While Stephon Marbury and Knicks Prez Donnie Walsh failed to come to terms yesterday on a buyout of the former’s contract —- with Marbury now being banned from the team’s practices and games — Newsday’s Alan Hahn considers the Coney Island product’s next career move, quoting one unnamed NBA source as calling the point guard, “the Mike Tyson Of The NBA”. It’s a pretty unfair slur ; Steph’s never been a world champ.
Several team executives believe at least one team will make a play for him, but for nothing more than the pro rated amount of the $1.2 million veteran’s minimum. Then if anything goes wrong, you can easily eat the relatively cheap contract and send him packing.
For instance, this came from a well-connected scout with many years in the league:
“I can’t see anyone taking that risk. I think some teams were interested but now they would rather not. History tends to follow people and his is not good. It’s always someone else’s fault with him. I’m not there or in their locker room, but it just doesn’t look good. It’s too bad because I still think he can play. No one wants to deal with that in their locker room. He’s not only lost respect from the organization, but also his teammates. When you lose your family what else is left?”
Europe won’t be an option until the spring, because most of the big-time teams have their rosters filled and there are so few spots for American-born players. But one agent with European connections said Marbury could make a killing overseas if he wanted to go there. How quickly would Josh Childress become old news in Greece when Starbury arrives? I think it might be good for him. He’ll certainly earn more over there than he will here at this point.
Really all Mike D’Antoni wanted was to get him away from the team. Eliminate him even as an option. So Walsh provided that and now the team can move forward without the daily reminder. As one person within the team said to me after noting Marbury’s absence on Saturday, “The atmosphere is so much better without him around.”