Powe wants a two-year contract with a player option

[campybatman]

I like Powe but I concur, that would be an unreasonable proposition by him to a team. If I were that team, I negotiate beyond two years or don't offer a player option. Because what's the point of signing Powe for next season if he'll be using you in a sense for his own financial aspiration. Notice that all four of the aforementioned teams are playoff contenders. He already has won a championship with Boston, so I don't believe that's any part of his motivation here other than the easy TV exposure playing on a top team next season. He can get his name out there better in that case.

I'm really curious to see which team bites, and who that team turns out to be. If he's ready to contribute full-time by the second half of the season. That can be huge for a contending team.

The Cavaliers are Powe's first choice for a new team, according to a source, with the Orlando Magic second. Dallas and the L.A. Lakers have also made inquiries about Powe, who suffered a third serious knee injury in Game 2 of Boston's first-round series against Chicago. Powe underwent microfracture surgery on his left knee a week later. The most optimistic scenario is a recovery time of six to eight months, with a February return the hoped-for date.

But it's not a certainty that Powe will sign with any of those teams.

There are concerns that Powe might not be able to come back from this latest injury, the third time he's severely injured his left knee since high school. He originally tore the ACL in that knee after his junior season at Oakland Tech High School and had reconstructive surgery in 2002, returning for his senior season. But after his freshman season at the University of California, Powe had a second reconstructive procedure--one that was actually done in separate operations in April and September of 2004.

In addition, a league source says that Powe is looking for a second year at his option, which would allow him to become an unrestricted free agent next summer without the team that signs him having either Larry Bird or early Bird re-signing rights. That would put any team that signed him now in the position of helping him rehabilitate his knee over the next few months, having him come back and play a couple of months, then be able to leave that team for a better offer next summer--a position the league source called "completely unreasonable" on Powe's camp's part.

Each of the four teams currently looking at Powe only has its bi-annual cap exception of $1.99 million to offer. The Cavs split their mid-level exception of $5.85 million to sign free agent guards Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon. Orlando used most of its mid-level on forward Brandon Bass. The Lakers signed Ron Artest with theirs, and the Mavericks just dipped into their mid-level last weekend to sign forward Drew Gooden.

http://www.nba.com/2009/news/features/d ... index.html

[Celtic Esquire]

I like Powe and wish him the best, but that is a totally unrealistic expectation. An NBA team would have to be stupid to agree to this type of demand.

[campybatman]

I wonder how Ainge would view Powe and agent's off-season strategy. I mean Powe is certainly not lacking confidence in himself during this process.

Could Detroit be another option?

Pistons President Joe Dumars said he will add at least one more big man to the roster before fall training camp, and former Piston Ben Wallace remains in that mix.

But Dumars said the team wants to keep its options open before making a final decision.

The Pistons seem to have soured on Boston Celtics center Glen Davis (6-9). The Celtics say they will match any offer up to $5.3 million, and the Pistons cannot offer that type of cash without working a sign-and-trade or getting a third team involved. Power forward Joe Smith (6-10) is a good shooter as a big man and could be signed along with Celtics power forward Leon Powe, who is not expected to play until February because of a knee injury.

http://www.detnews.com/article/20090731 ... ost-player

[Dave_From_NB]

In any situation, there needs to be a win-win balance. Powe is basically saying - pay for my rehabilitation, if I suck you'll owe me for another year, if you've done a good job restoring my career, I'll want more money.

I could understand a second year team option, but a second year player option makes no sense. There is no upside to the team to do that. They've guaranteed themselves to lose out on the transaction, all on the slim chance that Powe will make the rotation for the latter part of the year.

I like Leon, but I really have a hard time imagining someone signing him until January, and then only at pro-rated vet minimum.

[campybatman]

There's a Twitter report saying that Cleveland has made a contract offer to Powe according to CB.

[JHTruth]

Powe can probably expect an offer for the vet's min for the year if and when he can convince a team he can come back. That Cavs offer probably came up after they whiffed on Warrick.

I guess I think it's a desperation move on the Cavs part. They really want PF depth and are missing right and left there..

