:mccosky:


Webber is still mulling future

He plans to have a talk with Dumars, but hasn't ruled out a returning to play for the Pistons.

Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

DETROIT -- The kid in the first row at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History raised his hand and asked Chris Webber: "Are you going to be a Piston for the rest of your life?"

Webber was there Tuesday to unveil his personal collection of artifacts that will be on display at the museum through Sept. 28, but the kid hit on the question of the day. Unfortunately, Webber still isn't ready to answer it.

"Can I get you to talk to Joe Dumars about that?" Webber joked.

Actually, Webber is planning to sit down with general manager Dumars soon, and from the sound of it, he seems open to playing for at least another season.

Dumars, in his postseason address, left the ball in Webber's court, saying, "We have to evaluate everything and Chris has a say in it, too. I don't know what he wants to do."

Neither, at this point, does Webber. The two won't likely meet until after the draft on Thursday.

"I have to see how it goes," Webber said. "I want to talk to Joe and see what he says. I have definitely heard that there are teams that would be interested. But I'm not trying to be on a roller-coaster going here and there.

"I am just going to rest and talk to Joe. My body will tell me something, but I feel really good. I am not drained mentally or physically and that's a good sign."

Things did not end well for Webber last season. His performance waned, his minutes shrunk and his frustration level rose as the playoffs wore on. All that said, Webber still didn't completely rule out a return.

"All my options are open, but this was an opportunity here that I shouldn't really have had," he said. "I am still happy to be in this situation."

Webber, 34, is an unrestricted free agent as of July 1.

"It's just about where I feel comfortable," he said. "It's not about money. It's not about starting. It's not anything specific. It's more how I am feeling and do I think I can win with the team that's trying to get me."

He wants a ring I suppose.

If we sign him for cheap, hopefully no part of the MLE, I wouldnt be angry but I don't think he'll last for the whole season. The injury bugs gonna hit him sooner or later.

No way he retires at age 34. If Kobe stays and he gets a servicable bigman, I expect them to sign Webber. If not, Isiah might make a move for him.

I only want him if we can resign him for the minimum and not guarantee a starting spot.

Would we have Dice starting? Max? I agree Webber can;t start, his D isn't so great. I think that would limit Max's PT unless we get one of the 3 to back up Sheed.

God, I wish he'd just go away.

Personally, I'd like to just clean house on the frontline and start over. Find some way to dump CWebb, Dice, Nazr, and Dale.

Roll with Mad Max and Sheed. Bring in Amir, and possibly grab a new "Center" from somewhere.

^^Werd, hence my only wanting to sign Webber back as a backup for next to nothing.

I don't know if Webber would ever be happy getting payed and played as just some backup.

Then let him go. He was the equivalent of Nazr (or less) for most of the playoffs.

I agree, it was a fun idea at first, but the charm has worn off.

I'm thinking he'll go to LA (Lakers or Clips) to work on his rap/production business on the side.

His passing skills would be a big + in the triangle.

Unless Kander can work some serious miracles I'm not really interested. The guy couldn't even run down the court if a pack of wolves were after him.

I wonder if he'll be working out with Kander over the summer.
That'll tell us a lot.

Guys, I hate to say it, but not even Arnie "Jesus" Kander can heal Chris Webber.

Some kind of help is the kind of help that helping's all about,
and some kind of help is the kind of help we all can do without.

Keeping Webber = giving bums alchohol
I agree.

I don't see why Webber wouldn't be a good idea if he agrees to take the LLE for 2 years, and accepts a backup role up front.

Webber had some damn good games last year in the playoffs. He also had some duds. That makes him a quality backup C in the NBA.

I agree.

I had no idea, but apparently I'm a pretty fucking witty guy.

EDIT: If Webber were going to be working with Arnie Kander this summer, he'd be better off doing it now. And as we all can plainly see, he's not doing shit right now but "deciding." Webber and GWB can get together and go bowling.

Basically, if he doesn't come back, we're kind of left with Nazr, unless Maxiell progresses enough to be our starting center. Personally, I'd love to dump Nazr, start Maxiell, and bring back Webber as the backup. We could always find another cheap body to be the third stringer if we needed to.

Let's not forget there is a slight, albeit very small, chance that Cheick Samb could be on the roster as well.

Maxiell's stretched at times at the 4, now we're going to start him at the 5? Come on....

Maxiell is a nice energy guy. But he also can't defensively rebound, and holds on to the basketball like a 10-year old girl.

No way should he start next year. Dice and Sheed should be the starting frontcourt until further notice.

