2015 NBA Offseason + Draft

D2D

LeBron opts out of his contract

Paully D

D2D wrote: »

LeBron opts out of his contract

Nothing to worry about mate. He'll probably negotiate a player option every year (if that's allowed) in order to increase his earnings every year in line with the ever increasing salary cap. There's more chance of the Cavaliers signing me up than LeBron leaving.

killwill

reading this morning that Butler wants a one year deal with Lakers.
Lakers would be mad not to consider it.

Also all this talk of possibly getting DMC but losing Russel, Randles and future picks? With the volume of bigs available this summer that would be madness.

padraig_f

killwill wrote: »

reading this morning that Butler wants a one year deal with Lakers.
Lakers would be mad not to consider it.

Yeah, this is kind of a problem for the Bulls. In normal circumstances he'd sign the 5-year max and everyone would be happy. But with the new TV deal kicking in this time next year, it's more in his interest to sign a shorter deal for a year or two, and then become a free agent again.

Not sure what the exact rules are, if he signs one-year offer sheet from the Lakers, could the Bulls only match that to a one-year contract? I guess so, or have a counter longer-term offer. Of course it would be a no-brainer for the Lakers to make Butler an offer. He'll be great value next year whatever you sign him to.

padraig_f

I saw Kevin Love was meeting with the Cavs' GM.

Paully D

padraig_f wrote: »

Yeah, this is kind of a problem for the Bulls. In normal circumstances he'd sign the 5-year max and everyone would be happy. But with the new TV deal kicking in this time next year, it's more in his interest to sign a shorter deal for a year or two, and then become a free agent again.

Not sure what the exact rules are, if he signs one-year offer sheet from the Lakers, could the Bulls only match that to a one-year contract? I guess so, or have a counter longer-term offer. Of course it would be a no-brainer for the Lakers to make Butler an offer. He'll be great value next year whatever you sign him to.

Nah, the Lakers can't even offer a 1 year deal. It has to be 2 years. If the Bulls offer the max, the Lakers offer has to be 3 years. So Jimmy won't be going anywhere, not medium-term anyway (another 3 seasons).

Good read from 2 sources on how Chicago can/will keep him:

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/06/29/report-jimmy-butler-wants-to-sign-with-lakers-sounds-like-someones-agent-wants-leverage/

There are two simple facts to consider with this story:

1) Jimmy Butler is a restricted free agent, and the Bulls can match any offer he signs with another team and retain him.

2) The Chicago Bulls are very, very high on Butler and want to keep him.

With that background, we pass the report that what Butler wants to do is play for the Lakers. Via Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News:

Lastly, Chicago forward Jimmy Butler hopes to take his talents elsewhere and take advantage of the new television deal after his career year coincided with Tom Thibodeau’s firing and Derrick Rose’s chemistry issues. Although Butler wants to sign a one-year deal with the Lakers, according to a league source familiar with his thinking, the Bulls are expected to match any offer for the restricted free agent.

Two quick thoughts here. First, Butler does want to sign a shorter deal, not a five-year max contract, and the Lakers have been dropped as a team he is interested in before. Second, the Lakers cannot extend a one-year offer sheet. It’s part of the complexities of the salary cap, something the brilliant Mark Deeks breaks down here, if you want to read about it in detail. Just know it has to be at least a two-year offer from the Lakers.

This is an agent trying to use the Lakers to leverage the Bulls. There will be a lot of that this season, whether it is Dwyane Wade or a host of others, if an agent is looking to create leverage he’ll use the big market and wads of cash that the Lakers have to do it.

This is simply an effort to get the Bulls to offer Butler a shorter deal and not the five-year max, because like everyone Butler would love to tap into that television money that is about to start flowing into the NBA in 2016.

However, if Chicago does offer Butler a five-year max he will take it — everyone takes a max extension to his rookie contract (Greg Monroe was not offered that, according to the most reliable reports). That would be Butler’s first huge contract, it is $90 million and that is “set your family up for generations” money. Players don’t walk away from that the first time it’s on the table. (LeBron James may leverage shorter deals now, but only after he got money in the bank off that first extension.)

If the Bulls offer the max, the Lakers would have to offer at least three years under the CBA, and the Bulls would just match that offer sheet if Butler signed it. If Butler really wanted out of Chicago, his only option would sign a one-year qualifying offer at $4.4 million and leave more than $85 million in guaranteed cash on the table, then he could be a free agent next summer. Not even the most deluded Lakers fan can picture that happening.

