Re: Wizards sign DeShawn Stevenson! <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Updated: Aug. 3, 2006, 10:17 PM ETWizards sign former Magic guard Stevenson By Chad FordESPN.comFree agent DeShawn Stevenson agreed to terms with the Washington Wizards on Thursday, his agent, Mark Bartelstein told ESPN.com. According to Bartelstein, Stevenson agreed to a two-year contract worth the NBA minimum salary. Since he has six-plus years of service, that would be $932,015 for the first year. Stevenson has a player option in the second year of the contract.The deal is a pretty big blow to Stevenson financially. He opted out of a contract this spring that would have paid him $3 million and then turned down a three-year, $10 million contract from the Magic in early July.Stevenson then changed agents and agreed to the deal with the Wizards."There just isn't much money left out there," Bartelstein said. "This gives DeShawn an excellent opportunity to play significant minutes on a very good team. I think by next summer, the rest of the league will see his real value and he'll earn back the money he lost."The next big step for the Wizards will be deciding whether to match the Knicks' offer sheet to restricted free agent Jared Jeffries.The Knicks made Jeffries a five-year, $30 million offer that the Wizards have until Monday to match. Several sources familiar with the Wizards' thinking believe that they are leaning against matching the offer due to luxury tax concerns. Matching the Knicks offer would put the Wizards over the luxury tax threshold.</div>I love this signing. We've been interested in DeShawn since the start of the off-season and I'm glad we finally got him. And for so CHEAP!!! Not a whole bunch of teams were offering him good money, so he signed with us at a very cheap contract. He could have gotten more in Orlando, though. Anyways, its only a 2-year deal, and the 2nd year is player option. So its bascially a one-year rental of DeShawn. He may not be the answer to our SG problems this year, but that's that. Grunfeld is just trying to experiment whether he'll fit starting at the SG position next to Gilbert. If he doesnt work out, then fine. It's not like we signed him to a ridiculous contract. :happy0144: BTW I really hope this means we wont match Jeffries' contract..
Re: Wizards sign DeShawn Stevenson! I guess I could argue that there is a reason not too many teams where after him. Maybe because he just isn't that good. Orlando needed a SG and sort of passed on him. Other teams that really needed a SG passed on him too (Denver, Sacramento, Houston, just to name a few).But regardless for so cheap, it means it won't hurt the Wiz in terms of luxury tax or salary cap.
Re: Wizards sign DeShawn Stevenson! Good signing for the Wiz. He is very athletic and will be able to run the floor alongside Gilbert in fastbreak situations. It doesn't hurt that they got him cheap, nice signing.
Re: Wizards sign DeShawn Stevenson! pretty good signing. He's pretty good at dricing and finishing at the hoop. He wan't make a huge impact, but he's not a bad guy to have around.
Re: Wizards sign DeShawn Stevenson! Signing DeShawn Stevenson to league minimum is excellent for Washington. I bet Stevenson would have re-considered that contract he could have gotten from Orlando (3 years/$10M). But oh well, the past is in the past. Stevenson will help Washington out a lot. He will provide defense, athleticism, scoring off the drive, and he works hard. He fits really well with the Wizards.
Re: Wizards sign DeShawn Stevenson! I don't think any other team except the wizards and magic would of really wanted to sign him..great move by the wizards and stevenson (not financially for stevenson of course)but it shows he's loyal to washington and deserves minutes
Re: Wizards sign DeShawn Stevenson! Stevenson should fire his agent and/or really think about his free agent value next time. He's a complete idiot now, forced to take the league minimum when he had 10 mil on the table last month. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>but it shows he's loyal to washington and deserves minutes</div> I think he had no choice but to sign with them, Magic had moved on from their offer.
Re: Wizards sign DeShawn Stevenson! Wow. Really nice signing. DeShawn is probably one of the best backup guards in the League. He is athletic, he can play defense, score. He will be a really big help off the bench for the Zards. This was a really good signing. You guys are pretty much a lock for the 6th seed now.
Re: Wizards sign DeShawn Stevenson! <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CB4AllStar @ Aug 4 2006, 02:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Wow. Really nice signing. DeShawn is probably one of the best backup guards in the League. He is athletic, he can play defense, score. He will be a really big help off the bench for the Zards. This was a really good signing. You guys are pretty much a lock for the 6th seed now.</div>didnt he start when he played for Orlando? I know he did for at least half of the season if not all of it. He will be a pretty good backup but he didnt do anything special as a starter IMO when he played in Orlando.
