From Mark Medina, Los Angeles Times: Jordan Farmar may soon find out just how frustrating the NBA can really become. He often lamented during his four-year tenure with the Lakers his lack of playing time, how the triangle offense limited his game and how there never seemed to be enough opportunities for him to succeed. That’s why it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he officially parted ways with the Lakers on Sunday. It almost seemed inevitable that he wouldn’t be part of the organization, particularly with how obvious he made it out to be during his exit interview that he’d like to test the market, get away from L.A. and see where his career can take him. What seems surprising is the alternative. The Times’ Broderick Turner reported that Farmar accepted a three-year, $12-million offer from the New Jersey Nets and will play behind starting point guard Devin Harris. In New Jersey, Farmar’s frustration may go beyond playing time and the triangle offense.
From Mark Heisler, Los Angeles Times: LeLemmings Strike Back! You know the guy on the 100-foot billboard in Cleveland with his head thrown back and his arms outstretched under the Nike swoosh and the words “We Are All Witnesses”? He doesn’t perform miracles there anymore. After years of dreading this day, Cavaliers fans, who assured themselves LeBron James would never leave, knowing he was all they had going and there would be no reason for them to stay, either, learned he would spend the rest of their lives in. . . . And now a word from our sponsors. MIAMI?
From Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times: The Lakers have one guard who might be staying or going, another guard who is leaving and yet another guard who remains in flux. Almost two weeks into the free-agency period has put Lakers unrestricted free-agent guard Derek Fisher in a position in which he may have to decide between two similar offers — one from the Lakers and the other from the Miami Heat. Jordan Farmar, to whom the Lakers didn’t make a qualifying offer, which made him an unrestricted free agent, said he agreed Sunday night to a three-year, $12-million deal with the New Jersey Nets.
From Dexter Fishmore, Silver Screen and Roll: Some details have emerged tonight about the bidding, uh, “war” for Derek Fisher. A story filed minutes ago by Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times contains two key pieces of information. One is that the Miami Heat have indeed offered Fish a contract. It’s for two years, with the second being a player option. The salary is “up to $2 million” per year, depending on what Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem will agree to. The Heat have apparently promised Fish the starting point-guard gig. The second key update is that the Lakers are now offering Fish a deal worth $2.75 million annually. Turner doesn’t know whether it’s a one- or two-year offer, but in any event, it’s a very slight increase from the $2.5 million contract the Lakers were reportedly offering last week. The Heat are requesting answers from Fish, Miller and Haslem by Tuesday.
From the K-Bros, Land O’ Lakers: Jordan Farmar’s exit interview cemented what’s been clear for the last couple of seasons. He wasn’t terribly interested in remaining a Laker once his contract expired this July, and the feeling has always appeared mutual on the Lakers’ end. Jordan’s felt unofficially “gone” since around 2008, but it’s now truly the case by any standard. Farmar and the Nets have agreed to a three-year deal worth $12-million. I must admit, New Jersey strikes me as a curious destination. On one hand, the Nets have an established, successful coach in Avery Johnson — described as a selling point to the Los Angeles Times’ Brad Turner — and an owner with deep pockets. And while still hardly a playoff lock, they’re basically guaranteed by definition to perform better than last season’s 12 win fiasco. Between rookie Derrick Favors, Anthony Morrow potentially joining, and the core trio of Brook Lopez, Courtney Lee and Devin Harris, there are enough good young pieces to consider the Nets a team moving in the right direction.
From Mark J. Spears, Yahoo! Sports: A source close to Derek Fisher said he’s confident the free-agent guard will re-sign with the Los Angeles Lakers instead of going to the Miami Heat. Fisher reportedly received a $2.5 million offer for next season from the Lakers. He has been seeking a two-year contract with a starting salary closer to the $5 million he made last season. Depending on whether the Heat sign both Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem, they could be in position to offer only the veteran’s minimum to Fisher. Fisher visited with the Heat in Miami on Saturday.
