About Kobe's Max contract

[slinslin]

Joe Mama made a very good post on ESPN but it wasn't mentioned here and I just looked it up as well because some Laker fan kept telling me that they could resign Kobe for a starting salary over 20M$ and that I should find the source on that one myself.
Obviously that is BS, because a 7yrs/140M$ means an average salary of 20M$.


And to prove my point about Kobe's maximum starting salary..

http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#10
10. Are there exceptions to the maximum salary?
Yes. In multi-year contracts, only the first season's salary is subject to the maximum (but there are restrictions about how big raises can be from year to year). Also, free agents whose salary for the previous season was higher than the maximum can sign for 105% of their salary in the previous season. So if Michael Jordan hadn't retired prior to the 98-99 season, he could have signed in 98-99 for 105% of his $30 million 97-98 salary, or $31.5 million. A free agent does not need to remain with the same team in order to qualify for this 105% exception, although the team that signs him is subject to the same salary cap restrictions as with any other free agent.


http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#9
The Maximum for Kobe Bryant as a 8 year veteran is 13.125M$ which is less than what he makes so the maximum starting salary he can be signed for is 105% of what he made during his last season and that applies to the Lakers as well as any other team that is offering him a contract.

The Lakers only advantage is the possibility of signing him to one more contract year. That means that the money difference in fact is only about 4M$ because if he hypothetically signed a 1yr contract for the max after the 6yr contract he could only get 105% of what he made before while he would get a 15% increase or so jumping from his 6th to 7th contract year.

The other advantage the Lakers have is that they can offer an annual raise of 12.5% while the Suns can only offer 10%.

 

[slinslin]

Also Kobe is refusing a max extension. Stephon Marbury and Allen Iverson both signed max extension this offseason because they wanted to stay.

Kobe doesn't. And you keep saying he doesn't do it just because it makes 1 year difference? That is smart?

Marbury and Iverson did what was smart.

Kobe could tear his acl before the season is over and happens then? Can he still get the max when he will miss next season?

Refusing a max extension isn't exactly a smart thing unless you really want to explore other options or just leave.

It also makes the Lakers advantage of offering a 7yr contract mood because if Kobe wanted to take the guaranteed thing he would sign a max extension in the first place.

You simply can't tell me that refusing a max extension is not a CLEAR strong indication of someone wanting to leave.

 

[Yuma]

Kobe's most recent comments have been that he ISN'T ruling out staying with the Lakers and taking a max contract. In fact, he has acknowledged that the Lakers chances of winning championships are very good if he stays. Many are saying he will remain a Laker when all is said and done. These Kobe discussions we are having, are a moot point, I think. What's sad is I think the Suns will spend the money they cleared to try and get Kobe on a player that won't really help us. Kinda like when we signed Googs after McDyess left for Denver.

 

[Joe Mama]

Originally posted by Yuma
Kobe's most recent comments have been that he ISN'T ruling out staying with the Lakers and taking a max contract. In fact, he has acknowledged that the Lakers chances of winning championships are very good if he stays. Many are saying he will remain a Laker when all is said and done. These Kobe discussions we are having, are a moot point, I think. What's sad is I think the Suns will spend the money they cleared to try and get Kobe on a player that won't really help us. Kinda like when we signed Googs after McDyess left for Denver.

I really don't think the Phoenix Suns will squander their free-agent money this summer. I really think they understand that that is a huge mistake after the Tom Gugliotta signing.

Joe Mama

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

Originally posted by Joe Mama
I really don't think the Phoenix Suns will squander their free-agent money this summer. I really think they understand that that is a huge mistake after the Tom Gugliotta signing.

Joe Mama

agreed. also, the ba climate is much different now. teams do not spend nearly as freely as they did when googs was signed

 

[George O'Brien]

I am unclear abut the sequence. Can Kobe talk to other teams BEFORE he renounces his contract with the Lakers or is it tampering?

One other complications with the finances of Kobe deal is that Kobe is already under contract for next season at $14.6 million. Unless I'm mistaken, he can sign for seven years byond next season. With the Suns or any other team, the most he can sign for is six season including next season.

 

[slinslin]

He has to opt out on June 1st I think.

Teams can start negotiating midway in July or something like that I think.

 

[George O'Brien]

Originally posted by slinslin
He has to opt out on June 1st I think.

Teams can start negotiating midway in July or something like that I think.

My question has to do with the opt out date. I cannot imagine it would before the end of the NBA finals.

Free agent negotiations can begin on July 1 with no official signings until July 15. I have been assuming that opt-out is only July 1, but it has not been brought up. It becomes relevant if the trial continues to hang over his head.

 

[slinslin]

1st July I guess makes a lot more sense obviously.

But didn't someone say June 1st when I asked if you could trade for players with team options on draft day so you could gain immediate capspace by dumping a contract?

So I would guess that player option and team options are all due to be excersized until June 1st.

I am pretty sure that at least in the past the negotiating began in the middle of July with official signings on August 1st?

I guess both could be 2 weeks earlier but doesn't really make a difference.