Re: Wizards sign DeShawn Stevenson! Yeah, he started every game. But I meant that he will be one of the best bench players next year. And he wouldnt have started if Orlando had any real strength at the two.
Re: Wizards sign DeShawn Stevenson! <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CB4AllStar @ Aug 4 2006, 02:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Yeah, he started every game. But I meant that he will be one of the best bench players next year. And he wouldnt have started if Orlando had any real strength at the two.</div>yeah thats what i thought. So what you are saying is that he will do better coming off the bench then he did when he was in orlando? because his scoring production in Orlando wanst that impressive. Off of the top of my head he got like 10 points maybe 11 points a game.
Re: Wizards sign DeShawn Stevenson! Yeah, I think he will have a big impact off the bench. He is athletic, he can drive, and he can score some points. It's not just offense though. He is a talented defensive player too.
Re: Wizards sign DeShawn Stevenson! <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CB4AllStar @ Aug 4 2006, 02:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Yeah, I think he will have a big impact off the bench. He is athletic, he can drive, and he can score some points. It's not just offense though. He is a talented defensive player too.</div>He will have a decent impact but i wouldnt expect him to get too many minutes considering he is backing up a very talented caron butler. The wiz are also going to have to give minutes to Antonio Daniels, and the reason he got a decent number of minutes last year was because they would just have both him and Gilbert in at the same time. The wizards need Gilbert playing 40+ minutes a game so i dont think there will be a whole lot of minutes for Deshawn to play.
Re: Wizards sign DeShawn Stevenson! I disagree. I think he could log quite a few minutes backing up Butler, and also when they want to have a lineup like thisg-arenassg-stevensonsf-butler.I think they may go with that quite a bit since they lost Jeffries..
Re: Wizards sign DeShawn Stevenson! <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CB4AllStar @ Aug 4 2006, 02:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I disagree. I think he could log quite a few minutes backing up Butler, and also when they want to have a lineup like thisg-arenassg-stevensonsf-butler.I think they may go with that quite a bit since they lost Jeffries..</div>they could but i dont really view Butler as a small forward. And if you see that lineup alot, you are missing out on Antonio Daniels who did very well for them this season and in the playoffs. I dont see Deshawn getting more than 20 mins a game.And Deshawn this past season only averaged 11 points in 32 minutes. He isnt going to be getting 32 minutes a game in Washington.
Re: Wizards sign DeShawn Stevenson! Let's not write off Jarvis Hayes yet either. Who knows they could still match Jeffries?
Re: Wizards sign DeShawn Stevenson! <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (DRob-50-Forever @ Aug 4 2006, 02:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Let's not write off Jarvis Hayes yet either. Who knows they could still match Jeffries?</div>I thought Jarred Jeffries already signed with NY.
Re: Wizards sign DeShawn Stevenson! Butler was a small forward coming into this league. He only moved to shooting guard last year with the Wiz, even then you could argue he was the small forward in their starting lineup. As watching games last year, they listed Jeffries as their shooting guard during lineups.<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>I thought Jarred Jeffries already signed with NY.</div>Wiz have till Monday to match.
Re: Wizards sign DeShawn Stevenson! Gotta love the depth:Antonio DanielsJarvis HayesDarius SongailaDeShawn Stevenson Etan ThomasAndray BlatcheOleisky Pecherov (if he comes back) :yahoo:
Re: Wizards sign DeShawn Stevenson! This was a great signing, we finally got him after eyeing him for so long, it's a great feeling, our bench has really progressed, and think about the bargain we got on him. However, Zards I disagree to the fact that we shouldn't sign Jeffries, we have the money to sign him and he could help our huge depth coming out this year. Big improvement i'm so glad, and i'm ready to go for this year. However Ballerman, Daniels is good coming off the bench behind Gilbert, a backup for when Gil is on the bench. However I wish we could do something about Jamison being a PF still. Great upgrade for our team, I'm very happy. Also Stevenson will go great w/ our team, even if he only averaged 11 points in 32 minutes it's still alot better than Jeffries. Drob about Hayes, we shouldn't keep him starting too long, maybe a lil once the season starts to get the new guys into our team's style and develope chemistry. Hayes is too injury prone which is why i'm afraid of him starting.
