From the Coon FAQ- When another team wants to sign a restricted free agent, it signs the player to an offer sheet, the principal terms of which the original team is given 15 days to match. The principal terms of the offer sheet cannot include non-cash forms of compensation. For example, it doesn't work to offer Denver's free agent a house on the beach within 15 minutes of the arena, knowing that it's impossible for Denver to match those terms. If the player's original team exercises its right of first refusal by matching the principal terms of the offer sheet, the player is then under contract to his original team and no longer a free agent. If the player's original team does not exercise its right of first refusal within 15 days, the offer sheet becomes an official contract with the new team, and the player is no longer a free agent. ------------------------- After the original team submits a "qualifying offer", the other team trying to sign him has to make an offer sheet, assuming it's greater than the qualifying offer (which, since Lewis was a 2nd rounder, 2.3 million is). So hypothetically, I believe your scenario works. ------------------ The more lefties on your team, the better. Collier is Seven Foot and Left Handed. How can you go wrong? Trade or bench Kenny Thomas.
Seems like Seattle would counter with an Early Bird contract which has a minimum length of two years. It is the team's discretion which exception it uses to sign a player (FAQ #17). Do correct me if I am wrong. Mango ------------------ Eat more spinach! Live long and prosper! Donate blood! Smeg will be assimilated. Now...back to updating The Serious Police Files.
Mango-I believe Seattle would have to match the length of the contract (which if they used the 2.3 exception, would be 1 year) #17 says:"The team has the right to choose which of the available exceptions to use to sign a player. The only restriction is that except for the traded player exception, teams may not combine exceptions in order to sign a player." Kind of interesting....we can combine the trade exception with our 2.3 exception.....the possibilities ------------------ The more lefties on your team, the better. Collier is Seven Foot and Left Handed. How can you go wrong? Trade or bench Kenny Thomas.
Point being there is no way Lewis can be signed outright by the Rockets, who are capped out, unless they somehow free up lots of room. You would have to think a sign and trade is out of the picture also since Seattle is not about to trade him to a potential West rival (much less trade him period). I can't see how we can get him this season given those two facts... But MManal raises a good point to free him up next season -- answer? Don't know. ------------------ NOTHING BUT .NET CLUTCHCITY.NET
Based on that, it seems he has already gotten an offer sheet from Seattle for an amount greater than the mid-level exception that MManal wants to use. Mango, how is 125% of Rashard Lewis's previous salary larger than the mid level exception 2.3 mil? Rashard made 385K last season. The point of the question I am trying to ask is if Rashard signs a 2.3 mil offer sheet for 1 yr with the Rockets which the Sonics match, does he become an UNRESTRICTED FA in 2001? Thats my question. B/c if he does, he is on the open market and can get paid a chunk of cash by the Rockets, Sonics or whoever else in 2001. If he keeps playing at this level and his game continues to blossom, this is a very intelligent move for him. He'd be better off doing that than taking 2 yrs 8.4 mil from the Sonics. ------------------ Check out the Best Source for Draft Info Draftsource.net
Other things to point out: It says to match it. It says nothing on beating it. So, I presume Seattle just has to match whatever is offered, and can't offer him something greater. Remember, Rashard doesn't have to sign an offer sheet. ------------------ The more lefties on your team, the better. Collier is Seven Foot and Left Handed. How can you go wrong? Trade or bench Kenny Thomas.
MManal, I quoted the wrong thing and it will be deleted. Why can't an Early Bird signing by Seattle for two years for the players's average salary be superior to the Mid-Level of one year that you propose? Using your scenario he would take an offer sheet from Houston for a one year Mid-Level and then Seattle would sign him for a one year that matched. The following year he would hit the jackpot with Houston or Seattle or some other team. If he finally ended up with the jackpot in Houston next year, wouldn't Houston be open to some collusion/tampering charges based on the Mid-Level that they offered this year with the implicit wink that they would give him the jackpot in 2001? Mango ------------------ Eat more spinach! Live long and prosper! Donate blood! Smeg will be assimilated. Now...back to updating The Serious Police Files.
