I don't believe that is correct. If Landry signed to play for a non-NBA team, then basically everything freezes for the Rockets and then picks up again when that contract ends. Here's the actual verbage from the NBA CBA: ARTICLE XI: FREE AGENCY Section 5. Restricted Free Agency. (a) If a Restricted Free Agent does not sign an Offer Sheet with any Team by March 1 of the Season for which the Qualifying Offer is made, and does not sign a Player Contract with the ROFR Team before that Season ends, then his ROFR Team may reassert its Right of First Refusal for the following Season by extending another Qualifying Offer (on the same terms as the prior Qualifying Offer) on or before the next June 30. A ROFR Team may continue to reassert its Right of First Refusal by following the foregoing procedure in each subsequent year in which that Restricted Free Agent does not sign an Offer Sheet with any Team by March 1 of the Season for which the Qualifying Offer is made, and does not sign a Player Contract with the ROFR Team before that Season ends. In each Season in which a Team reasserts its Right of First Refusal by extending another Qualifying Offer in accordance with this Section 5(a), the Team may also elect to simultaneously provide the player with a Maximum Qualifying Offer (on the same terms as the prior Maximum Qualifying Offer). Any such Qualifying Offer and Maximum Qualifying Offer shall be governed by the provisions of Section 4 above. If he signed in Europe then he a) wouldn't sign an offer sheet by March 1 and b) doesn't sign a contract witht the right of first refusal team (Rockets). That means that as long as the Rockets extend a qualifying offer to him, then they retain their right of first refusal. Basically, if he goes to Europe for a couple of years then he'd be back in exactly the same situation in two years (as far as the NBA is concerned). All of the CBA rules are written based off of years of service, not elapsed years. So if a player isn't playing in the league then they don't accumulate years of service. That's my understanding. I don't see anything in the CBA that would make him a free agent in two years. Is there something I'm missing? Why do you think that he'd be unrestricted?
I can alreday see it, Landry tears it up where ever he goes and Dorsey doesn't fill his shoes. Everyone who's saying "Let him go" will be complaining about how cheap Les is and why we didn't sign him.
I read somewhere that we would have to make him a qualifying offer each year to retain his rights which will count to our cap every year
I'd say the chance of this happening is slim. First of all, the fact that we're already offering close to 3-3.5 M a year makes it tough for the euro teams to outbid, especially considering that euro teams may be scared at the knee. On top of that, Landry wants to stay in the states and staying here gives him the only chance to land a big deal in the future. Remember, all those childress, nachabar, navarro....those are guys who would never get a deal above the 6MIL range. Never Ever. But with Carl, its different. If he played like a beast the way he did for a portion of last season consistently, there's a good chance his next contract would be in the 8-10 MIL range. You only have a chance to get that kinda money by staying in the NBA. I would say Buddy Baker is perhaps too short sighted. He wants to bargain for every penny possible in this current deal. He failed to look into the future. He failed to protect his reputation as a reasonable negotiator. By creating bad faith with Morey, the chance of his client landing a lucrative contract extension inevitably goes down. Is this because Buddy also see problems with Landry's knee and think this maybe, rememeber only maybe, Landry's only contract? We'll never know. From the perspective of Landry's camp, over playing hardball certainly doesn't seem too prudent of an option IMO.
Besides, if buddy really think Landry's knee pose no risk in the future, then their best option is to take the one year tender offer and play his ass out during that year and earn a big contract next year without being locked into a 3MIL a year deal for 3 years. Obviously, if you don't do that, you're already being hypocritical because you know Landry's risk of injury is higher than normal.
If a Euro club wants to pay for an unproven player who is ineffective when his surgically repaired knee isn't right, then let them have him. I will be pissed if Landry gets the entire MLE. He isn't worth it...not unless we see more tests run on his balky knee.
Keep in mind for ever that GREED is more evil than devil. No matter in us or eu,please not ask for more salary than you team's franchise's.Yao's actual is only 2m,so even SF3 just earns a 2m+/yr .Rockets will never sign( excluding re-sign)a roster at more than 2m+/yr,which is yao's actual salary. How unbelievable yao is.The big yao is the greatest athlete in the world,the best chinese around the world.Yao is more than china's great wall.LBJ is us's king,then yao is china's king.Best wishes for King Yao,whom i wish not to get hurt next season.
The main thing is that we should start planning that Landry isn't part of our team next season, and plan accordingly. Questionable knee and all, he was going to be part of the rotation. So Greene and Dorsey might see earlier action in the season then planned, and we might see Daryl swinging that minor trade towards an athletic scoring big. BTW, I don't fault Landry and his agent going this route, Rockets lowballed him in his rookie contract, so turnabout is fairplay.
I could care less if he goes to Europe and tears it up there. If he wants to play in the NBA he still has to deal with us. I would only be upset if another NBA team made a reasonable offer and we wouldn't match. By reasonable I mean something less than the full MLE. I still remember terrible contracts such as Moochie and Cato and how ended up. Let's not overpay for a role player that had a handful of games he was effective who also happens to have questionable knee issues.
What makes no sense in dealing with landry is the non offer from the Rox. Deng, Childress, Josh Smith and guys like were at least offered a contract. Morey is a smart guy and we know about landry and his knees. Instead of getting in this old saloon,stare down at the card table type negotiations, offer the guy a deal you feel is fair. If he doesn't like it, move on and use the mle on a couple of other players. Many will call it showing your hand, but I call it being aggressive and what's best for the squad.
Actually ,Landry is another glassman which we don't need any more as that we have tmac on team.The same to scola who is also willing to earn more in Europe.Scola hasm't miss one game last season,but that doesn't mean he is more healthy than Carl.Carl dunked nearly 100 times during the last season while scola just dunked once.The more dunks you make,the more likely you are to get injuried.Don't expect little better performance from scola whose brain is filled with eus now.It's better to trade scola away when he has value than to let him walk. to make up our PF position after Carl and luis's leaving,morey may as well sign Juwan Howard back, while Horry is also available.The two experienced guys will help us much ,especially in the playoffs.Besides the two old players,we have younger and more energetic guys like hayes and dorsey ,or even artest( scola ,bjax brooks traded for),artest may act as pf for some time.Battier is also a potential PF as well as Greene.There is no need to concern our PF position even if Carl and luis leave. I prefer COCE-COLA to LUIS-COLA.
The fact that Buddy Baker is taking about Europe gives me an impression that none of the teams in the NBA have offered him a contract or if they have offered him something,the value of them is low.
Well I'm with you on both points, what I'm saying is I would hate to just "let him go". Bad knee and all he was a big part of our success last year. We didn't make the big FA addition we all hoped we would so losing Landry for whatever reason or to whatever team will hurt. Still I think the offer that's on the table is fair, Baker is a leech.
You have a remarkable talent for posts that raise the level of stupidity here, with all due respect. I'll give that one a ZERO.
They have to give him a qualifying offer every year to retain his rights and it goes up every year. So lets assume Landry goes overseas for 2 yrs and by then his qualifier would be a 1m by then. In that year the rox might want to spend 4m of the mle, the rox make the qualifier to landry, but a team can see his production and offer 3m or even marc jackson full mle, he's gone. Basically, the rox can tie up mle money waiting on landry and still get nothing.
It's not about driving up Landry's price. It's Baker trying to force the Rockets to go ahead and sign his client without having him undergo more medical evaluations. Baker is either holding Landry back or knows nothing good will come of more medical testing. Either way, Landry needs a new agent. The first option means he's just making The Tooth look like an egomaniac. The second option means he's ineffective at getting his client a contract.