Let Maxiell and Amir do their thing off the bench, where they will have less pressure.

if we bring back the same cast as last year we're not getting to the finals again... so it comes down to: 1) does webber want to retire a piston? 2) do we want to let him finish up here?

i could care less. i'd rather see us giving that pt to up and comers, but he could have value in a diminished role. too bad flip saunders has no idea what that means.

That's 100% on the mark.

Maxiell's stretched at times at the 4, now we're going to start him at the 5? Come on....
IMO if he loses 10-15 more pounds and develops a better dribble, he dominates at the 3 much like Charles Barkey did but with less range(though he can work on that at some point)...

IMO if he loses 10-15 more pounds and develops a better dribble, he dominates at the 3 much like Charles Barkey did but with less range(though he can work on that at some point)...
Free throws free throws free throws!

The guy shot 60-odd% in college for years -- why can't he do that in the NBA?

I think he may be able to with more playing time so he won't be so nervous.

Free throws free throws free throws!

The guy shot 60-odd% in college for years -- why can't he do that in the NBA?
i think its still him getting used to shooting them again. He has a fairing decent mid range shot. But even that falls off sometimes. I just think its an issue of practice.

:stein:


Chris Webber has hinted at retirement more than once since last season ended, but I'm hearing now that he's much more interested in playing next season than not playing.

On two conditions.

Webber, 34, is apparently only willing to re-sign with his hometown Detroit Pistons -- who lost to Cleveland one step short of Webber's first-ever trip to the NBA Finals -- or join the Dallas Mavericks.

The Mavs are giving Webber a good look, too, since he'd instantly become the best passer they have if they signed him.

Just like Grant Hill, there is only one reason that the Pistons are listed here. Dallas has no incentive to offer more cash if they are the only ones bidding for him. The threat of us using the MLE on Hill was how he squeezed the extra BAE out of Phoenix instead of the minimum. Webber will do the exact same thing with Dallas to try and squeeze a S&T, or more cash.

Isn't Diop likely to be available then? I would be fine with a Webber for Diop S&T. After all, they have Dampier anyway.

We can't S&T Webber any more than any other FA.

Just like Grant Hill, there is only one reason that the Pistons are listed here. Dallas has no incentive to offer more cash if they are the only ones bidding for him. The threat of us using the MLE on Hill was how he squeezed the extra BAE out of Phoenix instead of the minimum. Webber will do the exact same thing with Dallas to try and squeeze a S&T, or more cash.

Isn't Diop likely to be available then? I would be fine with a Webber for Diop S&T. After all, they have Dampier anyway.

Why would they even do that? Webber isn't going to make more than the MLE, which is the only motivation for a team to do a S&T (a capped out team wanted to offer more than they could normally).

We can't S&T Webber any more than any other FA.

Why not? Of course you can:


Under no circumstances can a team sign and then trade another team's free agent. But there is a rule that allows teams to re-sign their own free agents for trading purposes, called the sign-and-trade rule. Under the sign-and-trade rule, the player is re-signed and immediately traded to another team. This is done by adding a clause to the contract which stipulates that the contract is invalid if the player's rights are not traded to the specific team within 48 hours. A sign-and-trade deal can be made even with players who have been renounced, but cannot be made when the player is signed using the Mid-Level, Bi-Annual or Disabled Player exceptions. Sign-and-trade contracts must be for three years or longer, but only the first season of the contract must be guaranteed. The three year minimum (even though the last two seasons may be non-guaranteed) ensures that the new team will not acquire Bird rights to the player any sooner than if they had signed him directly, because if they want to give him a new contract using Bird rights then they would have to waive him first, which resets the Bird clock.

We can't do it with Webber though because we wouldn't have his bird rights on the contract we signed him to, which means we cannot exceed the cap to sign him , unless it's the MLE, and then you can't do a S&T anyway.

But to say you can't S&T any FA is wrong. We could have with Billups.

I meant any other FA out there right now like say Mikki Moore. I guess we could trade Billups, yes, touche. I was refering to our inability to trade him due to the MLE clause you raised.

But yes, even if the Mavs were dumb enough to S&T for a guy they can just plain sign...we still couldn't do it. And we might not even be able to trade Billups (has it been 48 hours now?)

And we might not even be able to trade Billups (has it been 48 hours now?)

The 48 hours wouldn't start until after he officially signs on Wednesday.

The 48 hours wouldn't start until after he officially signs on Wednesday.

True, since nobody is official until the 11th.

What about trading something for Diop or Dampier after they sign Webber?

If they did in fact sign Webber I would think they'd move one of them. They already have Fazekas to backup Dirk. Diop is expiring so I am sure they'd rather move Damp, but nobody is going to touch that contract. He makes 8.5-13 mil/yr for 4 more years.

