1) Do the Rockets have a second round draft choice this year? 2) When is the 2005 NBA Draft? 3) What are the dates of the Summer League? 4) how long do we hold the rights to V. Span (Greece) and BadMan (Sengal)? 5) When does the NBA's player's association contract end? (Hopefully there will be no strike or lockout period to prevent player moves) 6) Does money spent to buyout a drafted player's contract from another league count toward the Salary Cap? 7) I have heard the rumor that V. Span (Greece) will be invited to our Summer League. Has anyone seen a confirmation he will be invited or will come? What about Badman (Sengal) coming to the US this Sumer as well? 8) What are other critical dates? (i.e., start of free agent signings, allowed discussion with agents and players, etc.) Answer what you can, Thanks
1. No 2. June 28th 3. Don't know 4. Forever 5. June 30th. 6. No (I think the max is 400K so that isn't much anyway) 7. Don't know for sure but I would think both will be there. 8. This is all up in the air because there is no new contract but it will get hot & heavy July 1st.
That is what I thought as well for a while. Sabonis was drafted in 85 but didn't go to Portland until like 1996.
Yes, I really do not have the exact answers. I think Sabonis's case is special, at least some politcs there. He probably thanked Portland for bringing him to NBA and signed with them.
Please do not present answers when you don't know. It spreads misinformation. We have the rights to Badiane and Spanoulis basically as long as they are under contract in Europe. I decided to dig up the text because I get annoyed with people spreading misinformation. Here's the actual text, available on the CBA's website, www.nbpa.com/cba/cba.html (a) Subject to subsection (b) below, the Team that drafts the player shall retain the exclusive NBA rights to negotiate with and sign him for the period ending one year from the earlier of the following two dates: (i) the date the player notifies such Team that he is available to sign a Player Contract with such Team immediately, provided that such notice will not be effective until the player is under no contractual or other legal impediment to sign with such Team; or (ii) the date of the NBA Draft occurring in the twelve-month period from September 1 to August 30 in which the player notifies such Team of his availability and intention to play in the NBA during the Season immediately following said twelve-month period, provided that such notice will not be effective until the player is under no contractual or other legal impediment to play with such Team for said Season. As long as Spanoulis and Badiane are under a contract, that can not (will not) be able to notify the Rockets they're available to be signed. 6. The max buyout amount is $350K. Beyond that, the team can sign the player for more/pay for it, but it'd go against an exception or capspace (if applicable). 7. The Spanoulis rumor was on the board recently. I'd imagine there'll be more regarding that when the time comes. Badiane has spent the last 2 summers in the States (he played for the summer league team 2 years ago, we didn't have one last year, but he was in Houston working out- I saw him at the TMac press conference, as did others). I'd assume he'll be here again this summer. 8. Don't know because of the CBA situation. In the good ole days, it used to be a July Moratorium- teams could begin to talk in July, but nothing official could happen until August. During July, the league calculates the salary cap figures, including exact exception amounts. The last (two?) years, they've begun official signings July 15.
You know, it's really nice when you're about to clear something up and then you see someone far more qualified has already cleared it up. Thanks Nikestrad. Kenrui, YOU GOT SERVED!
I have a question: I keep hearing how the Rox can match and exceed any offer another team offers Yao, and that Yao basically has no choice. So why can't Yao just accept less money and play for a different team? I don't want Yao to go, but I'm just wondering why people say Yao CAN'T go elsewhere. Is he bound to stay with the team with the highest offer?
You start with the assumption that the next CBA won't differ substantially from the current. Operating from that premise, there are two types of FA's...restricted and unrestricted. Yao is the former and like you've pointed out...."Yao basically has no choice". You've answered your own question. More money or less money is not relevant...he's a RFA. IMO, the worst case scenario is Yao will only agree to a 1 year deal and becomes an UFA the following season.
First Yao is not a free agent this summer. He can sign an extension this summer with the Rockets thought. Next summer he can become a restricted free agent. The restricted part is that the Rockets can match any offer and keep him. The Rockets can also offer a longer contract than any other team. The longer contracts & restrictions on rookie contracts are to help teams retain their young players easier. But all this could change slightly once the new collective bargaining agreement is done next month.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong about Yao: 1 We are the only team that can talk to him this summer. At a minimum, we have the option for next year. He cannot go anywhere else this summer. In fact, we will sign him long term this summer. 2 If we don't sign him long term this summer, he would still only be a RFA next summer and we could match any offer he got. Only UFAs, like Kobe was last summer, have the choice of taking less money from another team or more from the team the played with.
apostolic3 1. Yao is under contract for next year with the Rockets - of course no one else can talk to him. 2. Correct. Yao said he wanted to sign a long term contract with the Rockets so this really isn't an issue now. He is not Boozer. He will get a max extension in July or August.
