SpearsNBAYahoo: Blazers told Greg Oden's mgmt earlier this week they will tender 1yr, $8.8 mill qualifying offer 2 make him a restricted FA, sources tell Y!" --http://twitter.com/SpearsNBAYahoo/status/86157097217179648
Smart move by the Blazers. Gives them one last look at him and a good idea of whether or not he'll ever be capable of shaking all the bad luck he's had.
This is a huge gamble by the Blazers, IMO. If they offer a 1 year deal, he will be unrestricted next summer. What if his legs finally hold up and he plays like he is capable of playing? Now Portland will have to offer another max contract to keep him and hope he doesn't leave them high and dry, or get injured again. I've been saying all along, offer 3 years at around 25 mil with years 2 and 3 being team options. EDIT- of course, this scenario only applies if no other team offers him a multi-year contract and Portland has to match to keep him.
Blazers might be setting themselves up for a sign-n-tade. Or they could be seriously considering giving Oden one more chance.
You don't understand what the Blazers did. They did not just sign him to a 1 year contract for 8.8 million, they just made him a restricted FA. The Blazers choices were either do not offer him the 1 year qualifying offer, which would make him an unrestricted FA this year, or offer him the 1 year offer which makes him a restricted FA this summer. Now Oden has 2 choices: Accept the 1 year offer and then become an Unrestricted FA next summer, or negotiate with any team on a deal. He could still sign a $45 million deal with Sacramento for example, but now the Blazers can match any deal because they made him a restricted FA.
Question If we offer him a three year front loaded contract with a team option second year and player option third year as follows: 1st Year: 9 million 2nd Year: 5 million 3rd Year: 4 million Would that be able to beat the Blazer's offer?
??? That's exactly what I said. If he takes a 1 year offer, with no team offering a long term contract, he becomes unrestricted next year and it could haunt the Blazers.
Can't edit - I see now that you realized it and updated your post. The 1 year offer is what every team does. It's just a formality for making him restricted. The Blazers can still negotiate with him to sign a long term contract, or they can let him find out the market value and match any offers.
They could match any offer they choose, and I'm certain they would match that offer. The most I would risk on Oden is 3 years 30 mil, with 2 team options.
Damn three years guaranteed. I think Oden could be the fastest way to get a 7'0 Center that we need. Three years is alot though.
If he can come back and play meaningful minutes, he will re-sign with the Blazers for sticking with him all these bad years. Same thing Yao is doing with Houston.
