With Lebron signing a 3 year extension w/ a player option on the 4th, and with Carmelo and Wade most likely following suit. Do ya'll think this will be a growing trend in the NBA? Do ya'll think it's problematic? Personally, I don't see anything wrong with wanting to keep your options open as a player. But Dan Patrick was talking about how the NBA needs a Lebron James to stay with a team like the Cavs and Melo with the Nugs. Very interesting that Wade doesn't want to sign a full extension with the Heat, it seems like he's in the best situation out of the 3. Link
Wow I was JUST about to post a thread similar to this. Yeah I'm wondering wtf is going on. Maybe the class of '03 is all hoping they can join one team after they have player options and make a super-sweet all-star team. Pretty strange, dunno what they are thinking.
I think the idea is there will be a new CBA which could supposedly allow them to kick their annual salaries up to $20MM/year if they are free agents. That salary level would be available to them 2 years sooner than if they lock into 5 year deals. Personally, I have no problem with this at all. Shorter contracts are fine, it's longer ones that are the killer. If LeBron and Wade perform they will get paid and deserve it. I think Melo may be better off locking in for the full 5 years. I'm glad Yao didn't think of this.
I don't think it's a big deal. For all the talk about it being a shorter deal and keeping options open, it's only one year shorter than a normal max contract. And having an option year at the end is standard procedure for these big contracts. For example Yao and Amare both signed 4 year extensions with the 5th year as a player option. Lebron and Wade are going with 3 year extensions with the 4th year as a player option. It's a bit more flexibility, but not that much in the scheme of things. BTW, in 2010 all four of those big names could be on the market: Yao, Amare, Lebron, and Wade. Not to mention that so will Mcgrady. Interesting, no?
Yea, there's just no way they're going to turn away that GUARANTEED MONEY. UNLESS there's something else to it. And the new NBA cap mentioned by A_3PO and hooroo is probably it. Supposedly they're hoping for longer contracts for more money than allowed now.
Besides a possible new CBA, the current CBA allows larger max deals for guys with more years of experience. So, they could sign under current CBA rules for more money in 3 years than they could earn going 5 and then resigning. In the past, players have sacrificed the extra bump for the security of the long contract. I still think that's the wiser course. If they have a debilitating injury or take a Francis-like nosedive, it could cost them $30 million.
I wrote a column about it today, not sure when it will be up. I love it, yes the players are doing it for financial reasons first, but it helps everyone. The teams, the players, the fans -- the fans because, if you're a Heat fan, you know your team can pay Wade more than anyone else in 2010 ... and if you're an NBA fan, you know that if the Heat screw up rebuilding, then Wade's prime won't be wasted on a crap team. The only thing it won't stop is the stupid, "where will LeBron go?" articles, which LBJ is in no way under obligation to stop himself by signing a five-year deal. Those types of articles are only written by people who don't know the game, anyway, so they focus on easier things like free agency and stupid made-up trades.
Really? I like Dan Patrick a lot, especially when compared to Cowherd and Rome. I actually think he has a legit point on keeping star players in smaller markets (Cleveland, Denver, etc...). One thing about taking the shorter contracts is that they are taking some risk in it. By virtually taking 1/2 the money of a regular max extension, they better hope they don't get injured. But it's definitely an interesting trend that we haven't seen.
Seems like it doesn't matter; max players never leave their teams anyway because they can always offer more money. Unless that changes it shouldn't be an issue.
True. I bet the one exception to this will be Lebron. I've said since day 1 that I don't think Lebron will stay in Cleveland his entire career. The fact that him and his agent have a deal with Nike to give him a substantial bonus if he goes to a top market team really solidifies by belief. I woner how much of a raise Lebron would get if he went to NYK or LA. It's gotta be enough to make up for the difference in the contract Cleveland would be offering.
It's because they're all greedy bastards who are waiting for the new CB agreement in 2010-2011. And I love how ESPN is making LeBron out to be some god for taking less than the max...
I have no idea what's going on here, but ESPN Radio in Denver is now reporting that Melo is going to sign the original 5 year deal. But they've been wrong many, many times before, so until the contract is signed, I don't know what's going on.
If he intended to leave Cleveland, why sign any extension at all? I think he's a Cav for life. The clauses in his endorsement deals are just good business; it doesn't necessarily indicate he intends to use them.
It's a rumor that's fairly widely believed (i.e. it isn't merely restricted to Internet fansites -- it's more of a word around the league kinda thing). I predict LeBron will leave Cleveland in 2010 and sign with the Brooklyn Nets for a max contract of around $20 million or so.
I don't think he intends to leave Cleveland so quickly (if at all). He's only in his 3rd year and leaving so soon would be completely screwing his home state. But who knows what will happen 3-4 years down the roade. Kobe could be done with the Lakers, the Knicks might be able to clear enough room . But I think Lebron is too much of a star to stay in Cleveland his entire career. The clause is his deals are good business like you said, but it does indicate that they did think it through before signing and IMHO, I think it will always be something that lingers in the back of his mind.
