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The Rules of Pacers Digest

Hello everyone,

Whether your are a long standing forum member or whether you have just registered today, it's a good idea to read and review the rules below so that you have a very good idea of what to expect when you come to Pacers Digest.

A quick note to new members: Your posts will not immediately show up when you make them. An administrator has to approve at least your first post before the forum software will later upgrade your account to the status of a fully-registered member. This usually happens within a couple of hours or so after your post(s) is/are approved, so you may need to be a little patient at first.

Why do we do this? So that it's more difficult for spammers (be they human or robot) to post, and so users who are banned cannot immediately re-register and start dousing people with verbal flames.

Below are the rules of Pacers Digest. After you have read them, you will have a very good sense of where we are coming from, what we expect, what we don't want to see, and how we react to things.

Rule #1

Pacers Digest is intended to be a place to discuss basketball without having to deal with the kinds of behaviors or attitudes that distract people from sticking with the discussion of the topics at hand. These unwanted distractions can come in many forms, and admittedly it can sometimes be tricky to pin down each and every kind that can rear its ugly head, but we feel that the following examples and explanations cover at least a good portion of that ground and should at least give people a pretty good idea of the kinds of things we actively discourage:

"Anyone who __________ is a liar / a fool / an idiot / a blind homer / has their head buried in the sand / a blind hater / doesn't know basketball / doesn't watch the games"

"People with intelligence will agree with me when I say that __________"

"Only stupid people think / believe / do ___________"

"I can't wait to hear something from PosterX when he/she sees that **insert a given incident or current event that will have probably upset or disappointed PosterX here**"

"He/she is just delusional"

"This thread is stupid / worthless / embarrassing"

"I'm going to take a moment to point and / laugh at PosterX / GroupOfPeopleY who thought / believed *insert though/belief here*"

"Remember when PosterX said OldCommentY that no longer looks good? "

In general, if a comment goes from purely on topic to something 'ad hominem' (personal jabs, personal shots, attacks, flames, however you want to call it, towards a person, or a group of people, or a given city/state/country of people), those are most likely going to be found intolerable.

We also dissuade passive aggressive behavior. This can be various things, but common examples include statements that are basically meant to imply someone is either stupid or otherwise incapable of holding a rational conversation. This can include (but is not limited to) laughing at someone's conclusions rather than offering an honest rebuttal, asking people what game they were watching, or another common problem is Poster X will say "that player isn't that bad" and then Poster Y will say something akin to "LOL you think that player is good". We're not going to tolerate those kinds of comments out of respect for the community at large and for the sake of trying to just have an honest conversation.

Now, does the above cover absolutely every single kind of distraction that is unwanted? Probably not, but you should by now have a good idea of the general types of things we will be discouraging. The above examples are meant to give you a good feel for / idea of what we're looking for. If something new or different than the above happens to come along and results in the same problem (that being, any other attitude or behavior that ultimately distracts from actually just discussing the topic at hand, or that is otherwise disrespectful to other posters), we can and we will take action to curb this as well, so please don't take this to mean that if you managed to technically avoid saying something exactly like one of the above examples that you are then somehow off the hook.

That all having been said, our goal is to do so in a generally kind and respectful way, and that doesn't mean the moment we see something we don't like that somebody is going to be suspended or banned, either. It just means that at the very least we will probably say something about it, quite possibly snipping out the distracting parts of the post in question while leaving alone the parts that are actually just discussing the topics, and in the event of a repeating or excessive problem, then we will start issuing infractions to try to further discourage further repeat problems, and if it just never seems to improve, then finally suspensions or bans will come into play. We would prefer it never went that far, and most of the time for most of our posters, it won't ever have to.

A slip up every once and a while is pretty normal, but, again, when it becomes repetitive or excessive, something will be done. Something occasional is probably going to be let go (within reason), but when it starts to become habitual or otherwise a pattern, odds are very good that we will step in.

There's always a small minority that like to push people's buttons and/or test their own boundaries with regards to the administrators, and in the case of someone acting like that, please be aware that this is not a court of law, but a private website run by people who are simply trying to do the right thing as they see it. If we feel that you are a special case that needs to be dealt with in an exceptional way because your behavior isn't explicitly mirroring one of our above examples of what we generally discourage, we can and we will take atypical action to prevent this from continuing if you are not cooperative with us.

Also please be aware that you will not be given a pass simply by claiming that you were 'only joking,' because quite honestly, when someone really is just joking, for one thing most people tend to pick up on the joke, including the person or group that is the target of the joke, and for another thing, in the event where an honest joke gets taken seriously and it upsets or angers someone, the person who is truly 'only joking' will quite commonly go out of his / her way to apologize and will try to mend fences. People who are dishonest about their statements being 'jokes' do not do so, and in turn that becomes a clear sign of what is really going on. It's nothing new.

