Raptors match offer for Peterson TORONTO -- Morris Peterson is staying with the Toronto Raptors, who matched New Orleans' 3-year, $15 million offer sheet to the forward on Friday. Toronto general manager Rob Babcock told the Hornets of the decision Friday morning. "I'm very excited that the Raptors matched the offer," Peterson said in a statement. "Toronto has always been my first choice in my heart and I wanted to stay." When Peterson signed the offer with New Orleans on July 16, he said Toronto didn't show a lot of loyalty, and that he was excited the Hornets were giving him a fresh start. Peterson was Toronto's first-round draft pick in 2000. He lost his job as a starter last season, and averaged 8.3 points and 3.2 rebounds. He averaged 14.1 points and 4.4 rebounds in 2002-03. "I think it's a very fair price for Morris," Babcock said. "I think that what New Orleans and everyone is looking at is what he was doing up until last year. Last year was not indicative of the career he's had."
I really don't like the restricted free agent system the nba has in place. Teams try to lowball their players by not offering a contract, forcing the player to look elsewhere for the money. Then, if the original team likes the deal offered by the other team, then they match. It basically forces the player to commit to another team so they can get a reasonable contract, then they get pulled back into the fold by force. It would be so much simpler if the raptors just offered a contract, and if MoPete didn't like it, then he could sign with the hornets.
its his choice. if he wants complete freedom in free agency, he can take the 1 year tender, and then say adios after the season is over.
That threw me for a loop too, I know its about money but why did he sign there if he wanted to stay in Toronto?
You are mistaken if you think players actually make these statements. It's all scripted by the agents to make it sound corporate.
Peterson wanted an extension from Toronto last summer but Grunwald didn't want to commit to the number of years Pelinka was asking for, or at the salary he wanted. His agent was told this summer by Raptor brass to go out and find MoPete a contract - to establish his value - and then the Raps would decided to match or not when they were better prepared to do so. He had to say the right things to the New Orleans media when he signed the offer sheet, but it was always option #2. he had hoped all along that Toronto would match - it's not his fault the new management team wasn't as "loyal" as Grunwald was to other recent FAs and it's not his fault that the current CBA almost requires Free Agents to go out and sign offer sheets in order to get their teams to match... it's just the way it works.
What else is he supposed to say. "I'm really pissed off I have to come back here". I agree, the restricted free agent system is flawed. What if the player really wants to leave and he really thinks his team won't match but it does. Then he's screwed and the other team gets screwed.
No, but I think it would be smarter not to say bad things about your current team when they can still match and when there is at least a chance that they would match.
