No I'm actually not trying to be difficult (as to what you feel I'm being, I'll leave for you to decide) I just really don't think there's much upside to trying to keep finding reasons to keep Greg around ... and I'm guessing there aren't a lot of reasons from his end to keep trying to make it work here. I get it that you aren't ready to move on from Oden, but put aside the fact that the type of contract you are describing isn't really possible (or at least I've never seen anything like it) that's just an awful lot of "gymnastics" trying to make it work here -- I just don't see the "win/win" you're describing. It feels like beating a dead horse.
Well, maybe so. Work was slow so I was really trying to come up with a new topic for a thread and decided to try this one.
As Mags said incentives can only be a small portion of an entire contract. If Greg wants to stay around for a near minimum contract to try and rehab I'd love to keep him on the team, but at this point it’s pretty stupid to think of giving him extended years of multiple millions of dollars. He has played far less than a young Sam Bowie! For all we know he's a few months away from retiring. The guy can't get through rehab without his cartilage chipping off. Jay Jenson said the doctors had an unusually hard time drilling into his super dense bones during the knee cap surgery; perhaps that hardness will continuously lead to career ending cartilage defects. It takes over a year to return from micro-fracture; solid starters that regained their form all took an additional year of playing once they could get on the court to completely recover. So if Oden makes a complete full recovery with very few setbacks at best you’re talking about that translating to above average on court performance in the 2015 playoffs! Allen has paid over $20 million to Oden, but that just like the fact he was the #1 pick are all sunk costs. The team needs to make the best decisions with scarce resources for the future, regardless of how much we have “invested” or how long we’ve stood by such and such player. With all the possible downside to keeping Oden it would be stupid to tie up long term guaranteed money in him. No other team in the league would take such an action so why should we consider it? A roster spot and a few million in salary could be the difference between us having the full MLE, having more flexibility to swap salaries in a trade, or saving Paul Allen luxury tax money. An extra $2million could be the difference between us getting a Deron Williams in the off-season or having to settle for a Jose Calderon. We should only be signing Oden to 1 year deals until he gets healthy.
Hey, as I've said before, I get all that. My sole purpose of the thread was to come up with a way to keep Oden around in the remote chance he gets himself together physically and at not too great a price if he doesn't. At no more than $2 million per season, it won't keep us from getting anyone we have a reasonable shot at. Maybe it's a stupid idea, but in the back of my old mind I just have a feeling this isn't the end of his career.
If we cut Greg or just let him walk at the end of the year, does anyone know what happens to the cost of his surgery and rehab? I kind of assumed the Blazers organization was footing the bill for all the surgery / procedures he has had, and the cost of a physical therapist. If we cut him and no one picks him up is he on his own as far as rehabilitation and training goes?
We foot the bill for whatever rehab or medical expenses he incurs, because he was injured while under contract with the Blazers. Presumably, if he doesn't sign a new contract with another team, he'd still have access to the Blazers training staff and doctors until he's healed ... or as healed as he can be (depending on his prognosis).
Cool. Thanks. So, even if no one makes him an offer this summer he would still be around the team and facility. I hope he still has a desire to play and feels compelled to stay in Portland. While I don't think he may ever play again, if he does, I want it to be with the Blazers.
