2008 1st Round Rookie Scale Contracts

[MilMinMan]

Any word on which 1st rounders are getting 100% of scale, or 120% of scale. I usually operate under the assumption that everyone gets 120%, but I've seen some AP reported figures at 100%.

[TexasEx]

Any word on which 1st rounders are getting 100% of scale, or 120% of scale. I usually operate under the assumption that everyone gets 120%, but I've seen some AP reported figures at 100%.

I would just assume everyone gets 120%. That would be worst case scenario as far as calculating team salary. Most new reports just report what they read off the chart. I talked with a Western Conference Director of Scouting a while back about this very topic and he said it's very rare for a player NOT to get 120%.

[coyotes_geek]

Couple of semi-related questions on rookie scale contracts.

1. Looking for some confirmation here. The percentage of scale amount can vary year by year, correct? I know most guys end up getting 120% scale straight across the first 3 years, but if for some reason a team convinced a player to do something similar to below, this would be legal. Yes? No?

Year 1 - 110% of year 1 scale amount
Year 2 - 80% of year 2 scale amount
Year 3 - 120% of year 3 scale amount

Years 4 and 5 being whatever set percentage raises off of years 3 and 4.

2. Just a hypothetical since I doubt any team would risk actually trying this. If a team declines the 4th year option on a rookie, thus making him an unrestricted FA after his 3rd year, would that team then have full-Bird rights and be able to max that player out? Or does the action of declining the option forfeit the Bird rights? Guys who sign extensions after their 3rd year still have to play the 4th year on their rookie contract. But if they had that option declined and their teams had Bird rights they could theoretically end up getting max dollars one year earlier. Again, I doubt a team would ever do that, but it does seem like a loophole.

[Three34]

Ian Mahinmi did just that, taking 80% in the first year of his contract with the Spurs.