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Via Netsdaily.com
http://www.northjersey.com/sports/pro_s ... offer.html

"The record doesn't mean much when you're dealing with a team," Gay said before scoring 29 points Sunday. "You're thinking about yourself and how you can contribute, and that's what other teams think.

"Wherever you feel like you're wanted the most, that's where you're going to be."

After watching last night's game, I left very impressed with how effective and efficient Gay was throughout. I think he would be a great fit for our team too. What do you guys think about him and the Nets potentially signing him? What are the Grizzles chances of matching an offer?

I think the Grizzlies match anything unless we overpay by a lot.

Rich Rane wrote:I think the Grizzlies match anything unless we overpay by a lot.

I agree...

Joe Johnson vs Rudy Gay??????????????????????????

jerseyjac wrote:

Rich Rane wrote:I think the Grizzlies match anything unless we overpay by a lot.

I agree...

Joe Johnson vs Rudy Gay??????????????????????????

What be considered "overpaying" for Rudy Gay? I'm just curious to get an idea on the Grizzles limits. I've heard numerous reports that the Grizzles weren't really thinking of resigning Gay in the off season...But then again I could have read that here on the General board which would make it false lol

Nah Grizz are kind of cheap... I don't think you'll be able to lowball Gay but I think the Nets would be able to pay Gay a reasonable salary and still get him.

The key will be in throwing some stupid signing bonus that forces the Grizzlies to pay a done of money upfront...

I'm just worried about how there are going to be other teams competing for his services (I also think Memphis might be open to a sign and trade for Gay if they resign Brewer)...

Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley has a reputation of being cheap. Particularly since the Pau Gasol trade. However in a small market, you have to be fiscally responsible when building a team.

He has come out and said that he has every intention of signing both Gay and Brewer long term.

Gay remains a Griz for anything 12 million a year and less, IMHO.

Is he wotrh over paying for? if so how much more? Does he have an upside still or is he as good as he is right now?

Aussie 2point0 wrote:Is he wotrh over paying for? if so how much more? Does he have an upside still or is he as good as he is right now?

He's not the defender that Danny Granger is but offensively he's close (still not quite there yet but he's 3 years younger). He's not hitting his 3's at the same rate he was the last few years but I definitely think Gay is a diamond in the rough player (which is kind of odd to say given that he's been averaging roughly 20 ppg for 3 years now).

I think he still has upside. He's still very young. I don't know that he is worth overpaying for though, especially with the new CBA coming up, then again, it isn't our money and you can't keep cap space forever.

vincecarter4pres wrote:I think he still has upside. He's still very young. I don't know that he is worth overpaying for though, especially with the new CBA coming up, then again, it isn't our money and you can't keep cap space forever.

Here's what I figure Devin is really the only guy locked up long-term, and honestly old CBA or new CBA what he's getting paid seems like fair value.

Everyone else or well just Lopez at this point in time is going to get his big fat extension under the new CBA, given that this team doesn't have any bad contracts anymore I'd be fine with "overpaying" Rudy Gay under the old CBA as this team still has plenty of flexibility moving forward.

There are some the sky is falling scenarios out there for the new CBA but we're not going to see something where guys like Rudy Gay are making half of what they would have made under the old CBA in the new CBA.

vincecarter4pres wrote:I think he still has upside. He's still very young. I don't know that he is worth overpaying for though, especially with the new CBA coming up, then again, it isn't our money and you can't keep cap space forever.

thats the key that no one wants to admit...(yeh be patient wait out for Durant, there goes 2011...)
the front office will have to take a stab at somebody...

Netsultimatefan63 wrote:

jerseyjac wrote:

Rich Rane wrote:I think the Grizzlies match anything unless we overpay by a lot.

I agree...

Joe Johnson vs Rudy Gay??????????????????????????

What be considered "overpaying" for Rudy Gay? I'm just curious to get an idea on the Grizzles limits. I've heard numerous reports that the Grizzles weren't really thinking of resigning Gay in the off season...But then again I could have read that here on the General board which would make it false lol

ahh who knows...I just think they will match what any team will throw at him...even us...because I dont think we overpay Rudy....

I don't know, I can't crunch the numbers now but if you throw a maximum signing bonus at Gay and front load the contract I don't think the Grizzlies will match the offer for Gay.

