http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/5130595.html I don't know if anyone has posted this ... if so then lock it up. Agent says offer for 2nd-round pick woefully lacking By JONATHAN FEIGEN Describing the Rockets' contract offer as "disturbing and confusing," the agent for unsigned draft pick Carl Landry said Wednesday that the team's offer is worse than every other second-round pick and many undrafted free agents. Buddy Baker said the Rockets have guaranteed Landry, the first player selected in the second round of June's NBA draft, only a small portion of a two-year contract. Landry also could accept the team's tender offer — a one-year, non-guaranteed contract, expected to be worth $427,000 — and become a restricted free agent after the season. Baker and Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, who is in China for Yao Ming's charity game Saturday, would not say how much of Landry's contract offer is guaranteed. "We see Carl as part of our future and hope to resolve his contract situation in the near future," Morey said via e-mail. The Rockets had planned to use a portion of their mid-level salary-cap exception to sign the forward from Purdue to a three-year deal as they did the previous season with Steve Novak. They instead used the remainder of the exception money to sign free agent Steve Francis. "It's kind of disturbing and confusing," Baker said. "They paid a million dollars and gave up a future draft pick (to Seattle to get the draft pick used for Landry). What they have been offering is not commiserate with any pick in the second round. The offer is closer to one given an undrafted free agent. Carl was the 31st pick. He was going to go somewhere right after that if he did not go there. "They have guaranteed only a small portion. ... Presumably, the Houston Rockets placed a priority on him to do what they did to get him. If you want to sign him, sign him to a fair-market deal. If they don't want him, they have essentially thrown away a second-round pick and a million dollars." Baker said Landry has no plans to play elsewhere next season. Morey would not say why the Rockets have not offered Landry a customary guaranteed contract. The Rockets have 17 players signed to fully guaranteed contracts and forward Mike Harris signed to a partially guaranteed deal. Center Dikembe Mutombo said last week that he planned to sign for one more season.
Thanks for posting this, I've been dieing for some kind of Rockets news, but I didn't really want to hear this.
He was part of our future...until Francis and Scola fell into our laps. Stuff happens. He'd be nice to have, but they've gotta cut some fat from the roster.
Who cares? Let's trade his rights for an Ebonics translator so Yao and Scola can understand their teammates.
Let him go... I don't think there's space for him on our team. And for his agent to come out and say something negative about the Rockets before the guy has ever done anything is not a good move. The money spent on the pick is sunk cost and should not be a reason to keep the guy.
LOL, only reason Boki is worth anything is because he has Jkidd on his team. Landry we should keep though, just because we don't have great PF depth, alot of unknowns, who knows who will be the best of the bunch.
No it isn't. Unless we manage to make a trade where we come out with two players less than before, keeping Landry means having to cut someone with a guaranteed contract, doesn't it. That doesn't seem worth it.
We seem to have great success in getting the big pieces (Francis, Scola, James, Bonzi), but had headaches with guys that are at the edge of the Rockets plans (Alston, Reed and Landry). I would like to see what Landry can do though before we write him off. There must have been something they saw in him to wase all that money to buy that pick.
..450k to do nothing for one year in the NBA..I would gladly accept that offer. 450k is what some average joe would make in 6-8 years.
Easy for you to say... but imagine if you were Landry and your peers were getting paid almost double of that. I assume you'd be at odds as well.
It's a pretty lowball offer compared to what Novak got....I wonder if Morey still has Landry prominently in his plans. Landry just had bad timing. He happened to be in the year where we got Scola and Francis with the MLE...
landry has a right to get at least what every one else in the second round got, i mean he was just one pick away from a guaranteed contract. if i were him, i wouldn't settle for an unfair deal either. at the same time, i don't blame the rockets. they had some better players simply fall in their laps and landry got squeezed out of the picture. it'll be interesting to see what they do as far as trades and cutting guys. my guess is harris is out as is justin reed and they continue to look hard at trading rafer/lucas in a package for one player. i'm guessing the rockets are trying to shrink the roster some before they commit money to yet another player, hence the initial lowball offer.
What pisses me off is that the rockets had the first pick of the 2nd round for 2 years now, which is almost a first rounder, and they have nothing to show for it. Novak was a wasted pick, they should just get rid of him now, and it doesnt even seem like they want Landry.
Let's see what Adelman does with Novak first since Adelman has been able to put in shooters with defensive liabilities in the past....it was obvious that Novak wouldn't get playing time for a guy like Van Gundy. We've got to get rid of Reed, Alston, Lucas and Snyder. They're probably not going to see much if any playing time and are bing paid way too much money for sitting on the bench. If I were Landry, I'd just wait till Morey clears some of the dead weight.
I don't know what Landry is crying about. Maybe it's a contract extension for three years like Gabe Pruitt to make Landry happy. But then Landry and Alondo Tucker battled in the Big Ten for for bragging rights and I'm sure Landry feels he is every bit as good as Alondo Tucker. Tucker scores a big contract with Phoenix Gabe Pruitt - Celtics drafted at 32 right after Landry is making $421,163 in year one, $711,517 in year 2, and $825,497 year 3 Glen Davis - Celtics drafted at 35 signed with the Celtics for $421,163 in year one and then $711,517 in year 2. Nick Fazakes - Dallas drafted at 34 signs for $421,163 yr 1 and $711,517 yr2 On the other hand Alondo Tucker - Phoenix from Wisconsin drafted at number 29 makes $931,920 yr 1 $1,001,880 yr2 $1,071,720 yr3 $1,934,455 yr4 $2,901,681yr 5 Believe it or not but Monta Ellis only makes $770,610 through 2007-2008
