ESPN: Magic/Seattle Agree to Sign and Trade

<div class="quote_poster">Chutney Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I'm interested to know how the negotiating process went:

Shard's agent: My client's looking for something around the 6 year/$80 million range.
Otis Smith: I call that and raise you to 6 years/$90 million!
Shard's agent: Mr. Smith, we're not playing poker...
Otis Smith: $100 million!
Shard's agent: We already said we'd be happy with the first amount.
Otis Smith: $110 million!
Shard's agent: Are you seri...
Otis Smith: $126 million!
Shard's agent: Wow! You must really be enamoured with Rashard's skills. I don't see any reason to shop him anywhere else. We gladly accept your offer and I'll fax you all the paperwork tomorrow (leaves room).
Otis Smith: $200 million!</div>

sounds like an auction lol

 

<div class="quote_poster">Master Shake Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I laughed when I saw how much they were gunna pay him. Lewis = Richest player over the next 5 years, wow. He makes baseball player money.</div>

sorry for the OT, but baseball players make this kind of money? I always tought that the NBA is one of the best paid team sports.... (i'm not from the usa so i really don't know how much baseball palyers are paid...)

 

<div class="quote_poster">Sergio Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">sorry for the OT, but baseball players make this kind of money? I always tought that the NBA is one of the best paid team sports.... (i'm not from the usa so i really don't know how much baseball palyers are paid...)</div>

Oh, ok, but yea, since there is like almost no cap in baseball, example Yankees, who have like a 200 million dollar cap, you can sign players for crazy amounts. Alex Rodriguez makes 26 mill a year, and Derek Jeter makes 23 mill, both on the Yankees.

 

I hate it, we're even more of a laughing stock of the NBA. Dammit.

 

Wow Orlando overpaid for Lewis....

 

I just can't comprehend it... I mean, we could've gotten him for way less. He even said in the press conference:
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I would have to say at this point in my career it is not about the money. I?ve been through three contracts with the Seattle Supersonics, so I have money saved up. I?m looking at my future and playoffs and championships.</div>

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">On the fact that other teams pursued him even though he had verbally agreed with the Magic?
?Yeah, especially Houston. I went home and I had a jersey on my front porch and a big box. They were pretty much catering to me, but at the same time, I knew where my heart was and I knew what I wanted to do, and the decision was probably made before these guys even put a contract out there for me. I knew exactly what I wanted to do.? </div>

 

Chaucey Billups signed a 60 million dollar contract with the Pistons, Gerald Wallace just signed a 57 million dollar contract with the Bobcats. That adds up to 117 million, which is still less than Rashard Lewis....

 

I just don't understand why Otis Smith made the sign and trade. It just sound stupid to give up a 2nd rounder so that you can pay someone that you've already overpaid $30 mil more.

I thought the original 5 years/75 mil deal was overpaying him, boy I wish we had that back.

 

I just keep hoping that there keeping some of the details disclosed as of now. Liek the magic really traded the second draft pick and expiring contracts. Like it just doesnt make any sense...at all. Even from the Sonics point of view, if their gonna resign Lewis...why trade him for only a second round draft pick. Idk lets hope Otis has some magic up his sleeves.


NEW sig btw. I BELIEVE IN YA OTIS! i know you got somethin planned. haha

 

<div class="quote_poster">The Walrus Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I just keep hoping that there keeping some of the details disclosed as of now. Liek the magic really traded the second draft pick and expiring contracts. Like it just doesnt make any sense...at all. Even from the Sonics point of view, if their gonna resign Lewis...why trade him for only a second round draft pick. Idk lets hope Otis has some magic up his sleeves.


NEW sig btw. I BELIEVE IN YA OTIS! i know you got somethin planned. haha</div>

Why not trade him for a 2nd round pick? At least you get something in return for him. They also got a 9.3 mil trade exception that they can use to match salaries.

 

<div class="quote_poster">GatorsowntheNCAA Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Why not trade him for a 2nd round pick? At least you get something in return for him. They also got a 9.3 mil trade exception that they can use to match salaries.</div>

wow im retarded. haha sry forgot about the whole "they make money" part of the trade.

