Sign Fes to an Extension

[blackham9258]

First a question: What was Fes holding out for this summer? Rumor was, it was a 3 year deal for something in the 1.5 - 2M per range. If that is the case, give it to him and do it quick.

His past concentration and focus on the game was lacking, but this boy (although still young and immature) is finally showing signs of some maturity and some pretty serious skills.

You don't just find 7'2" - 300lb players that can move like he does without a history of foot and leg injuries. This kid may never fully tap his potential but he is a guy who you don't let go, and if you can you lock him up cheap while you can.

People will see him doing what he did last night more and more often and he will not be had on the cheap next summer. Patience has been a virtue of the Jazz's front office. They didn't offer Fes a long extension over the summer because he hadn't yet shown up to camp in shape or serious about his career.

This year he has, and now is the time to extend him. If we do, we will look back at locking him up as one of the shredest moves of this off-season.

We were wise to lock up Millsap both on a 3 year rookie contract and the 4 year 32M contract. We would be wise to do the same with Evans.

But Fes, is the kind of athlete and big that can become something really special with time on the court and confidence. And for 1.5-2M per is a cheap price tag.

Do it KOC!

[DelaneyRudd]

I don't think he can with just signing a contract.

[The59Sound]

I don't think he can with just signing a contract.

Yeah, are they allowed to sign him to one at any point this year? My recollection is that they cannot.

[Matt007b]

I'm not an expert but sadly I don't think we can.

Copied from a site about existing contracts..

A contract for four or more seasons can be renegotiated after the third anniversary of its signing, extension, or renegotiation that increased any season's salary by more than 8%. Contracts for fewer than four seasons cannot be renegotiated. A contract cannot be renegotiated between March 1 and June 30 of any year. Only teams under the cap can renegotiate a contract, and the salary in the then-current season can be increased only to the extent that the team has room under the cap. Raises in subsequent years are limited to 10.5% of the salary in the first renegotiated season. The renegotiation may not contain a signing bonus. Contracts cannot be renegotiated downward (players can't take a "pay cut" in order to create salary cap room for the team) or to contain fewer seasons.

Again, a team over the salary cap cannot renegotiate a contract. An interesting case of this was Shawn Kemp with the Sonics. Kemp, who was unhappy with his contract and wanted to renegotiate, could not get a larger contract from the Sonics because they were over the cap. Kemp forced a trade to Cleveland, who was far enough under the cap at the time to give him the large contract he wanted. Kemp's contract was renegotiated soon after the trade.

[blackham9258]

I thought we always to extend players up until Oct. 31 of any season who are eligible.

[Matt007b]

I'm not sure I'm trying to figure it out... (the NBA salary cap is a giant mess...gotta be a capologist to figure the stupid thing out but this is the site I'm using to look for an answer)

http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm

[Matt007b]

Doesn't look like it:

"Can existing contracts be extended?

Contracts for fewer than four seasons may not be extended"

[blackham9258]

Okay, forget the cap and reality of signing him or not for a minute:

Would you all if you could?

[Matt007b]

I agree with you btw..we should have paid him for an extra year on contract or least with a team option of some kind for the lockout or if things did not work out. It's too bad.

[Neon Black]

Okay, forget the cap and reality of signing him or not for a minute:

Would you all if you could?

Yes!

[The59Sound]

Certainly would if I could. And I admit I thought we'd be crazy to give him three years at 2.5 million as some had advocated for. I'd probably give him that deal now. Hopefully this great preseason run isn't a blip on the radar, and is instead indicative of a permanently improved focus and work ethic.

[outerspacefella]

The K-Fes market value will raise enough to be a problem later, no doubt about it.
I would have offered him 4 years starting at 1,75 with 8% raises (about 7.9 total)... but I guess it's not my money to give away...

[UTJazzFan_Echo1]

I thought we could give an extension to anyone, regardless of their contract but I guess not...some of these rules are just stupid. Why wouldn't you be able to give them an extension? Those are the types of players who need/want the extension the most.

But yes, I would sign him to the longest extension possible if I could. Probably going to end up having to pay him big bucks to keep him around if he plays as well as he did in the preseason all season long.

Who wants to bet Portland will make a run at him? Funny thing is, it would actually make sense for them to pursue him next off season unlike the last two times....

[HammerDunk]

You want to extend him 3 years 2 mil per from a couple preseason games? I think you're crazy...

[blackham9258]

I you think I am crazy to sign Fes to a 3yr/$6M contract? What did Darko get this year? What did Gortat get last year. What did Ostertag get. The league minimum for Fes next year would be what?>>> $1.2M?

He is young, athletic, and improving. Lock that up as soon as you get a chance. If healthy the Jazz will rue not signing him. He will likely get paid much more than this if he shows flashes for just 25% of the season.

[blackham9258]

One more note: We paid Collins 3/$6M when we had a chance to re-up him. Who would you rather have?

[Wolverine]

I think he's gonna cost us a lot more this offseason. A player that big with his athleticism is hard to find. What will we do next season though with Tomic?
Big Al, Memo, Fes, Elson & Tomic

[blackham9258]

Tomic does not have the body to compete at this point in the NBA. I say sign Fes, and use Tomic as a trade chip to pick up a piece that helps us win now.

[Leithid]

Patience has been a virtue of the Jazz's front office.

It really hasn't. If anything, the unwillingness to dangle a wee bit of guaranteed money in front of unproven players to lock them up has been the biggest weakness of the Jazz FO/ownership.

We were wise to lock up Millsap both on a 3 year rookie contract and the 4 year 32M contract. We would be wise to do the same with Evans.

It's simple economics: Once a player is proven, he is not going to be cheap. Like the Rockets FO, the Jazz FO is top-notch in evaluating talent; unlike the Rockets FO/ownership, the Jazz FO/ownership is terrible at taking calculated low-risk-high-reward deals. The security of two years of guaranteed money to an unproven player is usually enough for him to get him to sign that 2+1 team option deal.

The Rockets are particularly fond of offering a little more than even that to get the player to sign a 2+1+1 team option deal. The logic is if the player doesn't work out, you can cut him loose and lose very little money, but if the player works out you win. The way the Jazz does it, if the player doesn't work out, they lose a wee bit less money, but if the player works out the Jazz either pays market price or loses the player.

Look at how the Jazz handles Jeremy Evans, a player they like enough to use a second-round pick on. Instead of dangling $500,000 a year for two years of guaranteed money to lock him up in a 2+1+1 team option deal, the Jazz offers him a 1-year unguaranteed contract. Even for players they do take the risk on, they scrabble. They could have saved themselves $8 mil if they offered Millsap a wee bit more guaranted money for a 2+1+1.

Teams have major leverage on unproven players, so start putting that leverage to work, goddarnit! Greg Miller needs to learn that taking low-risk-high-reward deals saves money in the long run, especially when you have a strong FO. For each Raja Bell you are forced to sign, you could have taken the 2-year risk on ten Wesley Matthews. The way the Jazz does business, the team loses whether their players work out or not.

[Luigi]

The only reason Fes is playing well is because he DOESN'T have a long contract.
The moment you sign him to a long deal is the moment he stops producing.

Also, it's only been preseason.