Slacktard wrote:It's better for the Knicks (which obviously is all Jackson cares about)... but is it really better for Melo? Financially he can get a bigger pay-day from the Knicks, but if they intend to try to add TWO more high salary FA's that means they're going to ask Melo to sign for less than the max. So that bigger pay-day shrinks a lot. If he went to a state without an income tax like Texas that difference is going to be a lot less in terms of pay-day.
Now you talk about better for Melo in terms of winning. I don't see Melo as someone who is ever going to get an NBA team to a championship if he's the #1. So looking at 2015 FA's the only way he's not the #1 is if LeBron goes to NY.
So we're back to the NY Knicks positioning themselves to try and get LeBron James... because it worked out so good for them the last time they tried it right?
If Melo is 100% about the money he'll stay with NY and not opt-out this summer, but if he's interested in going for an NBA championship I think the Bulls and Rockets are better options than staying in NY and hoping for LeBron.
Anthony can only sign a 5 year deal with the Knicks. With any other team he can only sign a 4 year deal. We all agree?
OPT IN & RESIGNS in 2015If he opts in, next season is the final year of his CURRENT contract (which is maxed out). + 1 YEAR MAX CONTRACT
Then next year he signs a 5 year deal for near max or max. + 5 YEAR MAX CONTRACT
RESULT === 1 year at MAX + 5 years at MAX = 6 years at MAX. Yes?
He'll be heading into age 37 in this scenario when that contract ends.
OPT OUT & RESIGNS NOWIf he opts out then it means he declines the last MAX year of his current contract. + 0 YEAR MAX CONTRACT
Then he immediately signs a 5 year MAX deal. + 5 YEAR MAX CONTRACT
RESULT === 0 year at MAX + 5 years at MAX = 5 years at MAX. Yes?
He'll be heading into age 36 in this scenario when that contract ends.
OPT OUT & LEAVES If he opts out then he declines the last MAX year of his current contract. + 0 YEAR MAX CONTRACT
Any other team can only offer him a 4 year MAX deal. + 4 YEAR MAX CONTRACT
RESULT = 0 year at MAX = 4 years at MAX = 4 years at MAX. Yes?
He'll be heading into age 35 in this scenario when that contract ends.
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SOO....the benefit of him opting in (what Phil Jackson recommended) is 1 extra year at max contract. That's roughly $23-24 million EXTRA. So it's not just in the Knicks benefit, it's in Carmelo Anthony's benefit as well. The drawback obviously is the "what if he gets injured". And that's why he likely is thinking about opting out now.
But in any case, reality is that the next contract (be it signed in 2015 or in 2014) will be his LAST big contract. If Anthony was 23, 24 or 25 years old, then sure, it probably won't matter (since he can just plan on signing another max contract after that). But at 30 years of age, this is it. So he would be walking away from 1 max year if he opts out and resigns with the Knicks now...and would be walking away from 2 max years if he opts out and signs with someone else.
Can he still opt out now and sign with another team? OBVIOUSLY. But there's A LOT of money that he will be walking away from. To which...as a refresher...just in case folks conveniently is forgetting or never realized...the MAIN REASON why he pushed his way out of Denver before the trade deadline in 2010-2011 (instead of just waiting half a freaking season more and signing outright with the Knicks...who had capspace coming to sign him outright) was because he was scared to death of losing money with the looming new CBA. So...yeah...sure...he could suddenly be a changed man...but history says CLEARLY that money matters to him. 2 years and $50+ million, 1 year and $28-29 million. It's not pocket change.
And the Knicks will have plenty of cap space in just ONE MORE YEAR. Jackson (interview today) has essentially said "enough is enough" with the Knicks stupid ways of throwing away assets and overpaying just to try to win a little here and there with no plan of actually building a team. And this essentially still is the same team that won 54 games in 2012-2013. It's not as bad as some desperately want it to be.