Clarification: Leaving a first round draft pick unsigned

[Marcus Bryant]

There seems to be a little confusion about the cap, contractual and 'rights' implications of leaving a first round pick unsigned in the forum.

Usually, when a 1st round draft pick is used by a team to draft a player, then that team will have that pick's salary (determined by the rookie salary scale) included in the team salary for cap purposes if that player is unsigned. So if Mahinmi, as expected, does not sign with the Spurs for the 2005-06 season he would count against the cap next season at the rate of 100% of the rookie scale salary for the 28th pick.

But, as long as Mahinmi is under contract with a non-NBA team, then he will not be included in the team salary for cap purposes.

With regards to the Spurs maintaining Mahinmi's rights, the Spurs will have his rights for a year after the last contract Mahinmi has with a non-NBA team ends.

Finally, when the Spurs decide to sign Mahinmi and bring him over, his contract will start at the level of a #28 pick (+/-20%) in the NBA draft for that season (ie the 2007 draft for the 2007-08 season). His contract will be a rookie contract just as it had started with the 2005-06 season, with no reduction in length because he was signing 2 years after the Spurs had drafted him.

Hopefully this will clear up some of the confusion I've seen in the forum and not create any...

[mookie2001]

...claro

[Marcus Bryant]

eh?

[bigzak25]

thanks man. i had wondered about that when i read that they wanted to keep him over there for another year at least...

[MannyIsGod]

Yeah, I didn't think he count against the cap. That was the only item I didn't quite get.

[boutons]

Alles klar, Kommissar.

[timvp]

Interesting.

I believe someone posted that Mahinmi signed a three-year contract in March, so the Spurs have his rights for at least the next four years.

Luckily, it is much easier to buyout players in the French league than to buyout players in the Spain or Italian leagues.