Shutting down Blair? - Contract reasonings

[Pistons < Spurs]

It's from hoopsworld so ... and from a 'chat' at that, but figured you all would want to know of it.


Why didn't Gerald Henderson play in the game against NBA D-League Select? Is he hurt?
Steve Kyler:
No... there are contract things and some guys get held out... Gerald is on "loan" and he did not get much action in game 1... What was said here in Vegas was that he was not expected to play much from the beginning, it was about him practicing and getting some structured work in, he's not part of the Timberwolves plans as he's a Bobcat, so they are using those minutes for their guys.... we're hearing that DeJuan Blair may not play again until his deal gets done.

http://www.hoopsworld.com/chat.asp?status=&CHAT_TOPICS_ID=375

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

That would be amazingly stupid of him. I call bullcrap.

[Pistons < Spurs]

That would be amazingly stupid of him. I call bullcrap.

I got the impression it was an organization decision ... not Blairs. But maybe I'm wrong.

[YoMamaIsCallin]

If true, it's probably a good move on his part. He certainly showed his value in one game. I don't see how he could do much more to increase his value. He's a second-rounder so the terms and amount of his contract are totally up to negotiation.

[manustarting2gd]

37th pick pick worrying about his deal getting done?

Why does this sound like B.S.?

I know he had a double double in his 1st summer league game but damn.

[z0sa]

More reasoning not to spend $15

[rjv]

HOOPSWORLD gossip? isn't that beneath then national inquirer as far as reliability goes?

[bigdog]

Sounds like a Spurs' decision to me, unless Blair and his agent are holding out for a contract.

BUTTTTTT......remember, this is Hoopsworld.

[z0sa]

HOOPSWORLD gossip? isn't that beneath then national inquirer as far as reliability goes?

Fox News is lowest.

[wildbill2u]

That would be amazingly stupid of him. I call bullcrap.

I call very smart. Give 'em a taste, but save the knees. Those knees could be a timebomb every time he hits the floor.

And I bet he gets more than yourr average 37th pick on his contract.

[naico]

Blair said on his twitter on 2 or 3 occasions that he's really looking forward to the next game and that it's all fun. Saying that, i'm not buying the report.

[rjv]

Fox News is lowest.

touche'.

[Bulwark]

I call very smart. Give 'em a taste, but save the knees. Those knees could be a timebomb every time he hits the floor.

And I bet he gets more than yourr average 37th pick on his contract.

Whether this is true or not, what kind of deal do you think he'll get?

[SonOfAGun]

Don't worry about it. Blair coming to the spurs was destiny. He's just resting up to shut down Bynum.

[coyotes_geek]

Depends whether or not the Spurs have plans for their LLE. There's no cap exception for 2nd round picks, so Blair either ends up getting paid league min, or out of the LLE. No telling which way the Spurs will go.

As a point of reference last year Mario Chalmers got $700k as the 31st pick in the draft. Blair's agent is probably looking for the Spurs to take a similar amount of the LLE and offer 2 years full guarantee.

[mikeyc]

what kind of protections can the Spurs put into any contract they give him? the team comes first, and I'd hate to gamble without protections on someone with his unquie medical condition, and that's manily because he's unproven in an NBA season. I think about this all the time. Even if he has a stellar year you still have to protect the future of the team, right?

[timvp]

That'd be weird. I guess if Blair's agent is paranoid about Blair's knees, he could have Blair shut it down and wait for his contract. I could see the Spurs shutting down ... but it wouldn't be for contractual reasons. For the Spurs, they likely want to see him play a few games before committing guaranteed money to him.

Hopefully it's not true. Blair needs some work and the Spurs need to make sure his knees can hold up. If he can't make it through summer league, no way he can make it through 82 games.

[Pistons < Spurs]

More info from the same chat:



Andre Guimares in Recife, Brasil:
Hi Steve, What you thing about Blair ?? What you expect about him on Spurs ?? and what you thing about Flynn ?? You belive they can impress in their first season in NBA ??
Steve Kyler:
I like Jonny Flynn... he is very short for a NBA point guard... cat quick, and can do a lot with the ball, but like other "waterbug" guards, he's gonna have a tough go of it...

DeJuan had a solid game, however the Spurs are playing games with him on money so, we'll see... I know he's gotten big money offers in Europe - so San Antonio would be wise to lock him in for two-years before he bounces to Europe to get paid.

[Dave McNulla]

http://twitter.com/dejuan45


Chillin bout 2 go 2 sleep had a peaceful day n Vegas can't wait until da next game:)


sounds like dejuan expects to play.

[galvatron3000]

Ahem, Blair is a Spur drafted in the 2nd round. He's not stupid, he has to OBEY whatever the Spurs would ask of him. He has to play in order to showcase his abilities but if the Spurs decided they've seen enough he maybe done til pre season.

[ducks]

well hopefully they can lock him down
also hopefully Ian can take advantage if he is not playing

[Bulwark]

DeJuan had a solid game, however the Spurs are playing games with him on money so, we'll see... I know he's gotten big money offers in Europe - so San Antonio would be wise to lock him in for two-years before he bounces to Europe to get paid.

I hope he doesn't pull a Splitter.

[Marcus Bryant]

Hoopsworld Strikes Again.

[naico]

Who's his agent and what is his rep?

[coyotes_geek]

Ahem, Blair is a Spur drafted in the 2nd round. He's not stupid, he has to OBEY whatever the Spurs would ask of him. He has to play in order to showcase his abilities but if the Spurs decided they've seen enough he maybe done til pre season.

Blair does have some leverage. The europe threat is a good one. I don't think it will come to that though. The Spurs know what they got and know how they've been burned before. They're not going to let Blair get away.

[oligarchy]

There's no such thing as an inside source at Hoopsworld. It's a Magic 8-ball they shake up.

[honestfool84]

crap. crap. crap.

[oligarchy]

Blair does have some leverage. The europe threat is a good one. I don't think it will come to that though. The Spurs know what they got and know how they've been burned before. They're not going to let Blair get away.

The Spurs also have some leverage about Blair ever playing in the NBA again if he wants to pull the Euro card. Unless he wants to sit out a full year. This is non-sense anyway. There's no reason thus far to dwell on it.

[timvp]

When Blair was drafted, his agent said that he wanted to get Blair two years guaranteed -- and even mentioned getting more than the minimum. Considering that the Spurs only way to give him more than the minimum is to give him part of the LLE, the negotiations could get somewhat ugly if the Spurs aren't willing to get strong-armed into spending the LLE.

