August 31, 200520 yr i thought he would sign with the heat for sure.. oh well The team that won the Michael Finley Sweepstakes is the same team that just won an NBA championship. Finley told ESPN.com on Wednesday that he has chosen to sign with the San Antonio Spurs, spurning a richer offer from the Miami Heat and the lure of an emotional return to the Phoenix Suns to reunite with close friend Steve Nash. Hey Dallas, Michael Finley is heading to your conference rivals.The Dallas Mavericks tried for weeks to move Finley to an Eastern Conference team to prevent him from joining the Spurs or the Suns. When it couldn't swing a trade before the Aug. 15 deadline to exercise the NBA's new amnesty clause, Dallas reluctantly waived the two-time All-Star, making Finley an unrestricted free agent and the target of an intense two-week courtship that also involved the Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves. Miami's Pat Riley, Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire and Minnesota's Kevin Garnett were among the big names to fly to Chicago last week to make face-to-face pitches to Finley. In the end, he went with the team that sent a one-man delegation � Spurs coach Gregg Popovich -- to Finley's hometown. The complete structure of the deal with San Antonio hasn't been finalized, including the length of the contract, but Finley will receive a starting salary of roughly $2.5 million this season. "To be a part of a championship team, I'm excited," Finley said. "This is the closest I've ever been to a championship. I'm looking forward to the challenge of helping this team repeat." Asked why he picked San Antonio, Finley said: "In a nutshell, they're already a championship team but they have room for improvement. And I feel my game can help them in the areas where they need improvement." Landing Finley, 32, completes an impressive summer haul for the Spurs, who felt a need to be as aggressive as they've ever been in free agency after struggling to holds leads of 2-0 and 3-2 over Detroit in a taut-as-possible NBA Finals. They expect Finley to supply off-the-bench punch and a reliable 3-point stroke as the third wing of a swing trio that features All-Star guard Manu Ginobili and defensive specialist Bruce Bowen. Since free agency began July 1, San Antonio has also re-signed playoff hero Robert Horry, added wily Argentinean post man Fabricio Oberto to the frontcourt rotation and Monday signed fiery veteran point guard Nick Van Exel, Finley's former Dallas teammate. Popovich's foremost challenge next season will be massaging playing time and egos with a roster far deeper than the Spurs typically carry. It remains to be seen, for starters, what role remains for Brent Barry, who was San Antonio's marquee newcomer last summer. Yet it's a challenge Popovich welcomes, after lengthy struggles to find a bench spark in the wake of Ginobili's emergence and knowing that the Spurs' perimeter shooting could use an upgrade to capitalize on the ability of Tim Duncan and Ginobili to collapse defenses. It's believed that Van Exel, like Horry, isn't interested in heavy minutes during the regular season and wants badly to fit in with the Spurs for a shot at a championship. It was also clear during the playoffs that San Antonio could use a playoff-tested alternative at point guard to the up-and-down Tony Parker, whose only backup last season was untested rookie Beno Udrih. Missing out on Finley, meanwhile, comes as a blow to the Suns more than any other spurned suitor. With Nash as lead recruiter, and banking on Finley's fond feelings for the desert after starting his career there in 1995, Phoenix was hoping to land the 10-year veteran to start him in the guard slot vacated by Joe Johnson. Finley would have joined Raja Bell, Boris Diaw and the returning Jim Jackson in a group approach to replacing Johnson. The Suns, though, could only offer Finley a veteran minimum salary of $1.1 million for next season. Failing to land Finley doesn't necessarily knock Phoenix from its top-two perch in the West, after the Suns made their own series of roster tweaks, but figures to make it tougher for them to close the gap on the team that knocked Phoenix out in last spring's Western Conference finals. ? In a nutshell, they're already a championship team but they have room for improvement. And I feel my game can help them in the areas where they need improvement. ? ? Michael Finley on why he chose the Spurs The Heat, widely regarded as the favorites in the Finley chase, were offering a starting salary at the full mid-level exception ($5 million) and the chance to team with Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade. Yet with the Heat already having added Antoine Walker, Jason Williams and James Posey in a five-team trade last month, Finley ultimately decided to pass on seeing how he'd fit into that mix. Instead he joins a club known for meshing quickly, with Duncan serving as the only constant on three very different championship teams. Finley's decision will also come as a blow to the Mavericks and particularly star forward Dirk Nowitzki, who with Finley and Nash formed what was known in Dallas as a close-like-brothers Big Three. The Mavericks didn't want to see Finley follow Nash to Phoenix, but they were rooting against San Antonio, too, hoping their former face of the franchise would choose Miami or Detroit after the fruitless trade attempts. The Mavericks decided they had to waive Finley because the amnesty clause will spare Dallas future luxury-tax payments on the nearly $52 million it still owes him. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban estimates the total savings over the next three seasons to be closer to $90 million, because Finley will receive his remaining Dallas salary in annual installments of less than $5 million. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/stor...marc&id=2147720
August 31, 200520 yr The spurs have one sick team, they still should be picked above the heat and everyone else in the league
August 31, 200520 yr Oh well. He would've been a huge help to the Heat. I guess it's not that surprising. I kind of felt that the Heat were the obvious choice, and if he didn't choose them right away, then there had to be something deterring him from going to Miami.
August 31, 200520 yr Oh well. He would've been a huge help to the Heat. I guess it's not that surprising. I kind of felt that the Heat were the obvious choice, and if he didn't choose them right away, then there had to be something deterring him from going to Miami. 923665[/snapback] Hwo would they be the ovbious choice? Who won the title last year?
