Baron Davis (photo. Tim Tadder)After the curious conclusion to the Warriors season, in which Baron Davis spent 31 minutes of a win-or-go-home game against the Suns on the bench, did anyone think that would be one of the last times Boom would suit up in Golden State? Davis just turned 29, and is entering the final year of his deal, in which he’s slated to make $17.8 million - the finale of his six-year $84 million deal.
Davis’ agent Todd Ramasar sat down with the Warriors’ brass to discuss a possible contract extension last week, but is supposedly in a different ‘ballpark’ from what the team is looking to spend. Davis could opt out of his deal and become an unrestricted free agent as of July 1.
From Geoff Lepper’s Mercury News article…
“After sitting down with the Warriors’ organization regarding Baron’s future, I don’t know what direction the Warriors are going,” Ramasar said. “Baron is adamant about remaining a Warrior but based on my conversations with the team, we have to consider all of his options.”
It’s not like Baron isn’t willing to budge. Just as Gilbert Arenas said he’d make ends meet so Washington could keep Antawn Jamison, Baron said he’d be willing to drop down from the “max player” tier to help the Warriors hold onto Monta Ellis.
“The source said that the Warriors’ proposals were “significantly below” what he termed as market value; it’s not clear if the team is going low on its average salary per season or offering higher base pay over a shorter time.
The impasse is not surprising. Although Davis said after the season finale on April 16 that he wanted to stay with Golden State, he did allow that, “I’m just waiting on the Warriors, to see if they want me here long term or not.”
In the event that Golden State lowballs Baron to the point that he opts out, would the Clippers have an offer sheet on his desk right away? They’ve got a ton of cap room, and with Shaun Livingston’s bionic leg still in question, they’re in desperate need of a point guard. And Davis wouldn’t frown at the possibility of playing with a real force in the post for the first time in his career in Elton Brand. (Jamaal Magloire doesn’t count from their days in New Orleans.)
The Sixers also have a ton of space, but they seem content with the 32-year old Andre Miller running the show.
And to throw one potentially crazy idea out there, what if Baron wanted to stay in Hollywood, but join forces with Kobe? Does a sign-and-trade with Jordan Farmar and Lamar Odom for Davis make sense for Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak?
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May 12th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
hoopsguru says:
why would the lakers want to move Farmar and LO for Davis? I certainly wouldnt. JF is coming into his own as a ball handler and shooter, while Odom is playing some of his best ball as a Laker with the addition of Pau
May 12th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
fallinup says:
I could see B. Diddy in LA with the Clips…Baron and Elton would work well together. No no no, to the Lakers though…that’s a no win situation that I’m sure the lakers brass wouldn’t even ponder.
May 12th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Gary Lee says:
Baron only plays when there’s a contract on the line . . . he’s “one of those” players (you guys should write an article about Top 10 “One of Those” players) . . I’ll throw you some more names just in case you don’t know - Bobby Simmons, Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose (notice a theme?), Kenyon Martin . . . . Lamar will be joining that list soon, trust me on that! . . . . there has to be more . . your office can come up with that . . .
May 12th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
MoxWestCoastRep says:
If Baron wants a chip and be able to do his movie thang, he will take less and sign w the lakers.
I like the sign and trade w farmar and LO. When Bynum is back next year Gasol will fit nicely in at the PF.
Diddy, KB, Ariza, Gasol and Bynum.
Done and Done.
May 12th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Kobeef says:
I’d dump Farmar and Odom for BoomDizzle.
Pau is a PF filling in for Bynum at the C.
When Bynum comes back they have two PF’s making 8 figures…that’s a bit of overkill.
On the other hand, a backcourt of BD and Kobe is easily the best in the west. You could start Jerome James at SF and they’d still be a contender.
LA has got to be appealing for BD because he was born and went to College there. Also, he’s the same age as Kobe so from a stage of career perspective the’d be a good match.
Could he be effective without the ball? That’s be the question.
May 12th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Logan Light says:
Ya’ll all got this wrong! Baron to the Cavs! Lebron and Boom Dizz would be SICK.
May 12th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
yoda says:
i dont think kobe and baron would work well together, both demands ball in theirs hands. on other hand, donnie walsh should try to drug mullin or who ever is in charge there, and try to trade baron for steph. i think baron would fit with d’antoni.
May 12th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
JHov says:
I would love to see Diddy running the point for the LakeShow but it probably won’t happen..He’ll probably go to the Clips or even Sacto but he’s not leaving Cali!
May 12th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
doc says:
I think Baron would fit anywhere because he nice.He not just gonna jack up BS for some team with starpower who can give him a what the fuck are you doing look on their face as they come back down the court in a heated game.He need to go somewhere anyway it aint like he gonna win shit in GS with that team.
May 12th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
K Dizzle - Nonpanickin Laker fan says:
I don’t know why all these stories always end with Lamar Odom’s name being thrown around in a trade like he’s a scrub and not the most versatile player in the game today along with Bron.
And I really don’t know why Laker “fans” are always tryin to destroy a good thing with trades that don’t make sense. Lakers run a triangle offense so you need a point guard like Derek Fisher who’s a world-class shooter, knows where to go to get his in the triangle and plays lock-down d and Vujacic and farmar as backups because of the shooting(when JF hittin). Baron ain’t throwin the ball into Pau and standin on the baseline waitin for the doubleteam and a kickout; that’s not even close to his game. First it was JKidd now it’s Baron. It’s not a video game, You can’t just throw a bunch of dudes together and think it’s gonna work.