Having to pay a boatload of money up front just seems like something that franchise won't want to do... And while normally it's something the Nets wouldn't be able to do but now that Prokostorkworkwhateverov is in town ...

Similar to Johnson, Boozer and others, Rudy will have to wait his turn while the dust settles with the 1st-tier FAs this summer. But I think Gay would be a worthwhile signing, if some of our loftier plans fall through the cracks. I'd feel comfortable with 6 years, $72mil with a $6mil of that in the form of an up-front signing bonus.

We'd then still have 8-figure money to go after another guy like Lee, or leverage that capspace for a TPE trade (NOH might seriously make West available if their season keeps going south). Yi/CDR/GSW for West/Posey would work with our capspace this summer (saving the Hornets $10mil in capspace immediately), and would certainly make us a more ready-to-contend squad.

LOL @ ur sig netsforce

i think if we got gay we would be significantly overpaying, hes good but hes not worth more money than the grizzlies will most likely offer

Well he already turned down 5 years at 10 a year even.

^Damn, to be fair I thought that would be what the Nets should offer, but with more signing bonus.

Not too long ago the Grizzlies threw a 5 year $58 million dollar deal at Josh Smith which the Hawks matched... I feel like that number right there is also the Grizz's limit for resigning Gay.

5 year $60 million is what Danny Granger got and he's clearly better than Gay... Then again when you consider age and injury history I don't think it's out of the realm of likely possibilities that someone throws that kind of money at Gay.

So with all that being said if the Nets want Gay and our boy Porky is as rich and passionate as they say he is the Nets could throw something like this at Gay:

Length: 5 years
Amount: $53 million (3% raises)*
Signing bonus: $10.6 million**
Total amount: $63.6 million
On the salary cap it would look like this:

Year 1: $12,120,000
Year 2: $12,420,000
Year 3: $12,720,000
Year 4: $13,020,000
Year 5: $13,320,000

In terms of what Gay would actually receive each year assuming the Nets structured the contract so Gay received 80%*** of his 1st year salary up front, it would look like:

Year 1: $21,600,000 ($18,600,000 on day of signing)
Year 2: $10,300,000
Year 3: $10,600,000
Year 4: $10,900,000
Year 5: $11,200,000

*Raises could be negotiated accordingly, you don't have to give the same raise each year, it's just easier to present things that way...
**The maximum signing bonus you can give is 20%. On a $53 million dollar contract it's $10.6 million
***The Blazers supposedly structured their deal with Millsap to pay 80% of the contract upfront that's the only reason I used 80%...

---

There's so much hypothetical crap that can go into this but basically what I'm saying is if you pay enough of the cash up front the Grizzlies will back out of matching (and rightfully so, I mean let's be serious here Gay getting $21.6 million in year 1 is straight out absurd BUT... I guess we'll get to see early on just how much of a basketball nut Porky is)

In order for the Nets to sign Gay, New Jersey will need to throw a max contract at him in my opinion.

Even though he is considered to be second-tier in terms of free-agency this off-season, he is in a very fortunate situation because of the fact that SO MANY teams are cutting payroll to take a stab at someone.

Not everyone will be able to sign Lebron James or Dwayne Wade. Several teams will be left out the cold and when the dust settles, how does any team justify trading and selling off major assets and/or legit talent in order to clear cap space and not deliver at least one quality player by next season?

Even though the economy is down, next year should be one of the most profitable years for free agents in recent memory simply because everyone has been counting pennies and selling off wins just to put themselves into a position to be a player in free-agency.

And what is the draw to play in New Jersey? A non-contender in an over-industrialized, cold weather city?? A team fresh off one of the worst seasons in the history of basketball?

If New Jersey wants to sign Rudy Gay---hell if they wanna sign anyone---they better be offering a max deal. Because money at this point is the only reason to come to New Jersey. You aren't selling nastalga and Garden-lure like the Knicks. And you aren't selling bikinis and 100 degree weather like Miami. Even Chicago at least triggers some memory of recent success. The Nets are in a similar state as the Clippers are in. A second banana near a big city with a history of hard luck.

There's some truth to the statement that the Nets will have to overpay in order to land anyone but if someone is giving Rudy Gay the max then it better not be the Nets.

Also The Garden lure is PR bull.

From a basketball standpoint The Garden is famous for the Knicks getting shi**ed on not for anything the Knicks have accomplished...

I don't think I'd call NJ a cold-weather state either, you get a healthy mix of everything to be honest.