August 31, 200520 yr Oh well.? He would've been a huge help to the Heat. I guess it's not that surprising.? I kind of felt that the Heat were the obvious choice, and if he didn't choose them right away, then there had to be something deterring him from going to Miami. 923665[/snapback] Hwo would they be the ovbious choice? Who won the title last year? 923668[/snapback] They were offering twice as much money.
August 31, 200520 yr awesome. van exel and now finley. sweet. hello a few more titles. and ya the heat were offering more money, but its only a marginal amount more considering he only gets half of anything over the minimum i believe....
August 31, 200520 yr Oh well.? He would've been a huge help to the Heat. I guess it's not that surprising.? I kind of felt that the Heat were the obvious choice, and if he didn't choose them right away, then there had to be something deterring him from going to Miami. 923665[/snapback] Hwo would they be the ovbious choice? Who won the title last year? 923668[/snapback] They were offering twice as much money. 923669[/snapback] Oh ok then that would make them the ovbiuos choice.
August 31, 200520 yr No sense even playing games the next few seasons. Just give the next two or three titles to the Spurs.
August 31, 200520 yr The Spurs will be a fun team to watch next year. They wil get to the Finals, but anything can happen there.
August 31, 200520 yr :o ......wow i thought for sure this guy was going to be wearing a Heat uniform for sure next seasson
August 31, 200520 yr This means that if he wants to come back, Damon Jones will most likely return to the Heat since they can offer him a part of the MLE, which would be more than the maximum raise they could offer him.
September 1, 200520 yr awesome. van exel and now finley. sweet. hello a few more titles. and ya the heat were offering more money, but its only a marginal amount more considering he only gets half of anything over the minimum i believe.... 923670[/snapback] He would have made a lot more money in the end though, since he wouldn't have to pay state income tax here.
September 1, 200520 yr awesome. van exel and now finley. sweet. hello a few more titles. and ya the heat were offering more money, but its only a marginal amount more considering he only gets half of anything over the minimum i believe.... 923670[/snapback] He would have made a lot more money in the end though, since he wouldn't have to pay state income tax here. 924981[/snapback] there isnt one in texas neither. so we are basically talking one million. maybe.
September 1, 200520 yr I hope everyone realizes the reason he did this was to spurn Cuban and the Mavs. He owes nothing to SA to take less money. 1) Cuban offered to accelerate the remaining salary on his contract if he moved to the Eastern Conference 2) Miami offered more money and has a team just as challenging as San Antonio 3) Miami can actually offer him PT, maybe even a starting role. SA has too many SF as it is. It's a rediculous and calculated move on his part. There is more at play here than just 'favorites'. I don't care what you say, Das--nobody thinks this was a reasonable move.
September 1, 200520 yr I hope everyone realizes the reason he did this was to spurn Cuban and the Mavs. He owes nothing to SA to take less money. 1) Cuban offered to accelerate the remaining salary on his contract if he moved to the Eastern Conference 2) Miami offered more money and has a team just as challenging as San Antonio 3) Miami can actually offer him PT, maybe even a starting role. SA has too many SF as it is. It's a rediculous and calculated move on his part. There is more at play here than just 'favorites'. I don't care what you say, Das--nobody thinks this was a reasonable move. 925000[/snapback] how about he made the move to win a championship and San Antonio is more of a sure thing that Miami? what a concept
September 1, 200520 yr I hope everyone realizes the reason he did this was to spurn Cuban and the Mavs. He owes nothing to SA to take less money. 1) Cuban offered to accelerate the remaining salary on his contract if he moved to the Eastern Conference 2) Miami offered more money and has a team just as challenging as San Antonio 3) Miami can actually offer him PT, maybe even a starting role. SA has too many SF as it is. It's a rediculous and calculated move on his part. There is more at play here than just 'favorites'. I don't care what you say, Das--nobody thinks this was a reasonable move. 925000[/snapback] how about he made the move to win a championship and San Antonio is more of a sure thing that Miami? what a concept 925033[/snapback] That's such a cliched thought. More money, more playing time, just as good of a team... Cuban dumped Finley after 11 years in Dal (I think). Cuban wanted Finley to go to the East Coast. Cuban offered to accelerate his due payment by YEARS if he went to an East Coast team. Sure, SA is a great team. No way in hell will I say they aren't. But there is more than just 'championship fever' going on here. You have to see that.
September 1, 200520 yr I hope everyone realizes the reason he did this was to spurn Cuban and the Mavs. He owes nothing to SA to take less money. 1) Cuban offered to accelerate the remaining salary on his contract if he moved to the Eastern Conference 2) Miami offered more money and has a team just as challenging as San Antonio 3) Miami can actually offer him PT, maybe even a starting role. SA has too many SF as it is. It's a rediculous and calculated move on his part. There is more at play here than just 'favorites'. I don't care what you say, Das--nobody thinks this was a reasonable move. 925000[/snapback] how about he made the move to win a championship and San Antonio is more of a sure thing that Miami? what a concept 925033[/snapback] That's such a cliched thought. More money, more playing time, just as good of a team... Cuban dumped Finley after 11 years in Dal (I think). Cuban wanted Finley to go to the East Coast. Cuban offered to accelerate his due payment by YEARS if he went to an East Coast team. Sure, SA is a great team. No way in hell will I say they aren't. But there is more than just 'championship fever' going on here. You have to see that. 925044[/snapback] ya he did it to spurn dallas....so what.... and the spurs are a more sure thing with finley than the heat are with finley to win. and finley likes pop, most players like pop....and its not always about money or PT....Findog wants to be a member of one of the tightest clubs in basketball in a city that will absolutely support the team no matter what. you forget about the intangibles...san antonio had more to offer...finley himself has said it was a tough decision....and i wouldnt have been shocked to see him goto miami for the reasons stated, but i guess he wanted something else.
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