I wouldn't touch that. If they want Flip for Diop I'd do it, but why would they? They already have Terry, Stack, Howard, Ager and Sebitus.

They'd probably move Diop for a backup to Harris if they sign Webber. That way Terry isn't guarding Parker in the playoffs at all.

:stein:


The scoring guard formerly known as Stevie Franchise in Houston has a close relationship with Mavericks coach and offseason Houston resident Avery Johnson, who is heading Dallas' recruitment of both Francis and Chris Webber.

It's believed that the Mavs favor Webber if they have to choose between the two. Yet they're also contemplating whether to divvy up their $5.3 million exception in an attempt to sign both former All-Stars, as Dallas searches for an additional offensive threat or two that can prevent opposing defenses from focusing so heavily on Dirk Nowitzki.

If he won't whine about PT, we need to keep him here and only let him play in stretches when we need offense. He can still provide that.

let him walk. free up playing time for the youngsters.

skilled big men do not grow on trees. Webber can still be useful off the bench.

Exactly, Webber has been a good bench player since his knee injury in '03.

fact remains that Webber can still rebound, pass and (sometimes) shoot. he also has a great touch around the hoop.

Very few big men have Webber's skills.

In the few times that I've seen CWebb quoted since free agency began, he made it sound like Joe D was blowing him off a bit.

yeah but webber can't be better than the 5th or 6th big man for us. he would be perfect in that role- giving us spot minutes in certain matchups.

outside of that, he's not fit for play. he has NO lift in his legs at all and struggled to get the ball over the rim FAR too often. i know arnie is the magic man but i don't see webber improving any more over another long season.

we need a big man with quickness and athleticism (among other things) and webber has neither at this point. he has craftiness and smarts and great vision. but those can only take him so far. over the course of a game or a season, he becomes a liability if you give him too big of a role.

i'd love to have him as our 10th or 11th man. something makes me think he won't really be happy with that. if he is i'm all for it, but not at the cost of taking minutes from j-max or AJ.

Webber's perfectly capable of being the backup center.


we need a big man with quickness and athleticism

Um, Amir? Maxiell?

In the few times that I've seen CWebb quoted since free agency began, he made it sound like Joe D was blowing him off a bit.

Paybacks are a bitch.

question: what is the point of bringing back chris webber?

Webber's perfectly capable of being the backup center.



Um, Amir? Maxiell?
amir=Unproven. Maxiell=Inconsistent. I hope they both can step up. But neither is a sure thing to cover that. also Maxiell is decent off the ball shot blocker, but doesnt fair well against the high risers. Amir does have the ability required to make Lebron and Wade think twice b4 going straight up at him, but I gotta see him put it all together first.


Me personally, I like webber as a person and a offensive catalyst. But dont like him much as a defender.

k-stat you proved my point. we have those 2 young kids and despite their inexperience and 'rawness' (for lack of a better term) they give us more of what we need than webber.

unless of course, we're talking about webber playing a few minutes once every few games. i think he brings value in that sort of role. but anything more than that and he becomes more of a liability IMO.

i think we played our best ball last year with Webber in the lineup the first month after Cweb signed, we were just feeding him the ball, and he had some pretty good games...that said, i want Cweb back as a backup center, only if we can move Nazr for a backup SF...Flip should have no alternatives to playing Max and Amir significant minutes

There isn't a team in the NBA that can't use a center that can set other players up.

Amir is going to play whether Webber is here or not. They don't even play the same position.

Amir is going to play whether Webber is here or not. They don't even play the same position.
Well technically they do. there is no true center left on roster with dale davis gone(unless you count the mediocre Nazr). So everybody is playing F/C depending on matchups. And IMO Amir could be looked at to defend the Center position just as much as Webber because of his shot blocking athleticism.

**Detroit Pistons free agent forward Chris Webber’s Second Annual Bada-Bling Celebrity Weekend in Las Vegas was definitely the place to see sports and entertainment stars last weekend as there about 80 there. The A-list stars included Carmelo Anthony, Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul Jabbar, actress Tichina Arnold, Denver’s own Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Pistons, ex-NBA player Doug Christie and his wife, Jackie, comedian/actor Mark Curry, Golden State Warrior Baron Davis, rapper Doug E. Fresh, Piston Rip Hamilton, singer Howard Hewett, the Isley Brothers, St. Louis Ram Steven Jackson, Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee, boxer Zab Judah, actress Regina King, rapper Talib Kweli, Shaun Livingston of the Los Angeles Clippers, Hall of Famer Moses Malone, DJ Biz Markie, boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr., boxer Sugar Shane Mosely, comedian Charlie Murphy, famed rapper Nas, Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls, Emeka Okafor of the Charlotte Bobcats, Gary Payton of the Miami Heat, the Pistons’ Tayshaun Prince, Michael Redd of the Milwaukee Bucks, singer Raphael Saadiq, ex-NBA player Brian Shaw, rapper Slick Rick, Damon Stoudamire of the Memphis Grizzlies, comedians Guy and Joe Torry, actress Gabrielle Union, Rasheed Wallace of the Pistons, Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets and Deron Williams of the Utah Jazz. Whew! The money raised at the charity event benefits The Chris Webber Foundation, with the objective of increasing literacy among disadvantaged youth.

