The Blazers can extend him a qualifying offer anytime between the end of the Finals and June 30th. It'll be interesting to see how long they hold off.
Is there an advantage to doing anything but waiting until the very last minute? I fully expect them to wait until June 30th.
I think there's a near 100% chance that the team will extend the QO. Personally I'll be more interested to see if he accepts the QO or not ...
I really hope he does accept the QO, I just want him to understand that the majority of real fans love him and just want him healthy and he needs to know that he has the support of the best NBA fans in the nation. I cant wait to see this kid go beast mode, as soon as he's healthy he immediately becomes the most dominate center in the league (well maybe 2nd to DHoward). I really believe he's our biggest need to have deep playoff runs and at only 23 years old he has an entire career ahead of him, many guys dont even get into the league until they're his age.
He has until March 1st to accept the QO. It seems pretty unlikely to me that he would accept the QO without waiting to see what offers he gets prior to next season.
IRRC, accepting the offer means he's decided to play just one season under the terms of the QO in order to become a UFA the following summer.
He has no incentive to turn down the QO, unless you think he wants to sit out a season to prevent another injury. That seems absurdly unlikely. Right now, he needs a solid season to cash in...sitting out a season to avoid an injury won't look any better than playing and suffering an injury. The bad scenario, IMO, is him accepting the QO, playing out the season healthy and effective and then leaving as a UFA.
If he signs the QO, he's under contract for one season. Under the terms of the current CBA, contracts for less than 4 years can't be extended. Who knows what the new CBA may allow, but I don't think it's likely. The Blazers could choose to include a maximum contract offer with the QO. While the QO is on the table, the Blazers can match any other offer Greg gets and can also negotiate a new contract for whatever the new CBA allows.
Ok, I was under the impression that the QO was apart of his original rookie contract, therefore making it a 4+ year deal that could be extended. I'm no expert at this stuff, that's for sure!
I don't think so. The CBA doesn't allow extensions to rookie contracts after Oct. 31st. The QO would be a new contract.
The qualifying offer is only a one-year deal that allows the team to keep a player's RFA rights. If the team doesn't make the QO to him, Oden would become a UFA this off-season. The team and Oden could still choose to do a new, free agent deal for multiple years. And other teams can offer him a free agent deal (which the Blazers could match). But if the QO is extended and accepted and no other deal is signed by Oden, he's a Blazer for the next year and then a UFA.
True, but before the injury in December 2009 Oden was actually becoming a very good player. He was demanding the ball and having success. I think I have seen enough flashes of Oden in 2009 to say that barring an injury Oden will be a top 3 Center in the league and has the potential to be the most dominate. I just don't know what kind of odds I would put on Oden playing 70 games in 2011-12. Maybe 3:1 odds? The half-full side of me finds a silver lining in the fact that Oden has run out of knees to have microfracture surgery on.
