FanHouse DanFegan

As you've heard by now (if you're a fan of one of the crummy teams in the league), Spanish wunderkind Ricky Rubio's camp has put out there that he doesn't want to play in Memphis or Oklahoma City ... the two teams which happen to be selecting No. 2 and No. 3.

No one can really ascertain why, say, Sacramento would be better for Ricky than OKC. I mean, Sacramento is the worst team in the league, and it (um) has its detractors as a mecca of enjoyment among the NBA ranks. But whatever. Rarely do Kings fans have someone holding out on their behalf.

Regardless, does this threat mean anything? Can Rubio and his infamous agent Dan Fegan -- you know him for such hits as Yi Jianlian's La-Z-Boy Workouts, Anderson Varejao's Hold-out and Al Harrington's Trade Demands -- actually dictate his draft selection?

The news du jour regarding Spanish heartthrob point guard Ricky Rubio has his European agent telling reporters the kid will skip the 2009 NBA Draft in favor of at least another season in the Old World. Ryne Nelson of SLAM! ably translates the Marca piece which had obsessive stateside fans (guilty) fretting a bit Tuesday.

Basically, the argument of the agent (Germán González) centers on whether Rubio will get enough playing time in the NBA to suit his needs/desires. That's the public argument. Think about it, though. González represents Rubio (and his family, which is very involved) in European contract matters, for the player's European club career. If Rubio enters the NBA draft in '09, guess who is most negatively impacted? González. (And Joventut fans, I suppose.)

Dan Fegan is Rubio's U.S. agent. When Rubio gets drafted -- in 2009, in 2010 -- Fegan gets the commission. If Rubio's projected in the top five (more than $12 million guaranteed over four year) this season, will Fegan risk it by pushing Rubio back to the ACB? ESPN's Chad Ford knows Fegan and his style well ... and Ford said as recently as Tuesday that he believes Rubio will end up in the '09 draft.

Of course, don't take Ford's word at face: he has an interest, I assume, in making the draft class as interesting as possible. Don't take my word: my favorite team blows and needs a point guard, and I have a Rubio poster inside my locker.* Basically, don't believe anyone who talks about Rubio's draft status right now. Everyone's got motives of their own, and this kid comes with big stakes for all. Unfortunately, patience is required.

* Not true. The poster hangs over my bed.

It started as a wild rumor out of Brazil last night, but now the Associated Press and the Akron Beacon Journal's Brian Windhorst have picked up on it: Anderson Varejao has reportedly signed three-year, $17 million offer sheet with Charlotte, and Cleveland will likely match the offer to bring Sideshow Andy back into the Cavalier fold.

The reported deal is for the mid-level for three years; the third year, however, is a player option. I'd say it's a brilliant ploy by Varejao's agent Dan Fegan -- the Andy camp wanted either huge money or a very short flyer which would get dude to unrestricted free agency ASAP. However, I'm not yet willing to concede this is the best Fegan could get; that call will be made in two years when Varejao (assumedly) does hit the market. (And so much for not wanting to play in Cleveland, eh?)

It works for Rod Higgins and Charlotte, too; coach Sam Vincent has been begging for another big man to slip into the rotation with Sean May (microfracture), Ryan Hollins (shoulder) and now Primoz Brezec (suck) out of service for varying lengths of time. (Jared Dudley -- a small forward -- started in place of Brezec -- a center -- Monday night.) Higgins can't say he didn't try! Even though there was little shot the Cats could have pried away Varejao for 1) a sane amount 2) which Cleveland would not match, Vincent should accept that the front office made a good faith attempt.

Windhorst guesses Varejao will be back on the floor for Cleveland in a week or so. (Let's hope.) The Cavs are 9-9 and LeBron James hasn't been back since he sprained his finger. As such, I'm assuming Varejao's presence will be welcomed.