Let's just hope this is a HoopsWorld rumor.

[mikeyc]

who "burned" the Spurs?

[naico]

Hope this thing doesn't turn into a nightmare for both sides..

[Bulwark]

who "burned" the Spurs?

I guess it would be Splitter

[mikeyc]

Blair does have some leverage. The europe threat is a good one. I don't think it will come to that though. The Spurs know what they got and know how they've been burned before. They're not going to let Blair get away.


I guess it would be Splitter
Did Splitter burn them by breaking a promise?

[coyotes_geek]

The Spurs also have some leverage about Blair ever playing in the NBA again if he wants to pull the Euro card. Unless he wants to sit out a full year. This is non-sense anyway. There's no reason thus far to dwell on it.

When two sides have leverage against each other, what you get is a stalemate. Agree though that there's no point in dwelling on it yet. At the end of the day I think both sides are in agreement that they want Dejuan Blair in a Spurs uniform this coming season.

[coyotes_geek]

who "burned" the Spurs?

Splitter & Scola. Not neccessarily them personally, but moreso by the situation.

[Bruno]

Outside of the part about Blair going in Europe, the rest of the story could be true.

Even if Spurs use a part of the LLE on Blair, it isn't a big deal. The thing that matters is that Spurs locked Blair for 2 years. A 1 year contract would be quite bad.

[tempest186]

Splitter, Scola, Javtokas have all had Euro contracts or offers that affected the Spurs plans to one degree or another.

[timvp]

Blair's agent, Happy Walters, said his client is assured of a guaranteed contract with the Spurs. Unlike first-round picks, second-rounders typically are not afforded those.

"DeJuan will have a guaranteed contract with San Antonio," Walters said. "They got the steal of the draft in my opinion, so they will try to lock him in as long as they can."

There's one quote from his agent. I'm still looking for the one where he said he wants Blair to get two-years for more than the minimum.

[mikeyc]

Splitter, Scola, Javtokas have all had Euro contracts or offers that affected the Spurs plans to one degree or another.
yes, but I don't think they were "burned"; The Spurs know they're rolling the dice with 2nd rounders, or 1st rounders in the middle of a Euro contract.

[ducks]

I want a 3 year contract with the third spurs option
why bird rights

[ducks]

I understand trying to get your mil ticket with shotty knees but if this turns our to be true I just lost a lot of respect for this guy.

yeah how dare he try to get a guarantee 2 million and look out for himself
you would do the same thing

[tempest186]

I agree, I was just mentioning that those are three possibilities for someone saying they were "burned"

[Bruno]

There's one quote from his agent. I'm still looking for the one where he said he wants Blair to get two-years for more than the minimum.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09177/980097-100.stm ?

[timvp]

Despite the concerns about Blair's long-term durability, Walters said that he "guarantees" Blair will sign a guaranteed contract with the Spurs and is confident he will sign for more than the league minimum of $457,588.

Under the collective bargaining agreement with the NBA, teams are required to give guaranteed contracts only to first-round picks. Agents such as Walters can attempt to negotiate guaranteed contracts on their own.

"No doubts at all," Walters said.

Walters said he will likely seek a two-year contract because he believes Blair will outperform the value of his first contract.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09178/980333-175.stm

His agent appears ready to play hardball. The Spurs don't like getting pushed around. I could see Blair's agent telling him to sit out until he gets the guaranteed money.

Hopefully the two sides agree soon and Blair can concentrate on beasting.

[coyotes_geek]

yes, but I don't think they were "burned"; The Spurs know they're rolling the dice with 2nd rounders, or 1st rounders in the middle of a Euro contract.

Whether you call it getting 'burned' or crapping out on rolling the dice they still ended up in an unfortunate situation on more than one occasion with regards to being able to add players to the team when they want to. If Blair's agent is threatening to go make money in europe (and there's no proof that he is) that is something the Spurs do need to take seriously.

[rayray2k8]

I already asked Blair on his twitter page and posted the link, but I don't expect an answer.
We'll have to wait till tonight to find out.
That, OR we can ask everyone's least favorite local journalist, Mcdonald.
Why do I get the feeling that he'll turn into everyone's favorite soon because he actually replies to fans?
Spurstalk and Mcdonlad working hand and hand.. Could be a beautiful relationship. :lol

[timvp]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09177/980097-100.stm ?

:tu Beat me to it.

[Kamnik]

I can understand him though... He dedicated years of his life to basketball and now he wants a guarantee he will get at least something out of it. I doubt he comes from a rich family...

If I were him I would seriously consider a guaranteed european contract if that news has any legs. (In the case if the Spurs wouldn't commit at least some money)

If he gets injured in SL he is fucked.

[honestfool84]

^ nice sig.

thanks. i took it myself when i was in chicago for the 4th of july.

[buttsR4rebounding]

Fox News is lowest.

...except for CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC...

[mikeyc]

Blair's agent, Happy Walters, said it was in Blair's best interests to turn professional. He has a limited number of years to earn money because of his two surgically repaired knees.
"He doesn't have any [ligaments]," Walters said. "No one has ever been drafted without [ligaments]. Teams didn't know how long he would hold up in the NBA grind. Going back to college would have made the situation worse. This was a decision to take care of his family."


Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09178/980333-175.stm#ixzz0LGQUZYNf&C

this is very intersting. I guess it was the reporter and not the agent who said, "He has a limited number of years to earn money because of his two surgically repaired knees."

either way I find the quote from his agent incredibly intersting. "Going back to college would have made the situation worse. " would have made what "situation" worse? his knees? where he's drafted? I'm assuiming he meant his knees since this is after the draft, and you can't get worse than the 2nd round. and if he did mean his knees, what does this say about a contract down the line? it doesn't add up.

[ffadicted]

If Blair is backstabbing the only team in the league that decided to take a chance with him because of money issues after being drafted in the second round, he officially lost all my respect.

This better be bogus or a team decision.

[buttsR4rebounding]

I can understand him though... He dedicated years of his life to basketball and now he wants a guarantee he will get at least something out of it. I doubt he comes from a rich family...

If I were him I would seriously consider a guaranteed european contract if that news has any legs. (In the case if the Spurs wouldn't commit at least some money)

If he gets injured in SL he is fucked.


