forgot Dallas has Dampier. He and Diop are enough at the 5 to at least put up some resistance at the basket.

[sk7326]

IIRC, Dallas signed Diop to a decent-sized, long term contract to fill that exact role.

More than decent.  5 years at the full midlevel.  It was borderline lunacy.  Diop is what you'd have if you took Kendrick Perkins and removed all of the offensive skill.

[Celtic]

If Mourning really is interested in playing another year, would he really be interested in playing in Miami? They have no chance at a ring, although Alonzo already has one, but they probably wont even be competitive. If the dollars are even, why wouldn't he want to come to a team that just won a championship and has a very legitimate chance at winning another?

[Mr October]

I was on the Mourning train as soon as the off season started. But he is expected to be out for half a season after undergoing additional knee surgery.

If he plays next year, I bet it will be in a PJ Brown fashion, where he chooses a team in Feb/March.

I'm ready to move on in the meantime.

[mainevent]

IIRC, Dallas signed Diop to a decent-sized, long term contract to fill that exact role.

My bad. I forgot Dallas has Dampier. He and Diop are enough at the 5 to at least put up some resistance at the basket.

Diop is on the Nets

[the_Bird]

Uh, no....

With the salary cap and mid-level exception set, the Mavericks went about the business of finalizing the free-agent contracts of DeSagana Diop and J.J. Barea on Wednesday.

The NBA released the mid-level late Tuesday night. The salary cap will be $58.68 million.

Diop's contract will start at $5,585,000. With the maximum eight percent raises, The five-year deal will be worth $32.393 million.

"It's great signing a five-year deal," Diop said. "Knowing you're back where you want to be is important to me. There were three or four teams that offered me the mid-level. But it wasn't a hard decision. The only way I would have ended up somewhere else is if it was for a lot more money, not a little."

Barea, meanwhile, signed for $1.5 million next season. Two years of the three-year contract are guaranteed, with the third at the team's option.

Also expected to sign is James Singleton, who played with the Los Angeles Clippers and spent last season in Europe. He is expected to be on the final roster in October.

That will give the Mavericks 12 players under contract.

The Mavericks are expected to play the waiting game now, seeing which free agents slip through and might be a good fit for a minimum salary. That's all they have left after signing Diop, though they can re-sign a player such as Devean George for more than a minimum contract because he was on their roster last season for about $2.3 million.