More from Ludden on Scola

[picnroll]

Athenea you've argued two different angles one where it was not unreasonable for an unknown Argentinian, in a land where Argentinians weren't NBA prospects, to sign a long term deal and the other where he was almost a sure bet first rounder.

It was a bad contract. A contract that leaves large unknowns is a bad contract. A good lawyer doesn't make those mistakes. Unlikely that that mistake will be made again. I don't fault Scola, he was a 17 year old kid. His agent sucked though.

[Brodels]

Scola, I don't know too many people that wouldn't jump at the chance to play for the greatest coach in professional sports and on a team that features two of the top five players in the NBA.

Sit back, each more nachos and watch the Champs wallop ass in two double o six !

Stop wasting CIA's time.

Would you 'jump at the chance' to play with the champs if you had to come up with millions you probably didn't have to do it?

It's obvious that getting out of his contract is going to be difficult. If it could be done easily, it would have happened by now.

I don't think it's a matter of Scola not wanting to come over. It's a matter of money. If he signs a three year deal and gets all the money up front with the Spurs for, say, $9 million, he's going to have to come up with another five or six million just to play in the NBA. He's just not going to able to do that.

But I can't blame him for wanting to come over. He's trying his best to get the Spurs to wait, and that's what I would do in his situation.

The Spurs can't wait, and he has to understand that. The Spurs made out very well by getting Oberto and keeping the rights to Scola. Luis simply has to understand that it's really his own fault and that he's going to have to stick it out. If you sign a big contract for ten years, you've got to expect that you'll be forced to live up to your obligations.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

If he signs a three year deal and gets all the money up front with the Spurs for, say, $9 million, he's going to have to come up with another five or six million just to play in the NBA. He's just not going to able to do that.

He's made like 14 million in Europe. How bad does he want to come? Shoulda been saving up some of that money for a buyout just in case, instead of expecting the Spurs to s out a ridiculous amount for him.

[Kori Ellis]

Thanks for posting this info. It explains why most places always had a $2-4M buyout figure. It just didn't get lowered - no one is at fault. But I don't understand why Scola would be upset with the Spurs - he should be equally, if not more, upset with Tau.

[spurster]

Sounds pretty cut and dry. Scola's camp said they could get the buyout down to $3 million. Spurs said ok, do it. Scola's camp didn't or couldn't and the Spurs decided not to wait any longer.

What Chump said, I agree with.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

But I don't understand why Scola would be upset with the Spurs - he should be equally, if not more, upset with Tau.

I think with Scola his problem with the Spurs is that his ego is getting in the way, and he's pissed they didn't offer him the full MLE for 5-6 years.

He really needs to be upset with his agent though, what kind of a moron signs a 10 year contract like that?

[Solid D]

Johnny's email info, if true, certainly has the ability to make all of the "Judge Judy's" with the quick gavels come to a change of opinion & judgement. Please see the expired CBA explanation below of what is allowed for buy-out signing bonuses each year ($350K) and over the entire term of the contract (no more than 25% of).

http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm

60. How about signing bonuses? Are they allowed? How do they count against the cap?

Teams are allowed to offer the players they sign a bonus worth as much as 25% of the total compensation, and may do so whether or not the team is over the cap. If a player has a signing bonus, that bonus is averaged among the guaranteed years of the contract (not including any option years) and added to the team salary during those years. This can create a problem if the player is signed to an exception or to the maximum salary. For instance, if the Mid-Level exception is $5 million, then a team could sign a player to a five-year contract with 10% rasises, as follows:

Year.....Salary
Year 1 $5,000,000
Year 2 $5,500,000
Year 3 $6,000,000
Year 4 $6,500,000
Year 5 $7,000,000
Total $30,000,000

The maximum (25%) signing bonus is $7,500,000, It must be allocated in equal proportion to each season of the contract ($1,500,000 per season, assuming no option years). This means that in order to fit the first-year salary plus the portion of the signing bonus allocated to the first season within the $5 million exception, the first-year salary must be reduced:

Yr Base salary Portion of signing bonus Total
1 $3,846,154 $1,153,846.................$5,000,000
2 $4,230,769 $1,153,846.................$5,384,616
3 $4,615,385 $1,153,846.................$5,769,231
4 $5,000,000 $1,153,846.................$6,153,846
5 $5,384,616 $1,153,846.................$6,538,462

Tot $23,076,924 - - - - -.................$28,846,155

Note that in order to fit the first-year amount (salary plus bonus) within the $5 million exception, the first year salary had to be reduced to $3,846,154 (20/26ths of the amount of the exception). This also has the effect of reducing the total contract by $1,153,845, which is the repurcussion of giving the player money up-front.

In addition, the following are treated like signing bonuses:

-Payments in excess of $350,000 that are made to non-NBA teams or federations to release rights to a player.

-Option buy-out amounts .

[timvp]

I was in Spain with RC in December when he talked with Tau's management. The $14.5 million figure has always been there. It hasn't been publicized because the Spurs thought the contract wouldn't stand. Now, after having their lawyers look at the deal, they're skeptical they would win an arbitration case. Scola's people think they can get the buyout to $3 million, the figure for a first-round pick. To which the Spurs' reaction is, "Then do it and take our offer." For some reason, Scola hasn't.