In any case, quite frankly, the overall quality and health of the entire forum's community is more important than any one troublesome user will ever be, regardless of exactly how a problem is exhibiting itself, and if it comes down to us having to make a choice between you versus the greater health and happiness of the entire community, the community of this forum will win every time.

Lastly, there are also some posters, who are generally great contributors and do not otherwise cause any problems, who sometimes feel it's their place to provoke or to otherwise 'mess with' that small minority of people described in the last paragraph, and while we possibly might understand why you might feel you WANT to do something like that, the truth is we can't actually tolerate that kind of behavior from you any more than we can tolerate the behavior from them. So if we feel that you are trying to provoke those other posters into doing or saying something that will get themselves into trouble, then we will start to view you as a problem as well, because of the same reason as before: The overall health of the forum comes first, and trying to stir the pot with someone like that doesn't help, it just makes it worse. Some will simply disagree with this philosophy, but if so, then so be it because ultimately we have to do what we think is best so long as it's up to us.

If you see a problem that we haven't addressed, the best and most appropriate course for a forum member to take here is to look over to the left of the post in question. See underneath that poster's name, avatar, and other info, down where there's a little triangle with an exclamation point (!) in it? Click that. That allows you to report the post to the admins so we can definitely notice it and give it a look to see what we feel we should do about it. Beyond that, obviously it's human nature sometimes to want to speak up to the poster in question who has bothered you, but we would ask that you try to refrain from doing so because quite often what happens is two or more posters all start going back and forth about the original offending post, and suddenly the entire thread is off topic or otherwise derailed. So while the urge to police it yourself is understandable, it's best to just report it to us and let us handle it. Thank you!

All of the above is going to be subject to a case by case basis, but generally and broadly speaking, this should give everyone a pretty good idea of how things will typically / most often be handled.

Rule #2

If the actions of an administrator inspire you to make a comment, criticism, or express a concern about it, there is a wrong place and a couple of right places to do so.

The wrong place is to do so in the original thread in which the administrator took action. For example, if a post gets an infraction, or a post gets deleted, or a comment within a larger post gets clipped out, in a thread discussing Paul George, the wrong thing to do is to distract from the discussion of Paul George by adding your off topic thoughts on what the administrator did.

The right places to do so are:

A) Start a thread about the specific incident you want to talk about on the Feedback board. This way you are able to express yourself in an area that doesn't throw another thread off topic, and this way others can add their two cents as well if they wish, and additionally if there's something that needs to be said by the administrators, that is where they will respond to it.

B) Send a private message to the administrators, and they can respond to you that way.

If this is done the wrong way, those comments will be deleted, and if it's a repeating problem then it may also receive an infraction as well.

Rule #3

If a poster is bothering you, and an administrator has not or will not deal with that poster to the extent that you would prefer, you have a powerful tool at your disposal, one that has recently been upgraded and is now better than ever: The ability to ignore a user.

When you ignore a user, you will unfortunately still see some hints of their existence (nothing we can do about that), however, it does the following key things:

A) Any post they make will be completely invisible as you scroll through a thread.

B) The new addition to this feature: If someone QUOTES a user you are ignoring, you do not have to read who it was, or what that poster said, unless you go out of your way to click on a link to find out who it is and what they said.

To utilize this feature, from any page on Pacers Digest, scroll to the top of the page, look to the top right where it says 'Settings' and click that. From the settings page, look to the left side of the page where it says 'My Settings', and look down from there until you see 'Edit Ignore List' and click that. From here, it will say 'Add a Member to Your List...' Beneath that, click in the text box to the right of 'User Name', type in or copy & paste the username of the poster you are ignoring, and once their name is in the box, look over to the far right and click the 'Okay' button. All done!

Rule #4

Regarding infractions, currently they carry a value of one point each, and that point will expire in 31 days. If at any point a poster is carrying three points at the same time, that poster will be suspended until the oldest of the three points expires.

Rule #5

When you share or paste content or articles from another website, you must include the URL/link back to where you found it, who wrote it, and what website it's from. Said content will be removed if this doesn't happen.

An example:

If I copy and paste an article from the Indianapolis Star website, I would post something like this:

http://www.linktothearticlegoeshere.com/article
Title of the Article
Author's Name
Indianapolis Star

Rule #6

We cannot tolerate illegal videos on Pacers Digest. This means do not share any links to them, do not mention any websites that host them or link to them, do not describe how to find them in any way, and do not ask about them. Posts doing anything of the sort will be removed, the offenders will be contacted privately, and if the problem becomes habitual, you will be suspended, and if it still persists, you will probably be banned.

