Chuma Okeke drafted #16 by the Orlando Magic

[Knightro]

Ehh, even if Chuma agrees to a domestic stash it's not a good look for the Orlando Magic and would most likely create hesitancy with future prospects/draft picks to want to play in Orlando.

Depends on how you look at it.

If you believe Okeke was going to slip into the 2nd round because of his ACL tear, then Magic drafting him at 16 just helped Okeke avoid having to sign a non-guaranteed contract with a maximum value of like 5-6M in favor of a 4 year deal worth 15M, then is it really a big deal if he delays that by a year?

Besides, it's not something the Magic can *force* him to do. He has to agree to it.

[MoMM]

Ehh, even if Chuma agrees to a domestic stash it's not a good look for the Orlando Magic and would most likely create hesitancy with future prospects/draft picks to want to play in Orlando.

If they had an agreement about it before the NBA Draft, I wouldn't say it will impact our FO.

[drsd]

Why would a 20 year old kid turn down nearly 2 million dollars so that the Magic can sign Amile Jefferson? Unless he's getting money under the table it doesn't make sense.

The Magic is not obliged to sign him at all. But the team does lose his draft nights at some point, which I believe is the day before the next draft.

So: the Magic could play out the season and then sign him to his rookie deal the day after the last game. I guess something like this is envisaged by these rumors. The gamble here is that he does not sign and puts his name back in the draft (presumably he would only do that if he assumed he would drafted higher than #16). As that is unlikely, the Magic's only real "loss" here is the good faith in not giving this kids some coin. I guess one could say he is getting the same ultimate pay-check, just off-set a year (all the same guarantees and all that).

EDIT: also, Okeke's cap hold still counts so there is no benefit there. This is only about off-setting the contract itself.
But is Okeke allowed to use Magic facilities and trainers? I would think not.

[drsd]

For first round picks, a Required Tender must be made on or before July 15th for the drafting team to keep the player’s Draft Rights.

OK: time for some homework on "Required Tender".


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[drsd]

As long as the player is a first round pick, the team and player also have the option to put off siging a contract, thereby delaying the Draft Rights process. The player can agree to renounce his right to accept any Required Tender from the team for the upcoming season. Once this happens, the player’s rookie scale cap hold comes off of his drafting team’s team salary and the player cannot be signed until the following July 1st, at which time the Draft Rights process will start over again.

[drsd]

A key point here given that Okeke left school early:

Draft Rights for Early Entry players are a little different from Draft Rights for other draft eligible players. For teams, things remain mostly the same – they gain Draft Rights the same way and the Required Tender requirements are the same. The only difference is how long the player’s drafting team holds his Draft Rights. Unlike other players whose Draft Rights are kept for one full year, Early Entry players are bound by their drafting teams until one year after the first NBA Draft they could have entered as non-Early Entry players. For example, Ben Simmons declared for the 2016 NBA Draft after his freshman season, making him an Early Entry player. Whichever team drafts Simmons will hold his Draft Rights until the 2020 NBA Draft, one year after the first draft Simmons could have entered as a non-Early Entry player (2019 NBA Draft). As such, the consequences of an Early Entry player not signing a player contract are much more severe than for non-Early Entry players.

These rules for Early Entry players apply even if the player signs a contract overseas and attempts to be considered under International/Eurostash player rules (explained below). There is no loophole for Early Entry players to shorten their drafting team’s Draft Rights period.

So: Orlando owns Okeke's draft rights for another three years if he were not to want to sign !

More to learn on the Magic's end though.
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[drsd]

OK; so a Required Tender is offering a contract.

The Magic cannot hold Okeke's rights without offering him a contract, UNLESS Okeke agrees to that. I guess the Magic could offer a 80% contract, allowable in the current CBA, and then hold his rights (which would be held for up to three years if he did not sign). But that contract would probably be 80% ever year thereafter as well.

By Okeke waiving this, (thus allowing the Magic to hold his rights without offering a contract this year) he can thus sign a 120% contract next year, with the 120% bumps year on from there. The difference in cash would be massive.

So I guess his lawyers advise him to wait, and he takes out a loan to live-large this year without an actual pay-check.


This needs to be a larger news story if true.

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[SOUL]

Amile's contract is 2-way, would be extremely surprised to not sign Okeke.

[Def Swami]

If the Magic don't intend on Okeke being part of their '19-'20 roster, it further makes sense why they signed Aminu.

The draft and stash idea is really the only plausible theory for him not signing yet. I figured that he'd probably just play in the G League when he returned anyway. It would have been hard to just throw him into the fire mid-season. He likely wouldn't have received any minutes. I was in favor of letting him slowly get his bearings in the G League once he was cleared to play. This is essentially a red shirt year for him.

At the same time, I find the idea that they agreed to this prior to the draft a little weird. Okeke seemed genuinely surprised that they picked him that high. I also would think that a guy coming off an ACL tear would want the guaranteed money sooner than later. But it's possible his agent worked a deal with the front office on draft night.

[MoMM]

I guess one could say he is getting the same ultimate pay-check, just off-set a year (all the same guarantees and all that).

Not the same, because the salary for a #16 pick next season will be higher than this year's. Probably it's not a lot of money as it's based on the salary cap and it won't skyrocket next season, IIRC.

