Re: Parker's extension

[ducks]

www.boston.com/sports/art...ppear?pg=2 (http://www.boston.com/sports/articl...y_reappear?pg=2)

The Utah Jazz might have had the best summer of anyone, signing free agents Mehmet Okur and Carlos Boozer as well as re-signing key guys Carlos Arroyo and Gordan Giricek and picking up potential help in the draft in the form of Kris Humphries and Kirk Snyder. But there's one order of unfinished business for owner Larry Miller: locking up the ever-valuable Andrei Kirilenko, who is eligible until Oct. 29 to be signed to a long-term extension. "I have a good relationship with [GM] Kevin O'Connor," said Kirilenko's rep, the ubiquitous Marc Fleisher. "We got Mehmet and Gordan done this summer, and I hope they feel the way I feel, that Andrei is a special player in this league who deserves to be compensated accordingly." Fleisher said he and O'Connor have been talking numbers -- and you can be sure there are a lot of zeroes involved. Boozer signed a six-year deal for $68 million, while Okur came aboard for $50 million over six years. Kirilenko should be even pricier, given his presence in last year's All-Star Game (selected by the coaches) and the fact that he is so young (23) and versatile. Fleisher also represents Tony Parker, who is in a situation similar to that of Kirilenko. He said he had his first chat this past week with Spurs GM R.C. Buford about an extension for Parker, of whom Fleisher said, "He's one of the best point guards in the league and maybe the best young point guard in the league." San Antonio re-signed Manu Ginobili and Bruce Bowen this summer and also signed free agent Brent Barry, dropping more than $90 million in the process. The Spurs will be over the cap next summer regardless of what they do with Parker, but, as he is one of theirs, anything goes up to the league max. "The Spurs have done an excellent job of managing their cap, and I don't expect that to suddenly come to a stop," Fleisher said. He added, however, that teams that now appear to have cap space for next summer also are teams that may need a point guard (hint, hint). Parker and Kirilenko would become restricted free agents next summer if not signed to extensions by the 29th. Given the way Utah and San Antonio run their teams, allowing either player to even think of free agency doesn't appear plausible

[DuffMcCartney]

I think it's safe to say the Spurs will do everything they can to give Tony Parker an extension.

[Brodels]

The Spurs have a history of not breaking the bank. They have a figure in mind for Parker, and although I'm sure they value him very much, this isn't a club that will take on crazy amounts of salary.

Will they offer Tony a fair contract extension? I'm sure. Will they offer him the max if that's what it will take to sign him? It's possible, but I certainly wouldn't bank on it.

This team just doesn't spend like other teams.

[SequSpur]

The NBA is out of control. Players who aren't worth a damn are breaking the bank and decent players are getting max deals.

Parker is a good player, therefore the threshold is the fucking max.

It's amazing that almost every team is at the top of or over the cap and there are only about 10 guys who deserve the max.

Out of control... Malik Rose started it all. The downward spiral of the league.

[Nikos]

Isn't this kind of a Catch 22 situation?

What if Parker plays out of his mind this season and gets 18ppg 7apg on better shooting and point guard skills (better A/TO)?

Then a team offers him the MAX and then what?

Should Spurs fans almost hope that he improves, but not TOO much statistically so that his value does not become astronomical?

Playing for SA it would be easy for Parker's stats to make him look a bit worse than he actually is talent wise.

So what are the Spurs thinking here? 7 years $70 mil? Is that the likely dollar amount they would be willing to pay considering Parker is likely on the border of transforming himself into a potential all star given his age.

Either Parker could propel himself into Top 5 PG (or close) status by improving this season -- or he could improve slightly and sort of level off on his development curve for his career.

Interesting situation. It seems like he should get near MAX dollars very soon, because with his age and experience, you aren't sure if hes further along his development curve than meets the eye.

[ducks]

I have heard tp is not going to ask for the max
on adavatage spurs have is he is so young if he improves and stays healthy he can get another 7 year contract if the current cba stays the same.