The legal means of watching or listening to NBA games are NBA League Pass Broadband (for US, or for International; both cost money) and NBA Audio League Pass (which is free). Look for them on NBA.com.

Rule #7

Provocative statements in a signature, or as an avatar, or as the 'tagline' beneath a poster's username (where it says 'Member' or 'Administrator' by default, if it is not altered) are an unwanted distraction that will more than likely be removed on sight. There can be shades of gray to this, but in general this could be something political or religious that is likely going to provoke or upset people, or otherwise something that is mean-spirited at the expense of a poster, a group of people, or a population.

It may or may not go without saying, but this goes for threads and posts as well, particularly when it's not made on the off-topic board (Market Square).

We do make exceptions if we feel the content is both innocuous and unlikely to cause social problems on the forum (such as wishing someone a Merry Christmas or a Happy Easter), and we also also make exceptions if such topics come up with regards to a sports figure (such as the Lance Stephenson situation bringing up discussions of domestic abuse and the law, or when Jason Collins came out as gay and how that lead to some discussion about gay rights).

However, once the discussion seems to be more/mostly about the political issues instead of the sports figure or his specific situation, the thread is usually closed.

Rule #8

We prefer self-restraint and/or modesty when making jokes or off topic comments in a sports discussion thread. They can be fun, but sometimes they derail or distract from a topic, and we don't want to see that happen. If we feel it is a problem, we will either delete or move those posts from the thread.

Rule #9

Generally speaking, we try to be a "PG-13" rated board, and we don't want to see sexual content or similarly suggestive content. Vulgarity is a more muddled issue, though again we prefer things to lean more towards "PG-13" than "R". If we feel things have gone too far, we will step in.

Rule #10

We like small signatures, not big signatures. The bigger the signature, the more likely it is an annoying or distracting signature.

Rule #11

Do not advertise anything without talking about it with the administrators first. This includes advertising with your signature, with your avatar, through private messaging, and/or by making a thread or post.
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Free Agent list

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  • Free Agent list

    See anyone you like?

    http://www.realgm.com/src_freeagents/

    Free Agents
    Player Team Type

    Anthony Grundy Atlanta Restricted F.A.
    Al Harrington Atlanta Unrestricted F.A.

    Michael Olowokandi Boston Unrestricted F.A.

    Lonny Baxter Charlotte Unrestricted F.A.
    Kevin Burleson Charlotte Unrestricted F.A.
    Melvin Ely Charlotte Restricted F.A.
    Jumaine Jones Charlotte Unrestricted F.A.
    Bernard Robinson Charlotte Restricted F.A.
    Jake Voskuhl Charlotte Unrestricted F.A.

    Randy Livingston Chicago Unrestricted F.A.
    Jannero Pargo Chicago Unrestricted F.A.
    Eric Piatkowski Chicago Unrestricted F.A.
    Luke Schenscher Chicago Restricted F.A.
    Darius Songaila Chicago Unrestricted F.A.

    Drew Gooden Cleveland Restricted F.A.
    Alan Henderson Cleveland Unrestricted F.A.
    Ronald Murray Cleveland Unrestricted F.A.

    Darrell Armstrong Dallas Unrestricted F.A.
    Adrian Griffin Dallas Unrestricted F.A.
    DJ Ilunga-Mbenga Dallas Restricted F.A.
    Jason Terry Dallas Unrestricted F.A.
    Keith Van Horn Dallas Unrestricted F.A.

    Francisco Elson Denver Restricted F.A.
    Reggie Evans Denver Unrestricted F.A.
    Nene Hilario Denver Restricted F.A.
    DerMarr Johnson Denver Unrestricted F.A.

    Alex Acker Detroit Restricted F.A.
    Kelvin Cato Detroit Unrestricted F.A.
    Lindsey Hunter Detroit Unrestricted F.A.
    Ben Wallace Detroit Unrestricted F.A.

    Calbert Cheaney Golden State Unrestricted F.A.

    Keith Bogans Houston Restricted F.A.
    Rick Brunson Houston Unrestricted F.A.
    Richie Frahm Houston Unrestricted F.A.
    David Wesley Houston Unrestricted F.A.

    Eddie Gill Indiana Unrestricted F.A.
    Fred Jones Indiana Restricted F.A.
    Scot Pollard Indiana Unrestricted F.A.
    Peja Stojakovic Indiana Unrestricted F.A.

