Popovich Thinks Suns May Get Finley
Lexis-Nexis; P. Coro - Arizona Republic
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
For every Suns fan pining for a morsel of hope that Michael Finley would have announced a return to Phoenix by now, here is a long-distance dedication from San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich:
"I'd be surprised if Phoenix wasn't his choice," Popovich told the San Antonio Express-News at a Spurs news conference welcoming ex-Finley teammate Nick Van Exel on Tuesday. "I think he's got a great opportunity to start there and play a lot of minutes. He's got great relationships with a couple of their players, Steve (Nash) and Raja (Bell, both ex-Dallas teammates). I think he'd be really comfortable there."
Alas, it means nothing until it comes out of the mouth of Finley or his agent, Henry Thomas. A Thomas assistant said Tuesday that Finley had not made a choice. A decision was expected early this week after Finley used the weekend to mull over in-person presentations from Miami, Phoenix, San Antonio and Minnesota.
Finley is either truly torn or still negotiating, creating more limbo for a Suns franchise that just went through the Joe Johnson ordeal. Phoenix is more than happy to wait out this one if it means landing Finley, waived by Dallas on Aug. 15 for luxury tax savings, for a $1.1 million salary this season.
The Suns have not been given any new timetable. Finley has no deadline, but given his private nature, he likely does not relish the spotlight of his most-wanted status.
If the delays have to do with negotiations, it could only be for more years in a contract elsewhere. None of the teams has salary-cap space to make a higher salary offer.
Miami has a $5 million midlevel exception that can be offered in a multi-year deal. San Antonio's and Minnesota's offers would start at only $2.5 million, making a long-term deal worth less than half of what the Heat can give him.
Phoenix would sign Finley to a one-year deal with a player option year, creating the flexibility for Finley to become a free agent again next summer or return to the Suns when they have their $5 million midlevel exception available again.
Because of an offset in the amnesty rule, Finley stands to net only $2 million more for the coming season if he is pitting Miami against Phoenix. However, Miami could offer Finley, 32, as much as three years for $16.2 million, four years for $22.4 million or five years for $29 million.
Finley, 49th on Sports Illustrated's list of wealthiest athletes for 2005, is owed $51.8 million by Dallas.
The Spurs perhaps give Finley his best shot at a title. He would start in Phoenix and could start in Miami, but might have to come off the bench with Van Exel in San Antonio behind guard Tony Parker and swingmen Bruce Bowen and Manu Ginobili.
Van Exel took the veteran's minimum before the Spurs even knew whether they needed the $2.5 million left on their midlevel exception for Finley.
