Francis gets paid off

$30 Million Buy out

Someone's gonna end up getting him cheap. I wonder where he'll end up. They say that Dallas and the Cippers are looking to pick him up. Francis would be a solid 6th man (sparkplug off the bench), I wonder if he'd take that role moving forward on one of those teams.

 

I always like Francis when he was on Houston. Ever since Van Gundy traded him his skills went down, maybe because he didnt like where he got traded to. But if he signs with the Mavs, man..that will be a tougher team.

 

$30 million!!!???!?!! Whoa Nellie that's one helluva buyout.

If only Foyle would take a page from Francis and get paid millions to NOT play. Well, I guess Foyle is doing that whether he's on the team or bought out, it doesn't make any difference to him, yeah!? Plus, if he stays on the team, he can fukin annoy everyone with his half-court shooting spree while people are practicing free throws before games. Now that's a win-win.

 

<div class="quote_poster">iLL PiLL Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I always like Francis when he was on Houston. Ever since Van Gundy traded him his skills went down, maybe because he didnt like where he got traded to. But if he signs with the Mavs, man..that will be a tougher team.</div>

I am more worried if he goes to the Clippers. Didn't Livingston have a horrific injury last year? I think they are looking for a PG. Francis, Cassell, Maggette, Brand, Kaman ain't a bad lineup. To make things worse for the Warriors if this happens, the Clippers finished right behind this team and the Hornets who should be healthier next season are two teams that could knock the Warriors out of the playoffs next season. I'd much rather see him go to Dallas than LA.

 

Francis got 30 mils out of remaining 33 mils in his contract (91%) and Webber got 38 mils out of 43 mils (88%). So, that means we probably have to pay roughly 17 mils out of 19 mils for Foyle to accept buy out... Unless we desperately wish to go under the luxury tax, save couple mils or free up a roster slot, there shouldn't be a reason for us to buy out Foyle's contract.

But of course... Nobody got paid like Lewis (6 years with over 120 mils) today. Wow...

 

I could tell you a lot about basketball players and the game itself, but I'm truly lost when it comes to the financial nonsense of the NBA. How does this benefit Portland? Does it give them any sort of cap room, or does it just clear up a spot on the roster? If it's the latter, then I think it's a horrible move. Francis isn't a cancer. He's just a shoot-first point guard that has spent the last few years on a team fighting for time behind another shoot-first point guard in Marbury.

Anyway, if he goes to the Clippers, I have a hard time seeing them missing the playoffs again this season. You're forgetting Mobley too when you project the Clippers rotation, Clif. They'll likely be bringing Francis, Thornton, Thomas, and Ross off the bench. Not to mention that with Francis not demanding the full mid-level exception, the Clippers will probably have enough cap to go out and snag a servicable backup for Kaman.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Kwan1031 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">
But of course... Nobody got paid like Lewis (6 years with over 120 mils) today. Wow...</div>

I'm glad Otis Smith isn't running my team. Max money to a one-dimensional player??? Wow indeed

 

<div class="quote_poster">Voodoo Child Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I could tell you a lot about basketball players and the game itself, but I'm truly lost when it comes to the financial nonsense of the NBA. How does this benefit Portland? Does it give them any sort of cap room, or does it just clear up a spot on the roster? If it's the latter, then I think it's a horrible move. Francis isn't a cancer. He's just a shoot-first point guard that has spent the last few years on a team fighting for time behind another shoot-first point guard in Marbury.

