Jason Terry‘s desire to stay a Maverick turned out to be unrequited, and not receiving an offer from the team he won an NBA title with left the guard “angry at first.” Terry talked about how his free agency process started (disappointment) and ended (in Boston) with NBA TV during the unveiling of the league schedule on Thursday night. Hit the jump to see what he said about his role.
“I definitely was angry at first. Once that anger subsided that first call I got in free agency was from Doc Rivers. … I knew there was only two or thee teams out there for me that would be a perfect fit. You know obviously I still wanted to earn a lot of money but I wanted to go to a contender, a team that was ready to contend right now and I think the Boston Celtics being one game away from the final last year, I think I’m the piece that can obviously catapult them to getting back to the finals this year and hopefully winning it all.”
Terry didn’t see the writing on the wall that the shine was wearing off Dallas’ 2011 title trophy already. The next big thing in Dallas, owner Mark Cuban hopes, is Dwight Howard. That’s why he’s loaded on up essentially rentals in one-year deals for next summer’s free agency free-for-all (this assumes Howard stays in Orlando till then, which is fraught with complications nearly every day). What wasn’t getting Dallas to that goal was expendable, even those with a legacy attached. Was Terry told the Mavericks wanted him back, only to stop short of an offer? All I know is he was confident in staying in Big D before July 1, and I’d be angry, too, to be in his knee-high socks. Good thing he picked the perfect summer to be a late-30s guard in the NBA.
Do you blame Terry for thinking that way?
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