and backs it up by signing a 5 year $65MM extension with the Wolves. It's debatable whether or not he deserves to get a max offer next. But in a league where big guys are ALWAYS overpaid, a 6-10 power forward with athletism, only 22 years old, average 16pts/11Reb/1.5Blk on 51% shooting in only 33 mpg while playing on a T-Wolves; where he will be able to pump his stats, it's likely that he can get or get close to the max. It's pretty cool of him to take the lower amount. ----------------------------------------------------------- http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_y...timberwolves-jeffersonsdeal&prov=ap&type=lgns Jefferson gets $65M deal from Wolves, says he's not worth max deal yet By JON KRAWCZYNSKI, AP Sports Writer November 1, 2007 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Al Jefferson could have waited until next summer to sign a contract extension with the Minnesota Timberwolves. In fact, that was what his agent advised him to do, hoping that a big season and his status as a restricted free agent would have brought the 22-year-old power forward the highest contract allowable under league rules. ADVERTISEMENT Jefferson ignored that advice and signed a five-year, $65 million deal just before the deadline Wednesday night. In the era of "Show me the money!" and "bling bling," Jefferson's reason was stunningly humble. "I didn't even think I was worth max (money) this year anyway," Jefferson said at a press conference on Thursday. "I would've been a fool to go up there and ask for max, having not really proved myself for that. So the number I got was the number that was my goal from Day 1. And I think it was a win, win situation." At an average salary of $13 million per season that starts next year, Jefferson certainly won't be starving. But Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale said that had Jefferson signed a max deal, he would have been entitled to 25 percent of Minnesota's salary cap. Depending on where the cap is set in each of the next six years, Jefferson likely would have made more than $15 million per season. "I can tell you around the league, 85 percent of the people feel they're worth max," McHale said with a chuckle. "Al's in the minority of 15 percent that doesn't believe he deserves max." The young Timberwolves desperately need Jefferson to evolve into the max-contract type of player if their massive rebuilding project is going to succeed. Jefferson was acquired at the end of July from Boston along with four other players -- Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair and Theo Ratliff -- and two first-round draft picks for Kevin Garnett, the only superstar the Timberwolves have ever had. After 12 years of trying, and failing, to surround Garnett with veteran talent to get them to the NBA finals, McHale decided it was time to let the face of the franchise go and start over. So he pulled the trigger on the unprecedented 7-for-1 trade, with Jefferson being the lynch pin of the deal. The 6-foot-10, 265-pounder has been a beast on the low block for the Wolves in the preseason, leading the team with 17.9 points and 13.4 rebounds per game. McHale adoringly calls him "truly a throwback, low-post, offensive rebound, punch-you-in-the-mouth and score around the paint type guy." He has long had an affinity for Jefferson's game, but it took some convincing before McHale decided to sign him long term. Jefferson's agent, Jeff Schwartz, pushed for an extension as soon as the trade transpired, but McHale didn't bite. After eight preseason games, a training camp trip to Europe, and countless hours on the practice court, McHale is sure now was the right time. "I knew Al was good," McHale said. "Al's better than I thought he was. When you're around him every day, you see his character, you see his personality, you see his work ethic and you see his ability. It's really a package that's very, very impressive." Establishing a young core including Jefferson, Randy Foye, Corey Brewer and Rashad McCants, McHale has completely revamped a team that has missed the playoffs for three straight seasons. He traded veterans Mike James, Trenton Hassell, Ricky Davis and Mark Blount and bought out the contracts of Troy Hudson and Juwan Howard. With KG gone to Boston, it's Jefferson's team now. After four years with the Celtics, Jefferson thinks he is ready to become a star. "I told Kevin. I'm prepared for this. I'm ready for this," Jefferson said earlier in training camp. "This is what I want. Every guy in the NBA wants to get the opportunity that I have right now and I want to take advantage of it."
Deng couldn't get the max from the Bulls. He probably realised the money wasn't there and didn't want to risk blowing it all with an injury during the year.
I agree that's great to see, but how weird is it this guy can sign a 65 million dollar deal and we praise him for being so unselfish?
That's not the point man. In a society where we're all expected to do whatever it takes to make sure we get ours, it's refreshing to see someone admit that they aren't everything they've been made out to be. He'll get rewarded for taking the high road, and I'll definitely be rooting for him. Somebody needs to show Anderson Varejao this article....$9M a year?!? For what? 6 pts 8 rebs a game? That's absurd, and I'm glad the Cavs aren't budging. Somebody has grossly misinformed him about how much he's actually worth.
Compare that to how Kobe took everything he could from the Lakers when he was a free agent, even fooling around with the Clippers to get the Lakers to offer him the max. Now what is Kobe going to need $120 million for? I always like Jefferson's game, but this makes me really respect his character as a basketball player trying to win.
Now i m becoming install Al Jefferson fan. I sincerely wish him can lead the Wolves to be contender so that he can earn the max money for his next contract extension! Rashard Lewis should have learned from Jefferson!
Okay, let's not make Jefferson out to be a saint or something. The guy wants financial stability, which is what this contract gives him, over the potential extra $2 mil/year had he waited next year. It's the safer road in terms of his financial situation. Now, what he DOES deserve praise on, of course, is knowing that financial stability comes at a cost of $2 mil per. And he apparently does not care about the stigman of being paid less than "max money". There are too many knuckleheads in sports who wants the best of both worlds, no matter how unrealistic that might be. Al Jefferson gets it because he knows how to compromise.
Depending on what the cap looks like next year, Jefferson could have actually made about $25M more, or about $4/season. Considering how much these guys are losing to taxes anyway, that's really nothing to sneeze at. He's still making a lot of money, but there aren't a lot of athletes who would have done this, I don't think.
I thought it was for financial security as well considering all the injuries he has had. Respect is due, like others have said, for not miking the system.