    Vin Baker L.A. Clippers Unrestricted F.A.
    Sam Cassell L.A. Clippers Unrestricted F.A.
    Walter McCarty L.A. Clippers Unrestricted F.A.
    Vladimir Radmanovic L.A. Clippers Unrestricted F.A.

    Devean George L.A. Lakers Unrestricted F.A.
    Devin Green L.A. Lakers Restricted F.A.
    Jim Jackson L.A. Lakers Unrestricted F.A.

    Chucky Atkins Memphis Unrestricted F.A.
    Antonio Burks Memphis Restricted F.A.
    Bobby Jackson Memphis Unrestricted F.A.
    Lorenzen Wright Memphis Unrestricted F.A.

    Shandon Anderson Miami Unrestricted F.A.
    Alonzo Mourning Miami Unrestricted F.A.
    Gary Payton Miami Unrestricted F.A.

    Reece Gaines Milwaukee Unrestricted F.A.
    Jermaine Jackson Milwaukee Unrestricted F.A.
    Ervin Johnson Milwaukee Unrestricted F.A.
    Toni Kukoc Milwaukee Unrestricted F.A.
    Jiri Welsch Milwaukee Restricted F.A.

    Marcus Banks Minnesota Unrestricted F.A.
    Anthony Carter Minnesota Unrestricted F.A.
    Ronald Dupree Minnesota Restricted F.A.
    Justin Reed Minnesota Restricted F.A.

    Lamond Murray New Jersey Unrestricted F.A.
    John Thomas New Jersey Unrestricted F.A.
    Jacque Vaughn New Jersey Unrestricted F.A.
    Derrick Zimmerman New Jersey Restricted F.A.

    Rasual Butler New Orleans Unrestricted F.A.
    Speedy Claxton New Orleans Unrestricted F.A.
    Marcus Fizer New Orleans Unrestricted F.A.
    Aaron Williams New Orleans Unrestricted F.A.

    Jackie Butler New York Restricted F.A.
    Qyntel Woods New York Unrestricted F.A.

    Trevor Ariza Orlando Restricted F.A.
    Stacey Augmon Orlando Unrestricted F.A.
    Mario Kasun Orlando Restricted F.A.
    Bo Outlaw Orlando Unrestricted F.A.
    DeShawn Stevenson Orlando Unrestricted F.A.

    Matt Barnes Philadelphia Unrestricted F.A.
    Michael Bradley Philadelphia Unrestricted F.A.
    Shavlik Randolph Philadelphia Restricted F.A.
    John Salmons Philadelphia Restricted F.A.

    Tim Thomas Phoenix Unrestricted F.A.

    Voshon Lenard Portland Unrestricted F.A.
    Joel Przybilla Portland Unrestricted F.A.

    Jamal Sampson Sacramento Unrestricted F.A.
    Bonzi Wells Sacramento Unrestricted F.A.

    Sean Marks San Antonio Unrestricted F.A.
    Nazr Mohammed San Antonio Unrestricted F.A.
    Nick Van Exel San Antonio Unrestricted F.A.

    Chris Wilcox Seattle Restricted F.A.
    Mike Wilks Seattle Unrestricted F.A.

    Darrick Martin Toronto Unrestricted F.A.
    Loren Woods Toronto Unrestricted F.A.

    Jarron Collins Utah Unrestricted F.A.
    Matt Harpring Utah Unrestricted F.A.
    Greg Ostertag Utah Unrestricted F.A.
    Andre Owens Utah Restricted F.A.
    Milt Palacio Utah Unrestricted F.A.

    Jared Jeffries Washington Restricted F.A.
    Awvee Storey Washington Restricted F.A.
    Billy Thomas Washington Restricted F.A.

  • #2
    Re: Free Agent list

    Speedy Claxton and Joel Przybilla

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Free Agent list

      Sign Bobby Jackson! He'd be an awesome combo guard scoring punch off the bench.
      "It's just unfortunate that we've been penalized so much this year and nothing has happened to the Pistons, the Palace or the city of Detroit," he said. "It's almost like it's always our fault. The league knows it. They should be ashamed of themselves to let the security be as lax as it is around here."

      ----------------- Reggie Miller

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Free Agent list

        Definitely Speedy or Jackson could help out a lot. How's Jackson? Didn't he suffer an injury second half of the season? That's the only thing with him.

        Speaking of Gs, obviously Cassell would be a great leadership/tutor addition, but I don't suspect we could offer the salary he'd command. Another combo possibility might be John Salmons. Solid all-around player. Seems more like a utility player as opposed to a front-line PG/SG though. Good defender.

