What is the most you would match for Sessions?

[LUKE23]

Some of these numbers are insane. $9-10 mil? Crazy. $7mil is too much. So is 6 probably. Are we trying to have the most over paid team in the league? If you think Mo's contract was too much throwing $9-10mil at Sessions is ridiculous. By the way, as of now Mo's the better player.

You're blatantly out of touch with today's NBA salaries if you think 6 is too much.

[Debit One]

We're paying Luke Ridnour 6.5 million to be a backup point guard. If Ridnour deserves 6.5 million a year, then Sessions deserves at least 8 million, IMO.

Uing that logic, and the fact that Gadz is making $7M per to be the Bucks 3rd string C, Elson should make $8M per year.

[dedned]

Some of these numbers are insane. $9-10 mil? Crazy. $7mil is too much. So is 6 probably. Are we trying to have the most over paid team in the league? If you think Mo's contract was too much throwing $9-10mil at Sessions is ridiculous. By the way, as of now Mo's the better player.

You're blatantly out of touch with today's NBA salaries if you think 6 is too much.

Why? What has Sessions done? I believe you whine about our salary situation as much as anyone yet you wanna throw huge dollars at Sessions. Thats exactly how we got in this mess.

[Bernman]

We're paying Luke Ridnour 6.5 million to be a backup point guard. If Ridnour deserves 6.5 million a year, then Sessions deserves at least 8 million, IMO.

Luke Ridnour is overpaid by about 4 million dollars per year though, he is making what Sessions should be making. Do not compound mistakes by giving players more money based off of what other players on your team are making.

Michael Redd makes, what, 17-18 million next season? Does that mean that LeBron deserves 40 since he is twice as good? No, just because one guy is overpaid, don't go insane on another guy.

Sessions is a talented young player, but he hasn't earned a big time contract... He hasn't accomplished nearly as much as Mo Williams did before he got his deal.

I like the comparison of the Jameer Nelson contract, that is about what he is worth... And I think it should be a three year deal for both Sessions benefit and our franchises. If Sessions turns out to be as good as some believe, he can get his big money then... If he turns out to just be a solid PG, we can extend him a reasonable offer.

Excellent post.

There are too many Lukes between the board and team. Has to be at least 5. A couple of the bastards here need to change their names (not for the world community, just this one).

[LUKE23]

Also, I know people hate the wins produced stat, but I'm a fan of it (after reading Berri's work). Sessions was 9th in the NBA last year in wins produced, and I haven't looked, but he was probably last in minutes on the list as well. Please keep in mind, wins produced measures PRODUCTION over BASKETBALL TALENT.

Players above him:

Paul
Kidd
Rondo
Calderon
Nash
D. Williams
Billups
Parker

[paulpressey25]

You're blatantly out of touch with today's NBA salaries if you think 6 is too much.

It is a new world. Everyone needs to get used to having somewhere between 20 to 30% less than what they had previously. Donald Trump needs to get used to 30% less, retirees needs to get used to 30% less, and NBA players will as well IMO. The superstars like LeBron will still always get their money. But the Redd's, Etan Thomas, etc. will get much less.

I'll bet the luxury tax drops into the low 60's by next year. The cap will drop as well.

I love Ramon but not at 5/$40. I think I'd match up to a 3/$21 deal or 5/$30 MLE match. Even that would kill me. That would be my maximum at this moment. As Debit said, we MATCH unless Ramon is willing to take something less than the MLE, like a 3-year/$15mm deal that goes $4/$5/$6 or so.

[dedned]

Was Berri the same guy who had Alexander ranked the highest in the draft last year?

[LUKE23]

MLE would kill you, why?

[Newz]

PGs I consider better than Sessions:

Billups, Paul, Parker, Nash, Williams, Rondo, Rose, Nelson (When healthy last year), Mo, Calderone, Kidd, Miller, Harris, Davis and Westbrook (If you consider him a PG).

He does have a chance to move up that list as he gets better and as those other guys age, but right now he is a below average player at his position when you compare him to other players.

Giving him 9-10 million is absurd right now, IMO.

[JoeHova]

Also, I know people hate the wins produced stat, but I'm a fan of it (after reading Berri's work). Sessions was 9th in the NBA last year in wins produced, and I haven't looked, but he was probably last in minutes on the list as well. Please keep in mind, wins produced measures PRODUCTION over BASKETBALL TALENT.

Players above him:

Paul
Kidd
Rondo
Calderon
Nash
D. Williams
Billups
Parker

I did the math on this in the other thread. If he had played 35 minutes per game, he'd slide right in above Steve Nash. He needs to be kept. People are mistaken when they say he has potential but hasn't proven anything yet. He does have potential, but he has also proven to be a well-above average NBA point guard.

