So while watching the tournament the other day, I heard someone mention this, and thought it might be a good discussion topic. Apparently, Randolph Morris, the 6'11 Center at Kentucky who averaged 16.1 ppg and 7.8 reb this year in the NCAA, is considered an NBA free agent and could be signed by any NBA team at any time. This is because he declared for the NBA draft in 2005, but went undrafted. He never hired an agent though, so he didn't give up his college eligibility and returned to school.
It presents an intriguing option for the Spurs, or any other team. Basically, some consider him an early first-round talent, and he can just be signed, if the price is right. I haven't seen Kentucky play much this year, and I am not advocating that the Spurs necessarily sign him. I just thought it was interesting that this guy is basically a free agent right now, and might be a good project for a good team that doesnt have a high pick.
I don't think anyone will sign him, simply on the honor system. Maybe the owners are greedier than that, but there might be a quiet league acceptance that no one will pick him up. The worst thing they can do is tacitly undermine the draft system by signing him. Let him be a free agent this summer.
We were talking about this in the Spurs draft thread. I doubt a team will sign him at this point of the season
Intriguing possibility, but he wouldn't be able to help a team in the playoffs and would be equally as valuable in the summer, so I'm not sure who pulls the trigger before they've had an opportunity to fill their holes this summer via the draft and other free agents.
BTW, though he's been solid I'm not sure that I agree with your assessment that "some consider him a first round talent" despite his solid, but not spectacular year. Two years ago he went undrafted and if he were in the draft this year he might sniff the first round, but he won't/shouldn't get that type of money as a FA.
I'm pretty sure the announcers of the game (or of some game where highlights were being shown) described him as a first round talent. I wasn't sure who said it though, or what their exact words were either, so I figured it was better to use the wonderfully vague "some," since even if I got the characterization wrong, there is probably someone out there who feels that way.
How would signing him undermine the draft system?
Yeah...Randolph Morris feels that way I'm sure. Seriously though, even if he is a "first round talent" he'll come at a bargain price. With all of the PF/C likely coming out in this draft and more being made available through trade/free agency, I doubt you'll see GMs clamoring to sign him.
Atlanta would be an interesting place for him though. Shelden was supposed to bring rebounding and toughness, but he has sorely disappointed this year...
A free agent is a free agent.
Where's this agreement not to sign free agents?
Nobody was upset when we signed FA Glenn Robinson.
Given the weakness of our front line and Ian's apparent unreadiness, grab the guy for short-term contract.
Melvin Ely???
Gentlemen's agreement? That's a conspiracy in restraint of trade.
Where o where is our Al Davis (Oakland Raiders) when you need him
Sucks. Sucks donkey.
BTW, it in NO way undermines the draft system to sign this guy. It's not like he can still be drafted.
"restraint of trade."
Stern's bull one-year rule is already a restraint on employment. One year rented to UT or Ohio State won't make bit of difference to Oden or Durant, except in their bank accounts.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2809958
Knicks sign Kentucky center Morris to 2-year deal
ESPN.com
The New York Knicks signed Kentucky center Randolph Morris to a two-year, $1.6 million contract Friday, an NBA source told ESPN Insider Chad Ford.
Morris declared for the 2005 NBA draft as a freshman and went undrafted. The NCAA allowed him to return to the Wildcats after serving a suspension, but NBA rules prohibit Morris from re-entering the draft, which made him an unrestricted free agent.
Morris averaged 16.1 points and 7.8 rebounds a game this season for the Wildcats.
Of course it does, in a little way. It says if a player manages to fudge draft entry the way Morris did, he can play in college and sign in the NBA whenever he wants. How does this not undermine the draft process?
Retraint of trade? What are you guys talking about? It means the NBA wouldn't sign him. It didn't mean he couldn't play professional basketball wherever he wanted otherwise. The NBA owners, should they choose not to, are not obligated to sign any one guy.
Moot point, since Isiah seems to have busted that wall and gotten him anyway.
Unless a team takes a flier on him in the second round. Then he's the next Korleone Young. It's a horrible risk to take if you intend to play college ball.
NY KNICKS just gave him a 2 year deal 1.6mill
you popobiatch or whoever is in the front office doing jack , we shouldve taken the risk on this guy, we can afford to lose a 2nd round pick on this guy...at least his n better than our backups at 4-5 position.
Last edited by TDMVPDPOY; 03-23-2007 at 11:11 PM.
Well, he can't be all that if he's willing to sign a 2 year deal for NBA chump change with the one of the tiest teams in the league who already has two centers making big jack under contract. Randolph was either colossolly stupid to not wait until this summer, or his reps got little future interest from their feelers from the other 29 teams.
As a Kicks follower I would stake some dough that Jerome James gets cut in the offseason. "But they'll take a hit," you say. We're talking Dolan's Knicks and the Knicks are far from being the worst team or even one of the worst teams in the league. I get to watch a lot of Knicks b-ball and I can safely say they've improved this year and I like the trio of Curry, Starbury, and Lee.
With the rash of injuries of late (Lee being the latest victim) the signing makes a lot of sense to me. If the guy gets cut he can sign on somewhere else. What's the big deal? The guy wasn't going to go before the 2nd round and maybe not even then. When you look at the C position and youth movements I think the Knicks were just as good as any to sign with.
You don't seem to grasp the issue. DX has a nice article about it. Basically stated, players could declare early in their careers, go undrafted, be able to play college and then sign with an NBA team whenever they felt like it. ANY team in the NBA. How does this not cir vent the draft process? You're wrong if you don't think this is a serious concern.
You act like Morris was the savior or something. Every team knew about this kid. No one wanted to draft him because of his poor work ethic. We all know how the Spurs feel about work ethic. Just ask Devin Brown. If you think that the Spurs were going to cut one of our guaranteed roster players to take a chance on Morris, you obviously have no clue.
Oh I do grasp it. I think the fact that this is the first time this has ever come up shows that it's not been, nor probably ever will be a common scenario. You can't do it out of HS. The NCAA won't let you play college ball. The NCAA also seemed to take exception in this case, suspending him for an unnamed number of games. They could close this loophole in about 5 minutes if they wanted to. Then, you have to go from no one wanting you to a hot commodity.
You're acting like the future of the draft is at stake. I just don't see it that way.
If he already declared himself for the draft but nobody wanted him, then what else is he supposed to do? It's a loophole. But I think its good because it allows a player to go back to college if he's not drafted. This player would have been much worse off if he nobody drafted him and he couldn't go back to school. I don't see a big problem. All the GMs know this rule. They all had a chance to talk to him.
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