Miami quietly fills holes and becomes very deep.

[Roy H.]

Well, we'll see.  It's a long way before that comes to fruition.

Billups is already officially waived.

He hasn't cleared amnesty waivers yet, though.

No, but who's got cap space to bid on him, and a need to do so?

It's not even necessarily about need.  Minnesota could do it, and then wait 30 days to trade him for an asset.  Same thing with a lot of teams. 

Maybe that won't happen because of agents threatening to put up a stink, but I think that if I was another team, I'd do it.

I'm curious what happens for trade purposes when someone is claimed off of wavers at a reduced salary? Is the claim figure used?

I believe I read that the "new" contract amount can be traded.

EDIT:  Speculation, but: http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/miamiheat/post/_/id/10485/will-chauncey-billups-be-in-play-for-heat

If a team acquires an amnestied player through secondary waivers, then it is likely they will be able to trade the player after 30 days – just like any other player claimed through the waiver process. This is another detail that has not yet been confirmed by the league. Nor is it known what the player’s trade value will be for salary matching purposes, but it will likely be the amount the team is actually paying the player (i.e., the amount of their bid).

[Roy H.]

For teams considering claim on Chauncey Billups, he tells Y!: "A leader can be as disruptive as he can be productive..This is about me now."

@WojYahooNBA


Billups will try his best to land on a contender.

Good to see that Chauncey can be a punk, too.  So much of the "classiness" we see from players is a facade.

[Who]

You shouldn't be allowed to trade players claimed off of amnesty waivers.

Feels like cheating to me.

[barefacedmonk]

For teams considering claim on Chauncey Billups, he tells Y!: "A leader can be as disruptive as he can be productive..This is about me now."

@WojYahooNBA


Billups will try his best to land on a contender.

Good to see that Chauncey can be a punk, too.  So much of the "classiness" we see from players is a facade.

Yup...and this follows:

Billups: "People take my kindness and professionalism for weakness. They think I’ll be OK with (getting claimed). I won’t be OK with this."

Billups wants freedom to choose team. Warns those who'd claim him: You'll regret it. "I'm tired of being the glue guy." Story soon on Y!

[Roy H.]

You shouldn't be allowed to trade players claimed off of amnesty waivers.

Feels like cheating to me.

Why not?  You can trade players claimed off regular waivers, or you can trade players you sign after they clear waivers.  I don't see this as a huge difference.

[PosImpos]

Well, we'll see.  It's a long way before that comes to fruition.

Billups is already officially waived.

He hasn't cleared amnesty waivers yet, though.

No, but who's got cap space to bid on him, and a need to do so?

bledsoe is gonna be out for a while.  he'd be a good fit on the clippers, and might even be happy to be there, despite all his posturing.  there's also the mavs. 

[PosImpos]

For teams considering claim on Chauncey Billups, he tells Y!: "A leader can be as disruptive as he can be productive..This is about me now."

@WojYahooNBA


Billups will try his best to land on a contender.

Good to see that Chauncey can be a punk, too.  So much of the "classiness" we see from players is a facade.

to be fair, billups is at a point in his career where it'd be understandable for him to want to either play for a good team or not play at all.  he's 33 and he's made plenty of money. it's not like good teams wouldn't want him, and he's not much use to a young rebuilding team except as a mentor.

[Who]

You shouldn't be allowed to trade players claimed off of amnesty waivers.

Feels like cheating to me.

Why not?  You can trade players claimed off regular waivers, or you can trade players you sign after they clear waivers.  I don't see this as a huge difference.

Maybe if they changed the rule and said you had to keep the player until the end of the season after you claim off waivers.

I just hate the idea of a team claiming a guy solely for the purposes of trading him elsewhere.

[Roy H.]

For teams considering claim on Chauncey Billups, he tells Y!: "A leader can be as disruptive as he can be productive..This is about me now."

@WojYahooNBA


Billups will try his best to land on a contender.