        There's some intersting bigs, as well. It would be great if we could address both. IMO the biggest need is a PG with some experience that could come in and just be solid and hopefully demonstrate some professionalism while sharing time with our current guys (or whoever's left on the roster by that point).

        Not an FA but I also wouldn't mind getting my hands on Antonio Daniels but I don't think the Wiz are in a hurry to move him.
        I'd rather die standing up than live on my knees.

        -Emiliano Zapata

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Free Agent list

          http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insid...ris&id=2504366

          Updated: June 29, 2006, 5:47 PM ET
          Free agent roundup: Big Ben and the domino effectBy Chris Sheridan
          ESPN Insider
          Archive

          The NBA draft and its mind-numbing 15 trades are behind us, so now the focus shifts to free agency. There are a bunch of big men and point guards on the market, not many small forwards and even fewer shooting guards.


          This summer's market actually will pale in comparison to next summer's if all the players with opt-outs, including Dirk Nowitzki, Rashard Lewis, Chauncey Billups and Paul Pierce, end up exercising them.


          But for now, the dominoes likely will begin to fall as soon as Ben Wallace hears what the Detroit Pistons are willing to offer him. If he deems that offer unfair, the whole equation changes.


          The Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Bobcats, New Orleans Hornets and Toronto Raptors will all have significant cap space, though the exact amount will not be known until the new cap is set on July 12. All of them need size, and any of them could make a run at Wallace if he and his new agent, Arn Tellem, don't like Detroit's offer.


          With that huge unknown hanging in the balance, we enter the free agency season -- which officially begins at 12:01 a.m. Saturday when teams can begin contacting free agents and offering extensions to the draft class of '03 -- with an updated top 25:


          1. Ben Wallace, Pistons
          On the night the Pistons were eliminated from the playoffs in Miami, Wallace was pressed by reporters on whether he'd be returning to the Pistons. "Everyone knows where my heart is," Wallace said before pausing for effect. "It's in my chest." Wallace's relationship with coach Flip Saunders was anything but rosy at the end, and Wallace was miffed that Saunders benched him for the entire fourth quarter of the Game 6 loss to the Heat. A new contract starting at $12,000,001 would make Big Ben the highest-paid Piston and would balloon out to $55.2 million over four years. But would Wallace consider such an offer fair? Insider believes he wouldn't.


          2. Al Harrington, Hawks
          The Hawks' unsettled ownership situation is throwing a huge wrench into Harrington's future plans; GM Billy Knight certain to be out of a job if Steve Belkin is successful in the courtroom in his fight to take over from his former ownership partners. Atlanta will have first dibs on Harrington, but Knight might be better served to go with the best sign-and-trade offer -- and there will be lots. Count on Indiana, Golden State and Minnesota making a run, and don't count out the Lakers. Another idea that might sound far-fetched but could become plausible is a sign-and-trade with Detroit for Ben Wallace.

          3. Jason Terry, Mavericks
          Agent Dan Fegan said on the eve of Game 1 of the Finals that Terry expected to get a five- or six-year contract, and Terry enhanced his value the next night by going for 32 points. The Mavs need his outside shooting, and you'd think they'd never let another top-tier point guard get away, but the equation changes if signing Mike James is their backup plan. Terry took a financial risk three years ago when he signed a three-year offer sheet with Utah and Atlanta matched it, and he wants to cash in long-term this time. Fegan is known to aim high with his monetary demands, and Mavs owner Mark Cuban is trying to exercise some degree of fiscal restraint, so this one is another potential wild card.

          4. Nene, Nuggets (restricted)
          Denver is trying desperately to trade Kenyon Martin in order to free up money to re-sign the Brazilian big man and make a run at the next guy on this list, Bonzi Wells. If July 12 arrives and Martin is still in Denver, teams with significant cap room could offer Nene a front-loaded contract that Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke would have to think twice about matching because of the luxury tax implications. Note: Teams now have seven days to match offers to restricted free agents, down from 15.

          5. Bonzi Wells, Kings
          In a market short on two guards, especially two guards who can score, Wells is a hotter commodity than his résumé and his reputation might warrant. The general feeling around the league is that no one will step up with an immediate offer to Wells worth more than the mid-level exception, unless they can interest the Kings in a sign-and-trade that bumps Bonzi into the $6-7 million starting salary range.


          6. Joel Przybilla, Trail Blazers
          One of his primary leverage options disappeared when the Raptors went out and traded for Rasho Nesterovic, but the Bulls and Hornets both need size and have the cap room to afford the premium they'll have to pay for a big man. Remember, nobody gets overpaid in the NBA like centers, and if Samuel Dalembert is worth $8.4 million and Tyson Chandler $9 million, Przybilla will want to be in the same league.

