I wish Alvin all the best, but why did it take so long for Raps management to come to this decision? This was something that should of been done last year. I'm sure that they were holding out for a miracle, but any fool knows that playing with joints where there's hardly any cartilage isn't going to prolong ones career. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Toronto Raptors will gather today at the Air Canada Centre to say their goodbyes, another disappointing season in the books after they lost their last game 127-106 to the Bulls in Chicago last night. But they should make some special time to say farewell to Alvin Williams, the club's longest-serving member. Team and league sources suggest it's all but inevitable that Williams, hampered by knee problems for all but one game over the past two seasons, will be waived by the Raptors, eight years after arriving as a rookie from the Portland Trail Blazers in a trade in February of 1998 that involved Damon Stoudamire. And while it might seem cold to send a classy performer packing, the reasons are those that Williams understands deeply: It's what's best for the team. Williams has two years and $13.5-million (all figures U.S.) left on a six-year deal he signed in the summer of 2001, shortly after helping the Raptors to their lone playoff series win. But his contract stipulates the Raptors have to pay only about half of the remaining money if he's waived because of his knee problems, which existed before he signed the deal, two sources with specific knowledge of the contract say. This would offer the club considerable savings. But, perhaps most important, it could provide president and general manager Bryan Colangelo even more room under the National Basketball Association's team salary cap than the roughly $10-million he has now. Colangelo declined to comment on the nature of Williams's contract, except that "there is some flexibility."</div> Link - Globe & Mail article
why wouldnt they just name him their amnesty player and waive him that way? either way, alvin is one of my all time fav raps...but he's holding us back at this point because of the crazy contract grunwald gave him. ill miss him, but im anxious to see who's comming to toronto this offseason
I think Colangelo convinced Alvin Williams to opt out of his current deal, and in return the Raptors would pay him all the money upfront.
thats not a bad deal. then they could just name someone else their amnesty player. eric williams obviously. that would give the raps all the cap room in the world. unless of course there is a team that would actually want eric williams. maybe we can package together our lotto pick and eric williams and get somethin in return
The amnesty player rule was a one time deal for teams to use this season. Teams don't get to use one every year, apparently Isiah Thomas didn't get that memo either.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting dj_premium_plus:</div><div class="quote_post">unless of course there is a team that would actually want eric williams. maybe we can package together our lotto pick and eric williams and get somethin in return</div> E Will. might have some trade value just in the fact that he has an expiring contract at the end of the year. So a team looking for cap space might be willing to trade a a young player they have given up on for cap space to sign FA's or resign there own players. For instance the Cato. + lottery pick for Darko and Arroyo.
I'll miss A-Dub, I love the guy, Him and JYD are two of my all-time favorite players not because there raptors but because they're amazing.
