So Donell is definitely not coming back to the Wizards?

Thanks for the update. Very useful information.

With coming so close to luxury tax territory this season, what is going to happen next season when Gilbert Arenas opts out and wants a max contract?

What about me???

Sucks about Miles, Did he get more money in Europe, or did he just want the PT?

Ruffin sucks, and I hope never wears a wiz jersey again

Ivan, just wanted to also tell you that you do great job, love your posts, player insights, and the accuracy of your reporting, you do a great job, and dont let the haters get to you

LET GO WIZ

That is rough news about Miles, looks like he got tired of the waiting game and signed in Spain. He looked good in summer league games and would have been a good addition to the roster. I would almost prefer Donell over Chase. Donell is taller and knows the offense. Chase didn't look very exciting in summer league; Ivan, anything you can tell us about Brian Chase's game?

"What about me???"

Just say NO to small ball. :P

- Ray

Guess no Calvin Booth? That would be too bad.

The Wiz weren't going to offer Miles guaranteed money. He gets better terms in Spain, plus PT and a chance to play at a higher level than he did last year at Orthez.

I'll take that over the potential of playing in the D-League too.

Another article about JCN...

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/chris_ekstrand/08/07/scola.navarro/1.html

Great. Just what I wanted to read. :(

Was Roger Mason invited camp? Whats going on with his situation?

Don't sweat it, Mark. Ernie decided that the Wizards didn't need Navarro, so Navarro must be horrible.

Serenity now, serenity now....

yeah, now the press is talking up Navarro like the next peja stoichovic. How could EG be so short sighted?

I predict we will be talking about this all next season. EG will regret this move for a long time.

If Taylor doesn't have a deal, I'd invite him to camp to compete with Chase. Miles might be better off trying to showcase and develop his talent another year in Euro-Ball.
Ivan, I asked once before, any reaction from the players or other coaches about Coach Ayers hiring? Has he been a Verizon working with any of the guys yet? I don't think you've ever commented on his hiring at all here.
Just wondering what the inside reaction to it was. Is he Jordan's hire, or Grunfeld's, or did they cooperate on this one and get someone that everybody's happy with?

Abe is so freakin stingy. Who cares if we go into the luxury tax a little bit? If it gives us a chance to determine whether to trade Navarro or Stevens for the next year when Gil is deliberating, it would be well worth the lost change.

It would have made us deeper this season, given us insurance, a spark, and if Gil bolts next year we'd have something substantial at the guard spots that we could build on, or something decent to trade.

Now we've got some lousy (practically second round) pick and put all our money on the guy who choked in the playoffs last year.

You whine a lot DCW.

Why isn't EG talking to Reggie Miller?! Horrible GM!

Ivan -- you seem to have forgotten about the need to sign Calvin Booth (probably for the veteran minimum, which is @ $1.1m for him).

I would have guaranteed Miles at the rookie minimum and made sure to have a team option for next year. He is a solid point guard, who doesn't turn the ball over and can make an open jumper. We could have used him.

You can thank EG for that. I suspect you'll be whining when the season starts and the smoke clears and we see just what the hell has happened here.

http://www.fcbarcelona.com/web/english/noticies/basquet/temporada07-08/08/n070804101468.html

the consequences of going over the luxury tax have already been explained in detail in this blog yet people keep yappin about it. it is no way to "barely" go over by signing someone and exceeding the cap. there are more repurcussions. so, its not going to happen. would you as a business owner take on another employee knowing you would have to dig into your profit to pay him, agree to pay penalties and miss out on industry kick backs for the sole reason of your possibly being named business of the year??? NOT! & the details of the trade for JCN have not been officially given to the public yet. what JCN did in Spain is not necessarily going to guarantee him super success in the NBA. and if we get a late 1st rounder for a 2nd rounder who until here recently had no way or intention to wear our jersey then i'm good with that and so should you.

man we need to bring back booth and taylor. i like ruffin i hate to see him go but we gotta sign Blatche. whats the hold up there? while the case is hot offer him something.

Allen,

Next year, when Arenas gets his max offer from the Wiz, Jamison's deal comes off the books. That's where most of the money will come from.

As for Navarro, the best we can hope for is that Nick Young has a very strong rookie year. He showed a huge amount of talent in college, and is a lot younger than JCN.

