<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">What in the world is Mavs owner Mark Cuban thinking? Is he thinking? He's not. He can't be. If Cuban was thinking, or thinking straight, there would be no mounting tension between him and Mavs coach Avery Johnson like S-T beat man Art Garcia reported in Sunday's paper. Certainly not about something as simple as whether to renegotiate the NBA Coach of the Year's contract as a reward for leading this Mavs team to within two victories of an NBA title. This is a no-brainer. Just do it. Cuban obviously doesn't agree because contract renegotiations were started and then broken off with Avery's camp. Neither side sounds particularly happy either. In response to my e-mail trying to determine what exactly is going on, Cuban called the story "ridiculous." He did not elaborate when asked what portion he felt to be wrong; that he is unwilling to renegotiate Avery's deal or that failure to do so may create or already has created problems between them. What I found "ridiculous" was Avery's pay ranks in the bottom third of NBA coaches, he is the lowest paid of the Western Conference playoff coaches, Cuban chose this moment with his coach to get randomly tough and randomly cheap, and he does not think Avery is worth the $1.5 million necessary to get him on par with Wizards coach Eddie Jordan. So I e-mailed Cuban to ask: "What does it hurt to reward Avery for a good year?" "Time to take a business class, Jen," he responded. Fair enough. My "A" in Walter Johnson's statistics class, my lone business offering at Mizzou, was a long time ago. Let's make a deal, though, Mark. If I enroll in Cuban's School of Business, you have to take Common Sense 101. Lesson 1: Do not tick off your most valuable employee. Lesson 2: Do not draw a line in the sand with arguably the most popular sports personality going in Texas because you will lose. Especially now with plenty of Mavs precincts still fuming about your boorish Finals behavior. Homework: Quit screwing around. Pick up your phone. Call Avery. Ask him how many millions, four or five, sound good to him. Then say, "In appreciation for everything you did this season, I'd be happy to pay that number." Sign the deal. Start sending bigger checks. If nothing else, it is a just reward for Avery dealing with Cuban's Finals antics and at least publicly defending him while Mavs players like Dirk Nowitzki were openly critical. Not that it hurt Dirk. Nowitzki has two years remaining on his contract and already Cuban has been talking extension. His logic is sound. He wants to get his best player locked up to show his appreciation and to keep from getting in a bidding war in free agency. So why not do the same for Avery? He was the MVP of the Mavs last season. Hands down. It is almost like Cuban has taken a page from Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' book, thinking "500 coaches" are capable of doing what Avery did. We all know how that ended for Jerry. Say this for him, though, he had enough smarts to win two Super Bowl titles before picking a fight with Jimmy Johnson. What Cuban is doing is picking a fight on the honeymoon of what has the potential to be a really great relationship, a relationship that ends with NBA championships and parades. Plural. And over what? Money? Principle? Cuban provided insight into his thoughts on renegotiating contracts in an entry on his blog titled "Paying bonuses and Managing...some thoughts." "Now if you are a person that does just that. Challenges yourself. Excels. Makes the company more competitive, our customers happier and our bottom line bigger, should you automatically get a bonus?" Cuban wrote. "Of course not. You are doing exactly what you were hired to do. You were hired to be great. You are expected to do great things. We pay you to do just that. You don't deserve a bonus." Cuban has a point, to a point. Too much redoing of contracts exists in sports nowadays.</div> Source
This is so stupid, every year this debate is made cause one coach has a great season then all the sudden he is the best coach in the league and should get paid like one. D'atoni(sp?), mcmillan, skiles all these guys. I understand that avery is a great coach and should be compensated, but he's still getting paid middle of the road money for a guy that is on his first coaching contract. If you don't give players sudden upgrades why should you give coaches. What if you give him more money and he flops for the next 3 seasons. I agree with Cuban on this one. Maybe avery should get an extension but they bad press cuban is getting is nuts. Lastly, I hate the expression "if he was a free agent this year" cause he's not, and it's still only 1 good year, let him make it last for a few years first. sorry this is something that angered me.
I understand where Cuban is coming from with that last quote but at least pay him enough so he's the second or third lowest paid coach in the West. The slight increase in money may give Avery extra incentive to produce. Or, Cuban could set up a proposal so that Avery will get more money if he gets brings the Mavs to a certain position.
^^ incentives aren't a bad idea but it sounded like there are already some in there. And that article said he was the lowest paid western playoff coach not lowest paid coach in the west. I thought another article I read said he was around middle of the road as far as coaches salaries go.
