[Chron] Yao mulls contract status, considers free agency

Yao is a risk for any team considering signing him to a max contract. We are talking about a new team risking 5 years at max dollars for a player that has not made it back from major foot surgery. In a year with so many highly sought after free agents Yao will find it even harder for a team to agree to offer him max dollars.

The more likely scenario IMO would be that the Rockets might offer him a 3 year extension with a 10.5% pay raise a year which would cary him to the summer of 2015. That would still be a risk for the Rockets but it would be less than 6 years which is what Yao would expect in a new max contract from the Rockets. Even a three year extension would be a risky proposition for Yao because at the end of the contract Yao would be 33 or 34 which would probably mean no team would give him a max contract and certainly not for max years. But if he chooses to opt out of his contract it is still only one year less than he could receive from a new team and a new contract.

I would think that if Yao is confident that he could return to pre-injury form he would prefer to finish this season and then try to get one last max contract for max years from the Rockets. Of course timing is everything and if the new NBA rules after the new agreement no longer allow for 6 years or not for as much money. So what ever Yao decides, unless he can convince the Rockets to give him a max salary then opting out of his contract does not seem like the best decision.

 

Thank you. That is exactly what I was asking.

Yeah one max FA is not worth losing bird rights to Yao+Scola+Lowry.

Unless that max FA is LBJ.

 

No team in the NBA would mishandle Yao (on the court) the way the Rockets have. He knows that. The Rockets know it.

That being said, there are at least 25 teams in the league that would kill for him

 

At max money for a guaranteed 5 years? Really?

 

no way yao is worth max contract for what he does on the court (even though he spends a lot of time off the court :grin: )

id say scola is just as skilled as yao but yao just has the height advantage. for a player like that, he'd be worth 10-12 mil max. and bosh isnt a max player either, to put it into context.

 

It only takes one GM with the resources to offer Yao a max contract to make him "worth" it.

Man, this offseason will be one crazy mofo!!!

 

A player as fragile as Yao is unsure about $17.7m?

Let me find this man a door.

 

There are desperate teams who need asses in seats.

Teams like the Clippers, Nets, Wizards.

 

I think Yao is too loyal to leave Houston. He will stay put IMO

 

The real question (to me) is, if Yao opts out, would it be better to try to continue on this path we're on right now, or try to trade some of the team's young pieces to bring in a guy like Bosh?

It would certainly be an interesting situation if Yao opts out, but I don't think I want to go down that path as a Rockets fan. I have high hopes for next season, and if Yao isn't here, all of that goes out the window.

 

That's not to say Yao shouldn't consider opting out. If he and his agent feel it would be better for him to opt out of his contract and try to sign elsewhere, then by all means, he should pull the trigger.

 

It's funny. Yao is thinking outloud and weighing his options in regards to opting out or not.

As soon as Yao opts out, he knows he has a max deal on the table from us. DM has said that numerous times.

Yao is thinking about his contract security and what would make him the most money. Opting out after this season and getting a max deal starting at whatever the percentage increase of his salary this season. Or does he risk the terms of the new CBA for one more season at $17.7 million so his new max deal starts higher at a percentage increase of the $17.7 million. This is assuming that the salary structure won't change. Highly doubtful scenario.

If he doesn't opt out, his next contract will be subject to his health. One more injury plagued season and he isn't getting max money from anyone.

His new contract will be subject to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. He is thinking that max money is going to decrease with that CBA. From all the talk, it seems like the owners are going to want a decrease in players' salaries.

So he is thinking about taking the money now knowing he has an offer on the table. And to get that money, he will have to opt out.

And please stop the Yao reuniting with Tracy talk. It isn't going to happen.

 

What are you saying Yao only cares the money, not for a NBA title? He will never win a title if he simply takes a max (if given) without knowing if he can play the games as a max player due to the foot problem (not on floor yet). Too many IFs, I do not think there is a max deal on the table either, although DM may say that before, but that was that time before he got the foot broken again. No GM would give a max deal to a player who is on the injure list, I guess.

 

Really? Where?

 

This isn't surprising, we haven't hit the offseason yet, and Yao hasn't even talked to his agent yet apparently. He's just being politically correct, Lord forbid we trade him the day after he opts in.

Yao is coming of a HUGE surgery, and its is common sense to keep 17+ million rather than to test your unproven worth on the market. NO CHANCE Yao opts out, imo.

 

Yao is going to have to prove that foot is solid again before anyone signs him to a long-term deal.

 

All these people that don't think yao will get a max if he opts out are crazy. Any team in cali will make cap space for him knowing they will get all the money back plus some from increase in sales ticket with the asian population out there and with china business opportunity. Les knows this he will give yao max also. He might not be worth it from a fan stand of point but as an owner u would not want to loose money. If we r not able to get a big free agent les will be in big trouble with this team financially.

 

I cant recall a specific date or time but Morey has said Yao is basically untouchable I know for sure he said that Yao wasnt going anywhere maybe a year ago to a reporter from china in an interview that was very Yao-heavy on questions.

but it is really about money, of course Yao wants to win an NBA title, but everyone here is going to automatically anyone greedy when they want more money...its ridiculously if i get paid 10 dollars to do a job and someone says how about i give you 100 dollars to do the same thing of course everyone here will take the 100 dollars. i think its hypocritical of a lot of us to say "x should take less money" when we wouldnt do the same. if if the payscale is in the millions for nba players its still money and a lot of money to leave on the table.


at least in Yao's case you know he gives a lot back to the community in houston and back in china so at least if he does get max dollars some of the extra cash will go to better use.

also considering the premium that the market creates for big men if Yao stays healthy (a big IF) he is one of the few players that are worth the max or players who should get paid more than the max but cant.

 

U would think about opting out too if there is a lockout next year. If there is one u wont be paid a single dime and if there is a new cba max yrs and dollar will come down a lot. Knowing that there is a team out there that will give u max dollars because teams will just get that money back from ads.

 

Morey has said umpteen times Yao's not going anywhere. It could be Morey really has no say in the matter, but people had just better get used to it.

I chuckle that people get so pissed off about it. Fire Morey! Fire Les!