Although I am sure he has some kind of insurance policy against a career ending injury. If not, he didn't learn much at Pitt.

[toki9]

Blair's agent, Happy Walters, said it was in Blair's best interests to turn professional. He has a limited number of years to earn money because of his two surgically repaired knees.
"He doesn't have any [ligaments]," Walters said. "No one has ever been drafted without [ligaments]. Teams didn't know how long he would hold up in the NBA grind. Going back to college would have made the situation worse. This was a decision to take care of his family."


Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09178/980333-175.stm#ixzz0LGQUZYNf&C

this is very intersting. I guess it was the reporter and not the agent who said, "He has a limited number of years to earn money because of his two surgically repaired knees."

either way I find the quote from his agent incredibly intersting. "Going back to college would have made the situation worse. " would have made what "situation" worse? his knees? where he's drafted? I'm assuiming he meant his knees since this is after the draft, and you can't get worse than the 2nd round. and if he did mean his knees, what does this say about a contract down the line? it doesn't add up.

Blair's agent is named "Happy"? A sports agent named "Happy"...that's a bad joke waiting to happen...

[Pucho!!!]

Lies!!! He's said too many right things to say this idiotic blurp!

[alchemist]

I read that article a while back and his agent clearly doesn't have confidence in the longevity of Blair's career. The Guy turned pro so he could get those checks, he's on borrowed time and he knows it and I don't blame him for trying to get some money. Health is not guaranteed but an NBA contract is.

[toki9]

I read that article a while back and his agent clearly doesn't have confidence in the longevity of Blair's career. The Guy turned pro so he could get those checks, he's on borrowed time and he knows it and I don't blame him for trying to get some money. Health is not guaranteed but an NBA contract is.

That's the weird part...if you're his agent, why would you want to keep repeating that and drive down any chances of long term contract--and further cementing perception of your player as a damaged good? Sounds like a dubious behavior on his agent's part.

[Pucho!!!]

His agent is a business man not a doctor. He'll find any excuse to squeeze a contract out of a team. Spurs aint no suckas, they'll take their time to make sure both sides r happy. Besides, the human body is a remarkable piece of work. The younger u r the more plasticity ur body has so Blair having these injuries at a young age has allowed his body time to heal and adjust properly. So, sure he may not play 20 yrs or even 15, but 10 good years is feasible after that who knows! He's defied medical science so far :toast

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

That's the weird part...if you're his agent, why would you want to keep repeating that and drive down any chances of long term contract--and further cementing perception of your player as a damaged good? Sounds like a dubious behavior on his agent's part.

The only reasoning I can think of is because this was a guy who was projected as a lottery pick on many lists. It could get framed in the media as an ego trip; a guy feels that he should have been a first round pick and is demanding that the team that drafted him give him a first round pick's contract. Of the two options it's better to look like an underdog watching your family's back than a petulent kid.

[poeticism707]

Wow. This is pretty bad. When is the last time someone held out for money on the Spurs?

Blair seems as good as advertised on the boards, but demanding his contract be finalized after only one SL game is really presumptuous.

I understand his reasoning, of course, but this is still pretty selfish. If Manu could wait his turn until his late 20s to get his first big money contract, why can't Blair?

Whatever the Spurs sign him to, they BETTER lock him up for 3 years, not two: even though I believe he can't sign with another NBA team until that first 3 years is over, still the Euro teams are a threat.

I hope Blair will be as dedicated after getting his contract, because if he get's happy and sits around on his laurels, he won't have the chance to get his second contract.

[vander]

Fox News is lowest.

:lol people love to hate the Fox News, they must be doing something right.

[bishopospurs]

He will be a spur for now either way. The league has never seen knees like his before they have yet to fail him, add in how quickly medicine is progressing it is hard to say he has x amount of years till his knees pull a south park and testicles pop out of them. We had Sean play while needing a kidney transplant and then afterwards, so who knows, nothing is impossible. I will appreciate Blair's skills as long as he plays, all indications point to him being a good if not great pro and a great person to have in the locker room. So what if he doesn't see the court in Vegas again, we know what he is, he will be a significant part of the rotation. I hope for his family he can cash in on his gifts.

http://images.southparkstudios.com/img/content/characters/165a.jpg

[Spursmania]

His agent is a business man not a doctor. He'll find any excuse to squeeze a contract out of a team. Spurs aint no suckas, they'll take their time to make sure both sides r happy. Besides, the human body is a remarkable piece of work. The younger u r the more plasticity ur body has so Blair having these injuries at a young age has allowed his body time to heal and adjust properly. So, sure he may not play 20 yrs or even 15, but 10 good years is feasible after that who knows! He's defied medical science so far :toast


Pucho, I seriously doubt he will play ten years without ACL's. I give him 3-5 years at his best. NBA is an 82 game season plus playoffs with SA. It just doesn't sound very likely that he could pull off that many years in the NBA grind without ACL's. It's clear that's why he wants to make money now for himself and his family. I hope the Spurs do give him a good 2 year contract. As Byron Scott said while viewing him play at SL, "that's a man out there."

I think he will earn his pay. I think his College rebounding game will translate to the NBA, and again he has a short window to play. He knows that and his agent knows that.

I hope the Spurs are fair with him. After all, they did take him knowing he has no ACLS thus they have to know his window of playing in The NBA will most likely be a short 3-5 years. :toast

[Spurs Brazil]

Look the contract Bucks gave to their 2nd round pick


Milwaukee Bucks second-round pick Jodie Meeks was signed to a three-year deal worth $2.3 million, with the first two years fully guaranteed and partial coverage in the third.http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&page=Chatter-090714

[Spursmania]

Look the contract Bucks gave to their 2nd round pick

damn:wow

[buttsR4rebounding]

Of course, if I am his agent I use RC's own words against him in negotiations. RC said that he sees Blair playing 20 minutes a night, that they were trying to trade up to the late 1st round to get him, etc which are all indications that they would have no problem in paying him guaranteed money. I think they will arrive at a price somewhere between the money for a late first rounder and the minimum with the 1st year totally guaranteed, the 2nd year partially guaranteed and a 3rd year team option.
That would protect the Spurs against a total disaster if his knees can't hold up (which I don't think they are overly concerned with) and also give them his bird rights if he really blossums into a 15 point, 12 rebound guy like he was at Pitt.

