McKie to Lakers, Traylor to Nets...

[scoutmasterdave]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2140219

Lakers, McKie agree to terms
ESPN.com news services

Los Angeles Lakers: The team has ended its search for a point guard by agreeing to terms with Aaron McKie, according to several media outlets.

"We've come to an agreement," McKie's agent, Leon Rose, told the Los Angeles Times on Sunday. "Everything will get done over the course of the next few days.

"The Lakers approached him with a nice offer. He had a long talk with Coach [Phil] Jackson regarding the situation and the role he can play was something that appealed to him. Coach Jackson has had a lot of success with veteran big guards and hopefully Aaron can have the same kind of success and bring the team a defensive presence," Rose said in the L.A. Times.

"He's also looking forward to playing with Kobe Bryant. He's known him a long time from their days in Philadelphia."

The agreement is for two years and $5 million. The Lakers had no comment.

New Jersey Nets: The Nets, who were pursuing Aaron McKie, will now turn their efforts to signing ex-Knick DerMarr Johnson, Wesley Person, Casey Jacobsen or Jason Kapono, according to the New York Daily News.

The Nets have agreed to terms with center Robert (Tractor) Traylor, and the deal will become official if he passes his physical, the News said.

 

[fordronken]

Okay...wait...who on the Lakers is gonna guard Steve Nash? It's okay, I'm sure they'll make up for it by putting Kwame on Amare.

 

[elindholm]

No, remember, the key to beating the Suns is to let Nash score 40+ points per game. Just ask the Mavericks.

 

[lancelet's cousin]

Here's a view from the LA Times

Lakers' All-Points Bulletin Answered

By Mark Heisler, Times Staff Writer

Ending their search for a point guard, or at least a Phil Jackson-type point guard, the Lakers have agreed to terms with another candidate no one could have predicted, Aaron McKie.

"We've come to an agreement", said McKie's agent, Leon Rose, from his home in Pennsauken, N.J., on Sunday. "Everything will get done over the course of the next few days".

"The Lakers approached him with a nice offer. He had a long talk with Coach Jackson regarding the situation and the role he can play was something that appealed to him."

"Coach Jackson has had a lot of success with veteran big guards and hopefully Aaron can have the same kind of success and bring the team a defensive presence."

"He's also looking forward to playing with Kobe Bryant. He's known him a long time from their days in Philadelphia."

The agreement is for two years and $5 million. The Lakers had no comment.

The agreement with McKie is expected to end negotiations with Derek Anderson, another big veteran guard who received a similar offer but was expected to take less and sign with the Houston Rockets.

Having traded Chucky Atkins, last season's starter, the Lakers have been looking for a successor in Jackson's unconventional mold, in which size and attitude count more than youth, athleticism, scoring ability — or even any experience as a point guard.

In Jackson's triangle offense, the point guard is called the "initiator". He sets things up and makes the first pass but doesn't control the ball as much as a conventional point guard and doesn't have to be as good a playmaker.

When Jackson arrived with the Lakers in 1999, he benched starting point guard Derek Fisher, who had just gotten a five-year, $15-million contract, and brought in bigger, older Ron Harper to replace him. Harper had played shooting guard for his entire career until Jackson switched him to "initiator" with the Chicago Bulls in 1995 at age 31.

A shooting guard throughout his career, the 6-foot-5, 210-pound McKie will be 33 in October. He is known as a tough competitor with a stand-up-guy reputation but his career has declined sharply in the last few seasons. He was the league's sixth man of the year in 2001 when the 76ers lost in the NBA Finals to the Lakers.

Last season, new Philadelphia Coach Jim O'Brien parked McKie on the bench for the first half of the season to go with younger players. McKie got back into the rotation, averaging 21 minutes a game after the All-Star break, but his 2.2 average was by far the lowest of his career.

Anderson offered the Lakers a younger (31), more athletic option, averaging 9.2 points last season in Portland, although he missed 66 games in his last two seasons there.

However, the Lakers weren't convinced he was the defender and leader they wanted. Anderson is known as sunny and likable but his attitude was questioned by people in Portland. He reportedly didn't take it as a compliment when the Lakers asked him about it during his visit here two weeks ago.

Last week for the first time, the Lakers contacted McKie's agent, Rose. Until then, McKie had been expected to take a $1.1-million offer to back up Vince Carter in New Jersey.

By then, Anderson was reportedly leaning toward the Rockets, who could offer him only $1.7 million but made him feel he was the player they wanted.

The Lakers then made similar offers to McKie and Anderson, hoping to assure themselves of getting one of them.

With a $2.5-million slot left, the Lakers would like to add a small, quick guard or a big man. Their top guard prospect, former Laker Tyrone Lue, is expected to re-sign in Atlanta.

Still on the Lakers' list and available are former UCLA Bruin Earl Watson and former Laker Jannero Pargo. With a short list of big men to choose from, a return by Vlade Divac may be possible.

I thought it was odd they chose a lifelong SG for their PG spot. And his 3-pt% isn't Phil Jackson quality (at least not what PJax liked when he ran the Bulls, which is the template I thought he would be using for this version of the Lakers).

BTW-McKie's career numbers are in the link I provided if anyone cares; I just didn't want to waste the time lining up the chart after I copied & pasted.

 

[elindholm]

The triangle doesn't call for a traditional PG anyway. McKie will be fine in a structured system that doesn't ask him to be very creative. If he can stay healthy, that is.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Here's a view from the LA Times
I thought it was odd they chose a lifelong SG for their PG spot. And his 3-pt% isn't Phil Jackson quality (at least not what PJax liked when he ran the Bulls, which is the template I thought he would be using for this version of the Lakers).

BTW-McKie's career numbers are in the link I provided if anyone cares; I just didn't want to waste the time lining up the chart after I copied & pasted.

mckie is exactly like bringing in ron harper for both the bulls and lakers. he's a big, defensive-minded guard, who can handle the ball. the offense doesn't need a traditional pg, and the "initiator" need not be a three point shooter (harper's numbers were never impressive). phil will get a bench 3-point shooter. bet he's not happy he doesn't have derek anymore though. and horry too.

 

[Chaplin]

mckie is exactly like bringing in ron harper for both the bulls and lakers. he's a big, defensive-minded guard, who can handle the ball. the offense doesn't need a traditional pg, and the "initiator" need not be a three point shooter (harper's numbers were never impressive). phil will get a bench 3-point shooter. bet he's not happy he doesn't have derek anymore though. and horry too.

But Harper had extensive experience running an NBA team. McKie does not.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

But Harper had extensive experience running an NBA team. McKie does not.

what? he played two guard for both cleveland (with mark price) and the clippers (with marc jackson and a hoard of other failed pgs). before his time with the bulls he never played point.

 

[Chaplin]

what? he played two guard for both cleveland (with mark price) and the clippers (with marc jackson and a hoard of other failed pgs). before his time with the bulls he never played point.

I thought he ran the point in Atlanta at one time. If not, my bad.

EDIT: You're right, he never played on Atlanta. But those assist numbers are pretty high for someone that never played point guard (at least with the Clippers). Someone with those high numbers at least has SOME experience running a team, even as a backup.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I thought he ran the point in Atlanta at one time. If not, my bad.

EDIT: You're right, he never played on Atlanta. But those assist numbers are pretty high for someone that never played point guard (at least with the Clippers). Someone with those high numbers at least has SOME experience running a team, even as a backup.

i'll give you that. he was prolly a better fit than is mckie, but mckie is pretty close to a harper clone for the triangle.