[LUKE23]

Billups, Paul, Parker, Nash, Williams, Rondo, Rose, Nelson (When healthy last year), Mo, Calderone, Kidd, Miller, Harris, Davis and Westbrook (If you consider him a PG).

I'd take Sessions for sure over Nelson, Mo, Miller (due to age more than talent), and Davis (contract and he's so damn inefficient). The rest I'd probably agree with.

[paulpressey25]

MLE would kill you, why?

I wouldn't want full MLE. The full five years. Those five year deals always end up killing teams. I'd be really happy with three years of MLE.

I love Ramon, but we've haven't seen enough to prove he'll be the type of guy you win with.

[Rockmaninoff]

I like the kid alot, but I also think 3yrs/$15 million is more than fair.

Anything more than 3 years and $5 to $6 million per year is questionable, in my opinion. I would consider 4 years if the fourth year was a team option year. Or 5 if the last two years were unguaranteed.

Chauncey Billups was given an 5 year MLE deal once upon a time, but he had proven a little more and the financial realities are a little different now. He was also the 2nd pick in his draft, if I'm not mistaken.

[paulpressey25]

I don't think the Beno Udrih type money is going to be out there this off-season.

Someone will go after Ramon, but it will be at 3-year or at most 5-year MLE deals. I do still think we need to budget the full $5.8mm salary slot to be able to match.

[LUKE23]

I wouldn't want full MLE. The full five years. Those five year deals always end up killing teams. I'd be really happy with three years of MLE.

I love Ramon, but we've haven't seen enough to prove he'll be the type of guy you win with.

I don't know how we are supposed to base it on wins when he's never played with the core of the team healthy. I think we should be evaluating him on his individual play. I don't see how a MLE deal kills us regardless of length unless Sessions bombs completely, which I don't see. It's not like we're giving the contract to Beno Udrih.

[jeremyd236]

Billups, Paul, Parker, Nash, Williams, Rondo, Rose, Nelson (When healthy last year), Mo, Calderone, Kidd, Miller, Harris, Davis and Westbrook (If you consider him a PG).

I'd take Sessions for sure over Nelson, Mo, Miller (due to age more than talent), and Davis (contract and he's so damn inefficient). The rest I'd probably agree with.

Naming PGs is irrelevent anyways. He said he has the potential to be a top 10 PG. Half the guys on that list won't be as good as they are now in 3-4 years (which is when Sessions hopefully has it down).

So you can take Billups, Miller, Kidd, Nash, Davis off that list.

Then you have the guys that Sessions will be just as good as or better. Westbrook and Nelson are probably the same caliber.

[LUKE23]

Naming PGs is irrelevent anyways. He said he has the potential to be a top 10 PG. Half the guys on that list won't be as good as they are now in 3-4 years (which is when Sessions hopefully has it down).

So you can take Billups, Miller, Kidd, Nash, Davis off that list.

Then you have the guys that Sessions will be just as good as or better. Westbrook and Nelson are probably the same caliber.

True.

[blueedwards]

Anything over $8M is getting pushy. Then we should of let Mo walk and signed Billups if we want a expensive pg. Cause Billups is well worth it.

[Badgerlander]

Naming PGs is irrelevent anyways. He said he has the potential to be a top 10 PG. Half the guys on that list won't be as good as they are now in 3-4 years (which is when Sessions hopefully has it down).

So you can take Billups, Miller, Kidd, Nash, Davis off that list.

Then you have the guys that Sessions will be just as good as or better. Westbrook and Nelson are probably the same caliber.

True.

Yeah because you could probably add Conley in there somewhere, a healthy Arenas, Brooks will probably blow up next year, maybe Stuckey will, too soon to tell with DJ, Chalmers, and Hill, but even Jarret Jack had some good games statistically at the end of the year.

[smalls]

Just thought I'd see what the limit would be for people if you were Hammond, in terms of Sessions RFA. Lets say he gets a 4 or 5 year deal. Assume we have the space to make it happen.

My cap would be anything $9M per year or less. I know many will say that is high, but it's slightly over what a starting PG makes per year in the league, on average, as of 2008-09.

9 mill per season r u crazy, or did Larry harris just hijack ur account!!!!
First off i love Ramon and i want to resign him badly, but barely anyone has any cap space, Second, although the draft in it's entirity is weak, there is a surplus of pg's, a good majority of whom have the same if not more upside than Ramon. To bring home why these two points r important, why would any team needing a pg make some ridiculous offer to Ramon knowing we could match when they could essentially get the same or better via the draft at a way cheaper price, or more importantly why would we. To be honest i think Ramon will be lucky to get a MLE type deal.