Felton contract

[ccbballin]

Hypothetically talking about this summer, let's say Felton doesn't re-sign. Sean May is off the books and probably some smaller contracts are gone.

Then we sign Paul Millsap from the Jazz for a mil or two less than Okafor. I'd call that a really good front line.

If in the draft we can get a gem of a guard: Demar Derozan, Gerald Henderson, Steph Curry, etc.

Then we would have to sign another guard for cheap, maybe Jarret Jack (doubt he's cheap but it could happen). I say we would be a much better team.

PG - Augustin;Jack
SG - Bell; Derozan
SF - Wallace; Radmanovic;Martin
PF - Millsap; Diaw; Hansbrough (in 2nd round)
C - Okafor; Diop; Ajinca

That bench would be the best in the league.

[HuggyBear1688]

Diaw is better than millsap imo

[Dexmor]

I don't think there under the cap.
I think they need to resign Felton.

If they did get Millsap but I doubt they are under the cap Millsap would start and Diaw would be a sf.

[Dexmor]

I would offer Fetlon a 5 year 40 million dollar deal and I think he would accept.

[ccbballin]

I would offer Fetlon a 5 year 40 million dollar deal and I think he would accept.

If we can sign Felton for 8mil a year that sounds like a pretty good deal.

Some other pg salaries:
Mike Bibby - 14mil a year
Steve Nash - 12mil
TJ Ford - 8 mil
Mo Williams -8mil
Kirk Hinrich -10 mil
Chauncy Billups - 11mil
Baron Davis - 11 mil
Tony Parker - 11mil

Not sure where to group Felton among these guys. He's better than Hinrich right now but I hope the FO isn't willing to pay him 10mil a year.

[BigSlam]

Some other pg salaries:
Mike Bibby - 14mil a year
Steve Nash - 12mil
TJ Ford - 8 mil
Mo Williams -8mil
Kirk Hinrich -10 mil
Chauncy Billups - 11mil
Baron Davis - 11 mil
Tony Parker - 11mil

Derek Fisher 4.5mill a year
Luke Ridnour - 6.5mil a year
Chris Duhon - 5.5mil a year
Earl Watson - 6.2 mil a year
Jameer Nelson - 7.7 mil a year
Beno Udrih - 5.5 mil a year
Jose Calderon - 7.4 mil a year
Mike James - 6.2 mil a year

Spectre has had the best path to take from the very start. Do the same as what we did with Crash. Give Felts a 3 year $18 million dollar deal and tell him that if he can continue to show improvement like he has of late, then by the end of the 3rd year he'll get his big pay day - just like Crash.

Then we can monitor him and DJ over the next 3 years and make a decision which way to go then while having a starting PG on a fair salary and a back up PG on a rookie salary all the while.

[Dexmor]

I don't know if he would take that but that would be good. Thing is the players aren't gonna get as high salaries as they did before with the econemy so 5 years 40 million will probably work. Harris got something like that.

[spectre_]

I think the 3/18 would be good for us but I don't know that it would for him. There are only a couple of teams below the cap I'm concerned with at all this year, but if I were Felton's agent (assuming he stays fairly consistent) I'd have to consider taking the QO and becoming an UFA in '10.

Too many teams are clearing money for Lebron...but there's only 1 to go around. I suspect a few teams are going to be worried about selling the "2010 Plan" to their fans for a couple of years and then be left with no one decent to sign.

I think he's close to being worth that 5/40, but I'd certainly start out lower if I were management.

[Felton for Pres]

I don't think he takes 3 & 18. However, given the economy, he may not be able to get more than that. It'll be an interesting off season.

Edit: As usual, I'm late. Spectre covered it.

[BigSlam]

I've never bought into this concept when it comes to contract negotitaion, but I honeslty think that Felts will give that "home team discount" thing some serious consideration just to stay close to home.

And I don't know if he's worth 5/40.

Not yet.

[Walt Cronkite]

If Felton doesn't take 3/18 then we get him to take the qo and play hardball the offseason after. Ben Gordon wanted 10m a year. BEN GORDON WANTED 10 MILLION DOLLARS. The Bulls wisely said "No, here's the qualifying offer, let's talk next summer... unless you'd prefer to follow Josh Childress to Greece..." and in the time since that happened there's been a fundamental shift in how NBA owners are approaching how they spend their money.

We've already overpayed for Okafor, Wallace, Diaw, Diop, etc, etc depending on the week, can we afford to do it again with Felton?

Devin Harris is the 2nd most efficient point guard in the season this year. Nelson is the 4th most efficient. Felton is where he's been for as long as I can remember, ~30th. To sign him to a long term deal would be one of the more foolish fiscally irresponsible things we could do considering the restructuring of the CBA, economy, blah, etc,etc

[spectre_]

^ There's a difference tho between Gordon & Felton; Gordon's an UFA this year when only like 3 teams will have space. How many are positioning themselves for '10...20?

Hardball might work this offseason but I don't think it will the next one.

[BigSlam]

^ There's a difference tho between Gordon & Felton; Gordon's an UFA this year when only like 3 teams will have space. How many are positioning themselves for '10...20?

Hardball might work this offseason but I don't think it will the next one.

