Thugger HBC wrote:drekwins wrote:Thugger HBC wrote:We just used our mid level to sign Ron Baker which came out to under 5 mil a season, so that's not accurate at all.
The Knicks used their room exception...which is 4.3mil per. The non-taxpayer mid-level is 8.4 million and projected to be over 10 million by the 4th year of Tim's contract. Also, keep in mind, Tim is a starter/top 6-7 rotation guy that's only 24. The mid-level exception includes rookie scale salaries, non-rotation players and end of the bench scrubs. So, it's not really a fair barometer in judging average salary. To determine that, you'd have to only count rotation players and exclude rookie contracts.
His contract really isn't THAT bad. The max is going to be 40 million per year very soon.
Really all that needs to be said.
It really doesn't... That's exactly the problem with the fans. Everything is in absolutes. Everything is either a 10 - Great or a 0 - Terrible. There is a wide gap of in-between. Consider this, how many players off their rookie contracts, with starting potential, change teams for less than the max? It doesn't happen. Restricted free agency is set up in a way that allows all teams to keep their young talent. Yet, the knicks got a young starter with very good efficiency numbers (who also seems to work hard on his game) for an amount that's significantly less. It just doesn't happen in today's NBA.
Typically, players with potential do not reach free agency until their 7th-8th year in the league. By then, they're 26, 27 or 28. In order to get a 24 year old in free agency, right off of his rookie deal, that's actually starter material, without even going close to the max is unheard of. You have to understand, the great prospects are not available until much later in their career. You really couldn't expect much better... maybe 10 mill less in total contract. That's really not material if he plays well.