I was just wonder if we have Deke's bird rights. I can see many teams willing to pay close to the MLE for one season if he can keep this level of production. So do we have his bird rights or do we have to use most of our MLE to keep him.
I am close to positive we have Early Bird rights. Which means we can sign him to the average salary level or up to 1.75 of his current salary (up to like 8 mil). Thus for all practical purposes (no one would think of signing him for over 8 mil) we have his Bird rights. I think a 2 year 9 mil, 2 year 11 mil (with team option) or 1 year 5-6 mil contract is about right. We don't need to use the MLE to do it. We are the perfect situation for him and visa versa, I can't fathum us not bringing him back.
I didn't know early bird rights was 1.75 times his current salary. That is good to hear because he is definitely 5 million a year if he brings what he has brought this year.
Deke's salary this year is $14m.....to the NJ Nets! The Nets waived Mutombo in early October 2003 and within days he was picked up by the Knicks. His current contract made a brief stop in Chicago in August '04 as part of the Jamaal Crawford deal. Houston....from Les to CD to JVG to Ewing to Yao and TMac... is almost the perfect situation for Deke. It would be hard for me to imagine him going anywhere else. The teams with cap money are mostly Lottery except for DEN. And he'd probably charge them a premium given Camby's injury history.
According to Clutch, Deke is on a 1 year minimum contract with Houston, but I don't understand how he would be a free agent in 2006 on a 1 year deal. "Mutombo signed a 1-year contract worth the league minimum on Aug 9, 2004. Will be a free Agent in 2006." http://www.clutchfans.net/playerinfo_current.cfm?PlayerID=233
The facts: 1) Mutombo was waived by the Nets on 10.04.2003. 2) Mutombo cleared waivers and was signed to a Free Agent contract by the Knicks on 10.09.2003. 3) Mutombo was traded by the Knicks along with Othella Harrington, Frank Williams and Cezary Trybanski to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Jamal Crawford and Jerome Williams on 08.05.2004. 4) If Mutombo's original deal with NYK was for 1 year, then the only way the Knicks could have traded him to Chicago would be a Sign & Trade. SnT's must be for a minimum of 3 seasons. 5) If Mutombo's contract expires this season, he could not have been a SnT from NY to CHI. Therefore, Motumbo's original Knicks contract was 2 years and we have Early Bird Rights.
