According to the recognized authority on the CBA: LARRY BIRD EXCEPTION -- This is the best known one. Players who qualify for this exception are called "Qualifying Veteran Free Agents" in the CBA. This exception allows teams to exceed the salary cap to re-sign their own free agents, up to the player's maximum salary. The free agent in question must have played for three seasons without being waived or changing teams as a free agent. This means a player can obtain "Bird rights" by playing under three one-year contracts, a single contract of at least three years, or any combination. So you are a better cap expert than Larry Coon? I do not believe Cat had full Bird rights because he was a second rounder and was only Early Bird at the time of Free Agency.
Cat was on a TWO year contract and thus had not qualified for BIRD rights. Only first round picks get 3 year deals with the 4th year at the teams option. DaDakota
let me offer up another article to the pile. this is pretty funny (Bill Simmons-esque): a must read. http://www.sportingnews.com/voices/sean_deveney/20020501.html juugie, Cuttino was a restricted free agent, so the Rockets could do anything Toronto could do, within our cap restrictions that year. Likewise, drafted first rounders are locked up for 3 yrs with a team option 4th, then become a restricted free agent 5th year. Larry Bird rights really have nothing to do with it. This is a standard rookie scale contract. But most importantly, Yao CANNOT become a free agent while under contract with another team or while being withheld by the Chinese govt. The team that selects him maintains signing rights for at least one yr and indefinitely should the player be under contract to play internationally or be withheld by some other "legal impediment." Ming cannot screw a team anymore than Steve Francis did or Dirk Nowitzki did (threatening a Euro contract even after the draft). Signing Rights are protected very strongly by the CBA, and the drafting team will at least be able to hold you hostage until another team offers a blockbuster trade. Ming is not becoming a free agent to sign with anyone he choses.
All this stuff about Chicago, New York and Golden State getting preference from the Chinese govt is hogwash, imo. They are getting preference from Yao Ming. As J. Feigen argued the other day in his Yao article, the Chinese govt doesn't care too much if there's a Chinese population in Yao's city. They care about (1) Yao making them look good and (2) Yao getting significantly better so their Olympic team will be good. But, it may well be important to Yao that the city he plays in has a Chinese population. Just because he's from a communist country does not mean he's a mindless drone who subordinates all his own wishes to those of his government. He has a limited amount of time in the country; why not work out with those teams you most want to play for? Plenty of college players have done it before, avoiding workouts with teams like Vancouver or Atlanta. As far as the Knicks stealing Ming when he comes off his rookie contract, I think Ming has got a special set of circumstances that make it possible. As a foreigner he may (or may not) put an unusually high priority on his city of choice for the comfort a native culture could bring. The Chinese govt may want to put him in the biggest spotlight they can find (ie, New York, LA or Chicago). And, money won't be much of a motivating factor because Yao won't see much of it anyway. For Yao, the difference between a $3 million contract and a $10 million contract is around $3.5 million, not $7 million. Of course, in year 5 the Rockets (if they picked him) would have him restricted. But, a one-year deal would make him unrestricted. If he was of a mind to leave, we could hang onto him a maximum of 6 years.
On the flip side of that argument...when it comes time for Yao to sign his max extension (assuming he gets the opportunity to do so), we are talking about the difference between a 70 million dollar contract and a 100 million dollar contract (approx)...Now, the difference is 30 million...15 million to Yao and 15 to some government officials/organizations in China. I happen to think it would definitely be in China's, and Yao's best interest for him to make the most money.
Trade Francis (or anyone except Eddie), plus number 5, for Ming. Give the number 15 to the Grizzlies. Then go for the number one pick the following year. (Best pure playmaker). Team will be: #1 draft choice pg Cuttino sg forward EG, Taylor, KT Center Ming End of rebuilding. Stand back and wait for championship contention.
JuanValdez, right on! In fact, the best thing that could've happened for the smaller market teams was 'The Logo', the one and only Jerry West, raising a ruckus about Yao and his 'special' workouts. Now when 'The Logo' starts raising hell about some possible shady dealings.... Don't be surprised if Ming and his handlers start welcoming more teams to work him out. They may have to go to China to do it, however. Yao may still end up in Chicago or GS (they do have the best statistical chance at the #1 overall), but the league will make a legit effort to make sure there is no question of fairness.
Hell, no. Yao is worth the #1 in this draft, but he isn't worth Steve, and he sure isn't worth Steve and the #5. This was a bad year for the entire organization. Steve will be the Franchise again when he has a team around him. Now, get yer butt to the Mayo Clinic, Steve!
I really don't see this as an issue. The Knicks will only want him if he turns out to be as advertised. If that's the case, and Yao makes it clear that he won't be resigning, just trade him and get back good talent in return. You could argue, then, that it was a wasted pick, but just because a player is American doesn't mean he's going to like playing in Houston either and sign an extension.
