I forgot how many years Barkley had been in the league. Yes, if they don't want him back or are not sure then they don't take the option before next season, just like LA didn't with George last year. The point is that this trade does not add guaranteed salary for 2003-04.
The option "commits" Collier to one more season with Houston (his 4th year in the league). He's already "committed" for the 3rd season under his rookie deal. You are correct in that the option for the 4th year must be exercised before the start of the 3rd season. You're right, but the way that you have explained it makes it sound as though the option is for two additional guaranteed seasons instead of just one.
MrSpur, There are two more years of committed contract at the date of exercising a 4th yr. The 3rd yr already being committed goes without saying, since 4th yr options are for the 4th yr. The only reason to misunderstand my originally explanation "we are stuck with him for 2 more yrs" is if you didn't know when the option must be exercised. We were talking in context of you calling him under a restricted yr next Summer, which cannot happen. It would take 2yrs for that to happen, and they'd have to exercise his option this summer. I was making a very minor correction to what you were saying. No need to read the CBA to me and get into a semantics discussioin of what "2 more years means." the way mfclark said it in his "correction" of me is incorrect: Nope. If you exercise the option, he is remains for the following TWO seasons, the 3rd and 4th.
What I am saying is that the way your explanation sounds is that the option is for two additional years (3rd & 4th) instead of just one (the 4th). That is why the other poster and I misunderstood one of your later posts in the thread.
It was a communication difference. The way I took it when you posted it was that by exercising the option, it would be for years 4 and 5 (which wouldn't be correct), not 3 and 4 (which, in effect, would be correct, though the option has no bearing on year 3).
The option is for the 4th yr. I don't understand the "communication difference." I had already called it a 4th yr option. I was correction his timing of restricted yrs saying it was 2yrs after exercising your option, and that it CANNOT happen unless you exercise that option. The context was that there is no way for a restricted scenario to exist next summer. <i>If you exercise the option, he remains for the following season (his 4th year in the NBA). </i> The following season is not the "4th yr." The following season is the "3rd yr." It is an important distinction, because we will now very soon whether Barkley can be renounced next summer or not. That was MrSpurs main point. I was trying to be precise to the dates. Sorry, I assumed everyone knew when I said 4th yr option, I didn't mean the 5th year. I also assumed everyone understood this as 2yrs versus 1yr. <i>If we exercise the option, we are stuck with him for 2 more yrs. If we don't, he becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer.</i> The second sentence is one yr. bling bling??
Ah, ok that makes sense now. I see several posters have also said that the Spurs were confident in Ginobili. Then this is a smart move then if Ginobili is as good as they think.
Yes, & I think that big-time player that they try to get will be Kidd. It's who Duncan wants. Does Duncan have 1 or 2 years left on his contract?
