Play him or trade him?
Karl, Bucks management in a quandary over Brandon
Posted: Wednesday March 03, 1999 10:26 PM
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Terrell Brandon's situation puts Bucks coach George Karl in quite a predicament. AP |
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- George Karl would love for Terrell Brandon's
situation to turn out like Gary Payton's.
"The year that he became a free agent we went to the finals, he made
about $40 million extra and everybody was happy," said Karl, the former Seattle SuperSonics
coach who took over the Milwaukee Bucks this
season.
But Brandon has his heart set on becoming a free agent this summer and
refuses to commit to a contract extension with Milwaukee.
So, the Bucks are in a quandary.
If they trade him before the March 11 deadline, they might be
conceding a possible playoff berth.
"To make a change in the point guard even after the season is a step
backwards, unless you're going to go get Magic Johnson or John Stockton or Gary
Payton or someone you know is a better player," Karl said Wednesday.
"But to get a player better than Terrell Brandon is a very difficult
task," Karl added. "That's the power that Terrell has. Terrell has options
and opportunity and that is power."
But if the Bucks don't trade Brandon, they could lose him without
compensation after the season.
One rumored trade has Brandon going to New Jersey for Sam Cassell and Chris Gatling in a
five-player deal.
"Anytime your player announces that he's a free agent, there's going
to be rumors," Karl said. "That's caused by the statement that he wants to
be a free agent. Phone calls come in, people start comparing salary cap
situations. ... You're going to have that until March 11."
Brandon sat out games Tuesday and Wednesday nights with sore ribs and
a bruised thigh.
"I'm very happy with Terrell. We need him healthy," Karl said. "I'd
like to turn this season into a win-win and the only way we can do that is
have a great year and he have a great year. And then we put the pressure on
and pay him good money and he has pressure to come back and play on a good
team. That happened with Gary Peyton in Seattle."
But can it happen with Brandon in Milwaukee? And is there enough time
in this truncated season to convince Brandon that he should stay put?
"Well, I'll probably stick my foot in my mouth here," Karl said. "The
thing that I want is I want players that want to be here. I want a
commitment and I want to see the commitment every day and I want to see it
on their faces when they play and I want to see it just in demeanor of
being a pro.
"I think the problem of our game is players today not only negotiate
contracts, they negotiate commitment," Karl added.
Karl said what he wants are players who are "committed to play
basketball and they're committed to do it with the Milwaukee Bucks and
they're committed to do whatever it takes. I think we need to find those
players."
Karl emphasized that Brandon hasn't given him any reason to believe he
isn't one of those players, "but he also has given me evidence by saying
that he wants to be a free agent that he wants to go into the business
world."
"And so, the organization has to become a businessman, too," Karl
said. "The choice would have been better if we didn't have to become
businessmen, but his choice has made us have to be businessmen."
Brandon, whose 1998-99 salary is $7 million, is tough to trade because
he is known as a base-year compensation player, meaning the Bucks could
receive only $3.1 million in salary in return if they choose to trade him.
"I'll play anywhere. It doesn't matter. As long as I'm still in the
NBA I'll play for any team that wants me," Brandon said. "It's nice to be
wanted, nice to hear rumors and those types of things, and I look at it as
flattering rather than disrespect."
Brandon's agent, Bill Duffy, said the Bucks will still have a chance
to retain Brandon once the summer arrives.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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