It's ashamed that Miles go abroad. Apparently, he would have stayed had he got a guaranteed contract.

I think Miles would be a good 3rd string PG for them. He is a better and more natural PG than either Mason or Taylor.

Someone mentioned above that if Gil bolts next year we will have nothing substantial at the guard spot.

I almost think EG was looking to cover himself a little bit here by picking Nick Young.

As it stands now Young can hopefully provide some bench scoring this year and develop. I don't see how he could be much worse than Jarvis last year.

Interesting that the above linked site says that Navarro is only getting a one year deal with Memphis.
DCW, if you'd take a little time to understand how both the salary cap and the luxury tax work you'd understand it's not a simply a matter of being cheap. Since we are over the cap we had to have an available slot to offer Navarro a contract. Since we only had the MLE available and Grunfeld needed a starting two, he used a portion of the MLE to sign Stevenson. We only had about 1.8m of the MLE left to offer Navarro.
If we didn't have Stevenson, who amoung Arenas, Daniels, Navarro, and Young was going to gaurd guys like D. Wade that we face every night? That wasn't away to improve our defense.
I'd have liked to have had Navarro here, but it was pretty widely reported that he was asking for a three year deal starting at 3m per year because he had to pay a buyout. It appears that in the end he settled for less to play with Gasol. I've got to wonder now about Navarro and his agent's intentions since it really appeared that he blindsided the Wizards with the timing of his announcement. It came after the draft and just a day after Ernie had said that Navarro wouldn't be available this year.
Got to wonder if he wasn't angling to be traded all the time. I think the positive out of this deal is that he isn't in Miami where he could have really helped them by replacing Kapono.
In the end I don't think Navarro wanted to be here nearly as much as he was making it appear with his statements. He just didn't want to come off as a bad guy forcing a trade, but when you really look at it that's what he did.
To the point of his former team enforcing a deadline which got extended and extended now that he's negotiating with a team of his choice. Ernie didn't get snookered, he got what he could out of a situation where we didn't have a huge amount of leverage. We were working against Navarro, his agent and his former team all trying to manuver him where he wanted to go at a price Memphis was willing to pay.
We'll take what we got and move on. Anything that comes out of this deal will be a bonus. If he's half as good as some on this site beleive they'll be in the playoffs and we'll get the pick next year.

I just took a quick look at the Wizards' schedule this year. I don't like what I see in October/November. This team has been a slow starter the past couple of years, and it looks to me that the Wizards should be the favorite in 12 of their first 13 games. If they start out even at 8-5, they would be in a hole. And they follow up those first 13 with 6 games where they might be the favorite in 1 game.

Hopefully with the continuity in the starting lineup, they will be ready to play in October/November, setting the tone for a good season.

If Navarro was really that great, Memphis would have offered him a multi-year contract, wouldn't they? Nick Young is not only younger but has much more of an upside.

I think the Wizards will potentially be a lot deeper next year. If they lose one of the big 3 for a stretch of games, I think they might be able to weather this better than they did last year.

The off season isn't over yet, either. Maybe EG has a few other tricks up his sleeve, once he (hopefully) gets another number 1 pick to pay with.

post check

GM you are dead on with your post, the question is how are we going to fell is Stevenson stinks up and Navarro tears it up, then the whining will start. Even still I really can't imagine taking a deal where a top 3 pick might not come along for five years (!). If Grunfeld did it is a bad deal.

I tend to agree with the notion that Navarro never really intended to come here. He waited to make himself available when he was of the least value and the wizards already had other plans. I think there is more to this than meets the eye. Additionally, IF he makes a big impact I think that will be largely due to his playing with Gasol. The sum may be bigger than the parts. So, I don't think it is a cinch that he would have meshed well here. Especially if he was going to be unhappy.
If the deal with the Griz is as bad as it sounds then maybe we should have let him go back to FCB, however he is not incredibly young, and he isn't getting younger. So who is to say his value wouldn't have decreased to a 2nd rounder by the next time he would have made him self available. There are a lot of 'ifs' here, and we don't even know the terms yet. My sense is that Pau will get to play with his buddy, and that will make him happier, but the Griz will still struggle in the west.

From earlier posts I am hearing this Stevenson vs Navarro thing. The Wiz did right to sign Stevenson to reasonably modest contract.

