Nuggets report: Haggling over bucks

By Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published November 4, 2008 at 10:38 p.m.

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Photo by Fernando Medina / Nbae Via Getty Images

Antonio McDyess, acquired by the Nuggets on Monday, would like his contract bought out so he can return to the Pistons.

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OAKLAND, Calif. — With Antonio McDyess not keen on returning to the Nuggets and wanting to remain with Detroit, Denver's negotiations with Miller apparently aren't going smoothly. McDyess is under contract at $6.8 million for both this season and next.

"I know there's some negative communication with Andy Miller," Karl said.

The Nuggets ideally would like a buyout of less than $10 million total. The Nuggets, who on Monday trimmed their payroll from about $77 million to about $74 million, hope to get it down to a level just above the luxury-tax threshold of $71.15 million.

McDyess' side, meanwhile, doesn't want to lose money overall. He would recoup at least the prorated minimum salary of $1.26 million if he re-signs with Detroit, which he can't do until 30 days after being waived.

Karl still is holding out hope of having McDyess.

"He'd be a really good veteran player to have," Karl said.

Kleiza's contract

With the Nuggets no longer having an expiring Iverson contract coming off the books in the summer, they're staring at paying the luxury tax again next season.

Nevertheless, Chapman said nothing has changed with Linas Kleiza, who will be a restricted free agent. He remains a player the Nuggets want to re-sign.

Kleiza was close last week to a four-year, $25 million contract extension until Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke elected to not make the offer to maintain financial flexibility. But with the Nuggets since having taken on big dollars for next season, could that hamper Kleiza's chances of getting a lucrative Denver offer?

"I'm not thinking about it," he said. "We'll see at the end of the year what my future holds, if it's in Denver, if it's somebody else."

Etc.

* Karl hasn't decided whether he'll start Smith or Dahntay Jones at shooting guard. "It doesn't matter to me," Smith said. "As long as I get my minutes, whether it's 25 off the bench or 25 starting."

Smith said it "means a lot" to him that the Nuggets are "putting trust in me" by trading Iverson in part to help Smith blossom.

* While Karl expects Sonny Weems to be sent to the NBADL's Colorado 14ers in the near future, he's doesn't expect that to happen to Samb soon because big men are needed for practice. "I talked to a couple people and they said he's a legit prospect," Karl said of the 7-foot-1, 245-pound Samb, who will wear No. 35.

* Chucky Atkins, out since Sept. 24 knee surgery, is expected to resume practice next week.

• November 5, 2008

  5:59 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  LockeRobster writes:

  "With Antonio McDyess not keen on returning to the Nuggets and wanting to remain with Detroit, Denver's negotiations with Miller apparently aren't going smoothly."

  "The Nuggets ideally would like a buyout of less than $10 million total."

  "McDyess' side, meanwhile, doesn't want to lose money overall."

  So let me get this straight: He doesn't really want to play here in Denver, but he wants them to pay his full ride so he can then sit out 30 days and re-sign with the Pistons.

  Does anyone else have a problem with that?

• November 5, 2008

  6:38 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  kmeissner writes:

  McDyess is a chump. We don't want him here anyway. Why are we buying him out again? I hope to never see that crybaby in a Nuggets uniform again.

• November 5, 2008

  7:13 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  The_KIMN_Chicken writes:

  Yeah I agree McDyess who had the max contract the last time he was here but couldn't produce like a max player and then had the audacity to complain the team wasn't winning while he sat on injured reserve with a max deal. Also, he's best buddies with Nick Van Excrement, the worst Nugget in history right ahead of Cancer Mart.

• November 5, 2008

  9:08 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  ccorrea writes:

  Hope Nuggets develop Chiekh samb,
  could end up being the Next Camby D-fence,
  and a Post up player also.(+)

• November 5, 2008

  9:32 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Coltgm56 writes:

  What ever happened to working for your pay??? McDyess needs to show up and go to work or retire.

• November 5, 2008

  10:15 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  RDenver writes:

  I use to like McDyess but him saying he doesn't want to come here because they dissed him before...give me a break. It was a completely different management team then. Let him retire...! Buy him out so he can go somewhere else?? Am I missing something here? What a selfish loser!

• November 5, 2008

  10:56 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  ramAZ writes:

  Here's a good way to save salary.

  Don't negotiate with his agent. Sit on his contract and then dock him when he doesn't report.

  The Nuggets are not obligated to cave to this tall man with the temperment of a child.

  He wants to be a Piston? Guess what Dice, they TRADED you.

  The Nuggets shouldn't budge on this one.

• November 5, 2008

  1:16 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Coltgm56 writes:

  I agree with rmaz. McDyess dosen't want to be here, and we really don't want him anyway. DO NOT negotiate a buy out and if he does not show up fine him for each day he is absent. If he does show make him miserable enough to quit, he is a quiter. If Detroit wanted him why was he traded? He has no value, he should just retire!

• November 5, 2008

  1:36 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  ccorrea writes:

  Another Idea is ( just a thought) , trade him back to
  Detroit with Hunter or Chucky) (doubt) for Rasheed Wallace.
  I dont think Duhmar is going to sign Rasheed at the end of
  his Contract anyway.

• November 5, 2008

  2:32 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  GeeTee writes:

  If McDyess isn't going to play for Denver, why even have him as part of the trade?! The Nuggets problem is that they seem to be run by some whacky accounting department rather than real basketball people. Camby to the Clippers for nothing?! No offer to Najera?! Maybe the Nuggets can be part of the federal bailout package!

• November 5, 2008

  7:58 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  LockeRobster writes:

  "If McDyess isn't going to play for Denver, why even have him as part of the trade?! "

  I think he was there strictly to make the salaries work out. Since both teams are at or above the salary cap, then the total salaries traded have to be within a certain margin of each other. That's the way I understand it, at least.

  And I agree with the comment above about this being a totally different team and organization than last time McDyess was here. The coach, front office, and the whole roster (I'm pretty sure) have no people who were he when he was last. Kroenke is the only hold-over that I can see.

  But there's no way I would give in to these sorts of demands. If the Nuggets do, they'll basically be paying him to play for someone else this year AND next.

  I very much like the idea of putting him on the active roster and then fining him his game check every day that he doesn't suit up. I used to like McDyess, but these sorts of antics make it really hard to cheer for a guy anymore. I didn't bang on him when he was here before and got hurt, because no one can really hold that against a player. But this is totally about attitude, and he has complete control over that.

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