Flash4thewin wrote:AirP. wrote:contract wrote:We're trying to win now. Flexibility today is worth a ton more than anything that may happen 3 years down the line.
Yeah, we got strong armed.
Miami could have said they wanted to see Bam do well a 2nd full year before handing out a max deal.  It made 0 difference in his pay this last season whether he signed it last off-season or this upcoming one.  What did change is what Miami could ask for loyalty in return as in no player option like many young players ask for.
 
Isn’t that what happened? Bam doesn’t have an option in his last year. The market indicated Bam needed to be paid or he and his agent would rightfully demand a trade. I don’t blame Bam at all, this is his first contract.
 
Miami could have waited another year and offered the same exact contract, Bam saw 0 of that money because he signed a year early.  The only thing that changed was having that contract in hand just in case something bad happened(a bad injury) and thinking Miami would have left him out to dry.  
You can argue all day about it, but as a trade asset, Bam is worth more as an asset with a longer contract.  If you're a team rebuilding and trading for Bam, you'd rather having him signed for 5 years than 4+1 where he could leave a year earlier if he were to be moved to a team that he doesn't want to stay with.
All I'm saying is that I believe Miami was fine with signing Bam early because they got something out of it, they may never trade Bam but if they do, they have him locked into a maximum lengthed contract he can't leave early from.  They weren't strong-armed, they were fine with the outcome.  I still don't understand how Riley expected to build a contender in the modern NBA with a front line of Giannis and Bam, toss in Butler and there's just not enough money to acquire shooting to offset those 3 who don't shoot many 3s.