Shams: Porzingis and Wizards in serious contract extension talks

[FAH1223]

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Porziņģis and the Wizards have been serious discussing a new deal in which he would opt out of his $36 million player option for the 2023-24 season and sign a new long-term deal, those sources say.

The Wizards, who have dealt with a variety of injuries and setbacks this season, are currently 34-42 and in 11th place in the Eastern Conference. They have decisions to make on the futures of Porziņģis and forward Kyle Kuzma.

The Wizards can offer Porziņģis a maximum of four years and $180 million if he opts out for next year and extends his deal. The deadline to reach such an agreement is in late June.

Because of salary limitations imposed by the collective bargaining agreement on veteran contract extensions, Kuzma is on track to decline his $13 million player option for the 2023-24 season and become an unrestricted free agent, though there is mutual interest in a new deal from both sides.

Porziņģis has averaged 23.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.5 blocks over 65 appearances this season. Kuzma has averaged 21.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists over 64 appearances.

[FAH1223]

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[Frichuela]

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Let's hope Tommy does not bid against himself and manages to structure a descending structure of the sort...

[closg00]

Let's hope that KP is the signing priority and that they only try to sign Kuzma after that, they should do a sign-and-trade, let's draft a stud SF in the draft.

[AFM]

I was excited until I read “AND Kyle Kuzma”. WTF are these idiots thinking?
They seem dead set on maxing us out at a 40 win team.

[Dark Faze]

Writing seems on the wall that we'll be paying considerable money to both.

[Frichuela]

Let's hope that KP is the signing priority and that they only try to sign Kuzma after that, they should do a sign-and-trade, let's draft a stud SF in the draft.

Ideal offseason:

Trade Beal to either Boston or Miami.
Sign-and-trade Kuzma for Cam Johnson of the Nets.
Trade Morris to the Clippers for someone like Covington

Problem is neither Boston, Miami or Brooklyn are fools.....aren't they?

Roster 2023-24 (assuming we do the Celtics trade where say Beal+Kispert is traded for Brown+Horford+Gallinari).
Cason Wallace (#8-9 pick)/Wright/Goodwin
Brown/Davis
Johnson/Covington
Deni/Horford/Gallinari/Cooks
Porzingis/Gafford

A much capably defensive roster that the junk we have now...

[nate33]

If the maximum he can be paid is 4/$180M, you can be pretty damn sure that's what he will be paid.

I really like the idea of a 4-year deal with descending salary. I'd be okay with a deal that starts at $36 and declines to $27M by Year 4.

[Frichuela]

I was excited until I read “AND Kyle Kuzma”. WTF are these idiots thinking?
They seem dead set on maxing us out at a 40 win team.

Talk to 'em AFM!!!

Jokes aside, I wholeheartedly agree. Kuzma should have been traded for value at the deadline...

[FAH1223]

If the maximum he can be paid is 4/$180M, you can be pretty damn sure that's what he will be paid.

I really like the idea of a 4-year deal with descending salary. I'd be okay with a deal that starts at $36 and declines to $27M by Year 4.

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[CntOutSmrtCrazy]

I was excited until I read “AND Kyle Kuzma”. WTF are these idiots thinking?
They seem dead set on maxing us out at a 40 win team.

My only hope at this point is Kuzma is a guy that marches by the beat of his own drum, and he tells himself he'll never be the man here with Beal so he jets off to somewhere else.

How on earth can you run it back with Beal-Kuz-Porzingis after this season? You have to move at least one of the first two IMO. A core of those three doesn't work, no enough shots, not enough defense.

[nate33]

How on earth can you run it back with Beal-Kuz-Porzingis after this season? You have to move at least one of the first two IMO.

Yeah, it boggles the mind. The trio was good enough for the Wizards to finish with probably the 7th worst record in the league (and 4 of those teams weren't trying). So, let's run it back, only pay them a combined $110M instead of the $90M they were paid last year.

[Kanyewest]

Hoping now that KP has secured the bag that he will rest.

[penbeast0]

If the maximum he can be paid is 4/$180M, you can be pretty damn sure that's what he will be paid.

I really like the idea of a 4-year deal with descending salary. I'd be okay with a deal that starts at $36 and declines to $27M by Year 4.

The chance of Porzingis opting out to make the same money next year with a declining salary thereafter when he has played over 60 games this season is about that of our winning the NBA title this year.

Declining salary would be good but if it happens, it's going to start at 45M or more (if the cap allows).

[nate33]

If the maximum he can be paid is 4/$180M, you can be pretty damn sure that's what he will be paid.

I really like the idea of a 4-year deal with descending salary. I'd be okay with a deal that starts at $36 and declines to $27M by Year 4.

The chance of Porzingis opting out to make the same money next year with a declining salary thereafter when he has played over 60 games this season is about that of our winning the NBA title this year.

Declining salary would be good but if it happens, it's going to start at 45M or more (if the cap allows).

It can't start at $45M because we are talking about an extension, not a new contract.

And I think Porzingis would have some motivation to opt out of his option year and lock up a long term deal because of his injury history. It might not be wise to opt in, play another season, and have a major injury in the middle of it that significantly depresses his free agency value in 2024.

[GoneShammGone]

If the maximum he can be paid is 4/$180M, you can be pretty damn sure that's what he will be paid.