[bishopospurs]

I hope the Spurs are fair with him. After all, they did take him knowing he has no ACLS thus they have to know his window of playing in The NBA will most likely be a short 3-5 years. :toast

If he is out of the league in 5 years that would be really depressing, it would suck to lose Duncan and Ginobli and have to rebuild without Blair

[vander]

Look the contract Bucks gave to their 2nd round pick

with all the horrible, HORRIBLE contracts in the NBA today, what's the risk in just giving Blair what he wants. is a 3 year / 7 million deal (or whatever, I just made that up) really all that risky when you consider that RJ would probably struggle to get 10 mill per year out on the open market right now, even TD is getting about 5-7 million more than he's worth right now, yet they're going to squabble with this kid over what? 500k? :lol

[mikeyc]

I refuse to fall in love with this kid. it's only for my protection, though. *sigh*

[Muser]

:(

[timvp]

Thinking about it a little bit, this would be the perfect time for the agent to tell Blair to stop playing. The Spurs got a taste of how good Blair is, Blair is still healthy and training camp is a long ways away so there's time to negotiate. His knees are admittedly a concern so getting that guaranteed money is more important than most draft picks. The agent wouldn't be doing his job if he wasn't trying to protect Blair.

If Blair does sit out, I would 100% see where he's coming from. It's a business.

We'll see what happens. Hopefully the Spurs sign him ASAP and the contract issue can go in the past.

Even if Blair sits out the rest of summer league, it wouldn't be a tragedy. Everyone already saw how good he is and Blair doesn't have much left to prove in this setting. Plus it'd give the Spurs more of an opportunity to take a look at Gist and Mahinmi -- and really, that's most important right now. Is Gist ready to make the jump? Is Mahinmi still a legit prospect? Blair has answered his questions already.

[urunobili]

I'd do the same if I was his agent... he deserves like 1 mill a year MINIMUM...

[Mr. Body]

That Jodie Meeks contract is crazy. Has he proven a damn thing even in Summer League? I thought Milwaukee was supposed to save some money??

[Mr. Body]

Thinking about it a little bit, this would be the perfect time for the agent to tell Blair to stop playing. The Spurs got a taste of how good Blair is, Blair is still healthy and training camp is a long ways away so there's time to negotiate. His knees are admittedly a concern so getting that guaranteed money is more important than most draft picks. The agent wouldn't be doing his job if he wasn't trying to protect Blair.

If Blair does sit out, I would 100% see where he's coming from. It's a business.

We'll see what happens. Hopefully the Spurs sign him ASAP and the contract issue can go in the past.

Even if Blair sits out the rest of summer league, it wouldn't be a tragedy. Everyone already saw how good he is and Blair doesn't have much left to prove in this setting. Plus it'd give the Spurs more of an opportunity to take a look at Gist and Mahinmi -- and really, that's most important right now. Is Gist ready to make the jump? Is Mahinmi still a legit prospect? Blair has answered his questions already.

Whole-heartedly agree. That first game was all we needed to see. If we see more, great. Otherwise, work the other guys out. Break into the LLE to sign Blair. He'll be worth a Million a year. Give him two years guaranteed, a third year team option, to retain Bird Rights and build in incentive.

[Muser]

Blair is a good signing for a portion of the LLE IMO.

[coyotes_geek]

As far as the Spurs go, I don't think it's neccessarily about the money. It's about the LLE. If they use some of that LLE money on Blair, which they'd have to in order to give Blair more than league min, then the remainder of their LLE basically just becomes another league min contract. So for all practical purposes the Spurs are facing a decision on whether they want to use their LLE on Blair or someone else. If the Spurs could offer Blair something in the 2yrs / $1.6 mil range and still have their LLE they'd do it in a heartbeat, IMO.

[bishopospurs]

If Brian Scalabrine can make 3 Mil we can piece together at least, the very least, a Million for Blair.

[BillMc]

I see Blair and his agent's point, but don't like the tactics. He's still a rookie and needs to be in there getting work and quite, frankly, to prove himself. Playing up that his "knees may go" is a double-edged sword because it would (and should) give the Spurs hesitance for longer contracts. We don't need if he can last 1 82 game season, much less 2 to 3....

But, the message it sends if he sits, is he's putting himself ahead of team. Yeah, there are reasons for it, but the Spurs are too good of an organization for these tactics. Keep playing while your agent negotiates, DeJuan. You do your job, he does his.

[Spurs Brazil]

As far as the Spurs go, I don't think it's neccessarily about the money. It's about the LLE. If they use some of that LLE money on Blair, which they'd have to in order to give Blair more than league min, then the remainder of their LLE basically just becomes another league min contract. So for all practical purposes the Spurs are facing a decision on whether they want to use their LLE on Blair or someone else.

If the Spurs use the LLE this season they can't use on the next one, right?

[Muser]

As far as the Spurs go, I don't think it's neccessarily about the money. It's about the LLE. If they use some of that LLE money on Blair, which they'd have to in order to give Blair more than league min, then the remainder of their LLE basically just becomes another league min contract. So for all practical purposes the Spurs are facing a decision on whether they want to use their LLE on Blair or someone else. If the Spurs could offer Blair something in the 2yrs / $1.6 mil range and still have their LLE they'd do it in a heartbeat, IMO.


It's between Blair who has potential to get 7 + Boards a night or some veteran who will ride the bench.

[hater]

1 freaking summer league game. Dude has not proven shit.

Already posters here are balloting him in the hall of fame.

Dude has to play the whole summer league and pre-season to prove anything

[coyotes_geek]

If the Spurs use the LLE this season they can't use on the next one, right?

Correct. They couldn't give out another LLE contract until 2011.

[Mr. Body]

I see Blair and his agent's point, but don't like the tactics. He's still a rookie and needs to be in there getting work and quite, frankly, to prove himself. Playing up that his "knees may go" is a double-edged sword because it would (and should) give the Spurs hesitance for longer contracts. We don't need if he can last 1 82 game season, much less 2 to 3....

But, the message it sends if he sits, is he's putting himself ahead of team. Yeah, there are reasons for it, but the Spurs are too good of an organization for these tactics. Keep playing while your agent negotiates, DeJuan. You do your job, he does his.

How is he putting himself before team? I give them points for caution and wisdom. This young man knows this could possibly be the only contract he ever gets to sign.

If, indeed, he is actually sitting out tonight.

