KJ McDaniels re-signs with Rockets for 3 years/$10 million

[saltlover]

It seems the $10 million is fully guaranteed from my best internet research. This is why Mickey is strongly considering signing a 1-year tender to test restricted free agency next year.  McDaniels signed the 1-year last year as a projected first who fell to the second, and has clearly been rewarded for it.  He will have made more over his first four seasons than #11 pick Doug McDermott will make, and unlike McDermott, will not be a restricted free agent after year 4.

C's would be wise to lock Mickey up I think at whatever they're giving Hunter.  Also, look for the slotting system in the first round to be extended to the second round in the next CBA. Owners can't like what McDaniels just did, nor can players drafted between 11 and 31 last year (McDaniels was picked 32).

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/13284082/houston-rockets-re-sign-kj-mcdaniels

[Denis998]

I think the league needs to rethink second rounder contracts. Maybe make the contracts  more uniform like first rounders. I can picture this trend getting out of hand quickly, and most second rounders opt'ing for that one year deal.

[CelticsFanFromNYC]

I really think the league needs to rethink second rounder contracts. Maybe make it more uniform contracts sort of like first rounders. I can picture this trend getting out of hand quickly, and most second rounders opt'ing for that one year deal.

Im surprised is was never uniformed in the first place. All that means is they figured 2nd rounders chances of amounting to anything was pretty low. Now talent is emerging from everywhere they ***can't hate players for taking advantage of it. 

[obnoxiousmime]

I can see the players acquiescing to some sort of arrangement in the next deal that gives teams some level of control over 2nd-rounders who unexpectedly "pop," since the union always protects established players over younger ones. That's why first-rounders are still controllable their first four years in the league.

[LooseCannon]

I can see the players acquiescing to some sort of arrangement in the next deal that gives teams some level of control over 2nd-rounders who unexpectedly "pop," since the union always protects established players over younger ones. That's why first-rounders are still controllable their first four years in the league.

That is what the Gilbert Arenas provision is for.

[Roy H.]

Morey overpaid. McDaniels hadn't proven that he's rotation-worthy yet.

[saltlover]

I can see the players acquiescing to some sort of arrangement in the next deal that gives teams some level of control over 2nd-rounders who unexpectedly "pop," since the union always protects established players over younger ones. That's why first-rounders are still controllable their first four years in the league.

That is what the Gilbert Arenas provision is for.

Interestingly, the Gilber Arenas provision only applies to players with 2-3 years of experience who are early Bird free agents and restricted.  KJ McDaniels would not have qualified.  Nor would Mickeg qualify next year.

[LGC88]

Morey overpaid. McDaniels hadn't proven that he's rotation-worthy yet.

And he's setting a bad example to other 2nd round players who think way above their head.
Some will steal money, which is ok (I don't have sympathy for GMs overpaying players), but some might have a promising career end badly and prematurely because of this.
This is not good, I hope the nba will fix this.

[Boris Badenov]

It seems the $10 million is fully guaranteed from my best internet research. This is why Mickey is strongly considering signing a 1-year tender to test restricted free agency next year.  McDaniels signed the 1-year last year as a projected first who fell to the second, and has clearly been rewarded for it.  He will have made more over his first four seasons than #11 pick Doug McDermott will make, and unlike McDermott, will not be a restricted free agent after year 4.

C's would be wise to lock Mickey up I think at whatever they're giving Hunter.  Also, look for the slotting system in the first round to be extended to the second round in the next CBA. Owners can't like what McDaniels just did, nor can players drafted between 11 and 31 last year (McDaniels was picked 32).

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/13284082/houston-rockets-re-sign-kj-mcdaniels

I was thinking the same thing.

I see this as the first obvious unintended consequence of the cap going up. Teams are a lot more willing to throw $2-3 million per year at anyone.

Another way to deal with the problem would be to change slotting for first round picks - or give teams the option to offer their first rounders cap money or exception money if they wanted to. I prefer your option, as it will lead to fewer holdouts.

