Jason Terry doesn’t have much time left in an NBA uniform. He just turned 34 last week (happy birthday), which means he’ll be lucky to get a few more years out of his body before it starts to rebel against him.
He DID just play an 103 games this past season, logging more than 3200 minutes in the Dallas Mavericks’ championship run. So he’s holding up pretty well. But age is indiscriminate, and soon enough the grind will end his career. And when that happens, he wants it to end in Dallas.
“It’s definitely something that I would love to see happen,” Terry said in a phone conversation Tuesday. “Again, it gives me stability, it allows my family to know that next summer we won’t be off moving to somewhere else. So, that would be good for me. Again, the goal is to retire a Maverick. That is the No. 1 priority for me.”
Terry is under contract for $10.6 million next season. After that, regardless of how the new financial system shakes out, he’s definitely going to have to take a pay cut. The Mavs have six guys under contract for the 2012/13 season and they’re already paying out more than $44 million (Dirk will make $21 million alone. Shawn Marion and Brendan Haywood are making $8.3 million each). The question is, can Dallas and Jet come up with a number less than $10 million a year that will make him happy? And will the proper exceptions even exist to give Dallas a chance to sign him?
That’s something that will shake out as labor negotiations continue today. But there’s one thing Terry wants after this lockout is over before he even gets his new deal. A hug.
“We’re hiding, we’re doing hand signals, it’s just crazy,” Terry said. “We’re at a soccer game last week, my daughter’s playing and Carlisle’s daughter is playing for the first time and he’s at one end, I’m way at the other and I’m just shaking my head. He’s doing the same. But, the feeling, the emotion, just seeing the smile on his face that hasn’t left since we hoisted up that trophy; I just want to give the guy a hug, but you can’t do it, it’s off limits.
“I will tell you this, whenever this thing [the lockout is over], it’s going to be fun for everyone involved.”
If you really want a hug, I know a couple of San Antonio Spurs fans on our staff that would LOVE to give you a hug. But it’s a special kind of hug that involves their hands hugging your neck for a long time.
You know, on second thought, let’s just wait for the lockout to end so you can go hug Carlisle. Might be better for us all. Bail money isn’t in our budget right now.