[hater]

hoopsworld

[tmtcsc]

Thinking about it a little bit, this would be the perfect time for the agent to tell Blair to stop playing. The Spurs got a taste of how good Blair is, Blair is still healthy and training camp is a long ways away so there's time to negotiate. His knees are admittedly a concern so getting that guaranteed money is more important than most draft picks. The agent wouldn't be doing his job if he wasn't trying to protect Blair.

Blair has answered his questions already.

Well.....yes and no. He did a great job of rebounding in 1 SL game. I'd like to see him out there for at least 1 more. I thought that his height was a bigger issue than anything. He forced a few shots amongst the trees.

Will the weight that he lost cause him issues with getting the spacing he is used to ?

[coyotes_geek]

It's between Blair who has potential to get 7 + Boards a night or some veteran who will ride the bench.

I can understand the Spurs wanting to do due diligence and just see who they could possibly get for the LLE. But in the end I think we'll end up seeing the Spurs use a chunk of the LLE on Blair for a contract in the 2yr/$1.6 mil range and then shop for vets who will take league min.

[bishopospurs]

Will the weight that he lost cause him issues with getting the spacing he is used to ?

no

[coyotes_geek]

I see Blair and his agent's point, but don't like the tactics. He's still a rookie and needs to be in there getting work and quite, frankly, to prove himself. Playing up that his "knees may go" is a double-edged sword because it would (and should) give the Spurs hesitance for longer contracts. We don't need if he can last 1 82 game season, much less 2 to 3....

But, the message it sends if he sits, is he's putting himself ahead of team. Yeah, there are reasons for it, but the Spurs are too good of an organization for these tactics. Keep playing while your agent negotiates, DeJuan. You do your job, he does his.

Well let's be fair though. The Spurs haven't hesitated to use strong arm tactics either. Just last year in the negotiations with George Hill they gave him a contract offer that only paid him 80% of rookie scale in his 3rd year and said take it or leave it. Every other 1st round pick got the 120% that the CBA allows. They did the same thing to Mahinmi too.

[Spursmania]

If he is out of the league in 5 years that would be really depressing, it would suck to lose Duncan and Ginobli and have to rebuild without Blair

I know it would be terrible and depressing. :depressed

But the medical facts are playing against him. Despite him having done so well up to now, time is against him. If anything else were to happen to either of his knees, his prognosis for complete recovery would not be good. Why do you think he wasn't drafted in the first round? Plenty of M.D.'s understand this and conveyed their opinions to the GM's and owners, IMO.

I am thrilled to have him, and will pray and hope he remains as health and strong as a bull. I'm just going to enjoy what we have now and hope he can play for a long time.

[Muser]

2/1.6 sounds good to me.

[poeticism707]

Man, you know the Spurs have got it bad when they can't even get their second round, barely in the league and was about to not even get drafted, players to play in SL.

Instead, they demand the MLE, and take summer off, on their agent's advice.

If anyone had a RIGHT to do this, it was DUNCAN after his rookie season, but did he?!?!?

Nope: he came to play, and was the biggest BARGAIN in the league.

To he whom much is given, much is expected: Blair was given much in athletic gifts, but he's not showing anything in the class department.

[waly.mg]

In Fact if you are young you must to choice between a better First Contract or a Better Second

Probably in Europe he can won more money with the First, but NBA he can made a Big Second Contract

A couples of million isn´t a Big Money in Europe, but Europe never can pay 10 millions or more for season like a player who play some season in the NBA

Manu had one small first contract of 2 millions a year, and paying 2 millions buyout.
He lost money in that 2 first years, but the second contract was 10 millions a year.

If he remain in Europe he never can signed a 50 millions second contract

[Muser]

Man, you know the Spurs have got it bad when they can't even get their second round, barely in the league and was about to not even get drafted, players to play in SL.

Instead, they demand they demand the MLE, and take summer off, on their agent's advice.

If anyone had a RIGHT to do this, it was DUNCAN after his rookie season, but did he?!?!?

Nope: he came to play, and was the biggest BARGAIN in the league.

To he whom much is given, much is expected: Blair was given much in athletic gifts, but he's not showing anything in the class department.


It's his agent, Blair wants to play tomorrow.

[poeticism707]

It's his agent, Blair wants to play tomorrow.

The proof is in the pudding: we'll see.

[objective]

If I had to guess I would say the problem isn't the money like the LLE, it's the number of years.

My memory is that LLEs are limited to 2 years.

Spurs could lose him to an offer sheet after only two seasons. That's not what they want. Why get Milsapped?

If they had MLE left I'm sure they wouldn't scoff too much at greater than minimum salary guaranteed for 3 years, but they don't.

Maybe they'll just guarantee all 3 years at the minimum with the raises.

The key is the length, not the total.

[Kori Ellis]

Man, you know the Spurs have got it bad when they can't even get their second round, barely in the league and was about to not even get drafted, players to play in SL.

Instead, they demand the MLE, and take summer off, on their agent's advice.

If anyone had a RIGHT to do this, it was DUNCAN after his rookie season, but did he?!?!?

Nope: he came to play, and was the biggest BARGAIN in the league.

To he whom much is given, much is expected: Blair was given much in athletic gifts, but he's not showing anything in the class department.

Really, stop trolling.

[Spursmania]

1 freaking summer league game. Dude has not proven shit.

Already posters here are balloting him in the hall of fame.

Dude has to play the whole summer league and pre-season to prove anything


Hater, he's a winner and a beast on the glass. He will make it, and he will be effective. I mean look at him play. He has a natural feel for the ball and those suction cup hands of his are phenomenal.

No, he is no hall of famer, but he is clearly one of the best in the SL. Yes, it's only been one game, but the guy has it. He's confident and makes things happen when he's out there.

He should have been and would have been a 1st round draft pick had it not been for the requested MRI in the Chicago pre-draft camp which revealed his lack of ACL's. That is when teams backed off from picking him.

Anyways, I know it's early, but I could understand why his agent would want to mak a deal now. It's still a business.

[ShoogarBear]

I gotta take Blair's side on this. The guy is unquestionably a first-round talent. Everybody's trying to make a guess on his knees, but nobody has any facts on which to make that guess. And, truthfully, the Spurs can't afford to lose him to Europe.

[rjv]

So does all this BS go away if he plays tonight?

probably not. not if a mere crappy ass rumor from hoopsworld can generate this many responses.

[coyotes_geek]

If I had to guess I would say the problem isn't the money like the LLE, it's the number of years.

My memory is that LLEs are limited to 2 years.

