I would tell the Cav's about Utah's offer. Then I'd give them the opportunity to try and get as close to that nuber as possible. $40 million or more then I would stay, anything less I'd go.
Poll was close but calmer heads are prevailing......must be the people that have been in jobs and realized that their is no such thing as loyalty anymore...at least for the most part. Take the money and run. DD
F*ck LeBron, Boozer was tired of playing in his shadow anyway... You have to take the money; that's too much dough to walk away from.
Uh, I have "been in jobs." How about you ask if you would lie straight into someone's face to get out of a contract with the promise to sign a new one, and when they let you out you run somehwere else?
Carlos Boozer was the real MVP of the Cavs last season. The most telling stats, Efficiency, Boozer has 22.23 ranked #11, while James has 18.77 ranked #31. A player who ranked #11 in Efficiency was valued by Jaxson to be at MLE level? What a joke. Look at the first 10 guys. They are all max players, except for Brad Miller, who gets paid near max and his numbers were way down when he was in Indiana the season before. 1. Kevin Garnett (Minnesota Timberwolves) 82 33.13 2. Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs) 69 26.80 3. Elton Brand (Los Angeles Clippers) 69 25.01 4. Shaquille O'Neal (Los Angeles Lakers) 67 24.93 5. Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks) 77 24.17 6. Tracy McGrady (Orlando Magic) 67 23.75 7. Predrag Stojakovic (Sacramento Kings) 81 22.99 8. Brad Miller (Sacramento Kings) 72 22.89 9. Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) 65 22.68 10. Shawn Marion (Phoenix Suns) 79 22.44 LeBron James 2003-04 Statistics PPG 20.9 RPG 5.5 APG 5.9 SPG 1.65 BPG .73 FG% .417 FT% .754 3P% .290 MPG 39.5 Carlos Boozer 2003-04 Statistics PPG 15.5 RPG 11.4 APG 2.0 SPG .99 BPG .73 FG% .523 FT% .768 3P% .167 MPG 34.6
Boozer is a restricted FA, the Cavs have 15 days to match whatever offer Boozer agrees to and he is stuck in Cleveland. If the Cavs were under the cap, they would match Utah's offer, but they aren't so they can't. Personally, I would sign a short term deal with the Cavs until they had my Bird rights (wouldn't that just be 1 year?) and make them give me a max deal later. I'm not worried about career ending injuries, I'm pretty sure I could make one year at the MLE last me the rest of my life. j
The problem with today's world is that nobody put some effort to do the right thing anymore, especially when money is involved. I assume the report from ESPN and CNN were correct (Boozer told Cav he'd sign the contract if they let him free, etc.) Then I simply cannot agree with him taking offer from Utah. The deal from Utah is something like $28 million more, but so what? Isn't that he would get $40 million from Cav and that was more than the income most people expect to get from their life time anyway??? IMHO, the argument for support for family yudda yudda is pretty weak. If $40 million is not enough for your family, then it is probably your own problem. From what I have seen from the news, it seems like Boozer just simply screwed the Cav. He LIED to the owner and sought out a new deal afterward. However, even if it was just an honest mistake that he never thought his value would be so great and Utah deal came along, he could just tell the Cav, "Look, I just realized my value was higher than MLE. Could we go back and sign one year deal that worth just like you pick up my last year option? Then I can be a free agent and get my full value next year." If that seems to be too much trouble, I suggest he get $40 million and be happy with it. And, no. I do not think money is the most important thing in a person's life.
It's not about reputation. It's about a man being able to look himself in the mirror, no matter how fancy or ordinary that mirror may be. It's about integrity. Reputation is a completely different thing. "Nobody remembers these thiings a few years down the road?" Um, won't Boozer? 20MM is more than any one man needs, much less 50MM. He's going to have to look at himself in the mirror. He's going to have to look at his kids. Francis and Elway were honest, clear and unequivocal about their wishes and intents. Francis told Vancouver don't draft me. He didn't say, I love you, please draft me, and then change his mind. That would be the more appropriate example. It seems pretty clear, based on pure logic and deduction, that Boozer made a promise and didn't keep it. (forget the legalities and that there could be no binding agreements. I'm talking ethics). If you want to debate whether factually, that really happened. Fine. I think it's clear, but it is possible that the facts are different. But I hate hearing people say that ethics, values, integrity are not important because nobody will remember this. I honestly think Boozer will ultimately regret this, whether it's now, 10 years from now, or on his death bed. He will have more money than he knows what to do with. Ultimately, if he could, he might just want to spend the extra 20 million to buy back his integrity. But that's not something that you can buy back.
I totally agree about the integrity issue. You should keep your word or work with them if you do not plan on keeping it. Its all about greed. I believe he intended this all along ... convince the Cavs to not pick it up, and then try to get the best buck out there, regardless who it was. I would be a little more forgiving if he was trying to better himself outside of getting more money, such as a better team, but he will never go anywhere with the Jazz. Plain and simple. Its all about the money. And how often do we see players bust their ass a year or two to get maxed and then screw it all up?
The Cavs would have had Boozer's full Bird Rights had he played the 2004-05 season for them and they could have given everything Utah had offered just a year later. And he (or the Cavs) could have taken out a 1 year insurance policy equal to what he would have lost had he gotten injured in 2004-05 as a Cav. I'll be the first brave soul to say it....karma is going to bite Carlos Boozer on the ass...hard....very, very, hard.