Stevenson has NBA experience and can play at least a little defense unlike some on the team. He can even score a little bit (more than Jared did) if there are other first teamers playing that demand more defensive attention. Plus Gil likes playing with him. For the first time in a while the Wizards have continuity on the front line, which should not be discounted as unimportant.

Navarro would not necesssarily provide any of the above, except maybe scoring, but the Wizards already have that in abundance.

How are you guys doing,I know you guys are saying that I never wrote an update in the comment section but my analyzer is having problems. I have just got a update that the deal between the Wizards and Grizzlies is that the pick is ''Top 5 Protected''.Other news is the wizards will invite in brian chase and free agent point guard Kieth Mcloed to a non-guaranteed invite to camp but later I will post up the real blog until I get further details.

At best, Navarro is another Gilbert. At worst, he's a complete bust. Even if he turns out to be Gilbert2, he can't play alongside Gilbert1. On the offensive end, only one of them can have the ball at a time. At the defensive end one of them would have to guard DWade/Ben Gordon/Vince Carter/Kobe/TMac/etc. Good luck with that.

JCN would never have played more than 10 minutes per game for us.

As far as the bigger picture is concerned, I wouldn't be surprised if the entire JCN saga wasn't all figured out way in advance. Months and months in advance. Jerry West was in charge back then, and he was one of the best GMs ever. He could have figured this whole thing out a long time ago.

Furthermore, Ernie Grunfeld is no Isiah Thomas, either. Wouldn't surprise me if he didn't work with The Logo to arrange to get Darko in exchange for JCN and Etan. I think that's a win-win.

If this win-win scenario is really what is playing out, then Memphis' first round pick is actually just an IOU until after Darko's 12/15 trade restriction expires. I think you'll know that this is what is happening behind closed doors if the protections on the pick turn out to be bizarre.

Ivan, most blogs have a method of blocking off use of certain names. Can you do this with your blog? Or more to the point, is there some way for the comments field to visually recognize when its you? (a colored Icon, for instance). I hate seeing all the various variants of the Ivan Carter comments on here...

The Wizards need to do something about there centers becuase they both suck even though i like etan better.I am trying to figure out why people wants to keep Bendan Haywood but, after he demanded a trade people wanted him gone.But people wants to trade Etan Thomas becuase of his contract which I would rather keep.I have Question for u fans.

Would u like to trade a 6'9 center that has a big contract?
OR
A 7'0 center who does not even want to play for the team?

forget navarro, forget everything, if we can't pick up some post D were not going anywhere.I don't care how much we score,If we can't stop lebron or wade or whoever drives on us we will never win a title.all nba teams that have won a title had good centers or combination of, with the exception of the rodman bulls but jordan is the exception to the rule,BH,ET are just so so.We have to have legit defensive presance down there nobody worries coming to the hole against us.But no old guys no camby we need a younger guy.Someone like a dalemert(however you spell it) from philly but with a smaller contract

That guy's name is Stephen Hunter and he's the backup C in Philly. He plays as effectively as Dalembert but without the silly contract. We could send them Haywood for Hunter and Kevin Ollie's expiring contract.

I have to think Ernie has better deals on the table for Haywood.

Hunter is pretty much just Haywood, I'd reather keep Haywood.There is questioning on Hunters work ethic thats the last thing we need,he was like 56th in boards true he don't get the mins but his d ain't much better than BH.he shoots good but only cause all his shots are tip ins.I hope EG has something up his sleeve.AD,ET for dalembert would work and maybe they send us a pick of course i don't see philly making that but.

I'd rather have Hunter. He's no great shakes, but he's quicker and more athletic than Haywood. And I don't believe he's ever punched out one of his teammates.

Of course, there's no reason Philly would trade him to the Wiz for Haywood, let alone throw in an expiring contract.

Domo:
> Would u like to trade a 6'9 center that has a big contract?
> OR
> A 7'0 center who does not even want to play for the team?

Would you like to keep an employee that draws higher pay, do not produce as much and calling sick 40% of the time (Etan missed 40% of games due to injury in his NBA career)?

This has nothing to do with height, but production vs. cost!