Butler is going to be a Bull next season. Nothing to see here, move along.

http://hoopshype.com/2015/06/17/how-the-bulls-can-keep-jimmy-butler-in-chicago/

On Tuesday, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported that Chicago Bulls free agent Jimmy Butler wants a shorter term deal than he is eligible to receive.

As a free agent with full Bird rights on his side, the Bulls are able to offer Butler a five-year contract for anything up to and including the maximum salary, with maximum raises of 7.5 percent on that first-year amount. If he were to try and sign with any other team (“try” being the operative word; Chicago is entitled to extend him a qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent, and certainly will do), he can still sign for up to and including the maximum salary, but with a maximum of 4.5 percent raises, and for a maximum of four years. The Bulls therefore have some leverage in his free agency negotiations, by virtue of both his restricted nature and the extra year they can offer him.

Per Wojnarowski’s report, however, even four years would be too much for him. Yahoo! Sports reports that Butler intends to seek a contract that allows him to opt out and become a free agent again – this time unrestricted – after the 2016-17 NBA season concludes. All offer sheets, regardless of a player’s Bird rights status or ability, have to have at least the first two years not contain any options. So unless Butler re-signs with the Bulls on a one-year deal (be it for his comparatively paltry $4,433,683 qualifying offer, or by individually negotiating a bigger one-year deal, a la David Lee and the New York Knicks in 2009-10), this is the quickest way he can hit unrestricted free agency.

However, this is something the Bulls can prevent.

There’s a little known clause in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. It is little known because, as best as can be ascertained, it has never been used. When a player coming off of a rookie scale contract is entering restricted free agency, his team can, in addition to the regular qualifying offer of an amount predetermined by the CBA and his draft spot, extend something called a Maximum Qualifying Offer.

A Maximum Qualifying Offer is, essentially, an offer of a maximum contract. It is not a contract – it is an offer. It is not binding on the player. It is not something the player has to accept, or that prevents him from signing contracts with other teams, be they in the NBA or elsewhere. But it is something that impacts upon their options afterwards.

In a Maximum Qualifying Offer, there can be no option years whatsoever, nor any bonuses, nor any wiggle room on the salary. A Maximum Qualifying Offer is an offer of the very maximum; the full five years, the full 7.5 percent raises, and a full 100 percent guarantee in each year. It is the most player-friendly contract a team can possibly offer. And that is why it has never been used.

If Chicago extends Butler a Maximum Qualifying Offer, nothing will ostensibly change. Butler will remain a free agent, he will remain a restricted free agent on account of the original one year qualifying offer he was extended, and he can still accept that QO. He can also accept the Maximum Qualifying Offer, or indeed sign another type of contract with his incumbent team or any other franchise. He does not even have to sign for the maximum, despite how illogical that might seem.

The only difference is the length of the offer sheet he can potentially sign with a new team. If Chicago offers a Maximum Qualifying Offer, an offer sheet with a new team has to have at least the first three years be optionless, as opposed to the first two.

In this specific example of Butler and the Bulls, that difference is a highly significant one. By extending a Maximum Qualifying Offer, the Bulls can ensure that Butler, if he still chooses to sign with another team, cannot hit the unrestricted free agent market until the summer of 2018, two years after the salary cap has begun the very huge increase he wants so badly to cash in on. Butler is thinking about his next payday, despite not having received the first one yet, because of the potential rewards it may yield. For the same reason, Chicago will not want him to. Using this clause, they can do something about that.

Butler may plan to reject the five-year offer, but he cannot prevent the Maximum Qualifying Offer. He does not have to accept it, of course, but simply by virtue of it being there, the Maximum Qualifying Offer gives him all the more incentive to sign with Chicago. If he wants to be a free agent in either 2016 or 2017, then Chicago is the only team he can do it with. They have that power available to them in the form of the Maximum Qualifying Offer.

How savory of a strategy that would be is another matter. The Bulls need to keep Butler for all manner of reasons, not least of which is the fact that they dared him to go and earn the maximum salary, and they cannot now afford to lose him after he has done so. Due to the power restricted free agency bestows, they surely won’t. But they need to do so in such a way that Butler is not re-signing begrudgingly. If Butler begrudgingly re-signs this time, he will not want to do so next time. And the option of taking the one-year qualifying offer still exists – as demonstrated by the Ben Gordon situation, this is not a scenario that harbors any good will or in any way maximizes a player’s value.