Spurs could lose him to an offer sheet after only two seasons. That's not what they want. Why get Milsapped?

If they had MLE left I'm sure they wouldn't scoff too much at greater than minimum salary guaranteed for 3 years, but they don't.

Maybe they'll just guarantee all 3 years at the minimum with the raises.

The key is the length, not the total.

The Spurs would love it if Blair would take 3 years at league minimum. But I don't think Blair likes that idea. If I'm Blair I want 2 years for as much money as I can get and then I get to sign my second contract a year earlier.

[Bruno]

Maybe they'll just guarantee all 3 years at the minimum with the raises.

Spurs can't do that.
With the LLE or the min salary exception, the max length is 2 years.

[ElNono]

Just an observation... It's amazing how the attitudes have changed in this place now that we're 2 years removed from a championship. I still remember the summer when the Express-News was reporting that Scola's agent was allegedly low-balling the Spurs, and the immediate reaction here was fuck Scola and fuck his agent.
Now Mr Happy is allegedly trying to play hardball with the FO, and the immediate reaction is 'give him what he wants'. I mean, we're talking about a very promising rookie that only has 1 SL game under his belt.
Anyways, just wanted to point out something that stood out while reading this thread.

[Bulwark]

Just an observation... It's amazing how the attitudes have changed in this place now that we're 2 years removed from a championship. I still remember the summer when the Express-News was reporting that Scola's agent was allegedly low-balling the Spurs, and the immediate reaction here was fuck Scola and fuck his agent.
Now Mr Happy is allegedly trying to play hardball with the FO, and the immediate reaction is 'give him what he wants'. I mean, we're talking about a very promising rookie that only has 1 SL game under his belt.
Anyways, just wanted to point out something that stood out while reading this thread.

Ah, how quickly we forget.

[DBMethos]

All of this exasperation over a Hoopsworld rumor? Why don't we wait and see what the real deal is first.

[Spursmania]

All of this exasperation over a Hoopsworld rumor? Why don't we wait and see what the real deal is first.


What a great idea.:toast

[024]

All of this exasperation over a Hoopsworld rumor? Why don't we wait and see what the real deal is first.
yeah, i would wait until the next SL game starts before commenting.

[SonOfAGun]

Pay the man.

This guy is tougher than Oberto and Bonner combined. Give him the money and get ready to play for a championship. Can't afford the drama with what's at stake this year.

[objective]

Spurs can't do that.
With the LLE or the min salary exception, the max length is 2 years.

my mistake.

So to clarify, LLE or no LLE, the Spurs can't give him more than 2 years. No scenario exists to give him a 2+1 or anything of the sort.

[anonoftheinternets]

Really, stop trolling.

hands down worst poser on ST .. i wish i knew who's troll ...

[Bruno]

So to clarify, LLE or no LLE, the Spurs can't give him more than 2 years. No scenario exists to give him a 2+1 or anything of the sort.

Yes, Spurs can only signed him to a 1 or 2 years contract.

[45 bank shot]

well,at least he says on his twitter that he can't wait for his next SL game

[timvp]

Have we seen the final figures for McDyess? Could the Spurs have left some MLE money to spend on Blair?

[anjlbitz]

I hate this, it's making me nervous. I've fallen in love with his bball game. Hopefully we'll get news soon

[Bruno]

Have we seen the final figures for McDyess? Could the Spurs have left some MLE money to spend on Blair?

realgm has a starting salary of $4.5M for McDyess. :wow

[timvp]

realgm has a starting salary of $4.5M for McDyess. :wow

:smokin

[Bruno]

:smokin

Yes, nice intuition. McDyess getting the full MLE in his first year seemed to be given.

[sabar]

I'll wait for some non-hoopsworld news. At least this rumor has some background behind it, but their stuff still seems fabricated. I think their writers look at all the things that might happen and throw it out there, so that when one of them is true they had it reported first.

[Big P]

realgm has a starting salary of $4.5M for McDyess. :wow

HoopsHYPE.com is showing $5,854,000 $6,322,320 $6,790,640

[Bruno]

HoopsHYPE.com is showing $5,854,000 $6,322,320 $6,790,640

hoopshype sucks for salary info. realgm is significantly more reliable and has some league sources.

[tav1]

Have we seen the final figures for McDyess? Could the Spurs have left some MLE money to spend on Blair?

Props on that.:toast

[Kamnik]

The guy is not asking for that much money. (just consider how much some other players make) Spurs should commit. If not for anything else just to get him think only about basketball and not be afraid for the future of his family.

If I am in his position I make sure I get at least something to be able to financially take care of myself/my parents etc.

And most likely this is not of his making; his agent is looking out for his best interest - and rightly so.

Even if the Spurs sign him and he breaks 5 legs in SL they do not loose much.



And something that is really IMPORTANT HERE: He plays all-in basketball. Throwing his body after every ball. If he was a finesse player he would not be so worried.

Just think of Manu...

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

realgm has a starting salary of $4.5M for McDyess. :wow

Can you show the link to his salary? I can't find it.

[Spursmania]

:smokin

:pop::tu

[waly.mg]

In this case:

Can the Spurs made a LLE 2 years contract, with a second a Player Option.

If he play good, he can opt out and to be a Restricted FA, or something like that?

[Bruno]

Can you show the link to his salary? I can't find it.

You can see salaries in their trade checker. Salaries aren't displayed in $ so you need to do the conversion.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Oh, thanks. :tu

[oligarchy]

RealGM is also showing a Trade Kicker in AMDs contract, interesting.

[SequSpur]

Dude...Blair is fricking good. Dude was damn near the best player in the ncaa tourney this past year...

pay him.....

[rascal]

Outside of the part about Blair going in Europe, the rest of the story could be true.

Even if Spurs use a part of the LLE on Blair, it isn't a big deal. The thing that matters is that Spurs locked Blair for 2 years. A 1 year contract would be quite bad.

Agree, If the Spurs are so worried about him holding up healthwise then they should not have drafted him in the first place. They need to approach this as if he will be good healthwise and lock him in with a two year deal.

[Spursmania]

Fixed.

[coyotes_geek]

realgm has a starting salary of $4.5M for McDyess. :wow

Nice find! :toast

Assuming they're correct then I guess that means the 3rd year of McDyess' deal is fully guaranteed. 3yrs & $15 mil was the terms IIRC. McDyess did the Spurs a pretty nice favor here by leaving them some MLE to work with.

