Portland will buy out Francis for 34 mil!?

[Fabbs]

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/46847/20070702/clippers_aim_to_get_francis/

Portland had it all going on after Oden.
Now they gave up 20/10 Randolph and Fred Jones and in effect additionally will pay 34 million bucks for Channing Frye? Bailing out Isiah Thomas from Francis contract in so doing. :oops

Tell me this is a false rumor.

[Tippecanoe]

would you rather not buy out francis and have him screw up the whole team

[Findog]

Paul Allen can afford it. And getting rid of Randolph and making sure he and Oden never meet is addition by subtraction. Adding Channing Frye to the frontcourt rotation is just a bonus.

[monosylab1k]

They got rid of a cancer, got a promising young SF, and got rid of another cancer. If money isn't an issue, that seems pretty smart for a young team like that.

[Fabbs]

would you rather not buy out francis and have him screw up the whole teamI'd rather not acuire him in the 1st place or have him play like Big Dog Robinson did for the Spurs in the 2005 Championship playoffs. Big Dog forsake his role as ballhog no D.

This was the best trade available? I find that hard to believe.

[AFBlue]

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/46847/20070702/clippers_aim_to_get_francis/

Portland had it all going on after Oden.
Now they gave up 20/10 Randolph and Fred Jones and in effect additionally will pay 34 million bucks for Channing Frye? Bailing out Isiah Thomas from Francis contract in so doing. :oops

Tell me this is a false rumor.

That's the price you pay for good chemistry and revamping image. Randolph, though incredibly productive, was not the greatest of role models or franchise cornerstones, and Francis has been a malcontent in seemingly every situation....so neither fit into the long-term plans for the Blazers.

The Blazers got back a versatile big in Channing Frye and solidified a young core frontline with three studs. They already have Jack and Rodriguez playing the PG, and Roy handles the ball from time to time as well. Not to mention they have Rudy Fernandez and Petteri Koponen coming in a year.

It may be an expensive way to handle things, but the Blazers FO has worked hard to get rid of the "Jailblazers" image that plagued them in recent years.

Along those lines....I wouldn't expect to see Darius Miles suiting up for the Blazers anytime soon, if at all.

[Tippecanoe]

I'd rather not acuire him in the 1st place or have him play like Big Dog Robinson did for the Spurs in the 2005 Championship playoffs. Big Dog forsake his role as ballhog no D.

This was the best trade available? I find that hard to believe.

they had to get rid of randolph and make salaries meet at the same time.

[TDMVPDPOY]

imo, if they were into salary dumpin, why didnt they just payout miles instead, and look for deals for zbo?

seriously that knicks deal is bs, frye? dude is overrated, had one good season then dissappeared. Port shouldve ask for lee + jamal imo.....

[JamStone]

Francis free to join his boyfriend in LA?

[jacobdrj]

WAy to go Portland... that Randolf deal keeps getting better and better... the fact they had the presence of mind to not only get Frye with Francis, but to fully aknowledge that they need to buy Francis out because he would kill that team if he was there... This is awesome. Go Portland!

Now if only we could convince Allen to make the Zune not suck... and Windows not cost over 100, yet not include a word processor...

[jacobdrj]

Woody, you used to be so cool when Around the Horn was young, and Max held you in check... and then, you became a parody of yourself, and 'Stat Boy' just couldn't keep up.

But to your point... about the point... they (Portland) can always sign Boykins ;)

[BacktoBasics]

How does the buyout affect the salary cap for this year and the following years.

[AFBlue]

How does the buyout affect the salary cap for this year and the following years.

I'm pretty sure that the cap number remains the full $34M, even if the Blazers agree to a smaller buyout amount than that.

[BacktoBasics]

For the full length of the contract or for one year? If its the full length it makes no sense even if they feel they saved money on buying him out vs Randolph.

I like Frye he's a nice compliment player but thats an aweful lot of money on the books.

[FromWayDowntown]

How does the buyout affect the salary cap for this year and the following years.

According to the leading cap FAQ, the buyout money is distributed over the remaining length of the contract in proportion to the sums that were due under the existing contract.

Here's the FAQ's example: (http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#60)

For example, say a player had three seasons remaining on his contract, with salaries of $10 million, $11 million and $12 million. The player and team agree to a buyout of $15 million. The $15 million is therefore charged to the team salary over the three seasons. Since the original contract had $33 million left to be paid, and $10 million is 30.3% of $33 million, 30.3% of the $15 million buyout, or $4.545 million, is included in the team salary in the first season following the buyout. Likewise, 33.33% of $15 million, or $5 million, is included in the team salary in the second season, and 36.36% of $15 million, or $5.455 million, is included in the team salary in the third season.