[exstatic]

Parker is not worth the MAX, and the Spurs have one slight edge: the new CBA very well may limit contracts to 4 years, and Parker may not want to chance that. Even though he's only 22, he could easily play at a very high level for the next 10 years, and a good level for 3-4 years after that. Most teams get hamstrung by the cap by signing players who are too far advanced in years to max length contracts, and they are not effective in the later years of the deal. Doug Christie comes to mind. There is really no danger in that regarding Parker.

[KoriEllis]

I don't think they are going to offer him even close to the max. Pop said they have a number in mind for him (just as they did with Manu) and they don't intend to go over that number.

I think he'll get around $65-70M.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

7 years, 72 million.

[xcoriate]

If he signs an extension though it can only be for a maximum of 6 years, because we don't have full bird rights. Is that right??

[genghisrex]

If he signs an extension though it can only be for a maximum of 6 years, because we don't have full bird rights. Is that right??The Spurs can only extend Tony for 6 years, but not because of Bird rights. The extension's limited to 6 years only because contracts under the current CBA are limited to 7 years (and this year + a 6 year extension = 7 years).

[Tommy Duncan]

How much is a 22 year old top 10 (if not 5) point guard who's started for 3 seasons worth?

At the end of the 6 year extension Parker would be 29 years old.

The toughest spots to secure quality talent at in the NBA are the 5 and the 1.

[Brodels]

He'll get a nice contract, maybe even the max.

But that doesn't change the fact that the Spurs aren't going to pay him whatever he asks for. The Spurs simply don't spend more than they want to spend. If Tony won't sign for something in the neighborhood of what the Spurs are offering, he won't be on the team next year.

Bottom line.

[Whottt]

I don't see how anything is a certainty with Parker or the Spurs on this issue.

When was the last time we were in this situation with a point guard? A proven skilled point guard?

You can't let a guard talent like Parker walk...you just can't do things like that when you are a title contender.

And Parker said he was going to remember the Kidd pursuit at contract time...I wonder what he meant by that.

Call it a hunch but I don't think he was having kind thoughts towards Holt's wallet when he made that comment.

Anyway, the Spurs may be able to get out of this without paying Parker the max...but something tells me the final number is going to be closer to the number Tony has in mind then what Pop is thinking.

[Tommy Duncan]

Parker may or may not want to make the Spurs sweat but if they put a solid offer on the table (6 years/$65 to 70 million) I can't see him turning that down. The next CBA could reduce the limit on maximum contract length.

Parker may have been pissed at the time but you have to think that spending the next 7 seasons having Tim Duncan to play with, having a guaranteed deal for all of those seasons, and then being in a position to have the team built around him is not such a bad prospect.

From the Spurs' angle if they were willing to give Ginobili 'the money' then I think they would be just as willing to make a strong offer to Parker.

[From Way Downtown]

I actually think that the looming possibility of a reduction in the max length of a contract plays into the Spurs hands in dealing with Tony. I agree that they'll make him what will prove to be a better-than-fair offer, but if I'm in Tony's camp, the real question is the length of that contract.

If Tony gambles, he might have a great season and up the per season dollars a bit, but he might actually come out worse if the CBA reduces the max length to 4 years (as has been rumored) because he'll only be guaranteed marginally more dollars for 4 years instead of 6. Tony would be much better off with, say, 9 million for 6 years than with 11 million for 4.

Given some of the other scuttlebutt about BRI increasing for next season (based on a cable payout to LAL), thus, increasing the cap and raising the luxury tax threshold, the Spurs are in a good position to make a good offer to Tony and keep themselves out of the snare of the luxury tax.

Fleisher's rhetoric sounds about the same as the talk we heard about Manu's demands, but when push came to shove, the Manu negotiation was pretty simple (it seems). Big talk about Tony serves Tony's interests, but I suspect (hope?) that when the sides sit down to discuss a deal, it will fall into place fairly easily.