Novak - $15 Million

[dwaderoy2004]

Getting cut by multiple NBA teams and spending time in the D-League literally means "out of the league."

He's been on a roster every single year...not sure what you guys want. 

[Hards Alumni]

in the D-League means you are close to if not out of the league.

facts are facts.

[Benny B]

in the D-League means you are close to if not out of the league.

facts are facts.

Depends on your perspective.  In the case of Dwight Buycks, being in the D-League means you're close to being in the league.

[Hards Alumni]

Depends on your perspective.  In the case of Dwight Buycks, being in the D-League means you're close to being in the league.

No.  Steve Novak was close to being out of the league because he was close to being out of the league.  Being in the NBDL means you can not possibly be closer to being out of the league.

[Spotcheck Billy]

just amazes me that even this thread can turn into a pissing match here

[dwaderoy2004]

in the D-League means you are close to if not out of the league.

facts are facts.

Except he's only been in the d-league twice.  The first time in 2007, he was there for a month, while he was under contract with the rockets.  Since he was under contract with the rockets, you can't say he was out of the league.  The second time in 2011, he was there for THREE days.  The fact is that over the last 6 full seasons, Novak wasn't on an active NBA roster for approximately 2 months, and only on two separate occasions.  Novak was never close to being OUT of the league, and certainly not 4 times.  Those are the facts.  Just because he switched teams frequently does not mean he was almost out of the league.

[Bocephys]

Except he's only been in the d-league twice.  The first time in 2007, he was there for a month, while he was under contract with the rockets.  Since he was under contract with the rockets, you can't say he was out of the league.  The second time in 2011, he was there for THREE days.  The fact is that over the last 6 full seasons, Novak wasn't on an active NBA roster for approximately 2 months, and only on two separate occasions.  Novak was never close to being OUT of the league, and certainly not 4 times.  Those are the facts.  Just because he switched teams frequently does not mean he was almost out of the league.

Wouldn't "not on an NBA active roster during the season" be out of the league, albeit temporarily?

[Hards Alumni]

Wouldn't "not on an NBA active roster during the season" be out of the league, albeit temporarily?

+1 EXACTLY.

you are presenting a totally revisionist history.

explain how he can come closer to being out of the league.  You just can't!

[Blue Horseshoe]

+1 EXACTLY.

you are presenting a totally revisionist history.

explain how he can come closer to being out of the league.  You just can't!

Agreed. Why are so many people trying to make this something it isn't. Novak has been cut, spent time in the d-league, bounced around, and made quite a bit of money to do so.

[dwaderoy2004]

So any player not under contract is out of the league?  That's my point.  Novak was always going to catch on with a team, thus he was never out of the league.  Using your criteria, Tim Duncan is currently out of the league because he is an unrestricted free agent.  So was Lebron James before he signed with Miami.

[RawdogDX]

If a duke fan said that some dukie, who was on the d-league twice, was 'never close to being out of the league', you people would flip out.

[Hards Alumni]

So any player not under contract is out of the league?  That's my point.  Novak was always going to catch on with a team, thus he was never out of the league.  Using your criteria, Tim Duncan is currently out of the league because he is an unrestricted free agent.  So was Lebron James before he signed with Miami.

Not at all.  Not even close, that is totally misappropriating what I am saying.  Free agents are clearly between contracts.

A guy who has spent time in the NBDL is clearly not in the NBA.  He isn't on an active roster, or playing for an NBA team.  He is by every definition of the word, "out of the league".

This isn't a 'once you are out, you are out forever' situation.

Steve is VERY fortunate to be still playing basketball, and I am very happy for him.

[dwaderoy2004]

Free agents are clearly between contracts.

Steve Novak was a free agent.  He was clearly between contracts, considering he always signed another one.  Right?  I fail to see the difference as they are literally the same, other than your perception that James would definitely sign another contract and Novak may not.  And again, he was UNDER CONTRACT with the Rockets the first time he was in the NBDL.  The Rockets assigned him there.  Look it up...

He isn't on an active roster, or playing for an NBA team.  

Neither was Lebron when he was a free agent.  He was, by every definition of the word, "out of the league".

This isn't a 'once you are out, you are out forever' situation.

Perhaps this is where we misunderstand each other.  To me, guys like Jerel McNeal are out of the league, as there is little to no chance of them ever making a roster.  Guys like Steve Novak, who are (or now were) journeymen, but end up on a roster for the most part of every NBA season, are not out of the league.

