Zelaznyrules wrote:Son of Ra wrote:You guys are on crack thinking Len will not get more than 10/year or that that seems fair in today's market imho. Not saying that he is that good (been super high on him at first but also been saying for a season or two that he'll probably end up being a solid backup for us), but with Plumlee making 12.5, Mahinmi 16, Mozgov 16, there's no way he'll have to settle for so little.
I think he and his agent are definitely expecting mid teens and upward. But that doesn't mean he's playing like he's worth that kind of money. Given this market though I can't see us really wanting a big man that wasn't worth at least Mahinmi money. All of this to say, we haven't signed him for a reason, he's yet to show us he's worth that kind of money.
The issue with Len also depends upon how Chandler and/or Williams, (or Bender maybe?) play at the position early on this season. I'm not overly concerned about Williams being only 6'9"-ish, as he has a 7'2" Wingspan to cover for a lot of Centers in this league, and if we go into a game with a 'stud' Center that he cannot defend well against, he have Chandler who can, and has, matched up against these types.
I've been an avid Len supporter, and still believe he'll breakout this season, even if he takes a month to find his groove, I'm ok with that. But if he doesn't, I think we can win with Chandler/Williams, and maybe some times, Bender, playing the 5. Then, either at the Trade Deadline, or in-between seasons, we address the 'young' enter problem via a trade or the Draft; I certainly do not want to overpay Len just because it's convenient that he's already here.
And while his agent and he may expect mid-to-upper teens, if his play doesn't warrant it, I doubt he gets that amount from us. We have better, younger players we will need to take care of in the coming 2-3 years.