This is when you negotiate a contract. when you make a team have the greatest season in franchise history. Avery added what the team was missing year after year. And thats defence. belive me he should be one of the highest paid coaches in the league. Like Cuban says its business. But he sits on the sidelines and acts foolish and totally unprofessional. I hope Cuban pays up because after last season many teams would pay out the money to get a coach of his caliber. Johnson is the heart and soul of the team. Without him I see another 2nd round then done year.
Since when is Cuban afraid to give away loads of money to get what he wants, where's the Mark I know and love?
Cuban's getting smarter on the business side of things ever since he let Steve Nash go..It may or may not be good for the Mavs.
renegoiating an existing contract is a greedy and pretty despicable move. i'm a big fan of what Avery has done, but if I was Mark, I would be like "you signed your contract, let it play out, on your next contract then you get paid". Why is this fair? BECAUSE THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT OF A CONTRACT!!!!!! It's an agreement with a term, be it 3 or 5 years or whatever. It limits the liability on both sides. Then one side gets greedy half way through and wants to renegotiate? Whatever happened to "you made your bed, now you sleep in it". who cares what the next guy is getting as long as you're happy with your job? makes me sick. I think this is what Mark is talking about when he says business sense. Think about it - you have the FORESIGHT, VISION, whatever to sign an up and coming coach who, because he is up and coming, doesn't command a huge salary agreement. Then it plays out beautifully, he becomes a great coach and instantly improves your team. But then WHAM he turns around and wants to take all the magic of your foresight away by renegotiating. All contracts should have a No-Renegotiation clause.
Cubans antics are starting become childish and stupid. The guy Avery took a franchise that was known for playing "clown ball", taught them how to play defense and gave them a swagg. All the years the Mavericks couldn't ever get over that hump, then Avery leads them to the Finals for the first time in franchise history. All the great Maverick teams with JKidd, Mark Maguire, Derick Harper, A.Blackman and NO FINALS. Give the man a damn raise!! He put up with ur crap all season and in the playoffs, and you reward him with more antics. Well, maybe the Rockets will fire JVG and pick up Avery Johnson after Cuban runs him outta Dallas
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting phunDamentalz:</div><div class="quote_post">renegoiating an existing contract is a greedy and pretty despicable move. i'm a big fan of what Avery has done, but if I was Mark, I would be like "you signed your contract, let it play out, on your next contract then you get paid".</div> Getting Avery to sign a new contract is not greedy but clever. That way, he would get to keep his All Star coach for a longer time and for a cheaper price. He doesn't want to wait for the contract to run out and then get involved in a bidding war with other teams for Avery.
Honestly, when has Mark Cuban ever been thinking straight? If he's not over paying players, its rubbish like this.
isn't avery like 3 yrs away from his contract ending... it's not like he's going into his final season. I don't get why ppl like owens get a bad name for wanting to renegotiate early but avery doesn't
Mark Cuban owns the team. Avery Johnson and his agent negotiated a nice contract for a first time coach which everyone was in agreement with. Then Dallas had its best year because it has it greatest team and a very good coach who got his players to play hard. Johnson shouldn't receive a dime more than what he bargained for. Do you see Josh Howard crying because he is paid 6 or 7 million less than what he could sign a contract for today. No. But I think the real point is, Mr. Cuban is a strong independant thinker who cares very much for each player and his coaches. I think Avery Johnson knows this. Who are we to tell Cuban and Johnson what the situation should be between them? The best thing Johnson could do would to have said nothing about a re-negotiated contract or raise. It's understood in professional basketball. Next year Avery could have a bad year. Cuban seems like the kind of guy who on his own volition rewards hard work and talent and loyalty. If nothing was said by anyone, agents, media, et al, I would not be surprised if Mr. Cuban would have called Avery Johnson with a plan to put his pay, after the accountants determined the least taxable way to accomplish a bonus or "raise," on a par with the upper middle echelon of West Coast NBA Head Coaches. Now a uni-lateral move on his part to show his loyalty to his coach would garner another round of criticism and self-patting on the back by media wonks.
While I think Avery deserves a raise, it sets a bad precedent in the league to renegotiate after the first year of his contract. You never see coaching contracts renegotiated after a bad season. "The team didn't make the playoffs so instead of paying you 2 million next year we're gonna pay you 1 million." Avery and his agent should have negotiated for bonuses, etc.. for things like getting to the conference finals, nba finals, and winning the championship. If they didn't then well Avery has nothing to complain about. If he has 2-3 years left on his contract, before the last year I'm going to assume they will work out an extension that will compensate him for his accomplishments. And besides, now that he has "NBA Finals" on his resume, his asking price when that time comes will go up regardless of anything else that might happen in the years to come.