Anyway, if he goes to the Clippers, I have a hard time seeing them missing the playoffs again this season. You're forgetting Mobley too when you project the Clippers rotation, Clif. They'll likely be bringing Francis, Thornton, Thomas, and Ross off the bench. Not to mention that with Francis not demanding the full mid-level exception, the Clippers will probably have enough cap to go out and snag a servicable backup for Kaman.</div>
I think it takes a little off the cap hit, but in the end its essentially done to get him off the roster. I do think that Francis could contribute, but I don't blame Portland for trying to distance him from their youth movement. He was a terrible teammate in Orlando, when they had a lot of young talent to develop.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Voodoo Child Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I could tell you a lot about basketball players and the game itself, but I'm truly lost when it comes to the financial nonsense of the NBA. How does this benefit Portland? Does it give them any sort of cap room, or does it just clear up a spot on the roster? If it's the latter, then I think it's a horrible move. Francis isn't a cancer. He's just a shoot-first point guard that has spent the last few years on a team fighting for time behind another shoot-first point guard in Marbury.</div>

Yeah, it really doesn't do much for Portland. I guess they save roughly 1.5 mils this year and 1.5 mils next year. But, they won't be near luxury tax threshold this year or next year, and won't have any caproom this year or next year. So it really doesn't benefit Portland financially. It opens up a roster slot and remove Francis' influence on young team. But, Francis still can play, and his 17 mils expiring contract could be extremely valuable for Portland in next offseason. So, if they really don't want Francis to be near, they could have sent Francis a golf membership and give him a nice one year vacation...

 

<div class="quote_poster">DTKennedy Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I'm glad Otis Smith isn't running my team. Max money to a one-dimensional player??? Wow indeed </div>

And, of course, Dave Twerdzik is in that organization. So, it really shouldn't come as a surprise. Lewis is not a bad player, and borderline all-star. And, bad team needs to overpay players. But, 20 mils per year??? For SF (easiest position to fill), who can't change the game or draw the crowd the arena??? They could easily get a good player with huge contract, like how we dumped Jamison, for a half of the price, and use another half to fill different holes...

 

Yeah, that Rashard Lewis contract is a laugher. And now Orlando is picked as a favorite? Their fans won't be too happy when Dwight Howard leaves because Orlando taxed themselves with Lewis and Howard wants a max deal. over 20 mils a year? HA HAH HA HAH HA HAH HA HAH HA !!!! OMG that is funny for me, but it would be nausiating if I were an Orlando fan. That's Shaq money. Kobe money. LeBron Money. NOT Lewis money. OMG

 

<div class="quote_poster">Voodoo Child Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I could tell you a lot about basketball players and the game itself, but I'm truly lost when it comes to the financial nonsense of the NBA. How does this benefit Portland? Does it give them any sort of cap room, or does it just clear up a spot on the roster? If it's the latter, then I think it's a horrible move. Francis isn't a cancer. He's just a shoot-first point guard that has spent the last few years on a team fighting for time behind another shoot-first point guard in Marbury.

Anyway, if he goes to the Clippers, I have a hard time seeing them missing the playoffs again this season. You're forgetting Mobley too when you project the Clippers rotation, Clif. They'll likely be bringing Francis, Thornton, Thomas, and Ross off the bench. Not to mention that with Francis not demanding the full mid-level exception, the Clippers will probably have enough cap to go out and snag a servicable backup for Kaman.</div>

I guess they want to focus totally on developing their 3 pgs, and they don't want Francis being negative and bitching about PT. Anyway, Rose is disgustingly rich and can afford the 30 million in pocket change if it means not having a potential cancer on the team.

 

<div class="quote_poster">XSV Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I guess they want to focus totally on developing their 3 pgs, and they don't want Francis being negative and bitching about PT. Anyway, Rose is disgustingly rich and can afford the 30 million in pocket change if it means not having a potential cancer on the team.</div>

Then why make the trade in the first place? I'm sure they could have gotten a lot more for Zach Randolph than just Channing Frye, especially with guys like Paul Pierce and Shawn Marion on the market.

And if the whole point of dealing Randolph was clearing up a logjam, then why deal for another big man in Frye?

At the very least, they could have dumped Miles' fat contract onto New York.

Kwan is right about Francis' contract having value next offseason too. Guys like Steve Francis who have those huge, expiring contracts are great trade bait.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Run BJM Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Because Randolph is making 15 million a year for the next 4 years and hes the least valuable 23/10 guy in the league (maybe of all time). No one wants to touch that fat contract along with his bad attitude and off the court issues except Isiah. I don't think they could have done any better than getting a similar contract but two years shorter as well as a nice young big man, who else was willing to take him at all? Boston wasn't going to trade Pierce for him, nor was Phoenix going to trade Marion (only reason they want to move Marion is becuase they need to dump salary) Portland was working their ass off to give him away, they managed to add on a nice big and get a similar contract that will be up in two years. Not bad.

