Yi Contract Option - What am I missing?

Petro45 · Post #1 » by **Petro45** » Fri Jun 25, 2010 8:51 pm

Either our brain trust did something incredibly stupid this year that I have yet to see them called out on, or I'm just missing something. If it's the latter, I'd appreciate if someone filled me in.

We exercised a contract option on Yi this year. Didn't that cost us $4 million in cap room that we would have had had we NOT exercised the option? If we didn't exercise the option, would we have had room for 2 max (or at least near-max) contracts?

If I'm correct, what the **** was Thorn thinking? And why hasn't he been called out for such an indefensible decision? Whenever I read someone talking about trading Yi to create additional cap space, I keep thinking "why did we exercise his option in the first place, if we want his contract off our books"?

Again, it's highly likely I'm missing something since I haven't seen anyone lambasting Thorn for this decision (though it's equally possible that no one is ripping him because, other than those of us on this board, no one gives a **** about the Nets). Either way, illumination would be appreciated.

Preludepunk27 · Post #2 » by **Preludepunk27** » Fri Jun 25, 2010 9:28 pm

Petro45 wrote:Either our brain trust did something incredibly stupid this year that I have yet to see them called out on, or I'm just missing something. If it's the latter, I'd appreciate if someone filled me in.

We exercised a contract option on Yi this year. Didn't that cost us $4 million in cap room that we would have had had we NOT exercised the option? If we didn't exercise the option, would we have had room for 2 max (or at least near-max) contracts?

If I'm correct, what the **** was Thorn thinking? And why hasn't he been called out for such an indefensible decision? Whenever I read someone talking about trading Yi to create additional cap space, I keep thinking "why did we exercise his option in the first place, if we want his contract off our books"?

Again, it's highly likely I'm missing something since I haven't seen anyone lambasting Thorn for this decision (though it's equally possible that no one is ripping him because, other than those of us on this board, no one gives a **** about the Nets). Either way, illumination would be appreciated.

Though we're trying to move him, we exercised his option few a few reasons, but the main one to me is this:

Yi does have value with GM's in the league. Some may feel his value is more "off the court" than on, but he's an asset that has decent value nonetheless. A lot of people still feel he can be a solid rotational/spot-starter in the NBA. He can be placed into a deal as a sweetner for a team that is looking for a deal to get a guy who is worth taking a chance on (see: when we traded for him).

The other thing is...if he started showing he was reaching his potential...we wouldn't be having a conversation about free agent power forwards as much as we do right now.

SpeedyG · Post #3 » by **SpeedyG** » Fri Jun 25, 2010 11:55 pm

And Yi did show a lot of promise early on...then he got hurt and it's like...he forgot how to play in that timespan

ecuhus1981 · Post #4 » by **ecuhus1981** » Sat Jun 26, 2010 1:36 am

^

Yeah, the front office aren't fortune tellers. We had no clue how much Yi would progress this season, and in the meantime, we needed a PF. Yi did progress some, but we have our sights set on elite FAs and have brand-new high-ceiling PF in the fold. So under the right circumstances, Yi is expendable.

vincecarter4pres · Post #5 » by **vincecarter4pres** » Sat Jun 26, 2010 5:02 am

This may have literally been the move that has lead to Thorn being fir... retiring...

SouthJersey · Post #6 » by **SouthJersey** » Sat Jun 26, 2010 6:03 am

What max free agents were the Nets going to sign? Im not trying to be mean, but lets be honest. How many max FA arent big men and would want to come to NJ? Wade isnt, Lebron isnt. Maybe Gay and JJ will, but do you really think they should get a Max contract? You dont just go giving out Max contracts to any free agent who is a good player. I mean, who do you think you are, the Knicks?

TheNetsFan · Post #7 » by **TheNetsFan** » Sat Jun 26, 2010 6:04 am

I was strongly against picking up Yi's option, but most on another board I frequent were all for it at the time. The problem was that his option had to be exercised prior to the start of last season. Yi had flashed some potential & some pictures of him looking juiced up. Kiki had his man crush on him. Yormark was trying to arrange Chinese Food night & a million other Yi-centric gimmicks at the Izod Center. Prokhy was still nowhere in sight. Picking up his option was probably more marketing related than basketball related. Plus, pre-Prokhy, nobody believed we had a legit shot at Lebron.

SOUP · Post #8 » by **SOUP** » Sat Jun 26, 2010 12:14 pm

TheNetsFan wrote:I was strongly against picking up Yi's option, but most on another board I frequent were all for it at the time.

Guilty as charged. :cry:

Marc · Post #9 » by **Marc** » Sat Jun 26, 2010 6:14 pm

vincecarter4pres wrote:This may have literally been the move that has lead to Thorn being fir... retiring...

What about trading for Kris Humphries? Nets traded expiring contracts for him.

vincecarter4pres · Post #10 » by **vincecarter4pres** » Sat Jun 26, 2010 7:50 pm

Marc wrote:
vincecarter4pres wrote:This may have literally been the move that has lead to Thorn being fir... retiring...

What about trading for Kris Humphries? Nets traded expiring contracts for him.

Wrong. Thorn traded Eduardo Najera for him. Then again, I among others have always questioned why he had signed Najera to begin with...

Marc · Post #11 » by **Marc** » Sun Jun 27, 2010 2:12 am

vincecarter4pres wrote:
Marc wrote:
vincecarter4pres wrote:This may have literally been the move that has lead to Thorn being fir... retiring...

What about trading for Kris Humphries? Nets traded expiring contracts for him.

Wrong. Thorn traded Eduardo Najera for him. Then again, I among others have always questioned why he had signed Najera to begin with...

Oh, yeah. You are right and you are right about signing Najera being a dumb thing, LOL.

Dexmor · Post #12 » by **Dexmor** » Sun Jun 27, 2010 9:52 pm

I agree. there not getting 2 max players.

enetric · Post #13 » by **enetric** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 3:22 pm

Wasnt NAjera part of the price of the Kidd trade? wasnt he part of the match? Turning him later into Hump appeared the best we could do at the break.

I thinlk we should be able to move him. If he opts in....cash+his contract+a 2nd...for a TPE? He has 1 year 3.2 left on that deal.