Vegas: Blair's Game Unfazed

[Capt Bringdown]

Dude should accept the reality of people's fears about his health, and be happy with whatever he gets.
If you can't be happy on a salary in the 800K range, then god help you.

[Yannis Koutroupis]

Stay true to that, and you'll get respect - and traffic.

For the record, Joey Dorsey went at 33 in last year's draft, and he got a contract that looks to be approximately the equivalent of the bottom of the rookie scale. The difference is, Dorsey's skills and history had him projected to go about 40th in the draft. The ONLY thing that kept Blair out of the top 15 in this draft was the concern over his knees.

I'd like to see him get a deal like Dorsey's - enough to send a message, and to let him get past some of the financial worries, and focus on basketball. If the Spurs had the 30 pick this year, I think they still would have taken Blair. And they would be paying him $824K this season, and $886 next season. If his knees hold up - even for two years, that would be a bargain.

Well, I can tell you from watching both of them extensively this weekend and in college that Blair is significantly better than Dorsey and therefore deserving of a better deal. There's nothing that leads me to believe there are any financial concerns for Blair, but you can't help but wonder since he was projected to be a lottery pick throughout the entire process that he may have been expecting and spending like he was getting a guaranteed deal in the 2-3 million range. He definitely wants guaranteed money, which I would have no trouble giving him. Like you said the knees are the ONLY reason why he fell. He killed everyone in workouts, was in just vicious shape, and there are no character concerns whatsoever.

[Johnny RIngo]

Dude should accept the reality of people's fears about his health, and be happy with whatever he gets.
If you can't be happy on a salary in the 800K range, then god help you.

If it's true about him getting offers from overseas then Blair's justifed in asking more from the Spurs.

[GSH]

Dude should accept the reality of people's fears about his health, and be happy with whatever he gets.
If you can't be happy on a salary in the 800K range, then god help you.

The minimum for a rookie this year is $457K. After paying his agent, and taxes, that is hardly financial security. The last (30th) pick in the first round is guaranteed $1.7 Million over the first two years. That's a huge difference.

A guy drafted at 37, if he makes the team, usually expects to get the minimum for the first year, and a partial guarantee for a second year. It would be something close to a tragedy for a guy like Blair to get injured in his first season, and wind up with around $650K for his entire career, after being so close to the millions (and lifetime security) that lottery picks make.

I think he could go to Europe right now and get a salary that would be the equivalent of about $1.3-1.4 Million here. That would only be about 500K Euro, since those contracts are paid net of taxes and agent fees. If the Spurs give him something in the neighborhood of $800K, both the team and Blair would be sharing the risk.

If it's true about him getting offers from overseas then Blair's justifed in asking more from the Spurs.

If he hasn't already gotten an offer, he could get one in a heartbeat. Count on it.

[Man In Black]

Well appreciated!

It's a good read. I also know Eric Pincus and have seen him talk to many basketball people from players to front office, in person. If you're like him, then I would like to see more of your work.

Thanks for the SPURS ARTICLE.

[ElNono]

His agent will try to get him the best deal possible. At the same time, the Spurs believe in hard work, paying your dues and earning your spot on the rotation.
I think if Happy Walters tries to pull a fast one on RC and Pop, he's going to be negotiating a contract in Europe in no time.
The good news overall, is that Blair seems to want to play in the NBA, and with the Spurs, so that should soften Walter's stance a bit. I'm sure the Spurs will offer a compe ive contract.

[Yannis Koutroupis]

His agent will try to get him the best deal possible. At the same time, the Spurs believe in hard work, paying your dues and earning your spot on the rotation.
I think if Happy Walters tries to pull a fast one on RC and Pop, he's going to be negotiating a contract in Europe in no time.
The good news overall, is that Blair seems to want to play in the NBA, and with the Spurs, so that should soften Walter's stance a bit. I'm sure the Spurs will offer a compe ive contract.

It's a tough position for Happy because while playing hardball with the Spurs is not a smart move, there's a certain feeling of obligation to get the best deal possible for Blair after how bad he slipped. He's concerned about losing a great client in Blair, so things may drag on a bit because honestly he's on thin ice if he can't get a good deal worked out. The Spurs are a smart organization, they know they're lucky to have Blair and I think they'll pay him a lot more than they were planning on giving to the 37th pick. It's just business, things will play themselves out and in the end Blair will be a Spur.

