Julian Mozo's article: Scola wants to play in the NBA this year

[Kori Ellis]

I think the real issue here was the uncertainty of going to arbitration and having that money frozen for a long period of time without guarantees (even if it looked favorable for the lawyers). This was the real issue IMHO. From a business point of view, I think the Spurs did the right thing. The Spurs still have the option of sitting on his rights and wait for the right moment to bring Scola in, or trade them if a good opportunity presents itself.

Exactly. Supposedly Scola has been trying to get the buyout amount with Tau reduced for a couple years. Since it hasn't happened, the Spurs didn't need to risk going to arbitration and then have nothing to show.

[FoxMulder]

SCOLA pays the buyout, not the Spurs.

... If you have to pay to play ...

[Kori Ellis]

... If you have to pay to play ...

Like was said in this thread repeatedly, if the buyout was really $3.2M and the Spurs offered him 3 years/$7M, he could have paid off the buyout in payments and still made a decent salary in the NBA -- he wouldn't be paying to play. Obviously the buyout number isn't firm at $3.2M and/or Scola thinks he needs more money.

[FoxMulder]

Anyways... as the GodFather said...

"Is nothing personal, just bussiness " :lol

the Spurs did what it was better for them, nothing wrong with that

[Marcus Bryant]

So the Spurs got the guy they were more sure would be able to come over this summer and also the guy who they didn't hold exclusive NBA rights for and maintain the exclusive rights to the other guy.

Works for me, unless Scola is exceptionally better than Oberto, but from what I've heard and read that is not the case.

I'm still trying to find the dark cloud here. What is it?

[Rick Von Braun]

Like was said in this thread repeatedly, if the buyout was really $3.2M and the Spurs offered him 3 years/$7M, he could have paid off the buyout in payments and still made a decent salary in the NBA -- he wouldn't be paying to play. Obviously the buyout number isn't firm at $3.2M and/or Scola thinks he needs more money.
I disagree here. If the buyout was really $3.2M and the Spurs offered him 3 years/$7M they were dirt cheap! Making $200k/year average for 3 years is hardly a decent salary in the NBA... it is at least 2-3 times less than a NBA minimum salary.

The should have offered 3 years/$9M if there was a guarantee that Tau would not have gone to arbitration. I think the uncertainty of arbitration is the key issue.

[FoxMulder]

I guess Tau is trying to use the 2nd buyout... 14 millions... Scola didn´t want to say how much it was...
And the buyout of 3.2 millions can be used only in case Scola was drafted in first round...

Check out this article from Clarin


http://www.clarin.com/diario/2005/07/17/deportes/d-08701.htm

[WalterBenitez]

How much is Scola earning in TAU??

I am pretty sure that no TEAM in FIBA's world will pay u$s 14M/buyout for anyone, perhaps for Michael Jordan ... but ...

[boutons]

3 years/$7M = 200K/year ??

$7M from Spurs - $3.2M to buyout = $3.6M, or $1.2M/year.

where do you get only $200K/year

[smeagol]

3 years/$7M = 200K/year ??

$7M from Spurs - $3.2M to buyout = $3.6M, or $1.2M/year.

where do you get only $200K/year
40 to 45% taxes.

[spvrs]

Rick posted all the numbers and worked through a breakdown... also noted that he had posted it before and everyone ignored it.

Take a look... it's sweet

[WalterBenitez]

i know the numbers about Spurs' proposal was posted, but to compare I'd to know if anyone of you know how much Luis is doing with TAU, My guess is that TAU's salary isnt as good as $7M/3 year

[spurschick]

I found this new article odd. If Tau isn't willing to part with Scola, how does this guy think he's going to get him? He's also obviously late on trying to get Oberto.

FIBA.com: ESP - Barca snap up Bootsy
21/07/2005
http://web.fiba.com/pages/en/news/latest_news_article.asp?r_act_news=8363&r_cat=8&page=1

BARCELONA (Liga ACB) - Barcelona have made their second signing of the summer by bringing in Marvis 'Bootsy' Thornton from Montepaschi Siena.

The new coaching partnership of Zoran Savic and Dusko Ivanovic see Thornton playing as a number three with a similar style to Rodrigo de la Fuente.

Thornton is a strong defensive player, while a steady if not prolific points gatherer in attack, averaging 12 points last season for Montepaschi in the EuroLeague.

The American, who follows Mihalis Kakiouzis into the Palau Blaugrana, has agreed a one-year deal with the option of a further 12 months.

Meanwhile, Savic claims that Barca are very close to agreeing a new contract with Juan Carlos Navarro despite a multi-million pound offer from Akasvayu Girona.

"A settlement is very near and it will be all sorted out very soon," Savic said.

"I believe that in the coming days there will be news about this."