**The highlight of Webber’s charity event last Saturday was Nas grabbing the microphone to rap for a surprise performance after a stellar show by Raphael Saddiq. … Charlie Murphy had a terrible profanity-laced, supposedly-comedic set that he ended by saying he was (messed) up. … Webber and Curry handled the MC duties. Curry joked that Webber looked like the late Minister Louis Farrakhan in his suit highlighted with a bow tie. But when asked joke about former NBA referee Tim Donaghy, who is in the midst of a gambling scandal, even the talkative Curry was speechless.

**Webber spoke as if he expected to return to the Pistons as he often referred to them as “we” and I never heard any reference to any other teams. Pistons veteran free agent center Dale Davis was also in attendance and said that he wants to continue playing.

http://www.denverpostbloghouse.com/nuggets/2007/07/26/random-thoughts-by-the-denver-posts-marc-j-spears-on-nba-and-nuggets/

C-Webb thinking...

The Mavs are wrapping up a contract for power forward Brandon Bass today. Could they be close to doing the same for Chris Webber? Well, the Mavs continue to say that Webber is a guy they like and apparently C-Webb hasn't forgotten about the Mavs either.

Slam Magazine just posted a Q&A with C-Webb from his 2nd Annual Bada Bling charity event. They asked if he was going to re-sign with Detroit and this is how C-Webb responded:

"I don't know. I would love to. Right now I'm thinking about Detroit and Dallas, so you never know. Watch out for BShaw though, he's trying to get me in LA!"

Webber's a fine passer and a good rebounder. He can still bury the short jumper, but he's a defensive liability and he has very little mobility. He might be a good piece against the Spurs, but not the Suns (or Warriors).

We'll see how this shakes out. Last week, his agent's spokeswoman said this process could drag on for some time.

-- Jeff

http://startelegram.typepad.com/mavs_fullcourt_press/2007/07/c-webb-thinking.html

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070728/SPORTS/707280329/1002/SPORTS


Orlando after Webber, Brown

BY JOHN DENTON
FLORIDA TODAY ADVERTISEMENT

ORLANDO - While the Orlando Magic's contract talks with point guard Jameer Nelson have apparently stalled, discussions with veteran big men Chris Webber and P.J. Brown are moving forward.

Magic general manager Otis Smith said Friday morning that the team has reached out to Webber and Brown to gauge their level of interest in playing alongside of Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis next season in Orlando.

The Magic would like to add another veteran power forward/center after losing 7-footer Darko Milicic in free agency to the Memphis Grizzlies. After signing Lewis to a $118.5 million deal, Orlando has just the veteran's minimum ($1.8 million) to offer to a free agent.

Both Webber, 34, and Brown, 37, are unrestricted free agents capable of signing with any team. Both are said to be contemplating retirement, but might return for another season to play with a championship contender.

Webber closed last season with the Detroit Pistons, where he averaged 11.3 points and 6.7 rebounds in 43 games. His play faded badly in the playoffs and the Pistons might not bring the five-time all-star back for a 15 NBA season.

Webber is reportedly considering offers from Detroit, Dallas and the Los Angeles Lakers. Possibly aiding the Magic's bid to land Webber is the fact that he's represented by Aaron Goodwin, who also is Howard's agent.

Brown averaged 6.7 points and 4.8 rebounds with Chicago. He played in 72 games, but started just 49 times.

"There's interest from those guys to play here," Smith said of Webber and Brown. "This is a young, up-and-coming basketball team, and any veteran who comes here won't have to carry a lot of the weight. We have young guys in Rashard and Dwight who they can lean on and a strong nucleus. That makes us attractive to guys still out there. And being in the East is attractive, too."

What about bringing Brown in to play some C here, he's old enough that we could get him on a 1 year deal. Not much offensively iirc, but he's still got some decent paint defense right? I didn't really see much of him the last few years.