Francis has 2 years left on his deal IIRC, and I suspect that he's getting max raises each year of the existing deal, so his 2nd year salary will be some percentage (I thought 12.5%, but can't seem to verify that) higher than his 2007-08 salary would have been. Whatever the difference, if, for example, 45% of Francis' remaining deal is due in 2007-08 and the other 55% is due in 2008-09, then 45% of the Blazers' payout to Francis is charged against the cap in 2007-08 and 55% of that payout is charged against the cap in 2008-09.

This is hardly a surprising move by the Blazers -- they had to take back a fairly substantial contract in order to move Randolph and of the available options, Francis might have been the most mutually-agreeable deal to take back. Portland rid itself of a bad character guy with talent and took back a filler salary. The Blazers won't need tremendous cap room in the next year or so, because they're so young and won't have too many guys who will be due to sign 2nd contracts yet.

[BacktoBasics]

Thanks for clearing that up.

[BradLohaus]

So, essentially, Portland will pay $34 million to make sure Randolph and Francis aren't on the team, plus they got Frye, who is servicable and still young and can improve. Sounds like a winner to me.


Francis free to join his boyfriend in LA?

:lol If they retire and work in the same front office somewhere, I think that will remove all doubt.

[leemajors]

pritchard mostly dodged the question on PTI, but said they would be meeting with francis and his agent in the next few days to find out what is good for both parties.

[zekes]

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-clippers2jul02,1,5145169.story?coll=la-headlines-sports&ctrack=4&cset=true

Clippers aim to get Francis
Sources say L.A. hopes to use part of its mid-level exception to sign the recently traded guard, who could become a free agent this week.
By Jason Reid, Times Staff Writer
July 2, 2007


Moving to bolster the team at point guard, the Clippers are pursuing three-time All-Star Steve Francis, who could become a free agent this week, league and team sources said Sunday.

The Portland Trail Blazers, who acquired the eight-year veteran Thursday, are expected to buy out the final two years and $34.25 million of Francis' contract, freeing him to agree to terms elsewhere after he clears waivers. Teams cannot sign players until July 11.

General Manager Elgin Baylor and Coach Mike Dunleavy are also interested in Jason Hart, who joined the team late last season, and Brevin Knight, but Francis is potentially the team's highest-profile option.

The Clippers hope to sign Francis, 30, for a portion of the mid-level exception, reuniting him with his longtime friend, guard Cuttino Mobley.

Francis and Mobley played together in Houston and Orlando, and Mobley's presence might give the Clippers an edge in reaching a deal, sources said.

Francis and the Clippers, however, are in a holding pattern because of NBA rules.

Until medical examinations are completed, the league won't approve the five-player trade that brought Francis and center Channing Frye to Portland and sent power forward Zach Randolph and guards Dan Dickau and Fred Jones to New York. Portland must wait for the deal to be finalized before the buyout negotiated by Francis' agent, Jeff Fried, can take effect.

Attempts to contact Fried, Baylor and Dunleavy were unsuccessful Sunday, but sources said acquiring Francis is the Clippers' top off-season priority.

Sam Cassell turns 38 in November, Shaun Livingston is recovering from a severe knee injury and Daniel Ewing's contract option was declined, so the Clippers say they need help at the point.

The Clippers drafted point guard Jared Jordan of Marist in the second round (No. 45 overall), and he's expected to compete with Guillermo Diaz, the team's second selection in last year's draft, and Will Conroy to be the third point guard on the roster.

The Clippers envision Cassell and Francis sharing duties, sources said, and Francis also could be an effective scorer off the bench at the other guard spot while Cassell runs the offense.

Francis averaged 11.3 points, 3.9 assists and 3.6 rebounds in 44 games for New York in the 2006-07 season, but has career averages of 18.4 points, 6.1 assists and 5.6 rebounds in 566 games. Three times, Francis averaged at least 21 points, 6.2 assists and 5.8 rebounds.

Acquired by the Knicks before the 2005-06 trading deadline, Francis never seemed comfortable in New York, stirring questions about whether he could still be productive. In the Knicks' final four games, Francis averaged 25 points.


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