Decision Time On Options for CJ, Meyers and T-Rob

This is the link to the aforementioned quote.

http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q49

 

The last part of my comment was from Larry Coons site. Also a player has to have played on a single contract or for the same team for 3 years to be a Larry Bird except. Or 2 years for an Early Bird exception.

I think you may have misunderstood Neil.

 

I stand corrected about being able to have the bird exception...

Don't know how this applies, but it looks like a denouncement does drop the bird exception. If anyone else has more to add, I appreciate it

 

That could be... It hasn't been the first time.

He could have meant the existing free agents: Matthews, lopez, etc

 

From Coin regarding rookie contracts specifically, expanded from what I posted before.

Teams have until the October 312*preceding the player's second regular season to exercise their option for the player's third season. Likewise, they have until the October 312*preceding the player's third regular season to exercise their option for the player's fourth season (see question number*59*for more information on options). If the team invokes both options (keeping the player for all four seasons) and submits a qualifying offer after the fourth season, then the player becomes a restricted free agent (see question number*44*for more information on restricted free agency). If the team declines either option, then the player enters free agency as an unrestricted free agent.

However, if the team declines either option and the player becomes a free agent, the team cannot re-sign him to a salary greater than he would have received had the team exercised its option. In other words, teams can't decline an option year in order to get around the rookie salary scale and give the player more money. This applies to all types of signing, including the Bird exception, the Mid-Level exception, and cap room.

 

So let's take CJ as an example. If we don't pick up his option the most we could offer him this summer is about $2.5 mill. Any team with a MLE could double our offer and we would have no recourse.

So it is a major gamble to not pick up the options as if any of those 3 guys show to be a competent bench player then their value around the league likely exceeds what we would be capable of offering.

 

It's a little odd to me that anybody would give up on Leonard and yet be happy to keep CJ. Leonard is a year younger than CJ (he's only 22) and showing signs that all the work is paying off.

Everybody knows big men take longer to develop. When we drafted him we knew he was a project. Portland invested in him with a higher pick with the hope that by now we'd start seeing signs that he's got some real potential, and lo and behold he's actually done a few things in preseason.

 

I don't care much for CJ either. He's mediocre and Leonard is terrible.
I would rank our bench players:
Kaman
T-Rob
Barton
Blake
CJ
Freeland
Vic
Wright
Leonard
Crabbe

I would consider waiving Crabbe or Leonard or trade them for 2nd rounders, then sign Siva or Craft and maybe another SF. Victor is a PF.

 

I actually like Victor and Freeland better than CJ but their positions are deeper for us so CJ is ahead in the rotation.

 

They remind me of Taz from loony toons

 

Yeah, not saying they shouldn't be traded though. Although sometimes, not even most times, you need those energy guys that teams aren't prepared to defend, to shake up their defense.

Is it something you can live without? Yeah I think so.

 

I've supported Meyers and still do. From what I've seen, I'd say he's still two seasons away from being 'solid'. I hope we keep Kaman for that second year to continue to tutor Meyers.

How long did it take Lopez and Przybilla to put it together? Or half of the big men in the league? How old were they, and how long had they been playing big man basketball? Longer than Meyers, I'm pretty sure.

 

I'm much more comfortable with waiting on Meyers with a player of Kaman's caliber being our back-up. I think my frustration was more our lack of bigs coming off the bench than Meyers not being ready.

My frustration has always been our back-up PG and Center in the past 2 seasons. That has really hurt our ball club. If Blake and Kaman can be the back-ups we need, im comfortable waiting for all our young players to develop.

 

I agree. It is a huge relief to have Chris Kaman. IMO getting Kaman is a score of Robin Lopez magnitude for our team.

Blake is no where near the upgrade at the backup PG position that Kaman is, but he'll play his role and run the offense, as a PG should.

 

It is time likes this where we have to rely on management to make the best decisions. Because some of the players we are talking about have not played enough for fans to know for sure. It is way too premature to evaluate CJ. So far we have seen him in Summer league and Preseason, in a lineup that I am not sure will be similar during the regular season. It is not always which individual is better, but rather who fits in best with the other players on the floor. I want to see more Blake/CJ and Lillard/CJ before deciding to give up on him.

 

The disdain for lack of immediate results from Meyers and CJ on the forums has been so unreasonable and illogical. We knew and were told Meyers was raw, we know and can provide data that shows the majority of young bigs take 3 to 4 years to become productive. CJ almost could be considered a rookie this year due to missing pre-season and half the season last year. Yet for some inexplicable reason people are ready to ship them to China in favor of making a go at free agency. How has free agency worked out for us? Disaster if you ask the same people ready to drop the young guys. Kaman and Blake were dull and uninspiring signings. Mo Williams was a mistake too.

Our best bet is to develop what we have the talent it's there it just needs to season. Then this summer we decide if we make a run at a 30yo Gasol and let one of Matthews or Lopez walk.

 

I dunno - I think there are separate issues at play that you're trying to lump together into an untrue "popular forum opinion".

The "disdain" for Leonard and CJ comes from where they were picked in the draft. Personally I never thought CJ made sense for us. At BEST he's Lillard's twin...but sadly it's more like the movie Twins wherein Lillard is played by Arnold Schwarzenegger and CJ is played by Danny DeVito. I'm not willing to give up on CJ at this point because we have too much invested in him. I certainly don't think we should dump him for cap space - that's the worst thing we could possibly do. But we HAVE to make a concerted effort to develop him this season so that he'll have SOME sort of value to us - either on the court or in a trade.

As for Leonard - I'm fine with him being deep on the bench. If he someday turns into a player, that's great. If not, it's just another wasted draft pick. But having him on the roster isn't hurting the team.