Chicago however must reconcile that perception issue with the business concerns, something they are known to always prioritize. A frustrated Butler under contract is still a Butler under contract, and although the very extension of the Maximum Qualifying Offer is designed to stymie Butler’s options, it would be tough for anyone to argue that offering a player the most they can be offered by rule is in some way disloyal or manipulative. The Bulls also were relatively recently burned by the case of Omer Asik, who, precisely because his first NBA contract was only two years long, was lost via free agency. This Butler situation is suitably synonymous to dig over those wounds.

There are an absolute plethora of options available to Butler, who holds a lot of leverage despite being a restricted free agent. Depending on how much of an eye he is giving to future paydays beyond his most immediate one – and in light of Wojnarowski’s report, he seems to fully be aware of this – there are many scenarios that can make him a free agent in any of the next five years. But the Bulls have the ability to take some of them away. If Wojnarowski is right, and they are prepared to offer a five-year maximum salary contract, then that is exactly what they are going to do.

So essentially the only way he can become a free agent in the next 3 years (presuming the Bulls offer the max and any potential suitor has to offer at least 3 years, which we can then match) is to take $4.4m this season and leave around $85m in guaranteed money on the table. Given Butler's past, there's no way on earth he's going to turn that much money away, especially when he has seen first hand how an injury could impact on him.

padraig_f

Paully D wrote: »

Nah, the Lakers can't even offer a 1 year deal. It has to be 2 years. If the Bulls offer the max, the Lakers offer has to be 3 years. So Jimmy won't be going anywhere, not medium-term anyway (another 3 seasons).

Good read from 2 sources on how Chicago can/will keep him:

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/06/29/report-jimmy-butler-wants-to-sign-with-lakers-sounds-like-someones-agent-wants-leverage/

Ok, think I get it (man, the CBA is complex). His biggest bargaining chip then is probably the 1-year minimum qualifying offer ($4.4m). The Bulls have to be afraid of that, they could lose him next year for nothing. I kinda think they'll work something out, but he played out last season without accepting the long-term extension. I wouldn't rule it out for him to do the same thing this season.

Paully D

padraig_f wrote: »

Ok, think I get it (man, the CBA is complex). His biggest bargaining chip then is probably the 1-year minimum qualifying offer ($4.4m). The Bulls have to be afraid of that, they could lose him next year for nothing. I kinda think they'll work something out, but he played out last season without accepting the long-term extension. I wouldn't rule it out for him to do the same thing this season.

Yeah, the more I've been thinking about it the more I'm starting to think that the 1 year, $4.4m offer to become a free agent in 2016 might be something he'd do.

It all depends on how deep the so-called "chemistry" issues with Rose are, along with how pissed he is with Thibs getting the bullet and how much he wants a change of scenery I guess.

It'd be a move that'd send shockwaves through the league for sure. Lets pray that it doesn't come to that.

padraig_f

Paully D wrote: »

Yeah, the more I've been thinking about it the more I'm starting to think that the 1 year, $4.4m offer to become a free agent in 2016 might be something he'd do.

It all depends on how deep the so-called "chemistry" issues with Rose are, along with how pissed he is with Thibs getting the bullet and how much he wants a change of scenery I guess.

It'd be a move that'd send shockwaves through the league for sure. Lets pray that it doesn't come to that.

Whether he intends to use it or not, his agent will surely threaten to use it as a negotiating chip, he'd be foolish not to.

e.g. Bulls want 5 years
Agent wants 3 years, or threatens to use qualifying offer.

Maybe they compromise on 4 years, or agent plays hardball, insisting 3 years or they'll use the min qualifying offer. Bulls call them on it, and they end up taking the qualifying offer.

Maybe that happens, or he takes the 4 years. Kinda think everyone would be happy with 4 years, Butler gets his big guarantee, and is a free agent again at 29.

NufcNavan

Paully D wrote: »

Oh dear Melo:

https://twitter.com/FisolaNYDN/status/614463369081417728

https://twitter.com/FisolaNYDN/status/614464218864197632

Despite the extra money, it's hard to think he doesn't deeply regret not joining Chicago this time last year now. Oh well, you make your bed.....

Phil Jackson gave Carmelo Anthony a 5 year $125 million dollar contract with a no trade clause. That gives him an automatic F. The evidence was so compelling by last year that Carmelo Anthony was not a player who could you rely on as the centerpiece for a deep playoff team. PJ should have known this, but he instead decided to pay for Melo's 30's. I would have given Phil an A, regardless of their record last year, if he would have had the foresight to understand that they needed to move on for Melo.

D2D

Luol Deng decides to opt in with the Heat

padraig_f

Pop's the best.

