Micth Kupchak vs David Lee...A Clash Of Ego's

[LLcoleJ]

My point is that all four of the teams I mention (with the possible exception of Atlanta) will probably have enough cap-space to offer Bynum a deal starting at $18 million.

Portland looks to have about $20 million going into the next off-season. They could force the Lakers hand and offer Bynum $18 milion starting. If the Lakers match they've overpaid for Bynum and their future options are more restricted. If they don't, they can trade Aldridge for a top-flight SF and move Oden to PF.

Paul Allen is one of the richest men on the planet. Don't underestimate his willingness to spend to build a winner. He has the means and the will.

Your point is wrong. You cannot outbid the Lakers and you cannot offer him that much. It doesnt matter how much capspace you have. The rules of the CBA wont allow players to get that much money starting coming off thier rookie deals.

Go read up on the CBA and get back to us. Your points and theories are impossible.

[LLcoleJ]

Here you go:

http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#51

[Leonidas]

If Portland did this then they would not be able to keep Oden, Bayless, Roy or Aldridge.. That is almost 20 mil tied up in one player, get your point but it is a terrible one and wrong..

[Village Idiot]

You're right Phil, in a way.

The most the Blazers or any other team will be able to offer Bynum is about $14,000,000 first year salary.

I don't know if Paul Allen would be willing to spend $85 million on a player the team doesn't need but it would force the Lakers hand.

[TommyTheCat]

You're right Phil, in a way.

The most the Blazers or any other team will be able to offer Bynum is about $14,000,000 first year salary.

I don't know if Paul Allen would be willing to spend $85 million on a player the team doesn't need but it would force the Lakers hand.

yeah, but the lakers could match any $$s a team can offer for a longer period of time. the lakers are in the driver seat if they really want him back............................and i believe they will if he can show he's healthy

[Anklebreaker702]

Lee needs to keep his mouth closed & just let Drew's game speak for itself. I'm glad Mitch isn't commenting because it sometimes leads to bitterness that messes up deals. Jumping to another sport the same thing happened years ago in football when the young John Jefferson seemed to be the air apparent to Lynn Swann as the leagues next best receiver. Ugly negotiations took place between him & the Chargers, subsequently he went to the Packers & was never heard from again. Getting back to Mr. Lee these are the things that sometimes can jinx a player and/or a situation. He's trying to make a name for himself that could become a big distraction. Mitch in my eyes has been making all the right moves lately so I won't go back to doubting him but someone please get Mr Lee on one of those long couch's & keep repeating to him, this is not about you Mr. Lee, This is not about you!!!!!!

[Flite]

I just spent 5 minutes trying to piee together why David Lee would be talking to Kupchak about Andrew Bynum. Then I realized you weren't talking about the player.

Wow. I'm having an offday.

[Anklebreaker702]

I just spent 5 minutes trying to piee together why David Lee would be talking to Kupchak about Andrew Bynum. Then I realized you weren't talking about the player.

Wow. I'm having an offday.

lol that was good

[hermes]

portland offering 18 mill for bynum, what about oden?

[DEEP3CL]

I love it when guys try to come on our board then spew this non sense about money and what so and so can offer with out knowing the facts of the SALARY CAP.

For the last and final time NO team in the league can offer more money or years then the Lakers can period.

[Sharman]

The only downside to the acrimonious talk is that Drew COULD take the qualifying offer in summer 2009, play out the season an be unrestricted in 2010. About 15 teams will have capspace (saving up for LBJ, DWade, Bosh, etc.) and Drew makes a nice consolation prize for whoever misses out on Bronnie.

Yes, the Lakers can offer the most money - but that is no longer a big factor with these guys looking to opt-out every three years.

If the Lakers offer 6yrs/91MM and Brooklyn offers 5yrs, 72MM, the difference over the 1st three years is less than $4MM. When Drew opts out in 2013, he can then get as much money re-signing with Brooklyn as he would if he had stayed with the Lakers and opted out/re-signed. So over the course of 6 years, he would have only lost about $3 MM.

Bottom line - if the Lakers think he's going to be a top - 3 center, they're going to have to commit to paying him like one, possibly before he proves himself. It would be horrible to have him play out the string and then dominate the league in another uniform.

Toronto let TMac walk and it took years to recover, Milwaukee let Kareem walk and never recovered. Houston let Moses Malone walk, but caight lightning in a bottle and drafted Olajuwon.

[LLcoleJ]

The Lakers can Match any offer Drew gets in restricted free agency. So ....

[DEEP3CL]

Toronto let T-Mac walk and it took years to recover, Milwaukee let Kareem walk and never recovered. Houston let Moses Malone walk, but caught lightning in a bottle and drafted Olajuwon.

Wrong on all 3 of these statements.

First of all T-Mac made it no secret that he was leaving Toronto and they wasn't going to give him money they had stashed away for Vince Carter.

Kareem asked to be traded from Milwaukee and they got 4 young good players in return, and in the 70's it wasn't about money because Kareem only earned like a little over 2 million in his first six seasons in Milwaukee. He didn't like the culture or cared much for the city, and who at the time could blame him seeing that he was born in New York and went to college in Los Angeles.

Also the Rockets didn't let Moses Malone walk either, like T-Mac he made it known he wasn't returning to the Rockets there was no salary cap in the early 80's and the 76ers had more money saved then anybody else and owner Howard Katz gave Malone a contract starting at 2 million which at that time was the highest salary in the NBA. It was nothing the Rockets could do period. And the Rockets recover by drafting Ralph Sampson before Hakeem.

[DowJones]

To me it seems like you guys just want Bynum to sign a deal worth about $50 million over 5 y ears. Well if Deng got 6 years and 70-some million then Bynum will certainly get that much. Bynum knows that he is the future of the Lakers organization...not a 30 year old Kobe Bryant. He will ask for something close to the max and judging by what Bogut, Deng, etc got then I would say he is worth it.

[LLcoleJ]

To me it seems like you guys just want Bynum to sign a deal worth about $50 million over 5 y ears. Well if Deng got 6 years and 70-some million then Bynum will certainly get that much. Bynum knows that he is the future of the Lakers organization...not a 30 year old Kobe Bryant. He will ask for something close to the max and judging by what Bogut, Deng, etc got then I would say he is worth it.

No, you are not reading, just assuming. We are more than willing to give Bynum the max and the org. is too. We just want to be sure he is 100% healthy. We have time to see and have control of the situation. We also assume he will be fine and be with the Lakers for a very long time.

Its others ( other teams fans) that think that they can swoop in and sign him, and they would be wrong.