So rookie scale for the #1 is $9,937,000 and the max we could offer him is 11,925,000. I think that is fair, but I don't know why the Rockets would nickel and dime him for 1.5 million bucks over three years. Is the fourth year automatically part of the contract because if it isn't then it actually might be better for Ming.He then could negotiate a max contract right after the third year.
The 5th year player option is also being taken into account when coming up with those figures. Here's the complete rookie salary scale- link
Wang Zhizhi had only 3% of Yao's contract . He should be happy, lucky big boy. Actually he is happy to play high level basketball and get paid. I don't understand why Chinese basketball reporters are so mean. They should put their efforts on explaining their yao Ming's absence from summer league and training this year, next year,....
Actually I was wrong about those numbers. I accidently used last years rookie scale. The numbers should be 10,369,400 with a max of 12,442,680.
windandsea, the article is misleading. Every new #1 is paid more than the previous. It is guaranteed. They all negotiate the max starting base, according to your numbers. Ming can too. This is only a offer. Ming can come back with 120% over the initial base, with standard raises for rookie scales...which are 7.5% of initial base (and I believe the raise rate is non-negotiable).
2002-03 NBA Rookie Scale Pick 1st Year 2nd Year 3rd Year 4th Opt 5th Qualifying 1 $3,215,200 $3,456,300 $3,697,400 26.1% 30.0% So he would make 4662421 in year 4 and 6061147 in year 4. So his contract would be 15,031,321 over 4 years and 21,092,468 over the full 5 years. DaDakota
Kwame can make more that Ming since Kwame got the 120% of the rookie scale which guaranteed for around 12 million dollars. If Ming gets the standard rookie, he would make less than Kwame.
max Kwama Brown can make is: 120% of 3,081.2 = 3,697 base year with a simple interest raise of 7.5% so: yr 1 = 3,697 yr 2 = 3,975 yr 3 = 4,252 ----------------- Brown's maximum total for 3 yrs = $11,924 his 4th yr is maximum raise of 126% for $5,357 for a total of $17.2 as the article states
Maybe the front management has been considering all the costs they've spent on flying over China to see Ming, and those long-distance phone charges... Anyway, the amount actually doen't matter much, as long as Ming plays well during his service for the Rox, he'll get kind of "compensation" later on while he's seeking an extension, right?
Ming can start at 120% of $3,215 = $3,858 For a simply interest raise of 7.5% = $289K more each of the first 3 yrs, and a 126% raise for the 4th year, for a maximum of $17,741 mil for the 4 yrs. Now, this is all negotiable within a 20% range and he can take a 20% signing bonus instead to use to pay off the Sharks...one or the other. (But it doesn't appear that the bonus is as good as the higher base pay.) bottomline: Ming can still negotiate. As far as I know, all teams hand players the standard scale first.
what hp said w&s. the article is including the team option years as part of the initial contract offer. nuh-uh. Rockets will pick up the option for the 4th and 5th years I can guarantee you that, and he will end up getting the same as those guys brought up in the article. he is not getting ripped by the rocks.
The reporter comforted Ming that Nachbar's salary from Rockets is much less than Ming. Ming began to laugh when he heard this. He cannot go out because he is so tall that everybody in the street will know he is Ming. Besides the practice, he plays games at his small dorm and began to learn to cook green bean soup. This reporter had the honor to taste that soup. It's..........
Heypartner is right W&S. Ming will get more than the any previous #1 picks. Plus, there is no way that in Mings in his 4th year is only going to get only 3.2 mil, to get it up to a total of 14 million for 4 years. The 4th year, he should gets much more than the first year. I bet that 14 million is the max for just 3 years, with more to come for the 4th year. They probably have offered Ming less, due to the fact that he can not be here 100% and that is part of the deal. In addition, they have already discussed and probably agreed on the money figures a long time ago. The reporters are just looking for something to write about. Believe me, China officals are very highly interested in the money and this has been discussed and agreed upon a long time ago. This is not a surprise with Ming officals. Ming is surprised, because he does not care about the money, and probably the reporters have taken Ming's reaction out of context. What probably really happend was, that Ming was surprised how much money he is really worth. Go Ming!!!!!
