Bargnani, Aldridge and Roy are the only ones from that class to agree to a long term extension. Interesting to say the least.
Here's the official press release: http://www.nba.com/blazers/news/trail_blazers_sign_lamarcus_al_2009_10_22.html
yep done deal. were people really comparing this to hedo? even im not that anal http://www.nba.com/blazers/index.html
Brandon signed for the Max. LMA just signed for huge $. Assuming Greg also does the same.... Does this spell the end of Rudy? Actually, it's a serious question.
A door closes, and a window opens. It might be the best thing that happened to Bayless on this team... Who knows. At the end of the day, it will all just play itself out. The Blazers need the big 3 + defensive specialist + rotating list of role players. That's Roy, LMA, Oden, Batum + pieces. It's also the Spurs way.
Rudy will be offered a fair contract when the time comes. I doubt the amount Portland offers him will differ much based on how much LMA got. Rudy might leave, but that will be because he wants to regardless of the money. Portland won't over pay him to stay.
Personally, I think Rudy has been halfway out the door ever since he made the brilliant decision to mouth off over Hedo. The guy has a seriously inflated sense of his own worth.
Unlike some who think Rudy is somehow going to morph into point guard or will be our super sub sixth man in the coming years, I'm still of the opinion that he's redundant behind Roy and the two of them will never be paired up as the starting backcourt for this team. We'll see him in some 3 guard lineups and when the team needs some deep shooting and a lot of offense, but long term I think it's probably best for him and the team if he's traded in some kind of package deal that nets this team a long term answer at point guard ... that doesn't even mean a star quality point guard, just a good defensive minded point who can adequately run a team and hit an open shot when left open on the wing or in the corner. So to answer your question -- does LMA's (and Greg and Brandon's) signing(s) spell the end of Rudy -- yes ... and eventually quite a few other players on this roster who will play out their current contracts and not be offered deals to their liking and will move on to greener pastures as new faces are brought in to surround the core and fill roles. the only "non-core" player who I see having a long term future with this team because of skill set, fit, and role is Batum as the Blazers version of Bruce Bowen.
A Basketball Prospectus article on Aldridge's extension and the general cost of extensions. According to this, the Blazers paid Roy and Aldridge salaries almost directly in line with what the market (adjusted for projected salary cap) tends to play players of their caliber (based on BP's value measure, WARP--wins above replacement value). The Bargnani extension was solidly above what players of his value tend to get. http://www.basketballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=746
Interesting article. Thanks. My opinion of the draft was that the 3 best players from it based on their play so far were Roy, Rondo and LMA (in this order) - and it seems that WARP confirms it. I am surprised, however, that Brewer and TT are the next ones after, over Rudy Gay. I suspect, that Milsap is actually the 4th most productive from that draft - but he was a 2nd rounder - so they did not list his WARP.
So their system "values" Aldridge at $10.7 mil per year. Exactly what my back-of-envelope calculations said (see posts above) was a fair contract for him. Thus, either the Blazers overpaid for LaMarcus as his contract guarantees $13mil per, or they paid for potential, which, of course, they had no business doing, as LaMarcus is not a free agent.
At $10.7 million first year salary. All the other points of comparison in the article used first year salary, not average salary. The article is saying what Aldridge is going to get in first year salary, with assumed maximum yearly raises, is right in line with what the market has traditionally given for the first year of extensions (not straight free agent signings) for players of Aldridge's WARP.