          7. Nazr Mohammed, Spurs
          San Antonio will deem him expendable if it feels the price is too high. The Spurs believe they can get by at the position in this age of small ball by going more with Tim Duncan at center, backed up by Fabricio Oberto and the incoming Robertas Javtokas. But again, centers are at a premium when they go onto the free agent market, and Mohammed shouldn't have trouble finding a team willing to give him the five-year deal he's seeking.


          8. Peja Stojakovic, Pacers
          He didn't help his value by sitting out most of the Pacers' first-round loss to Indiana with a knee injury, which partially accounts for his fall to No. 8. Agent David Baumann expects the Pacers to make an offer a few minutes after midnight Friday, "and I also expect to hear from at least two other teams." Much will depend on how lucrative Indiana's offer is. Insider believes five years and $50 million won't get it done, but six years and $70 million probably will.

          9. Jared Jeffries, Wizards (restricted)
          Another hard-to-find talented, young swingman, and easily the one impending free agent whose stock rose the most in the playoffs. Only 24 years old and a rangy 6-foot-10, his ability to defend on the perimeter will enhance his value as teams look for players with abilities suited to the league's new defensive rules. The Bulls like him, and they'll have enough cap room to get both Jeffries and either of the top two guys on this list.


          10. Matt Harpring, Jazz
          Kevin O'Connor said re-signing Harpring was the club's top offseason priority, and coach Jerry Sloan loves Harpring's competitiveness and versatility. But will the Jazz be willing to outbid others both in dollars and years? Harpring sounded decidedly undecided about his future after Utah's season ended, saying he wanted to compete for a championship. After eight years in the league, he's never been to the second round of the playoffs.

          11. Mike James, Raptors
          Hopefully he hasn't taken too many head shots while taking up boxing -- not exactly the brightest hobby we've ever heard of a guy picking up on the eve of going after the biggest payday of his career. Toronto is not interested in making a five-year commitment to a player who will be 31 when next season begins, so look for the Raptors to let him go. If Dallas is really as interested as Insider is hearing, it'll impact the Mavs' decision on Terry.

          12. Vladimir Radmanovic, Clippers
          Los Angeles is interested in bringing him back, and they can retain him at a discount since Radmanovic waived his Bird rights (and his ability to be moved in a sign-and-trade) when he accepted the deal sending him from the Sonics to the Clippers. But the Bucks could make a run at him if they can find a deal that rids them of Jamaal Magloire so they can move Andrew Bogut to center.

          13. Marcus Banks, Timberwolves
          He wasn't happy when the Celtics declined to pick up his fourth-year option, but it's going to end up being worth millions to him. Other teams were impressed by his play for the Wolves over the second half of the season when he displaced Marko Jaric as the starter, and a few teams might be prepared to offer him mid-level money. Are the Lakers one of them?


          14. Tim Thomas, Suns
          The guy sure knows how to perform in a contract year, eh? Thomas re-established his value while starting for Phoenix during the playoffs, and the Suns would like to keep him. They saved $6 million in cap space and an additional $3 million in likely future luxury taxes by trading Brian Grant and their two first-round picks Wednesday. But the guys with first dibs on the big money are Boris Diaw and Leandro Barbosa, who are up for extensions. Thomas won't get any more than mid-level money on the open market.

          15. Sam Cassell, Clippers
          If history is to be a guide, Sammy will be complaining about his new contract -- whoever gives him one -- by midseason. His age makes him a less valued commodity than Banks, but his history of being such a clutch player -- his eight-second violation in the playoffs against Phoenix notwithstanding -- will guarantee plenty of interest. In the short term, for a team looking to make a move similar to the one Miami made with Gary Payton, he's a safer bet than most of the other free agent point guards


          16. DeShawn Stevenson, Magic
          Took a big risk by opting out of the final year of his contract, forfeiting a guaranteed $3 million, and is counting on being a sleeper free agent whose value as a perimeter defender will be recognized and rewarded. Few, if any, benefit more from the dearth of free agent two guards. Eddie House joins that category if he opts out in Phoenix.

          17. Drew Gooden, Cavs (restricted)
          Had one great playoff game in the opener against Washington, then fell off the face of the earth as Anderson Varejao showed himself to be more than capable of taking over as LeBron James' starting power forward. Look for a sign-and-trade here.


          18 . Rasual Butler, Hornets
          The outside shooting specialist has come a long way since being the 11th man on the Heat's bench two years ago, and he's earned a payday somewhere in the area of $3 million. If anyone is willing to go north of that number, the Hornets will have to think extra hard about whether they're willing to pay the same.