If we'd asked you a month ago which side of the Anderson Varejao-Cavaliers dispute was more culpable in the no-win battle, most would have fingered Varejao's folks based on the ridiculous alleged contract demands. It seems the Cleveland media has certainly sided with Danny Ferry and the Cavs, based on this wide-ranging repudiation of Varejao's agent, Dan Fegan, by Branson Wright in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Wright gets players and agents to cast aspersions on Fegan's methods. Former Fegan client Ricky Davis plainly states the agent does "dirty stuff." Wright says many believe Fegan was behind Shawn Marion's whole drama club audition this summer, and Fegan is also, of course, Yi Jianlian's agent. One agent, though, doesn't seem to disparage Fegan for holding Varejao out so much as paint him as some sort of trailblazer who could change the face of NBA restricted free agency. Here's the quote:

"If this works, we'll all have our players hold out," said the agent. "It'll change the face of negotiations in the NBA. So what's going on between the Cavs and Fegan is very important because if it works out for Fegan, this will change the whole game. But if he fails, he'll look like an idiot."

I'm of the opinion Fegan's success -- and any boost it'd give future hold-outs -- is bad for fans. Marion's fit was bad for fans. Yi's international incident was bad for fans. And I am positive many folks who sat in the Q to watch LeBron James and friend knock off Boston last night would think Varejao's hold-out is bad. Maybe we should all preach solidarity with Ferry on this one.

Things have gotten so bad between Anderson Varejao and Cavs GM Danny Ferry that he told ESPN's Chad Ford that he no longer wants to play in Cleveland.

"I just want to be treated fairly and I don't think Danny's done that."
...
"I wanted to come back," he said. "I love the fans and I really love my teammates. But there are others there that have made it very difficult. It's gotten to the point that I don't want to play there anymore. I'm just hoping for a sign-and-trade at this point."

Varejao also made it clear that he's the one behind the decision to hold out for more money, not agent Dan Fegan. And because he's the one calling the shots, he was surprised and perhaps a little put off by the fact Ferry tried to ambush him with a surprise visit to Brazil:

"I was shocked," Varejao said. "He showed up and wanted me to sign a contract. I told him he's got to talk to my agent. He didn't even up his offer. I guess he thought if he just showed up, I would just sign whatever he gave me."

At this point, it seems like the only way Varejao will sign with the Cavs is if Ferry works out a sign-and-trade. If Varejao holds out or plays in Europe (which he suggested he'd be willing to do), he'll still be a restricted free agent next summer, but he just doesn't seem to care. He could sign the $1.2 million qualifying offer made by the Cavs to retain his restricted free agent rights, but he doesn't sound like he has any interest in being underpaid yet again:

I don't think I'll be happy in Cleveland knowing that I was [almost] the lowest-paid player there for three years and am still paid much less than players on the team that I outperform. Life's too short to be unhappy."

And being paid, apparently, is the equivalent of happiness. (It's true! Just ask Kobe Bryant or Jason Kidd.)

The expectations of Warrior Matt Barnes are not being met, dammit! Dude just fired his agent for the second time in two months, according to the San Francisco Chronicle's Janny Hu.

Barnes fired his longtime agent Bill Neff right after Golden State's improbable playoff run. Apparently, Dan Fegan wasn't the right match, because now he's gone. Matty now brings Aaron Goodwin into the fold to salvage his free agency, and most likely his one shot to get a long-term NBA deal.

The fact Barnes hasn't gotten the full mid-level from some franchise... is that an indication teams are smartening up? That after Isiah Thomas' infinite ridicule in the wake of Jerome James teams now underrated so-called flukes? Because Barnes could very well be worth the midlevel in the right system. He's an upgrade on Devean George in Dallas, for sure. New Jersey could certainly have used him.

If he doesn't stay in Golden State (and it's either/or between him and Mickael Pietrus), he might have to take a smaller deal and sign up somewhere like Boston. At this point, it's all about avoiding the Bonzi Wells scenario.