Thorpe, Pistons Agree To Three-Year Contract Worth $15 To $20 Million
Otis Thorpe knew it was strictly business that the Detroit Pistons made him wait. It turned out, however, to be very good business for the 12-year veteran.
Thorpe agreed to a three-year contract Wednesday believed to be worth between $15 million and $20 million.
The Pistons had to make Thorpe wait because of NBA salary cap considerations. However, the club made sure Thorpe knew he was wanted.
“The main thing is that you want to be around people who want to do better,” Thorpe said. “Don’t get me wrong. You want to win, but it’s a business, too.”
The wait was hard on both sides, said Pistons coach Doug Collins, who led Detroit to a playoff berth in his first season. The Pistons, burned when Allan Houston signed as a free agent with the New York Knicks, knew they risked losing Thorpe, as well.
“Oh, sure. You always worry about losing players,” Collins said. “Otis is a respected name around this league. There were a lot of teams. You think Miami wasn’t ringing O.T.’s phone off the hook after the Juwan Howard thing? But I think Otis liked Detroit. He liked the people here.”
The New Jersey Nets signed free-agent forward David Benoit to a one-year contract reportedly worth $500,000.
Benoit played five seasons with Utah and should contribute perimeter shooting, defense and rebounding.
Dan Majerle is reportedly going just about everywhere except Cleveland. The Cavs say Majerle isn’t going anywhere yet.
The latest newspaper reports said Majerle would sign with the Milwaukee Bucks and then be traded to the Phoenix Suns for point guard Elliott Perry. This possibility arose after negotiations between Majerle and the Utah Jazz failed to yield an agreement, the Plain Dealer in Cleveland reported. The Salt Lake Tribune also reported that Majerle was going to Phoenix via Milwaukee.
In an increasingly complex legal scenario, Juwan Howard’s contract remains in limbo and the NBA is looking into the contracts of three other Miami Heat players, including Alonzo Mourning.
The Heat’s contract with Howard already has been voided by the league. Now the NBA is questioning the timing of the Heat’s agreement with Mourning and the validity of bonus clauses in the contracts of Tim Hardaway and P.J. Brown.
The Orlando Magic have moved closer to filing tampering charges with the NBA office against the Los Angeles Lakers over their signing of center Shaquille O’Neal.
If the NBA finds the Lakers guilty of tampering - illegal contact with O’Neal when he still was under contract with the Magic - they could be fined up to $5 million and lose multiple future draft picks.