I remember PJ had one good game against us in the playoffs but really, fuck him. I'd rather bring in Webber's offense than PJ's D.

http://startelegram.typepad.com/mavs_fullcourt_press/2007/08/c-webb-to-mavs-.html


C-Webb to Mavs, really?

So the Internet's blowing up tonight (Sunday) with reports that an LA radio station has C-Webb, yes, Chris Webber, ready to sign a deal with the Mavericks, with the Mavs giving him the full mid-level exception, $5.36 million...hey, why not? might as well spend the thing, and C-Webb could become a signature add if his veteran body can hold up and if he's ready to embrace a reserve role on a team led by a coach with unwavering championship aspirations.

I don't know about you, but late summer Sundays are for relaxing with family, so I gave Donnie Nelson a rare Sunday night off. Eddie Jones is expected to be at the Mavs' offices for a physical Monday before his deal for $1.83 million this season can be finalized.

Perhaps Webber is close in tow. The Mavs clearly could use veteran help to back up Dirk and help Avery ease up just a bit on Dirk's minutes while feeling comfortable that the sub can hold the fort for a few minutes. The Mavs have long had their eye on Webber and P.J. Brown, who's been mulling retirement, but could also command the full MLE from the Mavs or Phoenix or Boston or maybe even others -- everyone it seems needs size in the paint.

Webber has said it's either Detroit or Dallas, so if he signs with the Mavs, figure Brown heads to the Suns. That would make for some interesting analysis of two aging forward-centers as the season goes along.

For Webber, to sign with the Mavs has to be a little strange seeing how his career forever changed at the AAC during the 2003 playoffs when he blew out his knee in a horrible injury under the basket. That Sacramento team was really good and still took the Mavs to 7 games. With Webber healthy throughout, I think that Kings team could have won the championship. The Spurs beat the Mavs (without Dirk) in six games in the West finals and went on to win it all.

I thought Dallas was saving $ this year, not spending the full MLE? I call BS.

Another spin, with Posey involved, too.

http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_22959.shtml

I was thinking it would be nice to have CWebb back, but the more I think about it, I really don't want him stealing minutes from Nazr.

I'm not sure I wanted him back. Maybe if we sat him for the first 3/4 of the season so he was fresh come playoff time, but otherwise he'd just slowly deteriorate as the season went on and by the end of the year he'd be even worse than at the end of last year. Remember, last year he didn't play half the season and he was still worn down by playoff time.

I think a full season under Arnie Kander would do wonders for CWebb.

Here's what I've learned from this past Pistons season: Whatever Chris Webber's next move is, he's going to make it in slow motion.

I crack up every time I think about Webber being an action movie star.

I crack up every time I think about Webber being an action movie star.
Everything would look like old movies, where things seem to be moving extremely quickly. That's due to the fact that they'd have to film him, then speed up the film to get him at "normal human" speed.

It sucks when I'm the only one that gets my own jokes.

I think it's sad that the Pistons' situation at the 5 is so messed up that we don't even know how to laugh at it.

I laughed. It was just a personal laugh in the office, not a posted laugh. Sorry Glenn.

Sometimes I need a little affirmation.
http://www.underneathpolitics.com/images/130_Stuart_Smalley_47.jpg

Glenn's good enough, Glenn's smart enough, and gosh darn it, people like Glenn.

So....that guy's going to be in the U.S. Senate.

As for the rumor Sunday night that Chris Webber was on the verge of signing with the Mavs? Webber is definitely on the Mavs' radar, that's no secret, but a deal does not appear imminent.

Mavs president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson and Webber's agent Aaron Goodwin could not be reached Monday.
http://www.star-telegram.com/287/story/193771.html

say what you will about c-webb. to me, its almost impossible to imagine how this helps the mavs. they should be integrating youth, not promising pt to a decaying corpse who was best known (pre-mortem) as a choke specialist.

dont they have nobody (ebonics) who can fill the lane?

for the remaining p-fan in me, im indifferent. he may have won us a couple more games, but not a series, and he'd only rob time from a young gun toting nbdl phenom looking to break out on our roster (good luck!). plus im almost positive k-stat guaranteed we'd resign him.and i am enjoying his long running 'hitless" streak.though im ALMOST considering ending my subscription to his "insider" webpage. i wish mcclosky could talk me down about this subject.

I don't see how webber fits Dallas either. Who rebounds when your other big man primarily plays on the wing as well?

Webber would be better served taking short deal to play next to Yao or Shaq. He needs a post player next to him at this stage in his career.

Every deal given to Webber seems like a consolation prize at this point. We all know he's not going to earn it.