Savic is also interested in signing Tau Ceramica's Spain international Jose Manuel Calderon and Argentinian duo Fabricio Oberto and Luis Scola, but understands that all three could be lured to the NBA.

"I know that the NBA is the principal priority for these players but we have other possibilities for these positions," Savic added.

[Kori Ellis]

I disagree here. If the buyout was really $3.2M and the Spurs offered him 3 years/$7M they were dirt cheap! Making $200k/year average for 3 years is hardly a decent salary in the NBA... it is at least 2-3 times less than a NBA minimum salary.

The should have offered 3 years/$9M if there was a guarantee that Tau would not have gone to arbitration. I think the uncertainty of arbitration is the key issue.

I still don't get how you get $200K per year. I saw this breakdown of yours.

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showpost.php?p=379138&postcount=15

and that's for a different buyout amount.

If the Spurs give him $6.5M (that's a little less than $7M minus what the Spurs can pay of the buyout) and the buyout is $3.2M and he pays it over 3 years (players often get three years to pay their buyouts and don't have to take a loan). Then he has $3.3M left in that 3 years. Yes, he has to pay taxes, but every player pays taxes. So he doesn't need to get allotted more money just because he pays taxes.

He would in essence make $1M per year minus taxes.

[Rescueone]

Besides, Scola has played for Tau for what, 5 years now. He already has made millions of dollars from them. He's a millionaire and should afford his own buyout without relying on what he would get from the Spurs in a contract. Besides NBA rules state the max any team can contribute is $300,000, the rest is the players responsibility. If he didn't waste all his money away this should'nt be a problem. What Scola needs to do is read the fine print before signing anything and fire his agent for putting him in this predicament. Why would he let his player sign a ridiculous contract knowing that Scola wanted to play in the NBA in the near future!! Just plane stupidy! What I truely believe what happened here was Scola thought that the Spurs weren't going to resign Big shot Bob, or some other team was going to offer Horry more and Rob was going to take it. Then the Spurs would come a running to him and offer him the majority of the MLE. That didn't happen, now Scola's wants a trade. I say let him go play for a third tier team and see how he likes it. Atlanta, Charlotte, New Orleans etc. Hell get plenty of playing time with them.

[Rick Von Braun]

I still don't get how you get $200K per year. I saw this breakdown of yours.

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showpost.php?p=379138&postcount=15

and that's for a different buyout amount.

If the Spurs give him $6.5M (that's a little less than $7M minus what the Spurs can pay of the buyout) and the buyout is $3.2M and he pays it over 3 years (players often get three years to pay their buyouts and don't have to take a loan). Then he has $3.3M left in that 3 years. Yes, he has to pay taxes, but every player pays taxes. So he doesn't need to get allotted more money just because he pays taxes.

He would in essence make $1M per year minus taxes. The breakdown was done again in this thread with the correct numbers. Boutons even asked a question right after the breakdown post, and then came here asking for the breakdown. You can find it here:

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showpost.php?p=395170&postcount=193

Ok, let me repost it, since people don't want to read the thread.

"I think you are all getting all the numbers wrong. Please do not use the value of the contract, use the after-tax money (the actual money he could use). I did a similar analysis not so long ago, and people just ignored it.

Assuming the following:




40% taxes (low ball estimate, a 45% would be more accurate),
a 3 year/7M contract (i.e. 2.5M first year with 10% no compound increases), and
a 3 M buyout after Spurs contribution
a 3 years ~10% APR loan to pay out the buyout using the Spurs contract as collateral (i.e. ~1.2M/year)
we get:

Scola average salary = [total contract value - taxes - 3 years loan payment]/ 3 years
Scola average salary = [(7M * .6) - 1.2M * 3 ] / 3 = 200K/year

If I were Scola, for that money I would stay in Europe or try to convince the Spurs to trade my rights. I would be willing to jump to the NBA for slightly less money if playing in the NBA were my dream, but I would not do it if it implies a cut of more than 50% (or even much more) of my current salary. Who would?

Athletes have to maximize their income in the 15 years span they are able to work. There are many uncertainties, including injuries.

The following is Scola's actual salary based on the size of the contract:

Total contract -- actual average salary per year
6M/3 years -- $0
7M/3 years -- $200K
8M/3 years -- $400K
9M/3 years -- $600K
10M/3 years -- $800K
11M/3 years -- $1M

I think a 9-10M contract for 3 years would have done the the trick (600K-800K per year). The Spurs considered that was too much, and offered 7M/3 years."