as long as no actual discussions take place, or are found to have taken place ( ), we should be ok. The FAQ says on tampering: Tampering is when a player or team directly or indirectly entices, induces or persuades anybody (player, general manager, etc.) who is under contract with another team to negotiate for their services. The NBA takes tampering very seriously and may impose stiff penalties if it is discovered, however the league will not investigate unless another team files tampering charges. Here are some recent examples: The Miami Heat were discovered to have tampered with Pat Riley in 1995 by negotiating with Riley while he was still head coach of the New York Knicks. The Heat "settled," and avoided league-imposed penalties, by compensating the Knicks with $1 million and their first round draft pick in 1996. After Will Perdue left San Antionio in the 1999 offseason to sign with Chicago, he commented to the press about the possibility of the Bulls signing Tim Duncan and/or Grant Hill in 2000. The league considered this to be tampering, and issued Perdue a warning. You may have noticed that when general managers and other team personnel talk to the press, they are careful to avoid talking about specific players who play for other teams. They do this in order to avoid tampering. ------------------------------------ This would be a different scenario wouldn't it? We'd be allowed to negotiate with Rashard. Anyone else have any insight on this issue? ------------------ The more lefties on your team, the better. Collier is Seven Foot and Left Handed. How can you go wrong? Trade or bench Kenny Thomas.
Mango, Whether or not it would be ruled collusion I have no idea. However, I was trying to figure if this is the escape route around restricted free agency if Lewis really wants to play in Houston as the reports on the front page and such indicate. Even if he is indifferent to where he plays, it is still better for Lewis to make this type of a move. He would sign one yr for 2.3 mil and then the following yr could max out. Thats 2 yrs 11.3 mil as opposed to 2 yrs 8.4 mil (League Average Method). Also in the one yr scenario, his contract would be up 10 mil in the third yr as opposed to 9 mil in the other scenario. As far as the point of Seattle offering the 4.1 mil league avg. That has to be a 2 yr deal, and Rashard does not have to accept that. He could if he wanted to, but he can also just sign a 1 yr 2.3 mil offer sheet with another team which Seattle would match, then go out onto the open market in 1 yr. Instead of making 4.3 mil in the second yr of that league average deal, he could instead hit the jackpot on the open market for a max contract starting at 9 mil. If this loophole does exist as it seems logical it would, Lewis's agents would do well in utilizing it esp if he wants to play in Houston. ------------------ Check out the Best Source for Draft Info Draftsource.net
It is possible that is a new loophole to be tested under the new CBA. I follow all of the steps that you are suggesting that Lewis and the Rockets could do. My questions to you: 1. Should the Rockets and Lewis's agent check with the league office about this and the possibility of future tampering charges before proceeding? It would be pretty transparent to Seattle and the NBA what the final intentions would be. 2. Just give it a shot and let the chips fall as they may? Mango ------------------ Eat more spinach! Live long and prosper! Donate blood! Smeg will be assimilated. Now...back to updating The Serious Police Files.
That question I dont have the answer for. I would guess Lewis and his agents would sit down with the Rockets and figure it out. If it was me, though, I would go for it as there is nothing to lose. Whats the worst that can happen? Lewis signs with the Rockets in 2001 for 9 mil, the league determines its tampering and make him go sign with the Sonics for 9 mil. He still gets his cash. Are there any worse scenarios? ------------------ Check out the Best Source for Draft Info Draftsource.net
Reading the paragraph on the front page that Rashard Lewis really yearns to come to Houston, I was wondering something. Since Lewis is a restricted free agent, couldnt he just sign a 1 yr offer sheet with the Rockets or any other team for the mid level exception which Seattle would obviously match? Then he could become an unrestricted free agent in 2001 right? That way instead of locking himself into a 2 yr deal for 8.4 mil deal, he could set himself up to get the max salary in 2001 whether it is from the Sonics or the Rockets, who would have a ton of cap room then. ------------------ Check out the Best Source for Draft Info Draftsource.net
MManal, There's absolutely no reason why your scenario couldn't be done. Of course, Lewis would have to want to come to Houston. If Lewis signed an offer sheet with Houston or anyone else, then the terms of his contract are final. The only thing that can change is which team owns the contract. So, Seattle can't force Lewis to accept an early Bird deal if he doesn't want to. Also, I don't believe that there would be anything illegal about it. If Lewis wants to turn down more money in favor of a non binding promise from another team, then that's a risk he's taking. I don't see how that's any different than free agents like Rick Fox, Rex Chapman or Danny Manning ( signing ridiculously low deals with teams and later getting big bucks from that team. Shandon Anderson will probably do the same. The risk is all Lewis'. If he doesn't develeop as expected or he gets hurt, then the other team isn't obligated to pay him the promised money. ------------------
