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Finley Chooses SpursThe team that won the Michael Finley Sweepstakes is the same team that just won an NBA championship. Finley told ESPN.com on Wednesday that he has chosen to sign with the San Antonio Spurs, spurning a richer offer from the Miami Heat and the lure of an emotional return to the Phoenix Suns to reunite with close friend Steve Nash. The Dallas Mavericks tried for weeks to move Finley to an Eastern Conference team to prevent him from joining the Spurs or the Suns. When it couldn't swing a trade before the Aug. 15 deadline to exercise the NBA's new amnesty clause, Dallas reluctantly waived the two-time All-Star, making Finley an unrestricted free agent and the target of an intense two-week courtship that also involved the Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves. Miami's Pat Riley, Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire and Minnesota's Kevin Garnett were among the big names to fly to Chicago last week to make face-to-face pitches to Finley. In the end, he went with the team that sent a one-man delegation -- Spurs coach Gregg Popovich -- to Finley's hometown. The complete structure of the deal with San Antonio hasn't been finalized, including the length of the contract, but Finley will receive a starting salary of roughly $2.5 million this season. "To be a part of a championship team, I'm excited," Finley said. "This is the closest I've ever been to a championship. I'm looking forward to the challenge of helping this team repeat." Asked why he picked the Spurs, Finley said: "In a nutshell, they're already a championship team but they have room for improvement. And I feel my game can help them in the areas where they need improvement." San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Buy Tickets Popovich Likes Suns' Shot To Land FinleyFor every Suns fan pining for a morsel of hope that Michael Finley would have announced a return to Phoenix by now, here is a long-distance dedication from San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich. "I'd be surprised if Phoenix wasn't his choice," Popovich told the San Antonio Express-News at a Spurs news conference welcoming ex-Finley teammate Nick Van Exel on Tuesday. "I think he's got a great opportunity to start there and play a lot of minutes. He's got great relationships with a couple of their players, Steve (Nash) and Raja (Bell, both ex-Dallas teammates). I think he'd be really comfortable there." Alas, it means nothing until it comes out of the mouth of Finley or his agent, Henry Thomas. A Thomas assistant said Tuesday that Finley had not made a choice. A decision was expected early this week after Finley used the weekend to mull over in-person presentations from Miami, Phoenix, San Antonio and Minnesota. Finley is either truly torn or still negotiating, creating more limbo for a Suns franchise that just went through the Joe Johnson ordeal. Phoenix is more than happy to wait out this one if it means landing Finley, waived by Dallas on Aug. 15 for luxury tax savings, for a $1.1 million salary this season. The Suns have not been given any new timetable. Finley has no deadline, but given his private nature, he likely does not relish the spotlight of his most-wanted status. Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs, Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Buy Tickets Van Exel Joins In Finley CourtshipNick Van Exel, the veteran guard who signed a one-year contract with the Spurs on Monday, said Tuesday morning he has contacted former teammate Michael Finley and urged him to come to San Antonio. Finley, the most prized free agent in the NBA, is expected to choose among the Spurs, Heat, Suns and Timberwolves as soon as today. "I did my recruiting," said Van Exel, who played with Finley in Dallas. "But (Finley) didn't give me any hints. I think he wants to keep it a big secret." If the Spurs don't land Finley, they will turn their attention toward re-signing restricted free agent Devin Brown, coach Gregg Popovich said this morning. Either Finley or Brown would fill the team's need for an extra wing player and give the Spurs 12 players under contract. Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Buy Tickets Spurs Aug 2005 Archive
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