Bobby Simmons agrees to join Bucks

[Porter]

Simmons Signs

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- The Milwaukee Bucks are suddenly a desired destination in the NBA.

Forty-eight hours after coveted free agent Michael Redd rebuffed Cleveland's offer and chose to stay in Brew Town to play alongside No. 1 draft pick Andrew Bogut, free agent Bobby Simmons decided to join them.

His agent, Mark Bartelstein, told The Associated Press on Saturday that the agreement is for about $47 million over five years, pending final wording in the new collective bargaining agreement.

The Bucks would say only that they intend to sign Simmons once the league's moratorium period on player movement ends this month.

The former Los Angeles Clippers swingman was honored as the NBA's most improved player last season after averaging 16.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists in his fourth season, his first as a starter.

The Bucks originally pursued Simmons as a fallback in case Redd decided to go to the Cavaliers. On Thursday, Redd agreed to stay in Milwaukee with a six-year deal worth at least $90 million.

``This originally started out as talks in case Michael left, but as we talked more and more, it started to make sense for Bobby even if Michael stayed,'' Bartelstein said. ``So, we just kept talking and they had enough cap room. It worked out well for both.''

Great Signing by the Bucks, but can they show that improvement on the court?

[realmofotalk]

The Bucks made Bobby Simmons a $9 million player.

[Kingdom]

Bill Simmons' article on him in the new espn mag was good.

[awefullspellare]

I see a trend with EVERYONE in the NBA getting overpaid it seems.

Bucks are a playoff team this year if Ford is healthy .

[Fishercat]

Whoo, Brian Scalabrine to bring the Celts to the finals!

[Steak]

Whoo, Brian Scalabrine to bring the Celts to the finals!

I think that's a great signing. I am glad he is leaving Brooklyn and joining the Nets nemesis. It pleases me to no end. I think Celtics fans are going to love him. The guy plays hard. He is a lot like Mark Madsen. He can be fun to watch when he is on a roll. He was a fan favorite in New Jersey. He will be missed. Nets should have found a way to keep him. Man it would be funny to see them lose out on both Veal and Shareef Abdur-Rahim.

Nets are putting lot of eggs in their basket in getting Abdur-Rahim, but I don't think he will sign with them no matter how hard they are trying. Nets can only give him the midlevel exception and he ain't going to take that when the Kings and Heat could give him more.

Nets will regret losing Veal.

[Kingdom]

He doesn't dance like Madsen does he?
Oooh man O_O

[ATLien]

Who cares. Scalabrine and Veal are scrubs, at best.

[Kingdom]

I see a trend with EVERYONE in the NBA getting overpaid it seems.

Bucks are a playoff team this year if Ford is healthy .

The NBA is following suit. They watch Derek Lowe get insanely rich, or Sydney Ponson strike it insanely rich... so there's a need to do the same for basketball. I mean, just watch Dan Gadzuric get 7 million just cause "there's a lack of centers".

But I hope that doesn't happen cause that would be pretty ...ludicrous.

[Steak]

Who cares. Scalabrine and Veal are scrubs, at best.

Well he is a scrub because he is white, right.

Scalabrine has done a damn good job with the Nets in his time here. Byron Scott and Lawrence Frank always raved about his contributions to the team. He ain't that bad. For a guy that claimed to be a Nets fan (I knew you were never a Nets fan) as you were the Nets mod at Fanhome back then, you know damn well that he was good since I spent time raving about him at the Nets board when we used to post at Fanhome and at Nets Hoops.

[ATLien]

No, he isn't a scrub because he is white. He is a scrub because he is slow, unathletic, can't create for himself, and is not a consistent threat from the perimeter. He is a hustler player who will never be anything more than an 11 or 12th man off the bench. You can find Scalabrine's and Veal's in the NBDL, easy. Big deal.

Speaking of Nets, look how good Krstic has become. When we were talking about Thorn snatching him up before SA and SAC could get him, I had no idea he would be this good this early.

[Steak]

Whatever you say, Dan.