From Kevin Arnovitz, TrueHoop: Large bags of ice are taped to Derrick Caracter‘s shoulders and knees as he sits on a folding chair beneath the bleachers of Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas. The Lakers have just dropped a summer league game to the Nuggets, but Caracter continues to make the Lakers look smart for nabbing him with the 58th overall pick in last month’s draft. After racking up 20 points and 10 rebounds against the Pistons on Friday, Caracter scored 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds on Saturday. Even though summer league is largely an exhibition to display individual talents, there’s a tacit rule not to take too much pride in personal performance when your team loses. Still, as a late second-rounder who has been carrying baggage, Caracter’s strong play has him in good spirits.
From Mike Trudell, Basket Blog: The Lakers lost their second straight game to open the Las Vegas Summer League as Ty Lawson and the Denver Nuggets rode a late run to a 92-74 victory. Yet as was the case in L.A.’s first game, second round picks Devin Ebanks and Derrick Caracter showed why Mitch Kupchak and Co. drafted them, Ebanks posting a game-high 24 points and Caracter contributing his second straight double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds. L.A. cut Denver’s lead to just four late in the second quarter, as Ebanks and Caracter combined for 18 points in the period, but couldn’t lead the Lakers back in the second half. Ebanks, known more in his two years at West Virginia as a defensive player, showcased his offense for the second straight game, bringing his average to 22.5 points, and he added three steals on defense.
From Alex Kennedy, Hoops World: Throughout the draft process, Derrick Caracter proved that he could hang with the top prospects in this class. He was dominating workouts and saying all of the right things in interviews. But on draft night, teams were still scared to take a risk on the big man because of his well documented red flags. Caracter had changed his attitude, lost forty pounds, and emerged as a leader but the mistakes he made as a high schooler were coming back to haunt him. When the Los Angeles Lakers finally took a chance on him with the fifty-eighth pick, Caracter vowed to go after the players chosen ahead of him on draft night. When the Las Vegas Summer League kicked off on Friday, Caracter started this process by going after Greg Monroe.
Last, but not least, I just saw this video of Kobe talking about how kids need to get out and play more, Derek Fisher, Brian Shaw and LeBron James.
TYLER says
I am completely confused by Farmar’s decision to go to New Jersey.
If he wasn’t happy with his minutes behind Fisher, what is he going to think about playing behind Harris who was an All-Star a couple of years ago and will play much bigger minutes than Fisher did? Also, if he thought the triangle was limiting, wait until he has Avery Johnson’s grating voice in his ear trying to control every single step he takes while on the court.
My only thought is that since Harris and Johnson had problems in Dallas, maybe New Jersey is planning to move Harris and make Farmar the starter. Otherwise Jordan just left an imperfect situation on a great team for an awful situation on a horrendous team.
Anand says
@Tyler:IMO, if NJ decide to trade Devin away to get Farmar more playing time, they’re dumber than we thought. Farmar’s good and all, but trading away a former starting guard on a Finals team still in his ostensible prime for starting a career backup till this point is just silly.
Coffee is For Closers says
Sounds to me like Jordan overestimated the demand for him in the market, and in the end, just took the best deal he could get. Even if had a change of heart re: Lakers, once Blake was brought in, that pretty much closed that door.
TYLER says
I wasn’t implying that the Nets would trade away Harris to give Farmar more time, just that maybe they were planning on getting rid of him anyone, and needed to bring in a replacement first.
Yes, if a team decided that they would like to get rid of Devin Harris to bring in Jordan Farmar that would be very dumb.
Brian P. says
I don’t think the door was ever open for Farmar to come back to the Lakers.
On a side note, does Caracter remind anybody else of Carl Landry?
I think by 2011-12 Caracter can give us a solid 15-20 minutes a game.
chibi says
#1/Tyler: I think money might have been a bigger factor for Farmar. The signing came after Portland decided to offer its entire MLE to Wes Matthews, instead of Farmar. My guess is his agent believes Utah won’t match, so he went for the most lucrative offer available, NJ.
I also agree that moving Harris is possible. There are two teams without PGs(indiana and charlotte) that could offer NJ another big man/expiring contract.
brought this over from the last thread:
something caught my eye as i was scanning salaries the other day. dejuan blair, a 2nd round pick, was signed using the MLE. this gave him a 4 yr/$3.8M deal, starting out at $850K. This was a smart move, as blair will have bird rights afterward, and his potential is immense.
with roughly 1.7M(850K x 2) left of our MLE, and given how promising our 2nd picks are, i predict kupchak will sign ebanks and caracter to similar deals if they leave a deep impression.