Lakers have a perfect mix of steady shooting point guard who plays defense, a deluxe 2-guard who’s a closer, and totally unselfish front court who run the triangle to perfection. Please stop thinkin there’s a player out there who can do what LO does cuz there ain’t.
Damn! I love Boom, but the Clips can have him
May 12th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
JDizzle says:
I’d hate to see him go, but it doesn’t make sense for Mullin to pay too much for him. He won’t stay healthy. He treated last year like a contract year…that’s why he played every game. I think the Warriors not making the playoffs this year really hurt his stock.
I hope he stays for the last year of his contract so we can make one more run w/ the team we have, then give the team to Monta Ellis. Davis really is the heart and soul of this team. He took all of the last second shots, and he and Jackson guarded the opposing team’s best players.
The thought of him on the Clippers or the Knicks is intriguing. I think those are the only other teams that he would fit well on and be willing to play for.
May 12th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
miamiVIS3 says:
Sign and trade for Farmar and Lamar Odom would not work for LA. STOP PUTTING LAMAR ODOM IN TRADE ROOMERS! Looking back trading LO and Caron for Shaq was dumb for My heat I know we got a ‘chip but I can only dream what D Wade Caron and LO could do down here assuming they all developed like they have now
May 12th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
GEE...This thing is bigger than Nino Brown. This is big business. says:
Forget the box I am outside the triangle on this.
I would get rid of Farmar and Bynum for B-Dizzle.
None of us know how Bynum is going to be when he gets back. Meanwhile Lamar is doing his thing. Also who knows if this is the first of many injuries for the kid. I keep Lamar add Boom and keep winning.
May 12th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
MoxWestCoastRep says:
I’m not saying LO isn’t a good player. He’s just inconsistent and Baron Davis is more than capable of working in the new triangle and hitting big shots. LO and Gasol will basically play the same position next season so why not add a top 5 pg if you can?
Probably won’t happen, so who cares
May 12th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
jkedsf1 says:
No Boom, No Nellie..
Baron is asking fo3r about 34m for 3years..(11-12mil per)
GS is giving him the $8-9m range..
$11-12mil is reasonable..
i’m a lakerfan and Boom will not work on the triangle..
i’ll just get myself a cheap bigman and a shooter in the offseason.. we’re goin’ to be champs anyway..
May 12th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
Three Stacks says:
Gee, there’s NO f’in way the Lakers are gonna trade Bynum, better chance of Star Jones actually having a shot w/ D-Wade.
The one thing this Jazz-Lakers series has shows is that the Lakers’ biggest weakness is their softness on the inside. It’s true that no one knows how Bynum will play once he comes back, but there’s no way any Laker fan would want Baron, a PG that’s significantly older, at the expense of a 21 year old center who has a chance to be an All-Star for years to come. I mean, Baron is nice, don’t get me wrong, but that inconsistent 3 isn’t gonna help the triangle offense.
I see your point though, getting Baron, making the Lakers into a running team w/ Kobe, Lamar at 4, and Pau at the 5 would be pretty fun to watch. But there’s no way we give up Bynum, no chance in hell.
May 12th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
lovelife says:
i am NOT a
laker fan at all
though i do like to watch games and certain players
but DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN!!
a H E A L T H Y B-DIDDY in the backcourt with
an angry BLACK MAMBA….and healthy bigmen…?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
could be VERY NASTY!!!!
May 12th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
godfreyallstar says:
baron is one of my favorite players
so if he went to the lakers i would just kill myself
baron in a lakers uniform is enough to make me cry
May 13th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
johnsacrimoni says:
K-Dizzle is absolutely right and I agree with him on all points. You can’t just assemble talented players on paper and expect it to work. Does anybody even remotely have a clue as to Phil Jackson’s system and triangle offense? You should, he used it all those years with the Bulls and Lakers. It requires tall point guards to shoot threes and defend (the tall part doesn’t always happen). B-Davis would be a terrible fit in the triangle, just as Payton was, and in fact, most elite point guards are. B-Davis and Kobe would be a bad fit anyway with or without the triange.
May 13th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
PALakerFan says:
Screw that! I wouldn’t want Baron on the Lakers. K-Dizzle’s right. The Lakers have the perfect Triangle PG’s. And no way am I trading Odom or Bynum for the 7th best PG in the L. Fisher, Kobe, Odom, Gasol, & Bynum are going to challenge 70 wins next year.
How about Baron for Steph? Salaries are close. Steph would fit in nicely in Nellie’s system and Baron would add an element NYC’s been missing since Sprewell left.
May 13th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
crc3423 says:
the davis for farmar and odom trade isn’t happening. the lakers love odom (now) and farmar might start next year. the clips should and will make a play at him (as well as arenas and re-up maggette, brand, and livingston). but the knicks could dump marbury, and send him for davis straight up (play in an up-tempo game). the bulls, clips, knicks, atlanta, houston, and maybe miami may all be suiters to bd. the other teams with all the cap space have a reason for why they have all that cap space: no one whats to go there and the teams suck (except for the l.a. and philly - depends on what they do with igoudala)