Maybe this was Ming's price. It could be that he realized that 10 million is more than he'll spend in his lifetime and didn't mind signing for it. If there was ever a working class hero? Go Ming.
I think there's more to this than meets the eye. Does anyone here think that during all those negotiations in China BEFORE the draft, the terms of Ming's contract weren't laid out explicitly? Do you really think the Rockets would have felt comfortable taking him with the #1 pick -- considering all the other baggage he brings with him -- if they weren't sure he'd sign for exactly what they were willing to offer? It's impossible that they would have worked out all those other difficult logistical problems, then simply neglected to talk money. No way.
windandsea: Like others have told you, don't worry. The Rockets are a class organization. Since Les Alexander got here, they've never nickle and dimed anybody. If he asks for it, Yao will get the max allowed to a number one pick. Not because Les is easy, but because they value Yao very much. The Chinese reporter should have mentioned that never in the history of the lottery has a team worked so hard for the privilege of picking someone #1. No team has ever sent a team of negotiators overseas, forgiven training camp or signed contracts guaranteeing that they will release a player for various other obligations for a #1 pick. But the Rockets did all these things happily. The Rockets have great respect for Yao and they intend to have a long, mutually beneficial relationship with him. And they will treat him very, very well. They have a reputation for doing so with all of their players. They will certainly do so for the player they plan to count on for 10+ years as a franchise (or co-franchise) player. If they didn't, they wouldn't have picked him #1. We're all excited about Yao's debut and the news is slow these days, so people will invent things to write about. We're going to take care of Yao, we're going to love having him and we're going to do everything possible to make sure he loves being here.
a different angle: the various chineese authorities are taking their slices on his total salary. Player expenses are counted against the teams cap (see early Cuban). What is the salary was at the minimimum + 4th year option @126%, but the total package including accomodation & transport brought the total offer inline witht he mandated maximum? This way the Rox are keeping their side of thing by protecting Ming by paying every single expense for him (food, clothes, accomodation, transport)... and players develop damn expensive tastes & live in the most expensive areas/houses/appartments. I doubt they'll do anything to low ball him.
Batman Jones: Your post was translated into Chinese and I will send it to Yao by any means in china......
I think the case should be settled now, this year's cap is lower due to NBA's expected lower revenue which means rookies' salaries are lower compared to the past. I know nothing about the Rocket's owers, but I believe they are all smart businessmen and won't be so stupid that they were trying to save a million or two dollars on their number 1 pick.
I don't think rookie scale has anything to do with the cap. The rookie scale is set way in advance. The cap only effects the max someone is offered.
excuse me for repeating what many of us already now (since rookie salary scales and term lenghts can be looked up), but there still seems to be some questioning. <b>topfive</b>, the reporter was wrong about his 4th Yr pay, so I don't see how we should give him credit for actually seeing the contract offer by the Rockets. correct, <b>rockbox</b>. While the CBA's scale for max pay for a Veteran FA was tied to concrete numbers that you could look up, that schedule has expired and is now calculated as various %s of the cap, as mentioned in Old School's article. That has nothing to do with the Rookie Scale, which is concretely defined for the entire tenure of the current CBA. Don't fret this. All the deals for first rounders are identical in terms of contract length. They are all guaranteed for 3 yrs with a 4th yr Team Option. The base salaries are locked in with 20% negotiating room (up or down) and the raises are locked in. There is nothing to negotiate except starting base salary, and the $350K that we can give the Sharks, directly. This all happened as a result of Glenn Robinson holding out as a #1, then later Garnett getting his montrous contract. Negotiating is severely limited for drafted rookie players in the NBA, now. It is the only American sport that does that, which is pretty cool, imo.
(1) Rockbox is right: the salary cap does not affect the rookie scale. Though it may make teams worry about money. (2) I thought the rookie contract was for 3 years with a team option on the 4th year and the player becomes a restricted free agent in the 5th year. The contract itself is 4 years max.
Lets just hope ming doesnt do what shaq did to the magic.. and sign a phat contract with the lakers after getting out of his contract.. you'd have to wonder what the chinese government is up to.. (conspiracy theory).. heh
Shaq's contract (and Garnett's, too) is no longer allowed under NBA rules. Come on, you know that. There is a maximum salary scale, now, that no player can exceed...although Shaq and Garnett operate under a "Jordan Rule" which is a grandfather clause that allows players with big contracts prior to the new CBA to continue signing new contracts above the league max.
If it was me, I would prefer a signing bonus of 20% of the first 2 years base. If instead added to the base pay the present value is less due to inflation and opportunity cost of investing that money were it in pocket. For the third year the 20% should be added to the base pay because the 4th year and hence 5th year qualifying amount are determined based on the 3rd year salary, 126% of a higher number and then 30% of that. First 3 years: $10,368,900 signing bonus: $2,073,780 Fourth year: $4,662,421 I have no previous knowledge of the rules of player contracts, This is just based on what I've learned reading the previous posts in this thread. I am likely wrong about some point but just adding my $0.02. Drew
drewpy, signing bonuses for rookies can only be used to hand over to a foreign team as a buyout. The only bonuses allowed for Rookies are performance bonuses and trade bonuses ("assignment bonuses"), and they cannot exceed the maximum bases salary for the slotted rookie scale, anyhow. Why negotiate performance bonuses instead of a higher base pay, since they have identical ceilings?
this is awesome that so many on this board can intelligently discuss the cap and salary structures when reporters and sports officials barely can comprehend it. 1. obviously the reporter is not comparing apples to apples 2. Ming will have a contract at or higher than last year's pick when all is said and done 3. lots of cooks in the rookie pay scale kitchen
montgo, I think the reporter is probably accurate (except for the 4th yr increase that w&s quoted). See my other other thread that explain it. Les Alexander can actually max out his allowable pay, yet Ming wind up with the lowest base salary for a #1 pick. The difference would be a buyout amount payed to the Sharks and deemed player salary in the form of a signing bonus (which rookies are only entitled to for use as foreign player buyouts).
In fact, I like this reporter Yang Yi. He and Su Qun give Yao and Wang a lot of support. I translated one of his article about Ming before. Here is it: http://bbs.clutchcity.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=36202
