By Jonathan Feigen When it comes to Yao Ming, everything is examined. Every action and inaction, everything said or unsaid, is considered for what it reveals. This is part of being Yao, with the fanatical following he inspires. So anything he does, or doesn’t do, involving his contract, will bring more examination in an effort to uncover the true meaning. It should not. Yao is said to have turned down an offer of a contract extension. This is not completely accurate. If the Rockets offered anything it was more likely an offer to make an offer. It would have been one of those conversations that take place between teams and agents, in this case bringing up the topic of an extension just so the player knows he is wanted, but with no real thought that he would accept such a thing. Of course he would not, and again, this reveals nothing other than his ability to add. Yao has two seasons left on his current contract after this season. He can opt out of the last season of his contract to become a free agent and sign a six-year deal with the Rockets, a five-year deal if he left. If he were to sign a contract extension, he would stick with both seasons of the current contract and be able to extend that contract for only three more seasons. Assuming the Rockets would give him the maximum contract allowed, he could have a contract would roughly $74.5 over five years if he took an extension this season or this summer. That’s not bad, but if he were to opt out and sign a maximum contract with the Rockets after the 2009-2010 season, (assuming a $60 million salary cap) he could get a contract worth $117 million over six years. If you want to know the true reason he would likely not want an extension, it should not be too difficult to find. There are about 40 million of them. The Rockets are not about to negotiate through the media, but when Rockets general manager Daryl Morey was asked during the all star break about his plans, he did not leave much doubt. “Obviously, we are focused on keeping Yao in Houston long term,” Daryl Morey said. “He is an elite center and we expect him to play an integral part in this team’s future success. We plan to continue building our roster around him.” Similarly, no one should read into a decision to opt out. It will not mean that he would be getting out of his Rockets contract to get out of Houston. It would also be simple logic. A contract signed after the 2010-11 season could be signed under a new collective bargaining agreement. The next deal between the NBA and players association could reduce the percentage of basketball related income that goes to the players, cutting the salary cap and then reducing the value of maximum contracts. It would be foolish to stick with a smaller contract and risk that when he could opt out and get a much, much larger contract. On top of all that, he would be wise to see what sort of team he is signing with for the next five or six years. At the moment, the Rockets look like a pretty solid playoff team with a good future. They could get better, depending on how they will spend the money from the expiring Tracy McGrady contract or other moves to be made between now and July, 2010. They seem to be on the right track, but could get worse if things don’t work out. We (and he) will learn a lot more about what sort of team the Rockets are in the next two post-seasons. Of course he will want to see how things go in the playoffs this season and next. Yao is basically a remarkably loyal, determined and confident athlete. When he thinks about the rest of his career, he imagines it with the Rockets. He has made a life for himself in Houston and will likely prefer to stay here. “I’ve played for this team for seven years,” Yao said in February. “It’s hard to just drop it and switch to another one and start over. I want a full career and I feel like the Rockets are like are home. Why change.” Still, until he signs a long-term contract, people will assume everything he does – or doesn’t do – will reveal how he really feels. In this case, however, if he chooses against an extension and does opt out it will only reveal that he has a firm grasp on common sense. Link