[Bocephys]

So any player not under contract is out of the league?  That's my point.  Novak was always going to catch on with a team, thus he was never out of the league.  Using your criteria, Tim Duncan is currently out of the league because he is an unrestricted free agent.  So was Lebron James before he signed with Miami.

Which is precisely why I said not on an NBA active roster during the NBA season.  That precludes your erroneous inclusion of free agents.  For the life of me I do not know why you're fighting this.  You're alone on an island.  Just because you always believed that Steve would find another contract doesn't change the fact that there were moments while the NBA season was underway where had no contract in hand and was out of the league.

[dwaderoy2004]

Which is precisely why I said not on an NBA active roster during the NBA season.  That precludes your erroneous inclusion of free agents.  For the life of me I do not know why you're fighting this.  You're alone on an island.  Just because you always believed that Steve would find another contract doesn't change the fact that there were moments while the NBA season was underway where had no contract in hand and was out of the league.

Because I disagree with you.  Why are you fighting it?

[jmayer1]

Because I disagree with you.

Guys that are not signed with an NBA team for a month (January 2011) during an active NBA season and play under a series of 10 day contracts for another month are close to being out of the league. If not, who would you classify as close to being out of the league?

On point, congrats to Steve Novak! He has one exceptional skill that is always needed in basketball (especially at his size). Great to see him cashing in on that.

[dwaderoy2004]

Guys that are not signed with an NBA team for a month (January 2011) during an active NBA season and play under a series of 10 day contracts for another month are close to being out of the league. If not, who would you classify as close to being out of the league?

That's a fair point.  But then that would only be one instance where he was "close" to being out of the league.  I had a problem with the original post stating he was out of the league or close to it 4 times.  That's a total misrepresentation of his career.  I maintain that he was never "out" of the league, but will cede that he was close to it one time.

[jmayer1]

That's a fair point.  But then that would only be one instance where he was "close" to being out of the league.  I had a problem with the original post stating he was out of the league or close to it 4 times.  That's a total misrepresentation of his career.  I maintain that he was never "out" of the league, but will cede that he was close to it one time.

That's fair.

[Benny B]

Being in the NBDL means you can not possibly be closer to being out of the league.

Go on...

explain how he can come closer to being out of the league.

Play poker with Gilbert Arenas, bluff on every hand, and don't pay him back.

A guy who has spent time in the NBDL is clearly not in the NBA.  He isn't on an active roster, or playing for an NBA team.  He is by every definition of the word, "out of the league".

Wrong... being in the NBDL means you can not possibly be closer to being out of the league.

[Blackhat]

Do you gentlemen realize how lucky we were to watch for four years not only the best shooter in Wisconsin lore but perhaps the nation?  Goosebumps when I watched him make thirty threes in a row at Marquette Madness one year.


I'll thank Tom Crean for that recruitment!

[Bocephys]

Because I disagree with you.  Why are you fighting it?

I honestly don't know anymore, so I'll let this be the end.  My original post utilized a bit of hyperbole and I pulled the number 4 out of thin air, but it's not far off.

1 - Didn't make the Rocket's playoff roster in 2007, then started the next year in the D-League.
2 - No one signed him during free agency, went to Dallas as a training camp invitee, finally gets contract offer in late September
3 - Cut by Dallas before his contract became guaranteed, didn't have any contract for a month during the heart of the NBA season
4 - Cut by the Spurs right before last season started, luckily the Knicks claimed him

[RawdogDX]

The biggest surprise is that it took Dantoni this long to realize that they were made for each other.  How great would it have been to see him get PT with nash.

[bamamarquettefan]

$45,731.70 Gross isn't bad per game! 

That's just a little more than the average salary down here in Alabama.

Oh, you said per game.

[Dawson Rental]

Do you gentlemen realize how lucky we were to watch for four years not only the best shooter in Wisconsin lore but perhaps the nation?  Goosebumps when I watched him make thirty threes in a row at Marquette Madness one year.


I'll thank Tom Crean for that recruitment!

I can remember reading that Crean went to his HS basketball banquet to see Steve get his team's MVP award at the end of Steve's sophomore year.  I pretty much thought that we would get Novak from then on, unless North Carolina offered.  Novak seemed to have a serious unrequited thing going on with UNC.