Yao is coming off a max contract. Let's say hypothetically that he decides to come back and him and Morey agree on a deal, say MLE money ($20 mill over 4 years). How much of that money could the Rockets frontload into a contract? Could they pay him $18 million first year with minimimum salaries the following three years? If his contract could be front-loaded like that, it would be a very nice tool for us to use going forward. He could either be used as an expiring in a bigger trade with Orlando, New Jersey, or New Orleans, or if he comes back and can play, his salary does not clog up our salary cap after the first year. Remember the Nick Collison deal with the Thunder. What are the limits of front-loading? Do you think it might make some sense? And if Yao really isn't coming back, they why not sign him to a big deal with a small buyout that can be used in a trade this summer before lockout or if there is no lockout?
Yao is dreaming if he thinks he is worth MLE after the liability he has been over the last 2 years... I would offer him the leagues minimum and nothing more, he owes us money over the last 2 years
Larry Coon's FAQ says salaries can be decreased at the same rate they they can increased. In the current CBA, that rate is 10.5%. http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#Q47
Is that money coming out of your wallet? Even Les is laughing at this. Want to criticize something? Criticize the fact that we let the best expiring contract expire without trading him.
You do understand that his contract during injuries is paid by insurance, not the Houston Rockets right? If anything the Gecko needs to hunt him down for the money he owes, not Morey. Furthermore, his injuries netted us exceptions, exceptions that eventually landed us Courtney Lee (via trade of Ariza).
I think the biggest thing that will affect his contract offer(s) this summer will be the likely scenario that his feet will be uninsurable in any new deal. Unlike the last two years, Les will pay the full amount even if he goes down for full seasons at a time. 3 yrs at $3.5M per, last season a team option, may be the number Morey slides across the table. Chuck should see a similar deal, but probably more along the lines of $4M starting.
I always thought it'd be interesting to try an frontload a contract on a player at the fringe all-star level or higher who was passing his prime (K.Martin's next contract, for instance) to anticipate performance degradation. It annoys me how players past their prime keep getting raises as their production begins suffering. ie. Rashard Lewis will be earning almost $24 mil in 2013! haha!! I like performance-based salaries for oft-injured or role players because they know they'll have to earn every cent every year.
The deadline for contract extensions has passed. They cannot re-sign him until his current contract expires, which is July 1st. The same day is when the current CBA expires and the NBA goes into lockout mode. Whenever the NBA and NBAPA come to an agreement, there most likely will only be a short window for signing free agents. I expect there to be no rush with Yao to get signed. The Rockets would most likely prefer a mid season signing if possible. It gives them more time to evaluate his heath to make the best possible decision for both parties.
IMHO Yao Ming will be offered, and sign, a minimum contract with full Bird protected (even under new CBA, I'm assuming). There might be incentives. If YM were to remain healthy and productive then the next contract can 'correct' this one's low ball $s.
I think that depends on the new CBA and the strategy Morey wants to take with it. Under current rules, Yao has a cap-hold in our payroll for something round-about his old salary (~$18m?) that will keep us over the salary cap. If the new CBA is like the old one, maybe we keep that and get salary-cap exceptions for free agency. Or, maybe we renounce him or sign him to a smaller contract quickly and get salary cap space to sign free agents with. I think that's a big question mark right now.
We can offer him a signing bonus worth our cap space. So if we have 8 mil in cap space, we can combine that with a 4 yr / 12 mil contract to give him 11 mil, 3 mil, 3 mil, 3 mil. Can't do any better than that from what I know.
JuanValdez answered it correctly. No more than 10.5% annual decreases under the current CBA. And, as CH points out, Yao likely will not be signed/extended prior to the expiration of the current CBA. Yep. The issue of "insurability" of Yao is a critical aspect to whether the Rockets ever throw serious money at him. However, I do think that, should Yao sign a multi-year deal at a "reduced rate," any option years would be PLAYER options, not team options. Yao would otherwise rather just sign a shorter contract. Great analysis. In my last salary cap update, I estimated that (assuming no change in the current salary cap) the Rockets would likely have only a little more than $7 million in cap room BEFORE accounting for the cap holds for Yao or Hayes. Unless the 2011-12 salary cap increases dramatically under the new CBA, I doubt that re-signing Yao to ANY amount would result in the Rockets having much cap room left over, especially if they also re-sign Chuck and if there are still salary cap exceptions available to use otherwise. Sorry, the current CBA doesn't work that way, and it is highly unlikely that the new CBA will, either. Don't worry, though. I actually asked around about this VERY issue and was informed that it wouldn't work. Also, there is almost no way I see the Rockets having $8 million in cap room AFTER re-signing Yao (and Hayes?).
Hayes deserves to be paid. Why would anyone, starting with Yao Ming and Owner Alexander, expect YM to sign anything other than a one-year min contract, with Bird Rights retained, until durability and talent level are reestablished? By all accounts Yao is not looking to break any banks; he wants to remain a Rocket. The man is a man and will not hold the Rockets 'hostage' IMHO.
The only contract he should get is a completely incentives based contract. Minutes, playoffs, games injured clauses, production, and starting clauses.
Most expiring contracts are at least serviceable. Yao was a complete void after his injury. Anyways, to the OP, regardless of that works or not, sorry bro, the idea just sounds... bad.
I would assume though that the logical thing for the front office to look to do would be to renounce him and sign to a smaller contract. Sort of like a "good faith/loyalty" 1 year contract that allows the Rockets and Yao to take this next year for what it will be for Yao, which will be a year of working back to full strength with little playing time and expectations. But the question is, how likely will it be that Yao and his people are willing to sign a small deal instead of taking more money with another club that is willing to take a bigger risk? Good thread though, my biggest question mark going into next season is how the organization and Yao are going to handle the current situation. I just cant see Yao in another teams jersey (or on the end of their bench in a suit.)
