ducks
06-01-2007, 10:21 PM
JAZZ: Team crunches numbers as Williams' contract comes up for extension
Jazz crunch numbers as Williams' contract comes up for extension
By Ross Siler
The Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated:06/01/2007 03:16:36 AM MDT
This time next year, the Jazz and guard Deron Williams will have some major decisions to make. The Jazz will have a window from July 1 to Oct. 31, 2008, in which to sign Williams to a contract extension that could keep him in Utah through the 2013-14 season.
Should the Jazz decide to offer Williams a maximum deal - the same as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony all were offered by their teams last summer - his contract could be worth upward of five years and $83 million.
All three of those players, however, opted to sign extensions for just three seasons, balancing the immediate financial security with preserving their future free-agent options.
Williams was one of the breakthrough stars of the playoffs and said "for the most part" he was happy with the Jazz's direction.
But he is clearly still bothered by the role he played as a rookie and some of his teammates' commitment to winning.
"I wasn't really happy with the way last year went," Williams said after Wednesday's game. "I felt like I could have helped the team a lot more than I did. I try not to hold that against them too much. It still lingers in my mind.
"At the same time, I love it here. I love Salt Lake, I love the fans, I love the team. All the guys on the team are great guys. Off the court, everybody's great. On the court, I might not agree with some guys' effort, some guys' thought process."
Williams went on to say: "I like to win. Some guys, it seems like they don't play to win sometimes."
The extension on Williams' rookie contract would not take effect until the 2009-10 season. The Jazz, however, already have some $50 million in player salaries committed for that season and would have to factor luxury-tax implications into any future signings.
The luxury-tax threshold, which teams pay a dollar-for-dollar penalty for exceeding, was $65.42 million for this season.
Williams would stand to make more than $13.5 million in the first season of any potential maximum extension.
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The Jazz have from July 1 to Oct. 31 to sign Williams to a contract extension through 2013-14.
Jazz crunch numbers as Williams' contract comes up for extension
By Ross Siler
The Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated:06/01/2007 03:16:36 AM MDT
This time next year, the Jazz and guard Deron Williams will have some major decisions to make. The Jazz will have a window from July 1 to Oct. 31, 2008, in which to sign Williams to a contract extension that could keep him in Utah through the 2013-14 season.
Should the Jazz decide to offer Williams a maximum deal - the same as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony all were offered by their teams last summer - his contract could be worth upward of five years and $83 million.
All three of those players, however, opted to sign extensions for just three seasons, balancing the immediate financial security with preserving their future free-agent options.
Williams was one of the breakthrough stars of the playoffs and said "for the most part" he was happy with the Jazz's direction.
But he is clearly still bothered by the role he played as a rookie and some of his teammates' commitment to winning.
"I wasn't really happy with the way last year went," Williams said after Wednesday's game. "I felt like I could have helped the team a lot more than I did. I try not to hold that against them too much. It still lingers in my mind.
"At the same time, I love it here. I love Salt Lake, I love the fans, I love the team. All the guys on the team are great guys. Off the court, everybody's great. On the court, I might not agree with some guys' effort, some guys' thought process."
Williams went on to say: "I like to win. Some guys, it seems like they don't play to win sometimes."
The extension on Williams' rookie contract would not take effect until the 2009-10 season. The Jazz, however, already have some $50 million in player salaries committed for that season and would have to factor luxury-tax implications into any future signings.
The luxury-tax threshold, which teams pay a dollar-for-dollar penalty for exceeding, was $65.42 million for this season.
Williams would stand to make more than $13.5 million in the first season of any potential maximum extension.
[email protected]
The Jazz have from July 1 to Oct. 31 to sign Williams to a contract extension through 2013-14.