[Spanish Radio] Sergio Llull close to deciding to join the Rockets?

I don't think so. Jones and the picks plus the rest of the potential players involved will be used in order to obtain a NBA star, or possibly to move up the draft IMO.

 

24 million is too much for a player who we dont know what we're getting. Its a unnecessary gamble. I'd rather draft a pg & keep Bev if it saves us $$$

 

I seriously doubt if Morey and Les have offered him that much. Full MLE is as high as they will go IMO, and that too if Smith commits to re-signing for the 2.49 M that he can get from them.

 

You have to include the price of his buy out in that. The buyout is $5 million and the player has to pay out of his own pocket. 3 years $6.5 mil is fair especially since the guy has to move across the Atlantic.

 

The 24 million is likely the full MLE over 4 years 23.3 million. He has a 5 million buyout.

 

I know this has probably been posted ad nauseum, but I forget....how much are the Rockets allowed to contribute toward the buyout?

And is it a one-time only amount, or can it be an annual amount (I doubt this, just checking), i.e., $300K for each of the four years he signs (again, I doubt it, just fishing).

 

I think they can pay up to $500K. I also believe that money gets taken out of the same money that they can use to buy draft picks which has a cap but I'm not sure.

 

For the 2015-16 season, the Excluded International Player Payment Amount is $625,000. It's a one-time payment and cannot be used again on the same buyout in multiple years.

 

so this money is not included in our cash that we can use to buy picks and strap onto trades?

 

Correct. That is a separate "bucket" of funds permitted for the sole purpose of international buyouts. On the flip side, the annual cash allotment for trades cannot be applied towards international buyouts.

 

Thank you.

 

Highlights:

...a more than probable exit to the NBA, where the Rockets are waiting for him despite him playing coy during the press conference: "The NBA is there, as always. Right now, I want to enjoy the moment (of winning a championship) and rest for a bit"...

Later, his words sounded more as if talking about the past, as if every minute brings him closer to the Rockets. "I don't know when I'll make the decision, as nobody has called me yet"... Make no mistake about it, that call will come. 7 million euros a year (more than double of what Real Madrid is paying him) and an NBA team that has championship aspirations are the reasons why Llull is contemplating his departure.

The decision will come in a few days, as July 1st is when NBA free agency will kick off and it will be then that the Rockets will make their offer official.

 

Unless Morey pulls a rabbit out of a hat, we must give this guy a shot, especially because the salary cap explodes in 2016.

 

[youtube]vWFi8O3cLMI[/youtube]

 

rockets can give him the $5mil buyout indirectly...u know, like under the table if they wanted to...hush hush

 

24 million is back up money you dumb, dumb.

 

For a starting caliber PG in the NBA 8M/year isn't much as it is, and with a rising cap it will be considered an even lesser amount. Such a deal could look like a huge bargain in a year or two.

 

I don't understand how the Houston can pay him 8m/year.
We have only MLE to offer him

 

Except, its only 6m a year.....

 

Bima,

Can you clear some confusion up? My understanding is that the only real MLE they can offer Llull is the three year $15mm one, bc the rockets will almost certainly be operating above the cap. I just can't see them operating below the cap - it would require shedding too many assets and existing players just to free up $7-10mm in cap room. Assuming we operate a be the cap, is it correct that there is no way we can offer more than 3/$15mm? Which frankly isn't a ton of money give llull's $5 euro buyout and assumes we only offer josh $2.5mm...