In the short run, however, mid- to late-first round draft picks are more valuable. Teams can draft 4-year guys with those picks and get cheaper production than from any other source of talent.

[Roy H.]

It seems the $10 million is fully guaranteed from my best internet research. This is why Mickey is strongly considering signing a 1-year tender to test restricted free agency next year.  McDaniels signed the 1-year last year as a projected first who fell to the second, and has clearly been rewarded for it.  He will have made more over his first four seasons than #11 pick Doug McDermott will make, and unlike McDermott, will not be a restricted free agent after year 4.

C's would be wise to lock Mickey up I think at whatever they're giving Hunter.  Also, look for the slotting system in the first round to be extended to the second round in the next CBA. Owners can't like what McDaniels just did, nor can players drafted between 11 and 31 last year (McDaniels was picked 32).

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/13284082/houston-rockets-re-sign-kj-mcdaniels

I was thinking the same thing.

I see this as the first obvious unintended consequence of the cap going up. Teams are a lot more willing to throw $2-3 million per year at anyone.

Another way to deal with the problem would be to change slotting for first round picks - or give teams the option to offer their first rounders cap money or exception money if they wanted to. I prefer your option, as it will lead to fewer holdouts.

In the short run, however, mid- to late-first round draft picks are more valuable. Teams can draft 4-year guys with those picks and get cheaper production than from any other source of talent.

I think a sensible thing to do would be to raise the 1st round rookie scale, and to change the tender for 2nd round picks to a two year contract.

[obnoxiousmime]

I can see the players acquiescing to some sort of arrangement in the next deal that gives teams some level of control over 2nd-rounders who unexpectedly "pop," since the union always protects established players over younger ones. That's why first-rounders are still controllable their first four years in the league.

That is what the Gilbert Arenas provision is for.

I thought the Gilbert Arenas provision was "no guns in the clubhouse." 

[BudweiserCeltic]

I can see the players acquiescing to some sort of arrangement in the next deal that gives teams some level of control over 2nd-rounders who unexpectedly "pop," since the union always protects established players over younger ones. That's why first-rounders are still controllable their first four years in the league.

That is what the Gilbert Arenas provision is for.

Interestingly, the Gilber Arenas provision only applies to players with 2-3 years of experience who are early Bird free agents and restricted.  KJ McDaniels would not have qualified.  Nor would Mickeg qualify next year.

I don't think that's correct:

"Teams are now limited in the salary they can offer in an offer sheet to a restricted free agent with one or two years in the league. The first-year salary in the offer sheet cannot be greater than the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level exception (see question number 25). Limiting the first-year salary in this way enables the player's original team to match the offer sheet by using the Early Bird exception (if applicable -- see question number 25), or Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level exception (provided they have it and haven't used it already)"

Of course, this only applies to teams that go over the cap that were found they didn't have cap room to match offers to their restricted free-agents (who they didn't have Bird rights on).

So I think it applies to Mickey.

Have to pay attention to the 3rd year of contracts in offer sheets if signed, those can be quite high.

[saltlover]

I can see the players acquiescing to some sort of arrangement in the next deal that gives teams some level of control over 2nd-rounders who unexpectedly "pop," since the union always protects established players over younger ones. That's why first-rounders are still controllable their first four years in the league.

That is what the Gilbert Arenas provision is for.

Interestingly, the Gilber Arenas provision only applies to players with 2-3 years of experience who are early Bird free agents and restricted.  KJ McDaniels would not have qualified.  Nor would Mickeg qualify next year.

I don't think that's correct:

"Teams are now limited in the salary they can offer in an offer sheet to a restricted free agent with one or two years in the league. The first-year salary in the offer sheet cannot be greater than the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level exception (see question number 25). Limiting the first-year salary in this way enables the player's original team to match the offer sheet by using the Early Bird exception (if applicable -- see question number 25), or Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level exception (provided they have it and haven't used it already)"

Of course, this only applies to teams that go over the cap that were found they didn't have cap room to match offers to their restricted free-agents (who they didn't have Bird rights on).

