uumm.. It is my understanding that Bird Rights are transferrable via trade. So if my understanding of the CBA is correct, those saying Lee would veto a trade duie to losing Bird RIghts are incorrect.. EDIT: I was right http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#Q25
Rockets2K, I hate to break it to you, but you are not right. Had Lee signed a three-year deal with the Knicks and was traded in the third year, then sure, his Bird rights would be transferred to his new team. But since Lee signed a one-year contract this past summer, the contract being transferred would only be a one-year deal, meaning that the new team would have NO Bird rights for him. If you don't believe me, go take a look at ESPN's Trade Machine. Roll your mouse over the big "Restriction" sign next to both David Lee and Nate Robinson. You'll see what I'm talking about. Oh, yeah, and there's this: http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#Q87
first, Im not afraid of being wrong....but hasnt Lee been with the Knicks for longer than just one year? It specifically says in the passage I quoted that the three year span for Bird(or two year for Early Bird) can be any combination of contracts, not jsut three year ones. Correct? I never claim to be perfect, I can only go by what I read.
No worries. Yes, Lee has been with the Knicks longer than three years. And yes, the passage did give the impression that any combination of contracts could give a player Bird rights. But Larry Coon should probably clarify in your quoted passage that the combination of contracts applies to the ORIGINAL team having Bird rights. This does not apply to the ACQUIRING team if the player is traded while only on a one-year contract. He should probably link to my quoted passage of him (Q#87) at some point in your quoted passage of him (Q#25).
Oh, contraire - as BimaThug has provided above. There are exclusions; and Lee signing the deal he did means he retains Bird only by playing out this contract in NY. By accepting a trade he forfeits those rights.
Oddly. Lee is in a bit of a sticky-wicket. If he stays with the Knixies then his Bird rights might actually have the same value as if he waives them in a trade. His Bird rights probably only have a value if, say, D-Wade (just for example) tells Riles that he is going to sign with NYK, 'so either work out an SnT or I walk and you get nada'.
