Hopefully, everybody knows that we can't SnT Landry. However, with his permission, we can trade him on December 15: from the NBA Salary Cap FAQ:
It's just Clutchfans who are underrating him. If you trade him away you're going to get the same as the Horry story when we traded him away.
If Landry really have to go, I hope there's a sign-n-trade, and rox get a couple young players that Morey wants.
You mean the Horry who was crap at his next destination and who only has been effective playing with a top 10 big of all time (Hakeem, Shaq, Duncan), and even then mostly in the playoffs. Horry was an effective role player (and particularly in the clutch), but his worth on an average or less team has never been much.
Don't get me wrong - I loved what Carl Landry brought this season... But I have officially passed the point of caring on him... He and his agent made the decision to hardball for more money. And, he and his agent made the decision not to participate in Summer League. The problem is, Landry's shoes aren't terribly hard to fill. We're just all so enamoured by his potential. If someone like Harris or Dorsey steps up in the summer league and comes in and works and fills his hole with the same level of potential... So long, Carl. Let's use the MLE somewhere else.
Can't happen. If Landry signs for cheap, we keep him. If he signs for more than 25% of his current salary, he becomes a base year player. A base year player is very difficult to trade. If he signs an offer sheet some other team and we choose not to match, we get no compensation. If he signs another team's offer sheet for more than 25% of his salary and we match, he is a base year player.
I do see that. Morey in the press saying that we need more information on his knee is meant to lower his value. Wanting to find out more information on his valid, but going to the press with it is to lower the value. In my mind, there's nothing wrong with an agent and a GM posturizing. It's part of the business. I guess the way I feel now is, I almost hope someone shows up in the summer league and passes Landry up. Because he and his agent chose not to participate because they would rather posture.
I guess the only real option in terms of 'passing Landry up' is Dorsey? I think some of you people are getting way too excited over this whole Landry thing. It's perfectly normal for these things to take time - nobody is going to throw the full MLE at the guy: Ronny Turiaf is the same product, more experience, been to the finals, no knee suspicions. There's no chance Landry gets more than him. Najera has the hustle AND a 3pt shot (and no knee suspicions). No way Landry gets more than him. So since Landry and his agent want too much money, and since we're the ones who are going to be paying them, it becomes a waiting game. At the end of the off-season, if Landry still won't accept the terms we're offering, the worst he can do is sit out a year. Can't see him getting a better deal after doing THAT though. If we didn't have Scola, this whole saga might be worth caring about...
Spot on. Plus there's the fact that internally, we already have Scola as a benchmark for the kind of salary that Landry should receive. Sure, he has a higher PER and more potential, but if Scola's getting paid in the 3-million range, on top of how the other similar players are payed around the league recently, how does Buddy Baker justify asking for full MLE-level pay for Landry? I don't know how much input Landry has on this whole thing, but Buddy Baker's really screwing him over the longer this drags on.
As long as other teams hold their MLEs Baker's doing the right thing in waiting for a full MLE offer that might come. It's several months before training camp starts. Both sides have plenty of time to reach an agreement.
I agree with everything you write. I don't hold anything against Landry for going for more money and I don't hold anything against the Rockets for trying to sign him for less. I don't necessarily think he should be required to play in the summer league, especially since he's not satisfied with his contract offer and an injury would significantly damage his market value. And you're right. Realistically, he's not going to break the bank and we'll be satisfied with how the whole thing nets out, financially. I guess it just knocks him down a couple of notches for me. He still has a lot to earn in this league and I don't think he deserves anything after a good half-year. On a separate note, if CD was still our GM, we would have signed him to the full MLE on a long term basis ala Moochie.
