Giddens not in Camp

[Bozo]

bartelstein playing hardball with ainge

I wonder if this is related to the Posey situation.  I read somewhere that Bartelstein was ticked off by the offer.  So he's out shopping Posey, holding JR back, and telling us that PJ is not coming back.  He also represents Cassel.   

I hope he and Ainge settle their misunderstanding. 

[tallpaul]

I don't blame him for not being in camp without a contract - and for pushing for everything he can get given the constraints of the rookie deal guidelines.

If you look at the exchange rates with the Euro, and his likely playing time with the Cs in the next year or 2, if I was his agent I might point him to Europe for a couple years. Make more, play more. I hear JR is quite the renaissance man, so would bask in the cultural life over there.

[libermaniac]

bartelstein playing hardball with ainge

I wonder if this is related to the Posey situation.  I read somewhere that Bartelstein was ticked off by the offer.  So he's out shopping Posey, holding JR back, and telling us that PJ is not coming back.  He also represents Cassel.   

I hope he and Ainge settle their misunderstanding. 

I don't know about that.  If you are a player and you find out that your agent's other clients are affecting YOUR contract negotiations, you fire him on the spot.

[Roy Hobbs]

Enough with the "retarded" talk.  Use another word. -R.H.

[Roy Hobbs]

The slotted amount for the #30 pick in this draft is $797,600.  However, there are complications to this, as BudweiserCeltic alluded to.

A team may sign a player for as little as 80% or as much as 120% of the scale salary figure.  For example, the 1st year salary for the #1 overall pick drafted in 2005 can be as little as $2,893,680 or as much as $4,340,520.  In most cases, the contract that is actually signed is for the maximum 120% figure.  Teams are able to provide this amount using the Rookie exception, even if they are over the salary cap.  Annual raises are limited to 8%, and also can't exceed 120% of the scale amount for that season.

44.  What if a team likes its first round pick and wants to sign him, but either feels he isn't worth the scale salary or doesn't want to commit to two seasons?

They're stuck. In essence, this makes late first round picks less valuable, because it forces teams to make a two-year commitment to a marginal player.  It was worse under the previous CBA, when the minimum commitment was three years.  In 1996, rather than give their first round pick Travis Knight (29th overall) a three-year deal, the Bulls renounced him, making him a free agent.

My guess is that Ainge is trying to sign him for less than this 120% figure, due to our luxury tax concerns. 

I don't think the amount of years is a concern, however.  The standard rookie contract under the current CBA is two years guaranteed, plus options in both the third and fourth year.  I don't believe either the team or player can deviate from that.

[wiley]

Maybe Ainge is trying to trade him to his hometown (Ok. City) for big guy Swift.  I hope not.  I think Danny made a great pick and they should get J.R. in here asap.....

[Roy Hobbs]

By the way, in reference to the range I cited above, Giddens can be signed for any amount between $638,080 and $957,120 in his first year. 

Thus, we're talking about nearly $319,040, which is doubled under the luxury tax.  It's not simply a formality.

[RonJohn]

Roy, thanks for the info. It helps explain what is happening.

[libermaniac]

By the way, in reference to the range I cited above, Giddens can be signed for any amount between $638,080 and $957,120 in his first year. 

Thus, we're talking about nearly $319,040, which is doubled under the luxury tax.  It's not simply a formality.

Ya, especially not for Giddens. Can't blame him for not reporting to camp if the C's are nickle-and-dime'ing him, especially since ...

In most cases, the contract that is actually signed is for the maximum 120% figure.