Wally Szczerbiak would appear to be the top NBA free agent left standing. Then again, maybe not.With the Denver Nuggets having lost out on free-agent shooting guard Flip Murray to the Charlotte Bobcats on Thursday, sources told FanHouse the Nuggets are now looking strongly at small forward Ime Udoka.
Meanwhile, Szczerbiak, who had been linked earlier in the summer to Denver, is still looking for a job.
"Yes, the economy has affected the market, there's no question about it,'' Szczerbiak said in an interview Thursday with FanHouse. "I just have to take my time.''
Murray agreed to a one-year contract with Charlotte for the biannual exception of $1.99 million. That left the Nuggets, who are looking to sign a wing player and waited several weeks to see if Murray would accept their $1.1 million minimum contract offer, suddenly having to look for somebody else.
Sources said Thursday night the Nuggets are intrigued by Udoka, who played the past two seasons for San Antonio. While Udoka has a modest career scoring average of 6.0 over five seasons, he is known for being a strong defender.
Szczerbiak said earlier Thursday that Denver remains an option for him. Before it was learned about Charlotte's agreement with Murray and the Nuggets' interest in Udoka, he was asked if believed he was Denver's backup choice behind Murray.
"I really have no idea at all,'' said Szczerbiak, who averaged 7.0 points last season with Cleveland and has a career average of 14.1.
The Nuggets, allowed to start early because they are one of the NBA teams heading overseas, begin training camp Saturday. Most teams start Tuesday.
Szczerbiak, who is believed to want more than a minimum deal worth $1.3 million, said he has received a guaranteed offer from a team. But he would not reveal the team or the amount of the offer.
Sczcerbiak was asked if he is willing to miss the start of training camp while waiting for the right situation.
"We'll see,'' he said. "I'll have to weigh everything.''
Prior to committing to the Bobcats, Murray, who averaged 12.2 points last season with Atlanta, was the NBA's top remaining free agent. The Nuggets, who are over the luxury-tax threshold, would not offer Murray the biannual exception, which is why he bolted to the Bobcats.
The Nuggets have been searching for a wing player since the early-August departure of small forward Linas Kleiza to Greece. The Nuggets believe J.R. Smith could move into the role of being Carmelo Anthony's backup at small forward in addition to playing shooting guard. That's why they had targeted Murray, who can slide to point guard but not to small forward.
The Nuggets had remained steadfast in their wait for Murray. They also had looked in free agency at wing players Desmond Mason, Keith Bogans and Rashad McCants. But all are now off the market, with the Houston Chronicle reporting Thursday that McCants will sign a non-guaranteed contract with Houston.Showing how tough the market is, Mason also settled for non-guaranteed money with Sacramento. Bogans, as first reported by FanHouse, was able to a get a guaranteed minimum deal from San Antonio.
The Nuggets did trade Wednesday for journeyman small forward James White, who has a non-guaranteed contract, mainly to get a free look at him in training camp. While the Nuggets are still seeking to bring in a perimeter player, it's not completely out of the question White could end up being their guy if other options don't pan out and White is a surprise in camp
For now, though, the Nuggets are looking at Udoka, 32. Denver only would be offerering a one-year minimum contract worth $959,111.
There's not a lot left in the NBA when it comes to free agency. Excluding Udoka, Szczerbiak and restricted free agents David Lee and Nate Robinson, who are ready to re-sign with New York, players remaining include guards Jerry Stackhouse, Stephon Marbury, Joey Graham, Bobby Jackson, Brevin Knight, Jacque Vaughn, Tyronn Lue, Juan Dixon, Chucky Atkins and Jamaal Tinsley; forwards Stromile Swift, Gerald Green and Donyell Marshall; and centers Melvin Ely, Chris Mihm, Robert Swift, Lorenzen Wright and Jake Voskuhl.
Few, if any, of the remaining players will be able to get guaranteed money. But Jackson is hopeful, having already turned down invitations to training camp by Detroit and Miami because neither team would give him guaranteed money.
Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Last I saw, NBA.com also listed Ilgauskas, Curry, Harrington, and others, as free agents, and they would probably have to rank up with Szczerbiak. Several teams need centers, and Curry worked with Cartwright, Phoenix`s assistant coach, before, and Ilgauskas should have at least enough left in the tank to beat out Mtumbo even if he resigns with Houston. Harrington is a power forward who doesn`t rebound much, but does score some. And Jarron Collins could add much needed thickness to the OakLand back up post men. If Jersey signs a free agent, he will probably be Russian. New Yorkers have a history of failure in management, in and out of basketball, as well as New York basketball teams having a history of failure, so Prokhorov will probably go with guys who speak his language, literally and figurativly.
Ilgauskas is signed through 2010 (cavs have an option for 2011 which they will obviously drop). Curry has a player option after 2010 which he will obviously pick up, and Harrington is signed through 2010. To say a new Russian owner is only going to sign russian players is silly, by that logic wouldn't there be no foreign players in the NBA right now since the owners are all American. A wealthy owner who actually cares about winning should be great for the league hopefully they can get a deal done. Also the only Russian player in the league is AK47.
Guess NBA.com must be wrong then. As well as reports Prokhorov claimed he bought the team to integrate Russians into it. Wouldn`t be the first time the media got reports wrong. The also publish reports folks WILL do something, which sometimes then they don`t. Though I have also heard your reports before, too, so maybe yours are right.
And I presume the reports suggesting he would prefer Russian free agent athletes were primarily limited to this season, due to the lateness in getting started with most quality free agents in the US already signed. Americans may underestimate Russian athletes, but Americans are so far still right in thinking they are generally the best basketball players (it being an American originated sport). His stated preference for fellow Russians in management might be considerably more long term.
hoopshype.com has all the salaries listed
how come you don't mention point guard Carlos Arroyo as available free agent???
I can`t speak for Mr. Tomasson, but I think he probably didn`t include Greg Ostertag, center, and Carlos Arroyo, point guard, because they are out of the NBA, though they have been in. Last publicity on CA, he was back in Puerto Rico, working as a rapper. He is small for the wing position, but played there a bit, too. Always a lot of guys who could be considered. Most of the Russians aren`t in the NBA, they are in Russia itself, or other parts of Europe, and would likely only be fringe players there, and therefore only fringe players here, since the better players are generally all under contract this late in the signing period.
Szczerbiak is not worth much, streaky shooter at best, very slow, lacks defense of skills.