[Stump]

I apologize if it's already been brought up, but would it be possible with the CBA to sign him to the full LLE (1.7 mil) for three years? Blair might be hesitant to add that third year, but it would both make sure he gets paid pretty well in his rookie contract and give the Spurs more length to the contract.

[tempest186]

No minimums and LLE are limited to 2 years

[slick'81]

hope this doesn't get ugly i would also like blair to play at least a few more games just to c where his conditioning is

[Stump]

No minimums and LLE are limited to 2 years
That's what I thought, thanks. A similar idea could still be used with the rest of the MLE, though. Not sure what the exact deal would be, but basically trade more money per year for extra years on the contract.

[Russ]

If Blair is playing in the summer league without a contract, his agent has committed malpractice.

[HarlemHeat37]

So has anybody(outside of the ever-so-credible Hoopsworld) actually said anything about this, or it's just speculation that there could be problems right now?..

[Russ]

Have we seen the final figures for McDyess? Could the Spurs have left some MLE money to spend on Blair?

Or LLE money?

[pad300]

Assuming the $4.5 million starting salary for McDyess is correct, give Blair a first rounder contract at a starting salary of the remainder of the MLE...
Good deal for both parties. Blair gets his guaranteed money (first 2 years), and the ego-stroke of getting the 1st round contract he should have gotten. Spurs get Blair locked in on their options for 4 years...

[PBEEZY]

Since he has already done a press conference and being given a jersey number i thought he would have already established contracts agreements, verbally atleast.

[bishopospurs]

Assuming the $4.5 million starting salary for McDyess is correct, give Blair a first rounder contract at a starting salary of the remainder of the MLE...
Good deal for both parties. Blair gets his guaranteed money (first 2 years), and the ego-stroke of getting the 1st round contract he should have gotten. Spurs get Blair locked in on their options for 4 years...

sounds good to me

[Man In Black]

"I'm going to be a Spur, they picked me," stated Blair. "I'm just negotiating my contract but I'm going to be a Spur and I plan on being one for a long time. I can't wait till it happens."

[coyotes_geek]

^^^ I like the sound of that. Get your deal Blair. Do what you got to do.



Assuming the $4.5 million starting salary for McDyess is correct, give Blair a first rounder contract at a starting salary of the remainder of the MLE...
Good deal for both parties. Blair gets his guaranteed money (first 2 years), and the ego-stroke of getting the 1st round contract he should have gotten. Spurs get Blair locked in on their options for 4 years...

Having some MLE left changes the whole dynamic. Now you do get into being able to offer deals 3 years or longer. With that, the money involved goes up. Blair's agent can now ask for more because he knows the Spurs can offer more.

[Spursmania]

Who's his agent and what is his rep?

His agent's name is Happy Walters. I really don't know about his reputation.

[Pucho!!!]

his window of playing in The NBA will most likely be a short 3-5 years. :toast

Wow, 3-5 yrs? he's played 4 yrs on those knees already without any problems. A lot people thought he wouldn't get to the point he's at after his surgeries, but he defied those odds. Like I said, he had the injury early enough that he has been able to compensate and his body adjust. From what I've seen, having no ACLs hasn't impeded his basketball progress so far, so what makes u think he'd have such a short run at the NBA. He's only 20 yrs old. I guess, I was pushin it with 10 yrs, but 3-5 yrs? that's not very long. I think their concern is more if he injures his knees and can recover more than the durability of them, but only time will tell.

[4RINGS]

Wow, 3-5 yrs? he's played 4 yrs on those knees already without any problems. A lot people thought he wouldn't get to the point he's at after his surgeries, but he defied those odds. Like I said, he had the injury early enough that he has been able to compensate and his body adjust. From what I've seen, having no ACLs hasn't impeded his basketball progress so far, so what makes u think he'd have such a short run at the NBA. He's only 20 yrs old. I guess, I was pushin it with 10 yrs, but 3-5 yrs? that's not very long. I think their concern is more if he injures his knees and can recover more than the durability of them, but only time will tell.

4 COLLEGE Years... now he has to play in 82 games per year... that is a HUGE difference. We should get 4-5 years of solid production before his 265 lb. body starts to take a toll on his stumps. :flag:

[oligarchy]

His agent's name is Happy Walters. I really don't know about his reputation.

http://www.draftexpress.com/agents/agency/Immortal-Sports-8/

http://www.zoominfo.com/people/Walters_Happy_46411624.aspx

[anjlbitz]

Seems like he's playing. From his twitter page



game day!!! nothing better then playing basketball against people that are just as competitive as me.

http://twitter.com/DeJuan45/status/2641764083

[z0sa]

:lol people love to hate the Fox News, they must be doing something right.

They're all pretty even.

[Spursmania]

http://www.draftexpress.com/agents/agency/Immortal-Sports-8/

http://www.zoominfo.com/people/Walters_Happy_46411624.aspx

Thanks, now I know a little more about Happy Walters:toast

[z0sa]

Happy "in the pants" Walters needs to tone it down a notch. Remember your player may have gone undrafted. Yes, it could have happened since he fell as far as he did.

[Spursmania]

^^^ I like the sound of that. Get your deal Blair. Do what you got to do.




Having some MLE left changes the whole dynamic. Now you do get into being able to offer deals 3 years or longer. With that, the money involved goes up. Blair's agent can now ask for more because he knows the Spurs can offer more.

Exactly. Walters zeroed in on that baby. I guess that's why teams don't like to disclose all the contract details.

[Sii]

is this entire thread really on a hoopsworld blurb? come on.....he was excited about the game tonight on twitter

if he was going to sit out due to some contract dispute why was he looking forward to playing/?

[DBMethos]

If Blair isn't going to play, I'm all for letting Ian and Jack get all the touches they want.

[coyotes_geek]

Looks like hoopsworld got this one right. Haven't seen Blair yet.

[HarlemHeat37]

I'd like to see him for one more SL game..as long as they can get a deal done by then, if this is indeed the case..

[Pistons < Spurs]

HoopsWorld was right? :wow mark it down on a calendar!

[Spursmania]

HoopsWorld was right? :wow mark it down on a calendar!


Looks like they are 2 for 2, since they called the McDyess signing:wow

Is it luck:lol

[HarlemHeat37]

The McDyess signing didn't really take much credibility, but I give them credit for calling this one..