I really like the idea of a 4-year deal with descending salary. I'd be okay with a deal that starts at $36 and declines to $27M by Year 4.

The chance of Porzingis opting out to make the same money next year with a declining salary thereafter when he has played over 60 games this season is about that of our winning the NBA title this year.

Declining salary would be good but if it happens, it's going to start at 45M or more (if the cap allows).

It can't start at $45M because we are talking about an extension, not a new contract.

And I think Porzingis would have some motivation to opt out of his option year and lock up a long term deal because of his injury history. It might not be wise to opt in, play another season, and have a major injury in the middle of it that significantly depresses his free agency value in 2024.

Ok, now I'm confused. What's the rule on an extension? How much can his salary jump next year if he signs one? And if the max extension he can sign is 4/180M, then it will have to average 45M a year, no?

Another question is: if he just opt out this summer and tests the market, does anybody have the cap space to sign him for that much? Or would this be another case of Tommy bidding against himself?

[nate33]

The chance of Porzingis opting out to make the same money next year with a declining salary thereafter when he has played over 60 games this season is about that of our winning the NBA title this year.

Declining salary would be good but if it happens, it's going to start at 45M or more (if the cap allows).

It can't start at $45M because we are talking about an extension, not a new contract.

And I think Porzingis would have some motivation to opt out of his option year and lock up a long term deal because of his injury history. It might not be wise to opt in, play another season, and have a major injury in the middle of it that significantly depresses his free agency value in 2024.

Ok, now I'm confused. What's the rule on an extension? How much can his salary jump next year if he signs one? And if the max extension he can sign is 4/180M, then it will have to average 45M a year, no?

Another question is: if he just opt out this summer and tests the market, does anybody have the cap space to sign him for that much? Or would this be another case of Tommy bidding against himself?

The first year of an extension can pay a player no more than 120% of the final year of his previous contract. So, for Porzingis, that would be $40.5M. (Also, if a player who has player option is extended, the first year of the extension must be for at least the value of his player option, which is $36.0M.)

So in summary, if Porzingis is extended, the first year of his contract must be between $36M and $40.5M.

[payitforward]

If the maximum he can be paid is 4/$180M, you can be pretty damn sure that's what he will be paid.

I really like the idea of a 4-year deal with descending salary. I'd be okay with a deal that starts at $36 and declines to $27M by Year 4.

4 years $180m amounts to $45m/year. Starting at $36m & descending doesn't get there. I'm missing something, obviously....

I like KP. He doesn't produce at the level fans seem to think he does, but he's fun to watch, obviously a terrific guy, & enormously talented. I'd love to see him play the rest of his career in a Wizards uniform.

But here's what I simply don't understand. Our record is 34-42. WHY are they prioritizing bringing back... anybody?

What in our play this year gives Tommy any reason to think we'll be better next year? I find it mind-boggling, honestly.

If I were running the Wizards, I'd be tearing my hair out. There is no way I'd be planning to give out big raises & run it back.

I can't even visualize the sequence of thoughts by which they seem somehow to be convincing themselves that they have the core of a good team.

[payitforward]

Right now, we have 13 guys with either guaranteed salaries or options (player or team) for a sum of just under $149m. We also have a R1 pick who will cost us @$5m. That's $154m plus an open roster spot, which let's assume we fill w/ a veteran minimum guy. Call it $155m for 15 -- at existing salary levels.

The tax threshold is $162m. That gives us $7m to give KP & Kuzma raises.

Or... are they planning to go deep into tax territory to run back a team that's sitting at 34-42????

I'm lost. They must be out of their minds.

[nate33]

If the maximum he can be paid is 4/$180M, you can be pretty damn sure that's what he will be paid.

I really like the idea of a 4-year deal with descending salary. I'd be okay with a deal that starts at $36 and declines to $27M by Year 4.

4 years $180m amounts to $45m/year. Starting at $36m & descending doesn't get there. I'm missing something, obviously....

I like KP. He doesn't produce at the level fans seem to think he does, but he's fun to watch, obviously a terrific guy, & enormously talented. I'd love to see him play the rest of his career in a Wizards uniform.

But here's what I simply don't understand. Our record is 34-42. WHY are they prioritizing bringing back... anybody?

What in our play this year gives Tommy any reason to think we'll be better next year? I find it mind-boggling, honestly.

If I were running the Wizards, I'd be tearing my hair out. There is no way I'd be planning to give out big raises & run it back.

I can't even visualize the sequence of thoughts by which they seem somehow to be convincing themselves that they have the core of a good team.

My post was in response to the tweet by Yossi Gozlan

The most Porzingis can get paid is a 4-year contract starting at roughly $40.5M with 8% raises, which amounts to 4/$180M. I think that's a terrible idea. Naturally, this is the deal the Wizards will probably sign.

The least he can get is a 4-year contract starting at $36M and declining by 8% each year, which amounts to 4/$127M. I'd be totally fine with that. It's a gamble given his injury risk, but even in a rebuild scenario, you gotta spend the money on somebody. We won't have the opportunity to spend that money on a better, younger player anytime soon. And as that salary declines, he becomes cheaper depth if we are winning. And if we keep losing, he becomes a fairly valuable trade chip.