          19. Jackie Butler, Knicks (restricted)
          For whatever it's worth, Larry Brown liked him a whole lot more than he liked Eddy Curry. The Cavs like him, and they're looking for someone to be ready to step in behind Zydrunas Ilgauskas. With New York committed to Curry and Jerome James, the Knicks might not match anything long-term.


          20. Ronald (Flip) Murray, Cavaliers
          Another player who waived his Bird rights by agreeing to a midseason trade last February, he's more valuable to the Cavs than he'd be anywhere else. We'd put Fred Jones here, but Insider believes the Pacers will match any offer the restricted free agent receives.

          21. Chris Wilcox, SuperSonics (restricted)
          Seattle was quite happy with him after dealing Radmanovic to get him, and they're not about to let him leave. Unless, perhaps, an absurdly front-loaded contract is offered by someone else.


          22. Reggie Evans, Nuggets
          Would be a nice fit for New Jersey, which is resigned to bringing back Cliff Robinson if nothing better comes along this summer. Melvin Ely of Charlotte would occupy this spot if he weren't a restricted free agent.


          23. Lorenzen Wright, Grizzlies
          This is where we'll see the Jerome James rule (unproductive centers still get paid) come into effect. Wright is finished in Memphis, but somebody will pick him up for a lot less money than the $7.7 million he made last year.


          24. Speedy Claxton, Hornets; Bobby Jackson, Grizzlies
          Both want to change employers, but neither will be helped by the glut of point guards out there, and the best they'll be able to do is a sizeable chunk of someone's mid-level. Someone will get good value if either of these guys stays unsigned well into August. There's at least one player who gets squeezed on the free agent market every year.


          25. Dalibor Bagaric, Fortitudo Bologna (Italy)
          Had a brief stint with the Bulls earlier this decade, but popped back up on scouts' radars after playing against Andrea Bargnani in the Italian League Finals. At 7-2 and 270 pounds, there's a market for him.

          Others

          Restricted: Alex Acker, Pistons; Trevor Ariza, Magic; Keith Bogans, Rockets; Antonio Burks, Grizzlies; Kevin Burleson, Bobcats; Ronald Dupree, Timberwolves; Francisco Elson, Nuggets; Devin Green, Lakers; Mario Kasun, Magic; Boniface N'Dong, Clippers; Andre Owens, Jazz; Shavlik Randolph, 76ers; Justin Reed, Timberwolves; Bernard Robinson, Bobcats; John Salmons, 76ers; Awvee Storey, Wizards; Jiri Welsch, Bucks.

          Unrestricted: Shandon Anderson, Heat; Darrell Armstrong, Mavericks; Stacey Augmon, Magic; Matt Barnes, 76ers; Lonny Baxter, Bobcats; Michael Bradley, 76ers; Rick Brunson, Rockets; Greg Buckner, Nuggets; Anthony Carter, Timberwolves; Kelvin Cato, Pistons; Calbert Cheaney, Nuggets; Antonio Davis; Richie Frahm, Rockets; Reece Gaines, Bucks; Devean George, Lakers; Eddie Gill, Pacers; Adrian Griffin, Mavericks; Alan Henderson, Cavs; Lindsey Hunter, Pistons; Jermaine Jackson, Bucks; Jim Jackson, Lakers; DerMarr Johnson, Nuggets; Ervin Johnson, Bucks; Jumaine Jones, Bobcats; Toni Kukoc, Bucks; Voshon Lenard, Trail Blazers; Sean Marks, Spurs; Darrick Martin, Raptors; Walter McCarty, Clippers; Alonzo Mourning, Heat; Terence Morris, Magic; Lamond Murray, Nets; Michael Olowokandi, Celtics; Greg Ostertag, Jazz; Bo Outlaw, Magic; Jannero Pargo, Bulls; Eric Piatkowski, Bulls; Scot Pollard, Pacers; Bryon Russell, Nuggets; Jamal Sampson, Kings; Charles Smith, Nuggets; Latrell Sprewell; Keith Van Horn, Mavericks; Jacque Vaughn, Nets; Jake Voskuhl, Bobcats; David Wesley, Rockets; Mike Wilks, Sonics; Aaron Williams, Hornets; Loren Woods, Raptors; Qyntel Woods, Knicks.

          Player options: Pat Burke, Suns; Tony Delk, Pistons; Pat Garrity; Magic; Brian Grant, Celtics; Jason Hart, Kings; Eddie House, Suns; Jeff McInnis, Nets; Mikki Moore, Sonics; Ruben Patterson, Nuggets; James Posey, Heat; Darius Songaila, Bulls; Eric Williams, Raptors.