 

<div class="quote_poster">GatorsowntheNCAA Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I just don't understand why Otis Smith made the sign and trade. It just sound stupid to give up a 2nd rounder so that you can pay someone that you've already overpaid $30 mil more.

I thought the original 5 years/75 mil deal was overpaying him, boy I wish we had that back.</div>
It's actually $50 million more.

Completely idiotic move. Lewis already agreed to $75 million. That's got to be one of the worst moves in league history.

 

<div class="quote_poster">MrJ Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">It's actually $50 million more.

Completely idiotic move. Lewis already agreed to $75 million. That's got to be one of the worst moves in league history.</div>

Yea, horrible move from a money stand point. to go from 75 million to 126 million, when he already agreed, is just dumb. I'm not gunna start ranting on Otis, because I'm with Walrus, I have faith in Otis to make something happen. I think maybe he was worried he wouldn't come, change his mind, but I doubt that. I wonder what Howard or Nelson are thinking. I bet when Howard contract is up, he'll ask for a 150 million dollars over 5 years or something like that.

 

<div class="quote_poster">MrJ Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">It's actually $50 million more.

Completely idiotic move. Lewis already agreed to $75 million. That's got to be one of the worst moves in league history.</div>

Well they say it would have been a $95 mil contract if we just signed him straight up with the increases and stuff. Lewis agreed to the max, which was estimated at around 75 mil.

 

At least he's not injured.....


Apparently it's not all guaranteed to Shard....

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">By John Denton
FLORIDA TODAY

ORLANDO _ Combating claims that they grossly overpaid for Rashard Lewis by giving him a six-year contract worth $118.5 million, Orlando president Bob Vander Weide carefully said there are some provisions in the final year of the deal that offer the Magic some protection.

Before the Magic would consider working a sign-and-trade agreement with the Seattle SuperSonics – a deal that allowed Lewis to get a sixth year on his contract and 10.5 percent annual raises – Orlando got him to agree that the final season of the contract would only be partially guaranteed.

Vander Weide wouldn’t go into detail about the specifics of the contract, but he said that certain factors have to be met before the 2012-13 payment of $23.8 million becomes fully guaranteed.

``Before we’d agree to get into a sign-and-trade agreement with the player we wanted him to appreciate performance first,’’ Vander Weide said. ``The deal could be worth ($11.8 million) before it’s all said and done or it may not. We really won’t know until the contract is complete.’’

The Magic would be wise to get some protection on the largest contract in franchise history after what happened to them with Grant Hill. The Magic gave Hill a $92.88 million deal in 2000, and then saw him play just 200 of a possible 574 games over the next seven years because of recurring ankle injuries.

``We’ve been through the bad health thing with this franchise, so hopefully we’ll have better luck this time around,’’ Vander Weide said.

Vander Weide also said that he was very disappointed that Hill left the Magic for the Phoenix Suns. Vander Weide personally tried to recruit Hill back to the Magic. He said he didn’t agree with Hill’s assessment that he’d have a better chance at a championship in Phoenix than he would in Orlando.

``I love Grant as a person and I’d have loved to have him back here with us, but sometimes your best recruiting tactics don’t always work,’’ Vander Weide said. ``You look at where Grant went out West, and you kind of understand it. Maybe we don’t have all the pieces yet, but I really think in the Eastern Conference the path to the Finals might be a little easier than out West. That’s where I’m not so sure that I agree with Grant.

``But sometimes guys just need a change of scenery, and maybe that’s what this move was all about. It wasn’t an easy ride for Grant while he was here. It wasn’t an easy ride for any of us.’’</div>

<a href="http://forums.floridatoday.com/viewtopic.php?t=41869" target="_blank">http://forums.floridatoday.com/viewtopic.php?t=41869]Source: John Denton: Florida Today</a>

 

They still overpayed. 95-100 million is way too expensive for Shard.

 

I'm just glad Orlando is willing to spend money on big name free agents. When he starts scoring 22+ pts a game nobody is gunna care how much he makes (as long as we are winning too) It's worth it to me just knowing that Dwight is going to have some help and he's not going to have to do it all by himself like he did last year