[ElNono]

It's a tough position for Happy because while playing hardball with the Spurs is not a smart move, there's a certain feeling of obligation to get the best deal possible for Blair after how bad he slipped. He's concerned about losing a great client in Blair, so things may drag on a bit because honestly he's on thin ice if he can't get a good deal worked out. The Spurs are a smart organization, they know they're lucky to have Blair and I think they'll pay him a lot more than they were planning on giving to the 37th pick. It's just business, things will play themselves out and in the end Blair will be a Spur.

I just hope Happy doesn't turn into Sad soon enough. If there's a team that doesn't buy into hype, it's the Spurs. Then there's the 'problem' that whatever they pay him, they're going to have to match on lux tax at the end of the season. Plus the Spurs have not been averse of sending rookies to develop overseas. That said, if they really think he's a special player, I'm sure they're going to offer a compe ive contract. By compe ive I would guess no more than what the rookie scale contract for the last first round pick is. I think we're talking circa 1.7 million here. If Happy can pull any more than that, he should feel satisfied.
Taking everything into account, I would say it's in Happy's best interest that the Spurs take as many good looks as possible on his client. He might be playing to the Euro audience too.

[Spursmania]

It's a tough position for Happy because while playing hardball with the Spurs is not a smart move, there's a certain feeling of obligation to get the best deal possible for Blair after how bad he slipped. He's concerned about losing a great client in Blair, so things may drag on a bit because honestly he's on thin ice if he can't get a good deal worked out. The Spurs are a smart organization, they know they're lucky to have Blair and I think they'll pay him a lot more than they were planning on giving to the 37th pick. It's just business, things will play themselves out and in the end Blair will be a Spur.

I agree the Spurs are a smart organization, and I don't think they would want to short change Blair. I'm sure they've seen enough of him to evaluate his worth. I also believe he will be a Spurs, and they will negotiate a contract that satisfies DeJuan and is also palatable to the Spurs.

I will say Blair has been twittering that he is excited and can't wait to play again. I bet he plays tonight. If not, Walters is definitely going to play hard ball.

[GSH]

I just hope Happy doesn't turn into Sad soon enough. If there's a team that doesn't buy into hype, it's the Spurs. Then there's the 'problem' that whatever they pay him, they're going to have to match on lux tax at the end of the season. Plus the Spurs have not been averse of sending rookies to develop overseas. That said, if they really think he's a special player, I'm sure they're going to offer a compe ive contract. By compe ive I would guess no more than what the rookie scale contract for the last first round pick is. I think we're talking circa 1.7 million here. If Happy can pull any more than that, he should feel satisfied.
Taking everything into account, I would say it's in Happy's best interest that the Spurs take as many good looks as possible on his client. He might be playing to the Euro audience too.

The Spurs have invested heavily in the next two seasons. They are obviously serious about getting another Championship or two before Tim retires. There's just no way they intentionally send Blair to Europe, they way they have some other players. They need him this year, and as long as he's healthy, he's even a bargain. That's not to say that they would match any ridiculous offer he might (potentially) get overseas. Just that it isn't to their advantage to send him off to "develop" like some other players.

On Blair's side - playing for the Spurs has value. If he has two solid seasons, and the knees hold up, he's going to get a nice payday in year 3 - here or elsewhere. I'm not so sure that his game is built for the Euros. If he has a couple of less than outstanding years in Europe, he's not going to get the same respect in the NBA in year 3. I've said from the start that I think he'll get right around the bottom of the rookie scale. But then again, I thought Haislip would be getting near the full LLE, and he took a lot less than that.

I just hope he gets enough that he can exhale, unpack, and play all-out.

[ElNono]

The Spurs have invested heavily in the next two seasons. They are obviously serious about getting another Championship or two before Tim retires. There's just no way they intentionally send Blair to Europe, they way they have some other players. They need him this year, and as long as he's healthy, he's even a bargain. That's not to say that they would match any ridiculous offer he might (potentially) get overseas. Just that it isn't to their advantage to send him off to "develop" like some other players.