[Knightro]

Delaying the contract a year is supremely beneficial for the Magic.

They don’t burn one of his guaranteed years on what amounts to a medical redshirt season.

Would have him totally healthy and under team control for 5 years instead of 4 if he signed now.

[GimmeDat]

When is Okeke expected to return to playing? Would he be able to to take to the court for a team that he's stashed to?

[Knightro]

When is Okeke expected to return to playing? Would he be able to to take to the court for a team that he's stashed to?

He had his ACL surgery on April 2nd.

Most NBA guys are able to come back within 8-10 months. We'll call it down the middle and say it's 9 months. That puts him back right at the start of 2020.

If the Magic and Okeke agreed to keep him as a domestic stash with Lakeland, he'd sign a G-League contract and be able to play with Lakeland as soon as he was healthy.

Then after a year, he'd sign his NBA contract.

Still not totally convinced a stash agreement is happening, just that it's a possibility.

[GimmeDat]

When is Okeke expected to return to playing? Would he be able to to take to the court for a team that he's stashed to?

He had his ACL surgery on April 2nd.

Most NBA guys are able to come back within 8-10 months. We'll call it down the middle and say it's 9 months. That puts him back right at the start of 2020.

If the Magic and Okeke agreed to keep him as a domestic stash with Lakeland, he'd sign a G-League contract and be able to play with Lakeland as soon as he was healthy.

Then after a year, he'd sign his NBA contract.

Still not totally convinced a stash agreement is happening, just that it's a possibility.

Thanks. I'm intrigued because I know the NBL are pushing really hard to find more stash guys they can get under the Next Stars program, and I'm sure they'd have reached out on their end about him.

I could only assume that Orlando would much prefer to have him stashed locally but it would at least give Okeke the chance to get paid a ton more than a G-League contract for this year.

Either way, excited to see him back healthy, ACL notwithstanding I think as a player he will absolutely live up to his draft spot.

[GimmeDat]

Take it fwiw, but I made a tweet about Okeke possibly going to the NBL as a stash and his brother Chuka liked it.

[pepe1991]

Take it fwiw, but I made a tweet about Okeke possibly going to the NBL as a stash and his brother Chuka liked it.

How can you bee so cruel parent and give your kids name Chuka and Chuma?

[NotACat]

Take it fwiw, but I made a tweet about Okeke possibly going to the NBL as a stash and his brother Chuka liked it.

How can you bee so cruel parent and give your kids name Chuka and Chuma?

Maybe it's their culture and not cruelty?

[MoMM]

When is Okeke expected to return to playing? Would he be able to to take to the court for a team that he's stashed to?

He had his ACL surgery on April 2nd.

Most NBA guys are able to come back within 8-10 months. We'll call it down the middle and say it's 9 months. That puts him back right at the start of 2020.

If the Magic and Okeke agreed to keep him as a domestic stash with Lakeland, he'd sign a G-League contract and be able to play with Lakeland as soon as he was healthy.

Then after a year, he'd sign his NBA contract.

Still not totally convinced a stash agreement is happening, just that it's a possibility.

Thanks. I'm intrigued because I know the NBL are pushing really hard to find more stash guys they can get under the Next Stars program, and I'm sure they'd have reached out on their end about him.

I could only assume that Orlando would much prefer to have him stashed locally but it would at least give Okeke the chance to get paid a ton more than a G-League contract for this year.

Either way, excited to see him back healthy, ACL notwithstanding I think as a player he will absolutely live up to his draft spot.

Yes, it's possible, the brazilian guy (Didi) who got drafted at #35 by the Pelicans will be stashed and play for Sidney Kings.

[GimmeDat]

He had his ACL surgery on April 2nd.

Most NBA guys are able to come back within 8-10 months. We'll call it down the middle and say it's 9 months. That puts him back right at the start of 2020.

If the Magic and Okeke agreed to keep him as a domestic stash with Lakeland, he'd sign a G-League contract and be able to play with Lakeland as soon as he was healthy.

Then after a year, he'd sign his NBA contract.

Still not totally convinced a stash agreement is happening, just that it's a possibility.

Thanks. I'm intrigued because I know the NBL are pushing really hard to find more stash guys they can get under the Next Stars program, and I'm sure they'd have reached out on their end about him.

I could only assume that Orlando would much prefer to have him stashed locally but it would at least give Okeke the chance to get paid a ton more than a G-League contract for this year.

Either way, excited to see him back healthy, ACL notwithstanding I think as a player he will absolutely live up to his draft spot.

Yes, it's possible, the brazilian guy (Didi) who got drafted at #35 by the Pelicans will be stashed and play for Sidney Kings.

That's right. I'd be more surprised if the same happened with Okeke though, pretty different circumstances... but I a quietly hopeful.

[yoyojw17]

Take it fwiw, but I made a tweet about Okeke possibly going to the NBL as a stash and his brother Chuka liked it.

How can you bee so cruel parent and give your kids name Chuka and Chuma?

Maybe it's their culture and not cruelty?

Chuma, an African name originating from the Igbo tribe in south eastern Nigeria. "Chuma" is a shortened version of the name "Chukwumaobim" meaning God knows my heart and "Chukwuma" meaning God knows.

Come on Pepe... respect our differences. lol