They would not have released him that early otherwise, injuries were piling up, and they were having no concrete plans to let Green and KPJ come back soon.
Only 1st yr is guaranteed, and the last year is a Team Option this is affectionately known as a “Hinkie Special”
What is there not to like? Nobody should be complaining about this contract. In addition to everything you pointed out… Gary Mathews = 4 years 8 million Luke Kennard = 4 years 64 million Joe Harris = 4 years 75 million Duncan Robinson = 5 years 90 million Davis Bertans = 5 years 80 million This contract is amazing value and if for some reason he forgets how to play basketball you can just waive him.
Disappointed they couldn't get a low pick for him. I remember when he first came on the scene a few years ago he was lighting it up and people were so excited about him, begging the team to give him a real contract and lock him down, just like they are for Mathews now. If you're rebuilding, any extra assets are a good thing.
THIS. If there's one thing that's unforgivable in sports, it's doing something selfish during the playoffs that causes a major distraction and hurts your team's chances. This year, his inconsistent play and tendency to miss games made me not care at all. What I'll miss is how he couldn't drive to the basket without somehow ending up on the floor. That part was kinda fun to watch.
Per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, the contract will be worth $2 million in each of the next three seasons, non-guaranteed after this season, and $2.2 million at a team option for the fourth season.
As sad as it is to just dump one player after the other with no compensation, it had to be done. He's little more than a bench guy, with D league talent, and a rap sheet of misfortune to boot. There's no value here. Toss a coin to the Witcher.
I believe that is the case. Most recent example is Lamelo Ball. He wears number 2, but Malik Monk had his preferred number 1 his rookie year. There was a deadline to submit a jersey number change request by and he missed it and the NBA forced him to continue wearing number 2 for this season.
Hard to get more team friendly than that on a 4 year deal, $2 million a year. I like Mathews. It was easy, and fun, to get carried away while he was on that hot streak, but he really gave us some good games when we needed them from somebody. He had 23 points while shooting 7-13, 6-11 from downtown, four boards, two blocks and two steals in 39 minutes against the Bucks. Definitely not chopped liver. He has good size for a shooting guard at 6'5", 215 lbs., and is reasonably quick. Not a turnover machine, and a decent defender at times, something he needs to work on. Not a ball stopper, doesn't have to ISO to score, which we need. Very solid from behind the arc, with over 75% of those shots assisted. He turned 25 in October, seems intelligent, and our staff can work on his weaknesses. A good fit, in my opinion.