MIAMI HEAT Sign Gary Payton To Contract Extension...

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Heat sign Gary Payton to one-year contract

By Ira Winderman
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Posted September 6 2006, 7:03 PM EDT

As he offered his final words on the Heat's 2005-06 title season, coach Pat Riley termed the notion of returning his roster intact as "Pollyanna thinking."

Pollyanna spoke again Wednesday.
 
Guard Gary Payton, who hit several crucial shots during the team's championship run, signed a one-year contract Wednesday at the NBA veteran's minimum of $1.2 million.

The signing of Payton means the only player from the 15 on the season-ending roster not under contract for 2006-07 is veteran swingman Shandon Anderson.

While Anderson could be bypassed as a free agent in favor of developing younger talent on the roster such as Dorell Wright, the Heat decided that, at 38, Payton still had enough to offer.

Payton signed his contract Wednesday afternoon in the Heat offices at AmericanAirlines Arena. While there was talk that he would seek more than the minimum, salary-cap logistics worked against him, with his veteran's minimum contract counting only half of its overall value against both the salary cap and dollar-for-dollar luxury tax, a threshold the Heat remains under.

With starting point guard Jason Williams recovering from offseason knee surgery, and with Payton expected to be kept fresh for the postseason, the team still is expected to add a veteran point guard.

In addition to Payton, the others from the title team under contract are centers Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Michael Doleac and Earl Barron, forwards Udonis Haslem, Antoine Walker, James Posey and Wayne Simien, and guards Dwyane Wade, Derek Anderson, Jason Kapono, Williams and Wright.

Payton appeared in 81 games last season and started 25, averaging 7.7 points, 3.2 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 28.5 minutes per game. He ranked second on the team in steals (71), third in assists (257) and fourth in 3-pointers (66).




LOL...They're DONE. No improvements, no adjustments, and they were the possibly worst and luckiest champions ever...Lets guess some averages for next year...

Shaq:
13 PPG
7 RPG
35% FT

Payton:
5 PPG
2 APG
10 MPG

Wade:
27 PPG
10% 3FG
15 FTA

What are they thinking?

[PLANT]

 

[rik]

That was a dumb move. Fuck man I want the damn season to start already.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Clippers future >>>>> Heats future

[GangstaBoogy]

LOL...They're DONE. No improvements, no adjustments, and they were the possibly worst and luckiest champions ever...Lets guess some averages for next year...

Talent wise - hell yeah they're done. But let's not forget they have David Stern & the Refs as unofficial members of the team. Which means - another trip to the finals and 57 free-throw attempts a game.

[ecrazy]

Clippers future >>>>> Heats future

DUH! and the rest of the NBA as well, Clippers ARE the Future, Best Believe it!

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

LOL...They're DONE. No improvements, no adjustments, and they were the possibly worst and luckiest champions ever...Lets guess some averages for next year...

Talent wise - hell yeah they're done. But let's not forget they have David Stern & the Refs as unofficial members of the team. Which means - another trip to the finals and 57 free-throw attempts a game.

Yea, but not even that can help them now that a good portion of them are almost as old as the refs...

[GangstaBoogy]

LOL...They're DONE. No improvements, no adjustments, and they were the possibly worst and luckiest champions ever...Lets guess some averages for next year...

Talent wise - hell yeah they're done. But let's not forget they have David Stern & the Refs as unofficial members of the team. Which means - another trip to the finals and 57 free-throw attempts a game.

Yea, but not even that can help them now that a good portion of them are almost as old as the refs...

I wish I could agree, but since Wade is the "next Michael Jordan", the NBA is going to go out of their way to see this kid win. I hope as soon as he jumps in the air and flops he breaks his fuckin knee.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

LOL...They're DONE. No improvements, no adjustments, and they were the possibly worst and luckiest champions ever...Lets guess some averages for next year...

Talent wise - hell yeah they're done. But let's not forget they have David Stern & the Refs as unofficial members of the team. Which means - another trip to the finals and 57 free-throw attempts a game.

Yea, but not even that can help them now that a good portion of them are almost as old as the refs...

I wish I could agree, but since Wade is the "next Michael Jordan", the NBA is going to go out of their way to see this kid win. I hope as soon as he jumps in the air and flops he breaks his fuckin knee.

They can only push them so much...If they win the championship again with their current roster, I will personally put a hit on David Stern...PeACe

[mrceo]

Haters, Haters, Haters    Although I wanted Payton to retire his old ass, we need Dorrell Wright to play to his potential in order for us to win, the rest are all solid, besides Payton that is

[rik]

we need Dorrell Wright to play to his potential in order for us to win

That dude went to my high school.

[GangstaBoogy]

Haters, Haters, Haters

yepp. i hate watchin a single player averaging 24-free throw attempts in the nba finals.

[Don Jacob]

why would they sign gary payton and why would he sign, he's got his ring, time to call it a career

[Nutty]

Didn't you guys talk about last seasons roster when they went all the way?

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Didn't you guys talk about last seasons roster when they went all the way?

Yea, and last year they were the worst/luckiest champions ever...Teams adjust and old players grow older...They simply have no shot at repeating, mark my words...PeACe