I'd personally rather roll the dice than over commit and if worse comes to worse, look to trade him before Feb 2010.

[spectre_]

By not moving him before this last trade deadline we gave him some leverage (and we lost some). If he takes the QO I'm pretty sure he has to approve of the trade...and if he does he'd lose his Bird Rights. IMO that's a big reason they considered moving him in the last couple of months.

On another note...his QO is 5.5 million, and last year's MLE was something like 5.8 million.

But I agree, before I overpaid I'd let it play out.

[BigSlam]

One thing is for sure: If he does keep showing improvement with his shot selection/finishing at the rim/turn overs and he does just take the QO, he'll be in for a big pay day earlier rather than later.

[Walt Cronkite]

Spectre, traditionally I'd agree with you, but I'm of the belief that the NBA owner paradigm has changed drastically in the last 12 months. I expect a lot of free agents to stay put so they can take advantage of the current cba while they can, but a lot of those teams that are freeing up space that will inevitably be left in the cold I truly believe will make a small splash in order to appease some potential season ticket buyers that they're going in the right direction, but they'll be doing it to short term deals (look at what NYK did with Duhon as an example). I really believe the days of splurging the mle on Jerome James or blowing your cap load on Rashard Lewis are behind us (thankfully).

As far as Felton waiving his bird rights in a trade, I feel like in the right situation he'd be all over that. He's delusional if he thinks someone is going to spend Devin Harris type cash on him with the inconsistency he's displayed throughout his career and if we don't lock him up this offseason I'd be rather sure it's because we don't want to be stuck in a long contract where he's overpayed with the future contract landscape so up in the air. I think a deal starting at ~6m for 3 seasons is fair for both sides. Felts gets a raise with higher increases b/c he stays at home and hell, throw in some sweet performance bonuses (I think that's the future of contracts anyway and we've done as much with both Wallace and Okafor) and the Bobcats aren't locked in long term, so if he doesn't ever improve or stabilize his play we can look elsewhere or sign him to his new market value once the new market is set.

[spectre_]

Maybe, but given the amount of FAs that's really going to be available vs. the teams who are going to NEED to sign a good FA I think if anyone will get paid it'll be Felton. There's teams out there who's only going to have between 20-40 million on the books in 2010...they're going to have to sign some players and vet min will only go so far.

You keep referencing Harris...if I'm not mistaken it was pretty much agreed he signed to a very team friendly contract (I really like him, IMO he's underpaid). 7 million isn't that much for a PG, esp. considering guys like Ford, Calderon, Ridnour & Nelson make around that. I'd EASILY take Harris over all those guys.

Besides, is 1 million more per year really that big a difference? PG is a fairly difficult position to fill and I imagine a team with a real need wouldn't be that hesitant to give him a little more per year.

In the end I hope you're right as we'd certainly benefit from that scenario.

In regards to BR, don't forget that if his new contract offer is 120% of his last year he would become BYC...meaning that "right situation" would have to be with a team under the cap (and that's like 3 this offseason into next year, right?) if it's over the MLE.

[amcoolio]

Listen to Simmons podcast and Bucher's thoughts on Harris...I agree with them. Its not to say Harris is a bad player, but he's being allowed to do anything he wants in NJ, and plays a ton of minutes a night, which is the reason his stats are inflated. Hes playing 40 minutes and taking 20 shots to get those 22 points a game. And his assists are pretty low compared to his minutes and other PG's around the league.

[Walt Cronkite]

I reference Harris' deal because it's an incredible one. I'd take Harris going forward over every pg in the league besides Paul and maybe Deron. I'm using him as the example if I'm any owner in the league when telling my GM his budget. Harris was a lot better and more consistent (unfair but also playing on a better team) than Felton when he signed that deal as well.

I response to the BR point, yea, I kinda was thinking the "right situation" would be a terrible team where he can pad his stats/impress them with his skills and get a much larger 5 year deal than we'd be willing to offer him even with bird rights. Did the BR waiver restriction thingy kick in once the trade deadline passed or would we still be able to move Felts up until the beginning of free agency?

[spectre_]

I reference Harris' deal because it's an incredible one. I'd take Harris going forward over every pg in the league besides Paul and maybe Deron. I'm using him as the example if I'm any owner in the league when telling my GM his budget. Harris was a lot better and more consistent (unfair but also playing on a better team) than Felton when he signed that deal as well.

I response to the BR point, yea, I kinda was thinking the "right situation" would be a terrible team where he can pad his stats/impress them with his skills and get a much larger 5 year deal than we'd be willing to offer him even with bird rights. Did the BR waiver restriction thingy kick in once the trade deadline passed or would we still be able to move Felts up until the beginning of free agency?

You can't use a top 3 PG as a benchmark. If you're putting Harris in Paul & Williams' class...and I would put him close...compare his salary to what they're getting (max deals, close to 14 million in '09/'10!) starting next season. Harris should be making what...11-12 vs. the 7.7 he will get?

In that perspective is 7-8 really that much?

Pretty sure the BR waiver kicks in if/when he takes the QO. I remember the Bulls trying all summer to move Gordon, so I imagine we are free to trade him up to that point. I think BYC is going to be an issue regardless.