Good to see that Chauncey can be a punk, too.  So much of the "classiness" we see from players is a facade.

to be fair, billups is at a point in his career where it'd be understandable for him to want to either play for a good team or not play at all.  he's 33 and he's made plenty of money. it's not like good teams wouldn't want him, and he's not much use to a young rebuilding team except as a mentor.

Fair enough.  Guys can always retire.  It's 100% their right.

What I don't like is the "I'm going to be a disruptive punk, because I'm sick of pretending I'm a professional" routine.  Is it so hard to play basketball for $14 million?

[kozlodoev]

Billups wants freedom to choose team. Warns those who'd claim him: You'll regret it. "I'm tired of being the glue guy." Story soon on Y!

Moments like this make me sorely disappointed that NBA owners failed to negotiate the ability to tell players that they're tired of paying their inflated salaries. Pf...

[barefacedmonk]

For teams considering claim on Chauncey Billups, he tells Y!: "A leader can be as disruptive as he can be productive..This is about me now."

@WojYahooNBA


Billups will try his best to land on a contender.

Good to see that Chauncey can be a punk, too.  So much of the "classiness" we see from players is a facade.

to be fair, billups is at a point in his career where it'd be understandable for him to want to either play for a good team or not play at all.  he's 33 and he's made plenty of money. it's not like good teams wouldn't want him, and he's not much use to a young rebuilding team except as a mentor.

He should retire then. Don't try to intimidate other teams. He voted for the new CBA which allows teams to bid..he knows it.

[Who]

Proud of Chauncey. He should stand up for himself.

He should not be forced to play for some crappy team and waste away the twilight years of his career.

[PosImpos]

For teams considering claim on Chauncey Billups, he tells Y!: "A leader can be as disruptive as he can be productive..This is about me now."

@WojYahooNBA


Billups will try his best to land on a contender.

Good to see that Chauncey can be a punk, too.  So much of the "classiness" we see from players is a facade.

to be fair, billups is at a point in his career where it'd be understandable for him to want to either play for a good team or not play at all.  he's 33 and he's made plenty of money. it's not like good teams wouldn't want him, and he's not much use to a young rebuilding team except as a mentor.

Fair enough.  Guys can always retire.  It's 100% their right.

What I don't like is the "I'm going to be a disruptive punk, because I'm sick of pretending I'm a professional" routine.  Is it so hard to play basketball for $14 million?

certainly not a hardship.

another thing to consider is that billups has been kicked around the league by teams for most of his career.  his only long term stint was with the pistons.  understandable that he's a little sick of being so expendable to teams.

i don't resent when older players pull this routine, since they don't have much value to a team except on a contender and they've already made their name in the league playing their way up.  it bothers me when younger, franchise guys do it, but i feel like 10+ year veterans have earned the right to dictate where they play at the end of their career, as long as they're willing to play for the minimum.

some guys like steve nash are okay with just being a mentor on a team going nowhere, but i can understand why most of them aren't.

[dtrader]

For teams considering claim on Chauncey Billups, he tells Y!: "A leader can be as disruptive as he can be productive..This is about me now."

@WojYahooNBA


Billups will try his best to land on a contender.

Good to see that Chauncey can be a punk, too.  So much of the "classiness" we see from players is a facade.

Yup...and this follows:

Billups: "People take my kindness and professionalism for weakness. They think I’ll be OK with (getting claimed). I won’t be OK with this."

Is this really that hard to understand though?  Especially after the lockout?  These guys are all treated as property when theyre moved, but when theyre on the team, theyre told theyre family...we really wanted you...we see you having a big role in our future, etc.  All Chauncey is saying, is to think about him as a person if youre going to claim him, and not just look at his stats on the court and assume he'll fit in.

Why would an aging player want to end up on a rebuilding team?  Why should he have to be a locker room leader somewhere he doesnt even want to be?  All he's saying is for teams to consider his position as well as their own when considering him.  I think thats pretty reasonable.

[barefacedmonk]

Proud of Chauncey. He should stand up for himself.

He should not be forced to play for some crappy team and waste away the twilight years of his career.

Forced? What's preventing him from filing for retirement?