Seems strange to me. One would think they would certainly want the longest contract possible. And they don't want to alienate the guy. Chinese officials certainly would rather him be in NY or LA. If the Rockets want him long-term, I'd treat him with kid gloves.
windandsea, after running the numbers, it looks like the initial offer by the Rockets is a standard scale with no raise for the 4th yr. It is up to Ming to negotiate 120% higher for his initial base, like Kwama Brown did. As for raises, they are locked in at 7.5% simple interest (i'm pretty sure). As for the 4th year, that raise is indeed locked in at 126% for a #1 pick and is non-negotiable if the team takes the option, so the reporter calculations are just wrong for that. At standard scale, Ming makes $15.2m for 4 yrs...his maximum scale is $17.7
I agree with your guys. Yao Ming has no concept about money. The reporter told him that he would earn the lowest money in all #1 and #2 picks in recent years. And then he comforted him that Nachbar only got $3 million. It's funny.
Maybe this has something to do with it? NEW YORK (AP) -- The NBA salary cap is going down for the first time in its 18-year history. The cap, which rose last year by $7 million to $42.5 million, was dropped on Tuesday to $40.271 million for the 2002-03 season primarily because of a $100 million-plus decrease in guaranteed television money. In January, the NBA completed television packages with The Walt Disney Co. and AOL Time Warner Inc. worth $4.6 billion over six years. Its deal with NBC expired at the end of last season. During the first four years of the NBA's current collective bargaining agreement, the average player salary increased approximately 54 percent from $2.6 million to $4 million. Though the average salary decreased last season from $4.2 million in 2000-01, it is expected that the average will rise next season because of scheduled salary increases in long-term guaranteed contracts, free agent signings, and exceptions available under the collective bargaining agreement. The players' union declined to comment Tuesday night. The NBA also announced on Tuesday that the mid-level exception that teams can offer free agents is going up from $4.538 million to $4.545 million. According to the union, players are going to get back $77 million from the NBA, in part because there wasn't a luxury tax assessed to teams because the combined salary and benefits failed to reach 61.1 percent of defined gross revenues. Of the $77 million, players will receive $22 million from the escrow because the percentage was only 60.2. In addition, a provision in the collective bargaining agreement called for salaries to rise at least $50 million, and they fell $43 million short, money that is being returned. The final $12 million, to be delivered in an annuity, is going back to players in new benefits. The minimum team salary for next season will be $30.2 million. Last year, the salary cap was increased from $35.5 million to $42.5 million. The increase of $7 million from the previous year's cap represented the second-largest annual jump since the cap was instituted for the 1984-85 season.
I can't believe that Kwame Brown's getting more money than Elton Brand and Kenyon Martin ... When will Kwame become an all-star? During his 4th, or 5th year?
NO TRICKS PLEASE!! Houston Rockets you would be advised not to take any advantage of yao Ming! Pay him what he is worth as the 1st pick 2002/2003, including the extra 20%. Les you should be straight forward in dealing with this person of high ideals.
Here's some perspective: J#2 ay Will signs 3 year close to $10 m according to espn. http://espn.go.com/nba/news/2002/0710/1404311.html "We're ecstatic, it's the culmination to two months of effort on our part and on their part to get it together,'' said Williams' agent Bill Duffy. The deal, he said, is worth close to $10 million. I will interpret close as slightly less. Correct me if I am wrong. #6 Wagner, will make $2.3 million next season and $10.7 million over four years according to espn. http://espn.go.com/nba/news/2002/0716/1406272.html So I would say rocket's offer is a fair starting offer. Is a 3 year deal better than a 4 year deal? Well, if Yao ming is as good as advertised, it should be. Chinese reporters suck(I have many friends who are in journalist business and they admitt), besides few reports has the luxury of doing the investigative reporting, these internet reporters don't count.