So I think it applies to Mickey.

Have to pay attention to the 3rd year of contracts in offer sheets if signed, those can be quite high.

My mistake.  I missed the part about the MLE, and focused on Early Bird rights, which first year players don't have.  TP for the correction.

[BudweiserCeltic]

I can see the players acquiescing to some sort of arrangement in the next deal that gives teams some level of control over 2nd-rounders who unexpectedly "pop," since the union always protects established players over younger ones. That's why first-rounders are still controllable their first four years in the league.

That is what the Gilbert Arenas provision is for.

Interestingly, the Gilber Arenas provision only applies to players with 2-3 years of experience who are early Bird free agents and restricted.  KJ McDaniels would not have qualified.  Nor would Mickeg qualify next year.

I don't think that's correct:

"Teams are now limited in the salary they can offer in an offer sheet to a restricted free agent with one or two years in the league. The first-year salary in the offer sheet cannot be greater than the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level exception (see question number 25). Limiting the first-year salary in this way enables the player's original team to match the offer sheet by using the Early Bird exception (if applicable -- see question number 25), or Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level exception (provided they have it and haven't used it already)"

Of course, this only applies to teams that go over the cap that were found they didn't have cap room to match offers to their restricted free-agents (who they didn't have Bird rights on).

So I think it applies to Mickey.

Have to pay attention to the 3rd year of contracts in offer sheets if signed, those can be quite high.

My mistake.  I missed the part about the MLE, and focused on Early Bird rights, which first year players don't have.  TP for the correction.

Was waiting to take revenge on your for correcting me the other day! Payback is a... :p

With our logjam at PF, it'll be hard to see him playing himself into an un-matchable offer, but we'll see. That said, if he took the tendered offer in one year, he might also be open to do it once again... which might be quite interesting to see.

[Gainesville Celtic]

I think the league needs to rethink second rounder contracts. Maybe make the contracts  more uniform like first rounders. I can picture this trend getting out of hand quickly, and most second rounders opt'ing for that one year deal.

Perhaps, but I think that's unlikely in that it shifts the risk almost totally to the player to do that. I think KJ McDaniels' case was more rare:

KJ was a guy that was projected to be a late 1st roudner AND went to an awful 76ers team where he could more reasonably expect playing time than most other 2nd rounders. And IIRC  Heinke's 4-year 2nd round deals are all 1 year + 3 semi-or-non-guaranteed.

IMO, if Mickey (or any 2nd rounder) is offered a 3 year guaranteed deal (like we did with Ryan Gomes back in the day), i think it'll be 98 times out of 100 that they take the guarantee. It guarantees them not just the money (tho less than a 1st rounder) but the chance to prove their worth to the team.

For a 2nd rounder to take a 1 year deal only they will have to assume they will (a) get some semblance of playing time and (b) not suffer an injury that could keep them from getting a 2nd contract.

I guess I can see the argument that even in the worst case scenario, a 2nd rounder (esp. in the new, larger cap era) has to just flash enough *potential* for a team to take a chance on a, say, 2yr $5M contract. But keep in mind that there will be 30 more 2nd rounders coming into the league the following year and that still ignores the fairly large risk McDaniels took.

That he succeeded, or dodged that risk, i don't think will usher in a new era of players doing the same.

Morey overpaid. McDaniels hadn't proven that he's rotation-worthy yet.

It's of course a very small sample size, but I'd disagree. McDaniels has shown to be a defender ahead of most other young players. It's at worst a good gamble by Morey IMO, but I think will turn out to an excellent value contract (3yr $10 now is like $3yrs 6 was before, right)

His rookie season was arguably better than his teammate (and not-bad-comp) Corey Brewer:

http://bkref.com/tiny/P3iiB