DY says
I suppose the grass is always greener…except in NJ (and I unfortunately am an LA expatriate in NJ).
He will emerge from the protective cocoon of the Lakers and now be judged on his own merits. I really don’t know how to frame this comment, as I didn’t really want him back in LA. He’s not like Ariza, who was coveted by most Lakers fans back in the early days of free agency a year ago. He’s not even Turiaf, who would have made an excellent backup but legitimately wanted more PT.
Harris will inevitably be injured for 25% of the games, but Farmar will find it difficult to get “his” in NJ given Lopez, the plethora of wings (Courtney Lee, Anthony Morrow, Terrence Williams, Travis Outlaw). So clearly, it was a money grab, and who can blame him, since he does have more championship rings than Wade, LBJ, and Bosh combined!
VoR says
Farmar wasn’t getting a Laker deal. This is what he could get, so he took it. I don’t blame him at all. Wherever he goes, he is going to have to fight for a starting spot and it may never come.
Jeremy says
@1. Where’s the confusion he getting $12million pretty much a no brainer
Jayelvee says
I wish him well but he’s in for a rude awakening…his former team had more wins in the playoffs than his new team did all season.
But at least his iPod will have Jay-Z’s latest tracks before any of us…
exhelodrvr says
Farmar is a mediocre player at the NBA level. This is the kind of deal mediocre players get.
DY says
On a side note, I really like what Toronto’s FO is doing with their moves. Forget the Bosh “wake” and cry-fest, forget the whole “tampering” line of thought. Within a week, Toronto shed Turk and Calderon, brought in Barbosa, Chandler, and Diaw. These players fit what the Raptors need (interior defense, facilitator, and scorer).
I know the Cavs are hurting right now, but Toronto’s FO is showing that there is no time to lament, only time to cement a new legacy. (although the Amir Johnson contract is perplexing)…
Jeremy says
DY, Completely agree. I admire Toronto’s ability to move on and go in another direction. Hopefully Chandler is 100% I’ve always liked him as a player.
DLD says
While it seems like Fisher will stay in LA if the numbers reported are accurate, I wonder if the Lakers will grow weary and look in a different direction.
Luke Ridnour is still out there, but apparently the Bucks would like to bring him in as a backup to Jennings. There was some talk that Mitch had an agreement in place with Ridnour if they weren’t able to get Blake … think it was 4 years for $12M total. It may sound like heresy, but I wouldn’t be terribly upset if the FO signed this guy as the 2nd team PG instead of Fisher.
Thoughts? Is this financially feasible?
Gabriel R. says
DY, I agree.
It does seem like the Cavs are or were too busy crying to deal with a real matter at hand like the Raptors did.
I mean, look at the potential team they have left in Cleveland. That team was designed to compliment LeBron, not compete without him.
That team is a near lock for the lottery.
Bye.
sT says
I am happy for Farmar, he never seemed willing to run the ‘Triangle’ in LA for some reason, and he got some decent money in NJ. The Lakers and him were going to part company, sooner than later. I wish him and all our former players the best.
R says
Anon – “It does seem like the Cavs are or were too busy crying to deal with a real matter at hand like the Raptors did.”
Dan Gilbert needs to look on the bright side of things. After all, if LBJ tanked all these playoff games, Gilbert should be glad he’s gone. And, now he has all this money to overpay somebody else! He even has Jesse Jackson helpfully weighing in on the error of his ways.
What a festival of stupidity.
Lakerpassion says
Two thoughts on Jordan Farmer:
Given his talent level, I will never understand his disdain for the triangle. If he would have embraced it, it would have served him well.
On the way out the door, I say Thank you. You played hard, you contributed to our championships, and your dunk on Garnett is a part of our history.
Thanks, pal.