There's still something fishy. Scola's camp swears that they never got a contract offer from the Spurs. Ludden's above info indicates that the Spurs offered him a contract ... yet even if they did, it wouldn't be official until the 22nd.

I think both Tau and the Spurs are lying to some degree. But if you think about, it could be best for both organizations if Scola stays there a year or two longer. The Spurs get Oberto (who fills more of a need) and Tau keeps their best player. The Spurs get let Scola develop overseas longer while still keeping his rights.

Win, win for both teams.

[Solid D]

On a 3-year contract, only $1,050,000 ($350K/yr) is allowed as a signing bonus for buying out contracts by the NBA.

That leaves roughly $13.5M to be covered by the Spurs, or by Luis over the course of what would be an inflated value, 3-year contract. If Luis needed to make at least Oberto/Nocioni money...let's say $8M over 3-years, that would mean Luis would have to receive a 3-year deal at $21.5M, provided the Spurs had exceptions to cover that.

So to re-ask Kori's question, why would Luis be upset with the Spurs? Why not with Tau?

[ChumpDumper]

The only way Scola should be upset with the Spurs is if a $3 million buyout is on the table ready to go right now.

[Mavs<Spurs]

Thanks for posting this info. It explains why most places always had a $2-4M buyout figure. It just didn't get lowered - no one is at fault. But I don't understand why Scola would be upset with the Spurs - he should be equally, if not more, upset with Tau.

Exactly, Kori.

I understand why Scola upset, but I think his anger is misdirected. The Spurs did not have a choice. They could not risk getting nobody at all. They very easily could lose the case. So, they had to take Oberto. Scola should be mad at Tau.

[tempest186]

TIMVP, where did you see that Scola's camp claims they never got an offer from the Spurs?

[Mavs<Spurs]

It's not the first time Tau has had problems with a player or a contract. So far they've won the cases taken to a third partie.
But from a bussiness point of view in this particular case (considering Scola is one of the most respected, famous and important players in Europe) it could damage Tau's reputation. If I were a player I would go: "If they can hurt Scola's career, what could they do to mine?".

Athenea, don't you think that the people at Tau are the real jerks in all this. From what we've read, the $14.5 mill figure is the one Tau is standing by, R. C. offered (in Ludden's presence apparently-meaning you attacked him perhaps unfairly? about his article) to buy out the contract if Scola could get it down to $3 mill, and make an offer, but it looks like Scola was never able to get that done. Now, you've told us that Tau wins these types of cases. So, it sure looks like there is the Spurs might have to pay that $14.5 mill buyout to get Scola. You must know that nobody would do that and you can't blame the Spurs for that. So, the Spurs had to choose Oberto since it looks like Scola was impossible either because of time (to win an arbitration case even if they would win which does not seem likely ) or money ($14.5 mill buy out is just not realistic ). In my opinion, some people may have possibly jumped the gun a little and attacked the Spurs (and maybe Ludden's credibility- which is pretty good) without a fair hearing. Can you agree with that? As Spurs fans, I think we would be better off to give our team the benefit of the doubt before we jump to any conclusions about what they are doing. I do really appreciate your posts, not least because as an Argentinian Spurs fan you add a lot of knowledge to our discussions. Thanks.

[smeagol]

Scola, I don't know too many people that wouldn't jump at the chance to play for the greatest coach in professional sports and on a team that features two of the top five players in the NBA.

Sit back, each more nachos and watch the Champs wallop ass in two double o six !

Stop wasting CIA's time.

Man, what a lame ass shallow analysis you came up with.

And what's up with the nachos bit?

Scola is not Mexican. Why would he eat more nachos?

Man you are ignorant!

[ChumpDumper]

Empanadas?

[smeagol]

Empanadas?

Now your talking, bro!

Empanadas Salteñas, from the northern part of Argentina, are the best.

[Athenea]

Athenea you've argued two different angles one where it was not unreasonable for an unknown Argentinian, in a land where Argentinians weren't NBA prospects, to sign a long term deal and the other where he was almost a sure bet first rounder.

It was a bad contract. A contract that leaves large unknowns is a bad contract. A good lawyer doesn't make those mistakes. Unlikely that that mistake will be made again. I don't fault Scola, he was a 17 year old kid. His agent sucked though.

Again...by the time Scola signed his contract the only plausible bball leagues were in Europe.Some great players like Oberto, Campana, Montenegro were having a hard time to find a comfort zone in the NBA (as u can see in Oberto's case). The jump to the NBA was almost a dream.
Before the 2002 draft both Scola and Nocioni (5 years after the contract) had to modify their initial contracts.
If u read the Spanish press before/during the 2002 draft, Scola was considered almost a lock for 1st round. Suns were interested in him and some other teams (Spurs inlcuded).
I don't see any contradiction whatsoever in my statements.

And themanurules, somehow I think both teams r prioritizing their own interests over Scola's. As some ppl say it's only biz...but it could backfire for all 3 parties involved. They r dealing w/ppl here, not an inanimate commodity.
For instance while lurking Spanish forums the regular fans r realizing that Querejeta (Tau's president) is going over the board defending his team best interests. It's not like Scola is a john doe...
In the other hand this season was rough for Scola. He is in need of a harder compe ion and this delay might not translate into improvement.
In the end we won't see the consequences till next year if Scola doesn't join the Spurs this season.