          Team options: Malik Allen, Bulls; Alan Anderson, Bobcats; Brandon Bass, Hornets; Zarko Cabarkapa; Warriors; Matt Carroll; Bobcats; Royal Ivey, Hawks; Amir Johnson, Pistons; Maciej Lampe, Rockets; Keith McLeod, Jazz; Cliff Robinson, Nets; Donta Smith, Hawks; Bracey Wright, Timberwolves.


          Chris Sheridan, a national NBA reporter for the past decade, covers the league for ESPN Insider. To e-mail Chris, click here

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Free Agent list

            Any one among Terry, Bobby Jackson, Claxton, or even Cassell would let us drop Tinsley for next to nothing and have the position well-covered.
            The poster "pacertom" since this forum began (and before!). I changed my name here to "Slick Pinkham" in honor of the imaginary player That Bobby "Slick" Leonard picked late in the 1971 ABA draft (true story!).

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Free Agent list

              Looks like Jones isn't as wanted as we thought.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Free Agent list

                Originally posted by Jumper
                Looks like Jones isn't as wanted as we thought.
                He says that "insider" believes that the Pacers will match any offer. I think that some team will offer him 3/4 of the MLE and the Pacers will not match. And I think that he may be running the "point" in LA's triangle next year. It is the only offense that offers Freddie a position that is not undersized for and has the skills to play.
                Slug 'em Sabres!!!!!
                http://youtube.com/watch?v=cj1SUF4wzu0

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Free Agent list

                  Let me make somehting clear. NO WAY WOULD I SIGN PEJHA TO A 6 YEAR 70 MILLION DOLLAR DEAL. NO WAY

                  There are a few that have my interest.

                  Certainly Jason Terry, Al Harrington top the list, but Terry isn't going anywhere, and if we re-sign Peja and keep JO, not sure if there is enough playing time available to make it worthwhile to acquire Al Harrington.

                  One name really has my interest because of his great defense. Marcus Banks. I don't know if he'd wants to play here or how much money he wants, but I would look into signing him without question.

                  All the other free agent point guards are either getting old or very injury prone.

                  Cassell - old
                  Speedy - injury prone
                  Jackson - old and injury prone.

                  I keep reading rumors that the Pacers have interest in Bonzi, well I would think twice about signing him, plus I think he's get more than the full MLE and I don't know if a sign and trade is realistic

                  One player I'd love to add is John Salmons (although he's restricted) but if there is a way to get him, I would be all for it.

                  The big guys are few and far between. Honestly if we could re-sign Pollard to the min I would do that.

                  Oh, one other name, Ronald Murray, for the right price and depnding on what we do and who we get to replace Fred and Jax, I'd look at signing him.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Free Agent list

                    He says we are interested in getting Al...hmm...sign and trade with Atlanta eh?

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Free Agent list

                      assuming we only use our exceptions on free agents don't pursue any restricted FAs (except Freddie, perhaps), here are some players I'd be interested in pursuing:

                      Nazr Mohammed, Darius Songaila, Francisco Elson, and perhaps Lorenzen Wright and Lindsey Hunter
                      "I'll always be a part of Donnie Walsh."
                      -Ron Artest, Denver Post, 12.28.05

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Free Agent list

                        hmm, not really an inspiring list. no one out there that i would want the pacers to target with the full midlevel exception.

                        on the other hand, i do think we could get a young backup big man to shore up our frontline. not guys like przybilla or nazr, who i believe will be hot commodities and thus overpriced. i'm thinking more of guys like jackie butler (restricted, knicks) and dj mbenga (restricted, mavs). both are quite raw, but could develop the way desagana diop has developed in dallas. i think we can get either of them fairly cheap, since the knicks already have curry and jerome james, while dallas has dampier and diop. maybe at an aj-like 4 years, $10m?

                        i like salmons too. maybe an s&t with philly?

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Free Agent list

                          If the Pacers are looking for PGs, then Marcus Banks should be considered. In the second half of the year he showed that he has quite a bit of potential. He was inconsistent from time-to-time but he did show he could defend, hit the 3, & dish.

                          How his game fits into the direction the Pacers want to go, I have no idea--but he is out there, & it shouldn't break the bank to get hime.....

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Free Agent list

                            Marcus banks might be the best point guard defender in the NBA, or at least the best at pressuring full court, one-on-one

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Free Agent list

                              On second thought, there aren't any guards I'd really be interested in. We have a backup, we need to get a starter.
                              This space for rent.

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