I don't think they're concerned with the logjam as much as just getting rid of the whole "Jailblazers" image as well as all of the baggage that Randolph had. They have a new face for the franchise in Oden, Aldridge is the future at PF, and a bunch of other young players, its a new era for them so Randolph had to go.</div>

An unvaluable 23/10 post player is an oxymoron. Fat contract and attitude issues aside, he's one of the best players in the league at the moment. He's fat and possibly lazy, but he's still productive and moves his 6'9", 260 lbs. frame like a guard. Not many big men can box out like Zach and be as productive offensively as well. It's usually an either/or type of scenario, but Zach is the total package (sans defense).

Fact of the matter is that Randolph gets paid what he deserves, he's not the type of attitudinal cancer that the media portrays him to be (the guy punched Ruben Patterson --- so what? Ruben is a rapist and a thug himself), and he's not the reason why the Blazers lost so many games. They lost because they were young and inexperienced. At the end of the day, he's valuable as hell, and the Blazers could have gotten more bang for their buck. They had an entire offseason to shop his contract, but they made a hasty decision.

 

Well I thought the Zach Radolph trade was pretty solid for the Blazers. They got Frye who could fit in off the bench behind Aldridge and Oden. Steve Francis seemed to be a PG that could try to shine with Nat MacMillan as head coach and playing along side Webster, Roy, Aldridge, Oden, etc. Also it seems as if Nate MacMillian would know good big men if he saw one. I think it is likely that Nate just had enough of Zach, especially after the last two drafts which make him not a needed player.

As far as Steve Francis getting the buy out, I am just hoping he doesn't go to LA or perhaps Memphis, though I have doubts they'd want him back. According to the article the Blazers say they will enjoy the financial flexibility that the buy out gives them (or actually maybe it's more getting rid of Randolph's contract just about completely after the buyout which they are saying gives them better financial flexibility). Plus I am assuming from the rest of the article that it may be possible that Steve Francis may not really be much of a player after his knee problems. The article says that the Knicks were trying to buy his contract out before the deal.

I wouldn't be upset if the Warriors took a gamble on Francis if he came over on a cheap contract. Though if his knees are in bad shape maybe I'd reconsider it.

 

Wow, this Francis thing and the Rashard Lewis deal definitely has people talking. I'm quite amazed myself. I think Portland should have just kept Francis because there might be another Isiah in the league to pass him back to and get an expiring deal.

That's nothing though. I think I'm more amazed by Shard's nearly 20 mil a year deal for 6 years. That's almost twice what he should be worth. Luckily, this won't affect other small forward signings because it's obvious the Orlando GM must be a sucka and no other GM would fall for that sports superagent jedi mindtricking. And you know, wouldn't that be a shame for Orlando if Rashard went out and got himself injured like Grant Hill?

Should we take Francis? Eh... he's not the same player he used to be. But, if we lose Ellis in some kind of trade, yeah maybe.

 

<div class="quote_poster">custodianrules2 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">
That's nothing though. I think I'm more amazed by Shard's nearly 20 mil a year deal for 6 years. That's almost twice what he should be worth. Luckily, this won't affect other small forward signings because it's obvious the Orlando GM must be a sucka and no other GM would fall for that sports superagent jedi mindtricking. And you know, wouldn't that be a shame for Orlando if Rashard went out and got himself injured like Grant Hill?
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I think it's absolutely ridiculous they gave Lewis that much, pure insanity. JRich averaged more than Lewis in 05-06, and had similar stats like rebounding and 3pt FG's, and people say JRich has a big contract...

Lets see...

Carter gets 60 mil and Billups gets 60 mil, both these all stars get half the money Lewis gets? What the f**k?