Gregg Popovich won’t be recruiting free agents at midnight, doesn’t want them if that factors into their decision

Paully D

I wouldn't trust the management to use it effectively, but:

https://twitter.com/JoeGiglioSports/status/615880976087035904

D2D

So the Free Agency madness starts in a few hours!

Oh and Ridnour has been traded for the 4th time this off-season, his new home (for now) is Toronto

NufcNavan

The Kings are going to wind up giving Boogie away. Kings fans have to feel so conflicted, Vivek keeps em in Sacramento, but then he gives them this.

I'm still trying to figure out how the hell do you hire a coach and not know he doesn't like your franchise player.

padraig_f

I thought $14.4m/3-years seemed a bit high for Dunleavy, but I suppose this needs to be bore in mind for any new contracts:

@tomhaberstroh: "Cap is going up by about 33% next season so a $7M/yr guy is now a $10M/yr guy. Adjust your $$$ outrage accordingly."

And it will go up a similar amount the following year.

D2D

- Brow signs a 5 year $145 million deal with the Pelicans

- Dragic signs 5 year $90 million deal with the Heat

- DeMarre Carroll agrees a 4 year $60 million deal with the Raptors

- Spurs trade Splitter to the Hawks, giving them the cap room to go after LaMarcus Aldridge

limerickfc

Orlando offer 4/80 to millsap. think he takes it personally. kawhi agreed to a 5/90.. D green agrees to 4/45.. Lillard and the Blazers nearing 5/120 seemingly.. Aminu agreed to deal with Portland too 4/30..nice cheap deal

padraig_f

Meanwhile in New York...

Free agents are signing with teams that aren't the Knicks

moneyman

NufcNavan wrote: »

The Kings are going to wind up giving Boogie away. Kings fans have to feel so conflicted, Vivek keeps em in Sacramento, but then he gives them this.

I'm still trying to figure out how the hell do you hire a coach and not know he doesn't like your franchise player.

We're really not, Boogie is going nowhere. Ignore Woj, he's the best by a mile with factual stuff, but the price he pays is being a puppet for agents. Right now Fegan is throwing a whole lot of **** at the Kings (via Woj) and hoping some of it sticks so they'll trade Cousins, but it's not going to happen. About 75% of the nonsense that's been reported by him re the Kings over the last few weeks has been complete fabricated BS.

Just the other day he reported that Vivek was trying to get Calipary to replace Vlade, which was immediately shot down by both the Kings and Calipary himself. It's just the usual ****-house tactics from agents and Woj is keeping them sweet.

Karl is a different story. He clearly overstepped his boundaries. He may have thought with his experience he could come in and change his mind and bulldoze his way to trading Cousins. I'd imagine if he crosses the line again he'll be fired. Would be embarrassing for Vivek and a big financial pill to swallow, but the right choice if the alternative is trading Cousins.

Just think, if Pete D'Alessandro wasn't such a **** GM, we'd still have Malone and would be 3 steps ahead of where we are now.

Paully D

Jimmy Butler to sign 5 year, $95m deal with the Bulls per Woj. Player option after year 4.

D2D

Might as well use that image above^ :pac:

Kevin Love staying in Cleveland, 5 years $110 million

D2D

Woj reporting that Tyson Chandler has agreed a deal with the Suns

Warriors and Draymond Green break off contract talks

TheGoldenAges

Lol Rondo. Not long ago people were trying to convince others he was "elite" and teams would clear out cap space to max him. Now hell play for food.

TheGoldenAges

TheGoldenAges wrote: »

Lol Rondo. Not long ago people were trying to convince others he was "elite" and teams would clear out cap space to max him. Now hell play for food.

in fairness he was elite not to long ago players decline it happens that injury he suffered last year massively affected him. add into that that the nba has quickly changed into a 3 point shooting league and its had a huge impact in his value

padraig_f

Happy for Jimmy. Could've possibly made more taking the qualifying-offer or something, but would've meant more uncertainty, distraction, and of course risk of injury. Think he made the right move, locked up the big contract and can concentrate on his basketball now.

limerickfc

Poor Dallas..they don't even own their own pick this year.

limerickfc

limerickfc wrote: »

Poor Dallas..they don't even own their own pick this year.

the way dallas and the nets are going the celtics could end up with two lottery picks

limerickfc

True and their only brook Lopezs feet away from probably a top 5 pick

limerickfc

limerickfc wrote: »

True and their only brook Lopezs feet away from probably a top 5 pick

Has Lopez resigned I thought signs pointed to him leaving and they have no cao space/trade assets to make up fir it with other moves