Tra says
In My Opinion, there are only 3 Reasons why Individuals choose Sports as a Profession (In No Particular Order):
1. Money
2. Love 4 The Game
3. Championships (Rings)
It’s the Love 4 The Game that has gotten him this far (Professional Level) already. He’s been Blessed to have played his first 4 seasons with an Organization such as ours & because of this, he has 2 Rings to show for it. So all that’s left now is the Money aspect of it. 4 Millie a Yr to back up Harris? Who am I to Knock his Hustle, especially with the Possibility of the Owners locking the Players out after this upcoming season. Also, he obviously feels that the Triangle didn’t give him the opportunity to Showcase his true talents. So, in his mind, with the Shackles of our system off, he’ll be released to prove his worth to prospective Teams (Out Clause after 2 yrs), which will garner him even more Money down the line.
All n All, I appreciate the yrs that he’s given us & I wish him nothing but the best (except the 2x’s a yr in which he faces us) in his Future.
Brian says
I think that Jordan’s deal is a combination of his misjudging the market for his services as well as a desire to play in a more traditional PG-heavy offense.
He really, really, thinks he is better than he has been allowed to show by playing limited minutes in the triangle, and probably believes that even in similarly limited minutes, he can show more in an offense that he will be running, such that he can opt out after a year or two and make even more.
I say, good luck, Jordan. You’re going to need it. But I wish him well. I followed his exploits in HS and college, and was stoked when the Lakers drafted him, as I thought he had a chance to be really good. Thus far, he hasn’t shown it, but I sincerely hope that he can elsewhere.
All I know is, I would much much much much rather Steve Blake at $4M/year than Jordan at $4M/year.
Craig W. says
I was interested in DY’s comment that Harris would probably be injured 25% of the time in NJ. Since Fish played like 82 games each year, Farmar wasn’t going to get a start in any case. Now he at least has a probability of getting 20 games under his belt to show the Nets and other teams he can handle the reigns. Also, each minute Harris sits Farmar will be on the court and, against smaller backcourts, he just might get some time with Devin.
I don’t see this as an ideal situation for him, but a fall-back with $ in the pocket and more film for others to look at – he does have a player option after the 2nd year.
busterjonez says
Here’s hoping Jordan becomes an All-Star and rips the Heat to shreds during a 1-8 playoff match.
Congrats, Jordan, don’t forget to save some money along the way.
Jeremy says
Darius,
Would love to see a Jordan tribute post with video. He’s had some very good moments the last couple of years. Starting for Fisher against Houston in a tough playoff series comes to mind + who could forget the scramble.
DY says
13. and 15. At least Bosh had the (I’m assuming here) professionalism to let Toronto know he was leaving. Toronto appeared to have a contingency plan in place. I really do believe, given Windhurst’s account of how it all went down, that they would retain LBJ’s services, ergo, their FO was caught flat-footed and stunned.
Sorry to talk about LBJ in this post, but it’s not that he went to Miami, but just the way he did it that irks me and 99.99% of the people out there. And don’t even start with “Rev.” Jesse Jackson’s comments about the “$100 mil+, aspiring billionaire slave mentality.”
Igor Avidon says
While he won’t start, I think Farmar will be able to get more playing time in Jersey. He can be on the court with Harris, who is big and crafty enough to defend opposing SGs, and Farmar is a good enough 3-point shooter to handle the perimeter scoring duties. That backcourt will also create mismatches with its speed – if NJ will allow them to run, it will be one of the quickest & fastest backcourts in the league.
Ron says
Mark Stein among others reporting Haslem turns down far better offers from Mavs and Nuggets to stay with Heat
I am shocked that role players such as Haslem are leaving money on the table w/ the uncertainty of the CBA. Hope for the rest of the league its not a sign of things to come
Craig W. says
I tuned in the NBA Laker Summer League game only to find Knick announcers doing the game. These guys have absolutely no knowledge of the Laker players and no desire to talk about anything except the Knicks sitting courtside and what the Knicks are doing.
Clyde Frazier was a very fine guard, but as an announcer he stinks. Perhaps NY people can put up with this, but I thought NY was a major city and could afford some decent announcers – not just small time homers.
I soon decided to simply turn the sound off.
Darius says
A new post is up.
http://www.forumblueandgold.com/2010/07/12/point-of-no-return/
Arhithia says
Ron (26)
http://isaac-kfxx.itmblog.com/files/2009/05/udonis-haslem-florida-tattoo.png
This is some insight as to Haslem’s loyalties. He’s a Florida Homer.