[coyotes_geek]

Damn. Hoopsworld is 2 for 2. I feel a great disturbance in the force...........

[phyzik]

Hoopsworld was right? No fucking wonder my feet are cold, Hell must be freezing over.

Nevermind that flying pig I just saw....

[Sii]

Damn. Hoopsworld is 2 for 2. I feel a great disturbance in the force...........

depends. We still don't know exactly why he sat out. Maybe it was a Spurs decision, maybe it was his agent, who knows. 2 hours ago he clearly thought he was playing

[Go For Tree]

arent nba rookie contracts already set accrding to draft position??

[coyotes_geek]

arent nba rookie contracts already set accrding to draft position??

only for 1st rounders.

[4RINGS]

HOOPSWORLD has been nails... if they say it Believe it. TRUTH!

[4RINGS]

is this entire thread really on a hoopsworld blurb? come on.....he was excited about the game tonight on twitter

if he was going to sit out due to some contract dispute why was he looking forward to playing/?

Hoopsworld knows more than Blair does about his situation... or he was just pulling your leg. :lmao

[spurspokesman]

Blair does have some leverage. The europe threat is a good one. I don't think it will come to that though. The Spurs know what they got and know how they've been burned before. They're not going to let Blair get away.

Let's hope not coyote. Cause if so:bang:bang 100 times.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

LOLOL at the spurs possibly losing their best rookie thispego has ever seen

[poeticism707]

Damn. Hoopsworld is 2 for 2. I feel a great disturbance in the force...........
:rollin:rollin:rollin

[Russ]

Have we seen the final figures for McDyess? Could the Spurs have left some MLE money to spend on Blair?

This possibility has been out there for some time.

http://spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=129928&page=8

[Spursfan092120]

LOLOL at the spurs possibly losing their best rookie thispego has ever seen
Aren't you a Spurs fan? Why is this funny?

[mudyez]

I dont think, there is a problem with handing him a contract right now...as was already said: they shouldnt have drafted him, if there are health concerns

the problem is, that it takes some time to handle the contract stuff and thats where they are probably stuck

should be solved in at least a week...I can understand Blair und the Spurs and its not a big deal

[jb4g]

It actually surprises me that the guy can even play in the SL without a contract. It would seem to me without a contract he is playing at his own risk, and if he did get hurt the Spurs could simply walk away without any responsibility. If I was in his shoes I would sit as well and wait until my deal got done. Anybody know specifically how that works, does he sign a waiver to play in SL for now, and just takes out an insurance policy on his own to offset future earning should he get injured?

[Ginnoobbllee]

Well, his agent does have a good argument.

Revenge by the Milwaukee Bucks.

If Jodie Meeks got a 3 yr. 2.3 million contract w/ 2 yrs guarenteed plus partial on the 3rd, for the 41st pick in the 2nd round,

Blair has a good case for at least that for the 37th pick.

My question is, the Bucks are also over the salary cap (about 64 MM?), how can they offer a 3 year contract without using the MLE to a rookie?

Why can't the Spurs offer a similar 3 year deal?
:wow

[coyotes_geek]

Milwaukee did use their MLE on Meeks.

[rasho8]

Fox News is lowest.

I take you have never turned the channel to MSNBC Because they win the 'shittiest cable news network' award every year.

[Ryvin1]

Posted this in another thread and think this might be a better location to ask the question.

I think because it's the second round and using the MLE they can do a longer then normal 3yr rookie deal. I think the Spurs should consider a 5 yr offer, loaded to pay more in the last years to make it easier to handle with lux tax or avoid lux tax fully in the first 2 years. Blair gets the money of a first rounder even though he fell to the 2nd, and guaranteed money incase he does get injured. If he lives up to his potential the Spurs get him at a lower price then his market value would be after his rookie contract if he pans out to be a serviceable NBA big, and they get injury insurance incase Blair does get hurt. Not sure if this is possible but I think something like this would work out best for both parties. Is this possible?

[coyotes_geek]

I'm not sure Blair would want to lock himself up for 5 years. His second contract will be better money than his first, so he's probably going to want to get to that second contract as quickly as possible. I'd guess he wants 2 years plus a player option for a 3rd. Three years being the magic number for the Spurs to have full Bird rights on him. The Spurs probably want that 3rd year to be a team option instead.

[Dex]

So is this twice in recent memory that Hoopsworld has had the scoop?

Planes better be on pig notice.

[Ace9]

I take you have never turned the channel to MSNBC Because they win the 'shittiest cable news network' award every year.


Haha :lmao You must really love FOX... and hate the truth. :lol

[oligarchy]

So is this twice in recent memory that Hoopsworld has had the scoop?

Planes better be on pig notice.

If this is one, what is the other? Don't say McDyess signing..

[Spurstro]

I'd guess he wants 2 years plus a player option for a 3rd. Three years being the magic number for the Spurs to have full Bird rights on him. The Spurs probably want that 3rd year to be a team option instead.

That's a good point about the 3rd year and us having full Bird rights.

I am pretty sure you can't, but is there any way you can have both a team and/or player option for the 3rd year?

Say he picks up the option for x amount of dollars, and if not the team can decide to pick it up for something greater than x amount. If the team or him decide not to pick up the option he's able to walk. This could ensure himself of an extra year of getting paid in case his knees give out and ensure the Spurs get his Bird rights if they pick up the option.

Reading my post again....makes me think I should stick to lurking.

[angelbelow]

I think 800k starting with the maximum raise per year is very fair. i would say 2 years plus a team option.

[coyotes_geek]

That's a good point about the 3rd year and us having full Bird rights.

I am pretty sure you can't, but is there any way you can have both a team and/or player option for the 3rd year?

Say he picks up the option for x amount of dollars, and if not the team can decide to pick it up for something greater than x amount. If the team or him decide not to pick up the option he's able to walk. This could ensure himself of an extra year of getting paid in case his knees give out and ensure the Spurs get his Bird rights if they pick up the option.

Reading my post again....makes me think I should stick to lurking.

You can't have both a team option and a player option on the same year, but if you had the 3rd year be player option, but partially guaranteed I think you could essentially accomplish what you're talking about.

[Spurstro]

What about bonuses (like the Matt Bonner one) for meeting certain criteria...could those be added onto the 3rd year. If he meets them, I'm sure it would be worth it to the Spurs to pay him and keep his Bird Rights.

Just trying to find some middle ground in addition to the partial guarantee.