A couple of comments that I have made in this thread already:


The buyout money comes from Scola's salary, and it is all taxable.
He cannot deduct a business expense for the buyout as a non-resident alien unless he gets his permanent residency or american citizenship. As a minimum, it will take him 2 years.
I doubt Tau would allow financing the buyout with all the trouble of this saga. Heck, it is not even clear they would accept 3.2M buyout, let alone financing that amount for 3 years. Scola might negotiate that, but Tau would want more money, which ends up being the same thing. If Scola/Spurs go to arbitration and win (3.2M buyout), Tau would force the hand to pay the buyout in full asap. Tau will have the upper hand, unless there are specific clauses in the contract that state explicitly the buyout could be payed in several years. I doubt it. I am pretty sure it is a lump-sum or at most a payment over short period of time.

The key issue in your analysis is that you are not taxing the money he uses for the buyout. The federal and state goverment have some other ideas.

[Kori Ellis]

The key issue in your analysis is that you are not taxing the money he uses for the buyout.

Ahh ... True. It's kind of all a moot point with the numbers though. I don't think that the buyout number is close to $3.2M in Tau's mind.

[waly.mg]

The Scola´s clause is 3 millions
The same of Nocioni, Nocioni get 10 millions and with that money can pay his buyout
With 7 millions Scola can pay his buyout but with o dollars in his pocket

The question is:

Do you works 3 years for 200K when you now won 1 millions

Why do you don´t ask Tony Parker why he need 66 millions and not 64

[Kori Ellis]

The Scola´s clause is 3 millions

It's only $3M if he were a first round pick. According to both Scola's people and the Spurs, it hasn't been determined how much it is because he was a second round pick. That's the whole reason for talking about arbitration with Tau, etc.

[ducks]

The Scola´s clause is 3 millions
The same of Nocioni, Nocioni get 10 millions and with that money can pay his buyout
With 7 millions Scola can pay his buyout but with o dollars in his pocket

The question is:

Do you works 3 years for 200K when you now won 1 millions

Why do you don´t ask Tony Parker why he need 66 millions and not 64


nice you have to bring tp into this


look tp could have gotten the max from other teams
holt was being cheap
scola wanted 4 million like he should make the same as a number one draft pick
DUDE WAS A SECOND ROUNDER
crawl before you walk

suck a egg scola

[waly.mg]

nice you have to bring tp into this


look tp could have gotten the max from other teams
holt was being cheap
scola wanted 4 million like he should make the same as a number one draft pick
DUDE WAS A SECOND ROUNDER
crawl before you walk

suck a egg scola

What Team?????????

Right now, nobody can pay 66 millions for TP
May be 50

[waly.mg]

nice you have to bring tp into this


look tp could have gotten the max from other teams
holt was being cheap
scola wanted 4 million like he should make the same as a number one draft pick
DUDE WAS A SECOND ROUNDER
crawl before you walk

suck a egg scola

You can´t compare Scola or any for a Number one draft pick, because its only the first contract
Lebron James can win 15 millions a year and is good
Milicic can´t win 3 millions

Glenn Robinson signed a 70 millions #1 Pick contract and thats the reason of that 4 millions for the #1 Draft pick
Scola want a free agent value

[ducks]

scola is not a free agent

tp has said there was 4 teams that would have given him the max
he wanted to stay with the spurs though

[clubalien]

lebron is worth more then his contract i woudl try to trade for him he is totaly worth more and i think he woudl play great for the spurs the dude is pretty young to and coudl perform for us years into future

[Marcus Bryant]

So, who in the NBA needs a 4? Scola's price will be quite reasonable even with enough factored in for the buyout.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

You know you really have to hand it to RC and Pop they have prett much gotten every player on the roster not named Tim Duncan to take less money than they are worth.

I mean its all of them.

But the question in my mind is well what is Scola worth?

He is obviously worth more than his draft status. Sans the contract issue the dude would have easily been a lottery pick maybe even top 5. He is the best player in the hardest league outside of the NBA.

To me given the current market for rookies coming into the NBA i think 3 mil a year is a very fair expectation. Bogut and Williams are making 4 mil a year and they have never been tested against NBA competition. Scola has and fared well which could make a case for wanting even more money.

In fairness if the Spurs are not willing to at least pay him a fair contract for his market value then he has every right under the sun to be traded. Unfortunately the makes him anathema but I cannot blame him for wanting what he deserves.

Otherwise the Spurs are just holding him hostage and lowballing him which isnt right.

I really hope that we can get good value for him and send him to a team that can actually pay him. Everyones happy.

Berating anyone in this scenario is silly.

[waly.mg]

scola is not a free agent

tp has said there was 4 teams that would have given him the max
he wanted to stay with the spurs though

No way, Scola is a free agent because he now is playing in Europe and he can choice between the NBA and Europe, he can won his millions outside the NBA

[TheTruth]

lebron is worth more then his contract i woudl try to trade for him he is totaly worth more and i think he woudl play great for the spurs the dude is pretty young to and coudl perform for us years into future
:rolleyes :rolleyes :rolleyes

[clubalien]

you don't belive lebron is worth more then his current contract?