JayZ ...i agree...the Knicks want to win just like anyone else. If Yao is THAt good, then they will want him. The Knicks, unlike pretty much every other NBA team, will sellout games whether they win 22 or 62 games....meaning they wont go after Yao just to appease the fans etc etc etc
here's what I think is going on with the lottery/conspiracy: though I believe stern is capable of doing something illegal like this would be. . . I don't think it's quite to that point yet. I think he is parading Ming to the teams he hopes will draft Ming, Chicago or New York. I think he is parading those teams before Ming. I think he's doing this to discourage other teams. if A-hole stern can get golden state or memphis or whoever to pass on Ming because they perceive that there will be too much trouble from stern, China, etc. . . then stern gets the same result as if there were a fix in, and he does it without having to resort to anything illegal. make no mistake, he wants Ming in NY. but I don't think that was has happened up to now indicates that the fix is in. actually, it may be good evidence that the fix is not in. if there really were a fix, and if stern truly intended to have the knicks win the lottery, would he make it this obvious? I think he's making it so obvious because it might allow him to get what he wants without having to be more of a crook than he already is. now, that having been said. . . if the Knicks win the lottery, call 5-0 on his punk ass.
This may be simply naive of me, but I don't think the Chinese government wants half of Yao's fortune because they want the money. I think their motivation is to keep Yao from having it. They are, afterall, a communist country and to let Yao have as much money as American players get paid would be to let him become a petty bourgeois parasite. It's a different deal for the Chinese Basketball Association and the Shanghai Sharks for whom the money would go a long way toward keeping them very profitable (and shouldn't they be compensated for their loss?). But, the govt itself shouldn't be concerned with that and, for them, $100 million would make only a small ripple in the pool.
right valdez you think the chinese govt (whose economy is going to overtake the US economy in a couple decades) cares bout getting a few mil from yaoming? most of his salary are going to his team and the cba... that's what they care bout. chinese athletes are usually given rigorous training from a young age selected on talent ... they have little athletic schools where they train... i used to play ball at one minniefield, i think u're right too... there's no way stern would want to involve himself in a conspiracy unless he was stupid... the guy is freaking comissioner of the nba and is living the high life cuz of it... why would anyone want to involve themselves in something so risky? i'm am willing to go out on a limb and say i bet Yao Ming would love to play in houston... because of Hakeem and his championship rockets... if there was an offer for him to have a practice camp in houston, i bet Yao Ming would have said yes. Why? because when it was olajuwon and cassel in houston, rockets fever was everywhere. so whatever the case may be... i don't believe it's yao making the camp practice calls... nor do i think there's any real conspiracy by the way, i've read stuff in asian papers bout ming and what he/ chinese govt have said... it's crazy how it gets translated and then only single bits are taken to start media propaganda and red craze in articles by "respected" espn etc... the chinese govt. said in a few papers "we hope the team yao plays with would like to play a few games against cba teams." it was translated to something rather like "we want whichever team yao plays with to play cba teams once in a while" (the english translation of the exact article was linked) and then in an espn article ... that line was quoted word for word (cept i can't remember that quote) and instead it came out as "china is making the demand of ..." and then with that quote. now it may be wrong or not, and china might be spreading propaganda around as well... but from what i've read, china last year withheld ming not just for their basketball concerns, but because there is mandatory draft in china. not only that, but his parents have been quoted several times saying they did not want yao ming to go to the NBA yet because they did not feel he was ready for both the NBA and the US culture shock. who is telling the truth? no idea. but just wanted to point out that both sides are working it... and what you read is mostly translated and hyped. so just remember that before yal go out pointing fingers
Mark my words, Ming will be one of the worst first picks ever (if he goes that high). I couldn't find it again, but one of the quotes in one of the articles about the work out used the phrase "defensive liability". It was phrased optimistically, like "he can raise above being a defensive liability" or something, but that is bad. A projected second rounder big stiff walks him right back to the rim for a bucket and even blocks him. I don't think so. Do you remember when Bradley was chosen second. He refused to work out for teams becaue he had been out of the country, professional sports, blah, blah, blah. If Ming was going to be the piece that takes us or anybody to the finals, he would have the heart to take on all commers now. Not hide behind jet lag and schedule problems.
Yao's image of Hakeem may be this 2nd string back-up center for the Rapters, he may not have even have known much at all about the NBA in 94. I think the Chinese wanting half isn't about the money itself, nor so much about being a "bourgeois parasite". It is about setting up a precedent when their own talented folk start interacting with the rest of the world. They want their athletes to be successful on the international stage, but don't want them defecting like Cuban baseball players nor to have their government have complete egg on their face at home by showing Ming and the NBA are calling the shots. I think by the half strategy they think they are setting up a good precent for keeping their talented citizens happy enough in the global world and who still claim to be their own.
Translation: If we can sucker two or three teams into letting this guy slip, I'll trade my mother to move up and get him.
I seriously doubt any of our offspring will live to see that day. Also the dude that they say schooled him is such a stiff its not even funny. I know he has to get adjusted to the NBA and all but damn if Chris Christoffersen is giving him trouble that is an ominous sign. If I'm an NBA team I hire Moses Malone or some other retired big man and see how Ming fairs against them. I would suggest bringing a current player on the roster but Ming schooling Cato doesn't mean a whole hell of a lot
