<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The agent for former La Salle forward Steven Smith denied an Internet report yesterday that his client was close to signing with a team in Croatia. However, Steve Mountain added that a number of teams in Europe and Asia have made his client "magnificent offers," including organizations in Russia, Greece, Italy, Turkey and Korea. The Web site probasketballnews.com said yesterday that Cibona, a team in Croatia, "may be close" to signing Smith. Still, the wish of the 6-foot-9 Smith, a Philadelphia native, is to play in the NBA, and Mountain is trying to fulfill that wish. "He doesn't want to go" overseas, Mountain said. "He wants to be in the NBA. These offers [from international teams] mean more money, but he wants to play in the NBA. That could change, but we hope this gets resolved." Mountain said he is trying to get as much guaranteed money as possible for his client with an NBA team. He said the 76ers remain one of several candidates for Smith's services. Smith, a Northeast High graduate, was not selected in the NBA draft, but he impressed officials from NBA teams with his play in summer leagues for both the Sixers and the Golden State Warriors. He averaged 15.3 points in six games for the Sixers in the Rocky Mountain Revue. The Sixers have 12 players under contract, three below the league maximum, but their payroll is believed to be very close to the luxury-tax figure of $65.42 million. They would have to pay a dollar in tax to the league for every dollar they are above that number. Because of the penalty, they may have to pass on using a $4.45 million trade exception that they obtained last August from the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Marc Jackson. The exception is good for one year, and it expires this week. The Sixers, who had expressed interest in Washington Wizards forward Jared Jeffries, a restricted free agent, saw Jeffries go to the New York Knicks yesterday. The Knicks offered Jeffries a five-year, $30 million contract, and the Wizards decided not to match the deal.</div> Source
The Atlantic division just seems to be a haven for crappy GM's. At one point it had Rob Babcock, Isiah Thomas, and Billy King all at the same time. Looks like it's a race between the 76ers and Knicks for who will be the last team in the division with an incompetent GM.
Screw Steven Smith. To be honest with you, if he wants to go overseas, let him. I am highly sceptic that Steven Smith will reach a deal with the Sixers anyways. With that said, Billy King should stop wasting his time, and start focusing on the remaining free agents left in the pool. Mainly Reggie Evans. I have said it before, the guy is exactly what we need. He rebounds, plays D, and isnt afraid to do the dirty work. Stop with trying to "negotiate" with an undrafted free agent, because chances are, Steven Smith will never amount to anything more than Reggie Evans. I by no means am criticizing Steven Smith, although it probably sounds like it. I like Steven Smith, and the guy has a lot of potential. But I just dont want Billy King wasting all his time on the guy, and then having him go play overseas. It will just be a big slap in the face. He already wasted time trying to get a deal for AI, and look how that turned out to be. If we offer Reggie the MLE, I'm 100% positive he will sign. Then we can worry about Steven Smith
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Brian:</div><div class="quote_post">Screw Steven Smith. To be honest with you, if he wants to go overseas, let him. I am highly sceptic that Steven Smith will reach a deal with the Sixers anyways. With that said, Billy King should stop wasting his time, and start focusing on the remaining free agents left in the pool. Mainly Reggie Evans. I have said it before, the guy is exactly what we need. He rebounds, plays D, and isnt afraid to do the dirty work. Stop with trying to "negotiate" with an undrafted free agent, because chances are, Steven Smith will never amount to anything more than Reggie Evans. I by no means am criticizing Steven Smith, although it probably sounds like it. I like Steven Smith, and the guy has a lot of potential. But I just dont want Billy King wasting all his time on the guy, and then having him go play overseas. It will just be a big slap in the face. He already wasted time trying to get a deal for AI, and look how that turned out to be. If we offer Reggie the MLE, I'm 100% positive he will sign. Then we can worry about Steven Smith</div>Huh? <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"><font size=""5"">"He doesn't want to go" overseas</font>, Mountain said. "He wants to be in the NBA. These offers [from international teams] mean more money, but he wants to play in the NBA. That could change, but we hope this gets resolved."</div>
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">"He doesn't want to go" overseas, Mountain said. "He wants to be in the NBA. These offers [from international teams] mean more money, but he wants to play in the NBA. That could change, but we hope this gets resolved."</div> There's no guarantee that he will play in the NBA or go overseas. Obviously the best choice will be to play in the NBA, but you never know these days. Money rules everything. Thing is, I don't want Billy King to spend days and days sitting there and trying to negotiate a contract for an undrafted free agent, when he could be spending the time looking at guys like Reggie Evans
"I don't want Billy King to spend days and days sitting there and trying to negotiate a contract for an undrafted free agent, when he could be spending the time looking at guys like Reggie Evans"--Sadly, that's King for you folks.
If I were Steven Smith, and I knew that my first NBA season depended on Billy King, I'd book my flight to Eurupe in no time.