[campybatman]

Cleveland is reportedly interested in J. Smith and (supposedly) would've attempted to sign Gooden if they could've had gotten Moon in a sign-and-trade. Had that happened, Cleveland would've offered him [Gooden] their remaining MLE.

[Benedict_Boozer]

CLE did in fact make an offer:

https://twitter.com/PDcavsinsider

My guess is Ferry will sign Powe and look to use the BAE on Joe Smith. Not ideal but I think Ferry wants to give JJ Hickson a shot at some playing time to develop, or at least showcase some potential to up his trade value.

[JHTruth]

If Cleveland did make an offer, which I assume is the vet min, Leon should take it. I know he wants multiple years but come on..

[campybatman]

Dumars should sign Powe since Detroit can afford to wait on him. They already signed Wilcox and have depth that includes Maxiell, Oberto, K. Brown and Villanueva.

[stiles21]

Give it to him.

[BillTheGOAT]

he will go to cavs, he played with lebron and perkins in some tournaments before on the same team.

[sully00]

If Leon is only going to get the minimum then his demand of a second year player option isn't a big deal. He is a 4 or 5 mil player when healthy, $700,000 is a steal. The flaw is that the less of him you get the more you likely have to pay.

[campybatman]

My guess is Ferry will sign Powe and look to use the BAE on Joe Smith. Not ideal but I think Ferry wants to give JJ Hickson a shot at some playing time to develop, or at least showcase some potential to up his trade value.

What about Jawad Williams?

[Fencer reregistered]

Sounds like he overplayed his hand in what he asked the Cs for.

Spending a roster slot on him and vet min for the year in lieu of a younger developmental player seemed like a good gamble -- especially with full Bird rights to facilitate agreeing on the next contract -- but he seems to be shooting for well more dough than that.

[Benedict_Boozer]

What about Jawad Williams?

Jawad would be retained - he played well in summer league. This would be the 15 for reference:

Guards - Mo/Delonte/Anthony Parker/Danny Green/Gibson
Forwards - LBJ/Moon/Varejao/Hickson/Darnell Jackson/Powe/Jawad/Joe Smith
Centers - Shaq/Z

Recall we released Tarence Kinsey.

This is assuming Powe would sign for the Vet Min, maybe he is trying to get the BAE from us and that's why we are his "#1 choice" if you catch my meaning. ORL and LA only have Vet Min left.

[twinthunder3]

he's a great addition to any team...when healthy.

[DEEP3CL]

Well if that's his MO that will effectively eliminate him from the Lakers even considering him from my point of view. NO team is going to bite that offer from him, I think Leon should rethink his position.

[No1CeltsFan]

I think I have a better chance of getting a 2 year contract than Powe.

[billfromBoston]

In any situation, there needs to be a win-win balance. Powe is basically saying - pay for my rehabilitation, if I suck you'll owe me for another year, if you've done a good job restoring my career, I'll want more money.

I could understand a second year team option, but a second year player option makes no sense. There is no upside to the team to do that. They've guaranteed themselves to lose out on the transaction, all on the slim chance that Powe will make the rotation for the latter part of the year.

I like Leon, but I really have a hard time imagining someone signing him until January, and then only at pro-rated vet minimum.

Clearly...

However, this is a pretty standard type of starting point request from Powe's camp - his reps are saying "judge me for my body of work and the payoff down the road." However, no team is going to go for a player option.

Powe will get a team option as a best-case, though the figure on that team option may be for 2-3 million as a good-faith gesture on their part.

But Powe isn't going to get more than the minimum for this year considering he is likely to play less than 30 games total - playoff or regular season. The recovery time on his injury typically indicates a return back to top-form roughly 18 months after the injury - if he takes HGH he can fast-forward that projection of course - not sure what the NBA testing policy is, but I doubt they have one in place for HGH, which requires a blood sample.

Regardless, I could see Boston offering a competitive deal starting at the minimum, which doesn't count for as much against the luxury tax - but Boston has higher priorities to address at this moment - Davis, Daniels, Bowen, and Marbury...if Powe is still on the market after that and if the team has not retained Davis, I could see them re-entering the bidding for Powe - he just isn't going to command enough on the market to price himself out of any interested team's range...

...he's being agressive and stubborn in the market place as long as he can - no harm in that when you really have nothing to lose....