Would Ralph Sampson take the money Would Mike Dickerson Would Sam Bowie Honestly this is similar to the STAY IN SCHOOL v Going to the NBA arguement the Average NBA careers is less than 6 years So . . .. . carlos MAYBE ON HIS LAST CONTRACT If he blows out a knee this year Do the Cavs give him a big money deal? Questions: IF the rockets promise T-mac the MAX contract . . . and he blows out his knee and will be another Grant Hill . .. should the rockets backout of the deal . .. if it is not signed yet? forreal I mean you are the SAME PEOPLE that are PISSED about the big contracts that the rockets are paying In Fact alot of people are PISSEd that they contracts are guaranteed Look at Football .. . . you blow out a knee. . . even though u got a contract . . . . . .YOU STILL GET CUT AND ARE OUT ON YA *SS is that ethical? Rocket River
the question is. . would they have? Would they have compensated him for the extra year of underpaying him? Hell no Rocket River
Oh, my god, glad to see so many hypocrites here! Oh yeah, Cavs want to take care of Boozer and give him a big favor? You mean signing a second year big man, future all-star with 6M+ per year for 6 years ? This is a total BS! Cavs are doing business here and so is Boozer. Cavs want to take advantage of him but got served. It is that simple. They should just pick up his option and sign him near Max next year. They are just equally greedy and stupid.
Well, the whole logic is a little bit confusing. I don't see how it relates to the main topic (Boozer screwed the Cavs). Maybe it was just me. Actually, I think football contracts kind of make sense. If you do nothing (injury) and you still take money. Is that ethical? I would think the middle ground should be something like get 50% pay if you injure more than 50% of the games or something similar.
I think he's saying that if Boozer blows out his knee, he won't get the big contract. But you're right, if Boozer didn't screw the Cavs he'd still end up with 41 million dollars, blown out knee or not.
The point is who instigated this manuever. Yes $41 is underpaying for Boozer but all media sources have indicated that Boozer initiated the opt out not the Cavs. If the Cavs had initiated the deal then the argument that they are low balling would hold more water. Since the Boozer camp initiated the opt out then he really is guilty. He's a liar, there's no other way to spin it. Many sources have argued that they presented the deal to the Cavs as mutually advantageous to both Boozer & the Cavs, but since the Cavs didn't initiate the idea it's pretty hard to accuse them of low balling. They thought Boozer was just looking to protect himself with only 1 year & $800,000 left to go on his contract. I've yet to see any credible account that calls any of that into question. The obvious answer is for Boozer to sign the initial offer from the Cavs for the full MLE he was offered in the 1st place. He should however negotiate a player option out of the contract after the 1st year. He can then opt after next year & negotiate with the Cavs after they have his full Bird rights. If he blows out his knee walking to the elevator after signing then he is due to make $41 million dollars for the next 5 years or so. Something tells me he can live off that for the rest of his life.
Well, that's not exactly true. First, Uncle same gets his cut. That's got him to damn near 20.5 million right there. And then what about his agent? That can vary between 5-15%. Between Uncle Sam and the agent, we can definitely say half of the money is gone before he even touches it so we know he's down to about 20 million? Now his "half" of 20 million is 10 million, but what if infidelity is proven? I know in the state of Texas proof of infidelity entitles a woman to up to 65%. Now he's down to 8.5 million. (although I'm curious what the lawyer bills would be like in a case involving that kind of money) Now 8.5 million dollars is still a lot of money, but he'll need to own at least two houses in all likelyhood because I doubt he'll stay in Utah year round. Athletes generally like to buy their families homes, cars, etc etc. and then there are all sorts of coat riders, hanger ons and leeches trying to screw these guys out of every dollar they can. It's not out of the question to blow that money entirely, in fact, it happens all the time. So then what if he sustains a career ending injury and never sees another contract? Personally, I'm feeling a lot more secure with that additional 28 million worked in.
Think about this scenario. You are renting office space for your small business. The rent is a dirt cheap $700 a month. It was a fair deal when you signed the leased a couple of years ago. But now the market has changed. The rental value of that space has jumped 10 times. You are glad you still have 1 more year left on the lease for the cheap but you are worried about the jump after this year. At this time, the landlord comes and says, "Look, you and I both know that you are paying way below market value. Next year when the lease is up, the rent will be $9000. Let's make a deal. We trash the current lease, and draw up another one that have you pay $6000 the next 6 years." You think for a while and decide it's a good idea and sign a release paper to null the old lease. As soon as the ink is dry, the landlord says, "Well, you know, since we don't have a lease now, I can raise the rent anyway I want. How 'bout $9000 a month for 6 years?" You say, "What? We just agreed for a $6000 deal." He says, "Who says the agreement was binding? Your supidity is not my problem. Look, if you don't like it, you are free to leave tomorrow since we don't have a lease anymore. There are people lining up at the door to pay me 9000 a month for the space." What would you think? Most of us would kick ourselves for being stupid enough to believe the landlord AND GO OUT TO TELL EVERYBODY NOT TO DO BUSINESS WITH THAT SCUMBAG.
If you assume he IMPLIED loyalty, then there is nothing to talk about. I think it is obvious to everyone that he is free to sign with Utah if Cleveland was merely mistaken. That there could be no binding verbal contract is a non-issue. We all know that already. What is alleged is that he made a PROMISE, even an illegal one. This poll would be a lot more meaningful if you recognized the actual argument taking place here. The real question should be: should Boozer take the money, assuming that he PROMISED to stay in Cleveland. Maybe I'll make a Hangout/D&D version of this same question: is it immoral to break a promise that was itself immorally struck?