Both Etan and Brendan have had moments where they have flashed signs of actual on-court brilliance... but unlike Haywood, who all too often tends to disappear entirely, at least you are always sure that "The Poet" has a pulse, even if he is out-manned by his opponent!

On paper, there are really not that many centers in the league with more physical tools than Haywood but, like the Tin Man in Oz, he desperately needs to find a heart

The merits of Brendan's physical abilities are quite over-rated, really. Physically the only thing he's got going for him is height. He comes up short in pretty much everything else.

To wit:

Despite his size, he's not esp. strong or tough, which is why he has so much trouble getting and holding low post position at either end.

He has almost no vertical leap to speak of, which is why he has such difficulty going up quick and strong to the rim in traffic off of offensive rebounds. He either pump fakes him self into a turnover, gets his shot blocked, or leaves it short at the rim.

His lateral movement isn't very good.

He's got bad hands.

Haywood is ten times better than thomas his stats per minute are very good and whenever he gets consistent minutes he normally produces

kalorama,kalorama,

As I said, I did not consider Haywood's "physical ability," I was talking about "productions!"

In 6 yrs as a Wizards, Haywood totaled 3076 pts, 2521 rebounds and 616 blocks, comparing to Thomas's 2154/1774/389, and Thomas makes a million and half more than Haywood per year!

Where in my reasoning did you see me mentioning Haywood's height?

However, for those Haywood haters, you guys seem to hold his height (or "physical ability") against him. You guy's reason is such, because he is taller than Thomas, he has to be a lot better than Thomas, and if he is not, then he does not have a heart and he sucks!

Baloney! Bottom line is I rather pay 5 million a year for a guy who gives me 3076/2521/616 in 6 yrs than 6.5 mil for someone who only gives me 2154/1774/389! Etan can throw all his dreads around, it still does not make up for lack of production, and I don't care who is 7 foot and who is 6'9"!

As I said, I did not conside

aka, aka,

Did you post this:

On paper, there are really not that many centers in the league with more physical tools than Haywood but, like the Tin Man in Oz, he desperately needs to find a heart.

Posted by: khrabb | August 9, 2007 01:55 PM

If not, then guess what? I wasn't responding to you.

Too bad, man. All that overwrought sarcasm and overblown righteous indignation all for naught. What a waste. Tsk.

Measure twice, cut one. Read carefully, then respond.

Words to live by, my friend. Words to live by.

khrabb,

Do you count the nights when "The Poet" was wearing suit sitting on the bench as having "pulse?" If you do, then I probably had more "pulse" than he did since I was in the stand yelling harder than he was (but had the same zero impact to the game as he had).

Do you know in his 7 yrs with NBA, Etan missed 40% of the games? EJ started Etan last season, but had to turn to Haywood however reluctantly because Etan could not stay healthy. Of course injury is nobody's fault, but you need to keep that in mind when you decide to keep only one of them.

Bottom line, Etan is a higher-priced, higher-risk commodity than Haywood!

kalorama,

Did you post the post that starts with "The merits of Brendan's physical abilities..."

If you do, then I responded correctly, because I was responding to what was written in that post, not any other post that precedes it.

If not, then I apologize, and I also apologize for typing your name twice regardless of your answer.

cheers.

LOL!

You went ballistic because you assumed my response was directed at you and misinterpreted what you said when, in fact, I wasn't even talking to you.

Nice attempt at trying to play if off, but no one's buying. Nice try, no dice.

Ernie Grunfield looks at the long term. He brought us Gilbert,Antwan,and Caron. Instead of going big in the draft he made sure we are covered if Gilbert leaves with the drafting of Young and McGuire. This is huge if Gilbert gets too big a head and decides to want all of a teams payroll. If we had gone big and the big man was no better that the Poet and Brenda then we would have had nothing at center and nothing as a scorer. Please, what could Reggie Miller do besides taking up bench space and launching long jumpers that may or may not be accurate anymore. I do agree with maybe signing Navarro for a year and seeing where this leads, however at his age maybe a #1 who is well scouted by Ernie & co. is more valuable. We will be working Young and McGwire into the lineup this year and it would be harder still to add another new person. If, If, If Percherov, Blatche, Young, and McGwire can each show flashes of talent then our roster will be a very good one. Our centers are serviceable, our forwards are a potential strength and our guards are as talented as most any other combination and our bench is flexible and talented.