Wiz decline to offer Qualifying Offer to Trevor Booker

[Severn Hoos]

From Michael Lee's twitter:

Michael Lee: Trevor Booker is an unrestricted free agent & has attracted interest from several teams (MIA, MIN, UTA, BKN, NYK, ORL & WAS), sources say

So apparently we're still interested in bringing him back, we just didn't want to extend the QO for some reason? It would have made more sense if we didn't extend the QO to anybody, but to extend it for Seraphin and not Booker while (at least according to this report) still being interested in bringing Booker back is weird.

Do they think Booker not being restricted will somehow lower the price of keeping him? That teams may not bid as high since there's no fear of matching?

I know it sounds weird, but I think the extension of the offer to Seraphin and not to Booker is an indication that they are more interested in keeping Booker beyond this upcoming season. Let me explain. [pause] No, there is too much. Let me sum up.

I think they are ambivalent at best about keeping Kevin. He has failed to live up to his relatively high draft position. He is serviceable at best at this point - can score in the post and play some positional defense, but a black hole on offense and a poor rebounder for his size. If someone offers him a multi-year contract, I think the Wiz put his agent on hold, do a little jig, then come back and suggest a S&T. That way, they might get something out of the deal, even if it's just a TPE. And if they refuse, oh well - really nothing lost, he walks and the Wiz are no worse off than if they had declined to offer the QO.

On the other hand, if he accepts the QO, they get a 1-year rental of a big man at no acquisition cost. (Using that term separately from salary, meaning they didn't give up an asset to get him.) Replacing Kevin would be somewhat expensive - and while EG has had his share of success with reclamation projects (most here would say that's the only thing he's done well), not sure you want to pin your hopes on Gustavo Ayon or Bernard James. Plus, now they have a $4M+ expiring contract - not sure if they can actually trade him mid-season, but either way he's off the books before we really need the space next summer. I suspect they will never seriously offer a multi-year contract.

On Booker, apparently the number of games he started had an impact on the QO, so that it is higher than the QO for Seraphin, even though Seraphin was drafted higher in the same class and has always had a higher salary. (Do I have that right?) Declining to offer the QO does not affect their Bird rights or ability to negotiate, so it comes down to whether or not they think he will accept a longer term deal reflecting his contribution level - which I would peg at 8th/9th Man / $3M max.

Perhaps in Booker's case, they want him for multiple years at $2-3M per year or not at all, whereas in Seraphin's case they want him for 1 year or not at all.

And finally, I see Kev has chimed in with the possibility that it could be a favor to his agent, which seems just as plausible as any. After all, we keep doing favors around the league, but never do seem to cash them in...

[LyricalRico]

^ I guess that makes some sense, Sev. But they could always rescind the QO and Booker likely wouldn't have signed it until later in the offseason anyway, so it's not like they had to decide now. They could extend it, negotiate for a while with Booker, and then take it back if things went nowhere. I guess we'll have to see how it plays out.

But I'm burying the lead here...

Let me explain. [pause] No, there is too much. Let me sum up.

It is ALWAYS a good time for a Princess Bride reference!

Well done!

[Severn Hoos]

Yeah, I have a hard time understanding why they wouldn't extend the QO to Booker, seems like a (relatively) small cost to keep control in the situation. Most likely, their thinking is that having both guys on the 1-year QO would be too much. Still, I doubt both would have accepted the 1-year deal anyway, so it seems it would be a moot point.

And thanks - I had the utmost confidence you would pick up the reference! It's times like these we need to laugh in order to keep from crying.

[Nivek]

Yeah, I have a hard time understanding why they wouldn't extend the QO to Booker, seems like a (relatively) small cost to keep control in the situation. Most likely, their thinking is that having both guys on the 1-year QO would be too much. Still, I doubt both would have accepted the 1-year deal anyway, so it seems it would be a moot point.

And thanks - I had the utmost confidence you would pick up the reference! It's times like these we need to laugh in order to keep from crying.

What's so funny?

[fishercob]

Yeah, I have a hard time understanding why they wouldn't extend the QO to Booker, seems like a (relatively) small cost to keep control in the situation. Most likely, their thinking is that having both guys on the 1-year QO would be too much. Still, I doubt both would have accepted the 1-year deal anyway, so it seems it would be a moot point.

And thanks - I had the utmost confidence you would pick up the reference! It's times like these we need to laugh in order to keep from crying.

What's so funny?

If you're referring to me not being left-handed, I think you meant to say "why are you smiling?"

[Severn Hoos]

Because I know something you do not know. I am not left-handed.

[Dat2U]

Two guys that can likely be had for the minimum that offer a significant upgrade defensively over Seraphin...

Josh Harrellson... who can even space the floor a bit
Kenyon Martin... has played well in limited minutes last two years in NY.

[mhd]

Two guys that can likely be had for the minimum that offer a significant upgrade defensively over Seraphin...

Josh Harrellson... who can even space the floor a bit
Kenyon Martin... has played well in limited minutes last two years in NY.

I'd go after humphries, but he probably wants multiple years.

[LyricalRico]

The Knicks are looking to use their mini midlevel on a big man, and have inquired about Washington power forward Trevor Booker.

http://nypost.com/2014/07/03/kenyon-mar ... kle-rehab/

[Rafael122]

The Knicks are looking to use their mini midlevel on a big man, and have inquired about Washington power forward Trevor Booker.

http://nypost.com/2014/07/03/kenyon-mar ... kle-rehab/

That's what...$2.5 mil? That would be fine, but it also makes you wonder if he signs it outright and doesn't give the Wizards a chance to match it.

[payitforward]

My guess is that they didn't extend the $4.7m Qualifying offer to Booker, because they were afraid he'd take it! Sign instantly. And then, next year, he'd be an unrestricted FA.

As we can see, a lot of teams are expressing interest in Trevor -- which is no surprise. Not to me at least. So, looking at that $4.7m, he and his agent wouldn't be worrying about whether he'd get multi-year offers next year when he was unrestricted. He'd get as good offers next year as this year.

But that doesn't mean he'd get multiple year offers at $4.7m this year. And $4.7m is a lot of money for a guy like him to leave on the table. Hence, the day that offer came in, it'd be signed.

It would be different if the Qualifying offer had been at $3.4m. In that case, it'd be more or less at the level of the multi-year deal he'd be signing, and giving him the Qual would have allowed the Wizards the time to sign him for multiple years at around that same $$. And if a bigger offer came in, they could match it or let him go or do a sign and trade.

In other words, Kevin would have had strong incentives to sign that Qualifying offer, which means you likely lose him next year. So... don't extend it. Turns out it was a smart move by Ernie, and he gets credit for it. Or Ted does.

They'll still sign him. It'll just cost them a little less this year than otherwise.