This is technically another "What happened in the failed Mayo trade" article...but I wanted to discuss another aspect of "not doing anything" and where we stand going into the summer. Yes, you can ignore the parts about what could have happened with Mayo...but I wanted to discuss Bird's comments that I highlighted below:
http://www.indystar.com/article/2011...off-table-late
This goes back to those clamouring that we had Expiring Contracts yet did nothing with them ( such as Kravitz ) and why I'm glad that Bird and Co. decided to only go "small" ( as in take in only long-term Contracts that make sense that fills a need....such as the attempt to get Mayo ) instead of going all in and taking on some huge Long-Term Contract. Given the uncertainty of the CBA and even the small possibility that Bird may step down ( remember, he hasn't 100% confirmed that he will be back )...I think that having great flexibility when it comes to our 2011-2012 SalaryCap will allow us to better adapt to the new CBA. I don't think that we will attract any top tier FA....but I think that if the FO plays their cards right and be patient...with the likely impact of the new CBA on many Teams that will be over the new SalaryCap and LT going into the 2011-2012 season...I think that there will be opportunities to improve in the same ways that the Thunder and Blazers have in the past due to their low SalaryCap. Also....this goes back to one of the comments that I recall Bird said about giving the Owners the most flexibility and options going into the 2011-2012 season...especially with the uncertainty of the CBA. That is my guess as to why we really didn't do anything of significance and why we were approaching this Trade deadline with a "we're not going to do anything unless something blows us out of the water" mentality.
It's also interesting what Bird said about some of the Players with Expiring Contracts not coming back....specifically McBob. As for Foster, I always assumed that we'd try to re-sign him to fill the role that Solo fills now....specifically being a Big Man that can come in when any of our likely 4 rotational Frontcourt Players get injured. But I wouldn't be surprised if some Team like the Knicks having some interest in him to fill the same role. As for who the Pacers are targeting....it would be nice to get an idea who Bird is thinking of.
Although it would have been exciting to see a New Player on the roster...I don't mind as much since I think that it would be better to have flexibility to make moves for the next couple of seasons.
http://www.indystar.com/article/2011...off-table-late
Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird said Friday the team's deal to acquire O.J. Mayo from Memphis fell apart when it was pulled from them two minutes before Thursday's 3 p.m. trading deadline.
"I was on the phone with Memphis. We had a deal with five minutes to go. At two minutes, they pulled the deal, and it didn't happen," Bird said, referring to the 3 p.m. deadline set by the NBA.
"We move on. We had plenty of opportunity to do other deals, but I didn't think it would improve our team. So what we do is wait until the summer. Our plan has always been to take advantage of what we have."
The deal that fell through would have sent starting forward Josh McRoberts and a first-round pick to Memphis for Mayo, a shooting guard with point guard ability.
As part of the three-team deal, the Pacers also would have sent shooting guard Brandon Rush and forward Solomon Jones to New Orleans for a draft pick and two unnamed players.
"We felt we had the opportunity to get a player who would help us and not give up a ton, even though I like Josh and Brandon," Bird said. "It's unfortunate it had to be a three-team deal because when you get more teams in it, anything that happen.
"It's tough on me because we worked three days to get a deal done, and they pull it off the table with two minutes to go. That's pretty hard to take."
It's the second time the Pacers have tried to trade Rush, who was part of a proposed deal with Charlotte last season.
"I try to move forward with this season and see what happens this summer," said Rush, the Pacers' starting shooting guard the rest of the way with Mike Dunleavy out following Friday's thumb surgery.
"They tried twice. I'm thinking they're going to try again. But it's the NBA. Everybody gets traded."
McRoberts, the Pacers' starting power forward and a Carmel, Ind., native, said he had no hard feelings.
"That's an upstairs deal," McRoberts said, referring to the team's front office. "I still have the same relationship with the coaching staff and my teammates. I have no hard feelings about it. It's a business. There's no hard feelings on anybody's side. You have to make the best decision for yourself. So does the team.''
The Pacers will have around $36 million in salary cap money this summer, depending on the new collective bargaining agreement.
"You don't spend it all, but obviously we're going after some players. We've got them targeted. It's going to be a good summer for us," Bird said.
"We don't know the rules of the collective bargaining yet, but we feel we're in a good position. I like our core group. We're going to lose some because their contracts are up."
McRoberts is one of the players without a contract beyond 2011.
"Josh had a very good year. He's going to do very well in the free agent market,'' Bird said. "We like Josh, but we felt that with 27 games to go, we had an opportunity to maybe get ourselves a little better. We'll worry about the summer when it comes."
"I was on the phone with Memphis. We had a deal with five minutes to go. At two minutes, they pulled the deal, and it didn't happen," Bird said, referring to the 3 p.m. deadline set by the NBA.
"We move on. We had plenty of opportunity to do other deals, but I didn't think it would improve our team. So what we do is wait until the summer. Our plan has always been to take advantage of what we have."
The deal that fell through would have sent starting forward Josh McRoberts and a first-round pick to Memphis for Mayo, a shooting guard with point guard ability.
As part of the three-team deal, the Pacers also would have sent shooting guard Brandon Rush and forward Solomon Jones to New Orleans for a draft pick and two unnamed players.
"We felt we had the opportunity to get a player who would help us and not give up a ton, even though I like Josh and Brandon," Bird said. "It's unfortunate it had to be a three-team deal because when you get more teams in it, anything that happen.
"It's tough on me because we worked three days to get a deal done, and they pull it off the table with two minutes to go. That's pretty hard to take."
It's the second time the Pacers have tried to trade Rush, who was part of a proposed deal with Charlotte last season.
"I try to move forward with this season and see what happens this summer," said Rush, the Pacers' starting shooting guard the rest of the way with Mike Dunleavy out following Friday's thumb surgery.
"They tried twice. I'm thinking they're going to try again. But it's the NBA. Everybody gets traded."
McRoberts, the Pacers' starting power forward and a Carmel, Ind., native, said he had no hard feelings.
"That's an upstairs deal," McRoberts said, referring to the team's front office. "I still have the same relationship with the coaching staff and my teammates. I have no hard feelings about it. It's a business. There's no hard feelings on anybody's side. You have to make the best decision for yourself. So does the team.''
The Pacers will have around $36 million in salary cap money this summer, depending on the new collective bargaining agreement.
"You don't spend it all, but obviously we're going after some players. We've got them targeted. It's going to be a good summer for us," Bird said.
"We don't know the rules of the collective bargaining yet, but we feel we're in a good position. I like our core group. We're going to lose some because their contracts are up."
McRoberts is one of the players without a contract beyond 2011.
"Josh had a very good year. He's going to do very well in the free agent market,'' Bird said. "We like Josh, but we felt that with 27 games to go, we had an opportunity to maybe get ourselves a little better. We'll worry about the summer when it comes."
It's also interesting what Bird said about some of the Players with Expiring Contracts not coming back....specifically McBob. As for Foster, I always assumed that we'd try to re-sign him to fill the role that Solo fills now....specifically being a Big Man that can come in when any of our likely 4 rotational Frontcourt Players get injured. But I wouldn't be surprised if some Team like the Knicks having some interest in him to fill the same role. As for who the Pacers are targeting....it would be nice to get an idea who Bird is thinking of.
Although it would have been exciting to see a New Player on the roster...I don't mind as much since I think that it would be better to have flexibility to make moves for the next couple of seasons.
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