This is exactly my point. And if Happy thinks he's got leverage using Europe, he's going to be severely disappointed. Don't forget that a $3 million contract would actually cost the Spurs $6 million. That's a lot of dough for a rookie not named Duncan.

On Blair's side - playing for the Spurs has value. If he has two solid seasons, and the knees hold up, he's going to get a nice payday in year 3 - here or elsewhere. I'm not so sure that his game is built for the Euros. If he has a couple of less than outstanding years in Europe, he's not going to get the same respect in the NBA in year 3. I've said from the start that I think he'll get right around the bottom of the rookie scale. But then again, I thought Haislip would be getting near the full LLE, and he took a lot less than that.

I just hope he gets enough that he can exhale, unpack, and play all-out.

There's no question that the kid wants to play. In the NBA and for the Spurs.
But Yannis does bring a good point in that his agent's duty is to get the better deal possible. I just don't think Happy has enough leverage to ask his client to sit down the rest of the Summer League.

But, we'll see.

[stéphane]

I'm not a big fan of Hoopsworld but that was a fine article I'll be looking for some more from you.

[angelbelow]

nice read, thanks

[GSH]

There's no question that the kid wants to play. In the NBA and for the Spurs.
But Yannis does bring a good point in that his agent's duty is to get the better deal possible. I just don't think Happy has enough leverage to ask his client to sit down the rest of the Summer League.

Happy Walters is a music producer (Immortal Records), who is getting into sports management under the name Immortal Sports. They only have a few players under contract, and no big names that I know of. I don't know for certain, but I would be willing to make a small wager - Happy probably isn't an approved agent in the Euro Leagues. And they have some new requirements, so it's not something he could do overnight. If that's the case, he probably won't be pushing Europe too hard.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09111/964425-100.stm
Blair signs with agent
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
By Ray Fittipaldo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pitt All-American DeJuan Blair has signed with sports agent Happy Walters of Immortal Sports. Walters, a certified NBA agent, said he was introduced to Blair by another client, fomrer Pitt power forward Tyrell Biggs.

Blair drew criticism for signing a local and advertising contract with local attorney James L. Cook III on April 8. That decision forfeited his remaining two years of eligibility at Pitt.

Blair could have declared for the draft and not hired an agent, which would have allowed him to test the draft waters with the possibility of returning to Pitt. Blair is currently projected as a first-round selection in June's NBA draft, but there are concerns about his height and his two surgically repaired knees.

"I've followed him closely since October or November," Walters said. "A lot of teams are interested. I don't think teams are worried about his height. I've heard people in Pittsburgh say his height is a problem. On the court, he is a beast and teams love that."

Walters said Cook no longer represents Blair's local marketing and advertising interests. Walters will represent Blair in all aspects in the future.


http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/62747

http://www.zoominfo.com/people/Walte..._46411624.aspx

[Samr]

I'll echo what everyone said by again stating that your approach to this (re: grain of salt) has been spot-on. I'm guessing that kind of critique is a bit of a sore spot for the writers on that site, and you not only handled it well by not retaliating (e.g. no you're STUPID!!!), you actually added credibility to not only yourself but the hoopsworld site. In my opinion -- and I say this with a bit of a bias I've explained at the bottom -- this kind of disclosure (admission of mistakes, as well as methods to gain facts) needs to be standard for all publications aiming at telling the truth. Again, by discussing it openly with us, you have -- if even in a limited audience -- bolstered the reputation of both yourself and your employer.


Ok, so you asked for constructive criticism. Here we go (and again, kuddos for your statements prior in this thread... it wasn't needed or even asked for, but damn was it appreciated):

As great as Blair is on the floor he's even better off of it, possessing great character.

Personally, I wouldn't leave that last clause floating there. It sounds awkward, especially when used to end a paragraph. (I know, journalistic style and , keep it short, but still.) If you were going to roll with it, I'd extend the part after the comma, something to the effect of "off of it, possessing great character and an almost palpable desire to be part of a winning team.

Worrying about the possibility of a high school injury resurfacing cost 26 teams a bright prospect at the power forward position but you won't find the Spurs complaining.

Add a comma before "but" or even a ellipses if you don't mind appearing a bit more casual.

The rest of the league shied away from Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili as well. Now they have multiple championship rings to their credit and are two of the best players the league has to offer.

