<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Jackie Butler signed a three-year, $7 million offer sheet with the San Antonio Spurs yesterday, but the Knicks, according to sources, intend to the keep the 21-year-old center. The Knicks have seven days to match the offer or work out a sign-and-trade for Butler, a player Isiah Thomas uncovered in the CBA two years ago. Joining the Spurs would be more beneficial to Butler because it would give him an opportunity to start alongside Tim Duncan and play with a perennial contender. The Spurs lost Nazr Mohammed to free agency and traded Rasho Nesterovic. In New York, Butler would be playing behind Eddy Curry and Jerome James. The Knicks made a qualifying offer of $900,000 to Butler and questioned whether he could get a better deal. Thomas even predicted that negotiations with Butler would extend into September. "My summer is much shorter," said Butler's agent, Keith Glass. The 6-10, 265-pound Butler averaged 5.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and shot 54% from the field in 55 games with the Knicks. He is regarded as a better low-post player than James. By re-signing Butler, Thomas has the flexibility to include him in a trade if he cannot move James. Butler also provides insurance if Curry or James is injured. Butler's increased role last season - he played more minutes than James - created some animosity between Thomas and former coach Larry Brown. Some in the front office felt that Brown favored Butler because he is represented by the son of Brown's agent, Joe Glass. The Knicks fired Brown last month and are trying to void the final four years of his contract, worth $40 million. Brown maintained that he simply felt that Butler was the better player. "Without being coy about it, Larry is a part of my family," Keith Glass said from Las Vegas. "I clearly have thoughts and emotions and my emotions lie with them. Jackie has nothing to do with that. I've always understood that." </div> link: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/story/434666p-366223c.html
There conflicting reports about what Isiah is going to do. It would be best if he matched it. That's like Butler only getting paid 2.3 million a year for the next three years, which isn't bad for a player with his kind of potential. If he gets consistent minutes, whcih he should considering how foul prone Curry and James are, I see Butler continuing to impress. Isiah has a week.
Didn't the Knicks say that they are planning to match it? They didn't plan on giving him that much money, but they don't want him to go to the Spurs either. Edit <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The New York Knicks are expected to match the three year, $7 million offer sheet that Jackie Butler signed with the San Antonio Spurs , sources told the New York Daily News. The Knicks have seven days to match the offer or work out a sign-and-trade for Butler, a player Isiah Thomas uncovered in the CBA two years ago. Joining the Spurs would be more beneficial to Butler because it would give him an opportunity to start alongside Tim Duncan and play with a perennial contender. The Spurs lost Nazr Mohammed to free agency and traded Rasho Nesterovic. In New York, Butler would be playing behind Eddy Curry and Jerome James. The Knicks made a qualifying offer of $900,000 to Butler and questioned whether he could get a better deal. Thomas even predicted that negotiations with Butler would extend into September. "My summer is much shorter," said Butler's agent, Keith Glass. </div> Source