That, to me, is a GREAT point. But to the less die-hard fans, they may assume that Parker and Manu were injury prone or something similar to Blair. They weren't; they were low draft picks. Put their draft position in parenthesis after their name to avoid confusion. You can't assume that everyone reading about the Spurs knows the team's history. They could be new fans, or Blair fans.


Beyond that, and just in general, your transitions between paragraphs are a bit jerky. I know the journalistic/AP style or whatever calls for short "paragraphs" of one or two sentences together, but there still should be a bit of flow from one sentence to another. In this compressed style, the final clause of the sentences needs to lead into the opening thought of the next, even if it is separated by another line.


Other than that, nice job on the article, an even better job on great the quotes, and you deserve a lot of credit for the way you handled the criticism on here.



[My bias: I have a manuscript and a well-known agent; I also have the reputation of one James Frey tainting my residing area of the non-fiction genre. In the manuscript I actually took steps to specifically separate myself from this kind of fake non-fiction. It peeves me to no end to see made-up "events" being passed off as fact just because the author wants to gain attention for himself or his brand.]

[bishopospurs]

I hope Happy doesn't manage to muck stuff up, he probably has the most difficult client in the entire draft as far as nailing down a real number salary wise. Splitter's agent or manager or whoever is giving advice has done enough damage to this team.

[DespЏrado]

Blair is the kind of guy that needs to have the Spurs invest in an insurance contract with Lloyd's of London. Both parties should contribute half of the costs and they should insure his knees for the next 5 years or something, so that he never has to worry about his ACL ruining him financially. They specialize in these kinds of things and it would be absolutely worth it in Blair's case.

[eyeh8u]

the dude cant injury his acls, he doesnt have 1 let alone 2 acls

just like hines ward

[jb4g]

blair's agent sounds a little shaky to me, especially with his background and lack of experience. Im sure Happy wasnt too happy when Blair fell to the second round, that impacted his cut of the deal big time. Hopefully he is acting with Blair's best interests in mind and not his own, because hes not going to win a game of hardball with this FO. Hopefully this gets wrapped up soon. In my mind you pay the guy the same as a late first rounder.

[Russ]

The Spurs seem to get hit coming and going by the NBA rookie salary structure.

First, they draft Splitter in the lower 1st Round and can't pay him what he's worth due to the 1st Round salary structure. If Splitter was a 2d Round pick they could pay him yesterday and he'd be here.

Then they draft Blair in the 2d round and they can pay him what he's worth and that's the problem. If they had drafted Blair in the low 1st Round (like Splitter) they would just pay him his slotted salary (800 K or so) and all would be fine.

Bottom line, sometimes the Spurs' fine drafting is tough to take advantage of due to the NBA's frustrating rules.

[spurspokesman]

I hope they sto[ screwing around and get it done. Give him Bonners contract and give bonner his.

[Knoxxx]

The Spurs seem to get hit coming and going by the NBA rookie salary structure.

First, they draft Splitter in the lower 1st Round and can't pay him what he's worth due to the 1st Round salary structure. If Splitter was a 2d Round pick they could pay him yesterday and he'd be here.

Then they draft Blair in the 2d round and they can pay him what he's worth and that's the problem. If they had drafted Blair in the low 1st Round (like Splitter) they would just pay him his slotted salary (800 K or so) and all would be fine.

Bottom line, sometimes the Spurs' fine drafting is tough to take advantage of due to the NBA's frustrating rules.

It would be nice to see a slotted salary scheme for round 2. At the same time, you still have the issue that a player can get 2x or more $ playing overseas. Hopefully the global recession will cut down on that some, but it remains an issue, players having to take less $ to play in the NBA.

[Ryvin1]

I think because it's the second round and using the MLE they can do a longer then normal 3yr rookie deal. I think the Spurs should consider a 5 yr offer, loaded to pay more in the last years to make it easier to handle with lux tax or avoid lux tax fully in the first 2 years. Blair gets the money of a first rounder even though he fell to the 2nd, and guaranteed money incase he does get injured. If he lives up to his potential the Spurs get him at a lower price then his market value would be after his rookie contract if he pans out to be a serviceable NBA big, and they get injury insurance incase Blair does get hurt. Not sure if this is possible but I think something like this would work out best for both parties.