Bryant Still Draws Interest, Even With Trial Looming

[elindholm]

so, according to the article there is really no clearcut answer as to what will happen to a team's salary cap if they sign Kobe Bryant and he is convicted and sent to prison. Is that right?

The article starts off clear and then becomes vague. I think the question (in the article's opinion) is whether a team would have the option of, in effect, suspending Bryant instead of terminating them. As near as I can tell, the article's opinion is that any team could terminate Bryant if they wished -- but some might not want to, preferring to hang onto him until he became available again.

But I'm not sure that's what the article means. It's just my best guess.

 

[Chaplin]

so, according to the article there is really no clearcut answer as to what will happen to a team's salary cap if they sign Kobe Bryant and he is convicted and sent to prison. Is that right?

The article starts off clear and then becomes vague. I think the question (in the article's opinion) is whether a team would have the option of, in effect, suspending Bryant instead of terminating them. As near as I can tell, the article's opinion is that any team could terminate Bryant if they wished -- but some might not want to, preferring to hang onto him until he became available again.

But I'm not sure that's what the article means. It's just my best guess.

Isn't it the league that suspends him, and not the team?

 

[elindholm]

Isn't it the league that suspends him, and not the team?

Uh ... yeah, probably. But as I read the article, it's still the team that has the option of terminating him. So I guess the question is what happens if the team doesn't terminate him, but the league suspends him.

It's confusing, but it still doesn't really bother me. I'd say the chances of Bryant being convicted are no better than those of any other player suffering a career-altering injury. There's some risk no matter what you do.

 

[Chaplin]

Isn't it the league that suspends him, and not the team?

Uh ... yeah, probably. But as I read the article, it's still the team that has the option of terminating him. So I guess the question is what happens if the team doesn't terminate him, but the league suspends him.

It's confusing, but it still doesn't really bother me. I'd say the chances of Bryant being convicted are no better than those of any other player suffering a career-altering injury. There's some risk no matter what you do.

I agree with you, but I would have to assume that it doesn't matter whether the team terminates his contract or not, he will definitely be suspended by the league no matter what. I wonder if there is some stipulation where the league and not the team has some sort of say in terminating his contract--and what the union obligations are. It's all very confusing.

 

[Joe Mama]

Oh I agree that it's not likely he will be convicted. At least that's the way it looks now.

There's no question that if he is convicted he will not get paid. If the questions are about whether he will still count against the team's salary cap and/or whether they will retain his right after he gets out of prison.

Joe Mama

 

[scotsman13]

so oh great one ouchie, you know more then anyone else? you know that if he is convicted that the player assoc. wouldnt fight it just like they did with vin baker for braking his drug rehab multi times? you know that they wont have this contract forced back on them like the spreewell contract was forced back on golden state? you know that a court is going to rule that the contract is dead? also you know that all the people down in pheonix wont go hey wire for signing him if he were convicted?

man i am glad someone see the world in such fine black and white, because for me the idea of taking this chance on him and what we might loose because of his scares the **** out of me. kobe has proven to be a great scorer, he hasnt proven to be a team player or someone who will lead his team to victories.

so you ask am i against the signing of kobe? yes i wouldnt have him on this team. i believe that even if we did get him and he wasnt in prison that he will prove to be as big of a cancer in the suns lockerroom that he was in the laker lockerroom. i believe that he wont be a good fit for amare and the simple fact is bigs are worth more then guards. you have all been blinded by the light of a name that you cant see any other side of bring him in. you dont look at what we have already on this team as building blocks or see what we just got out of a problem that was just like this because it is the "NAME".


i have presented things on this board to show reasons why i believe what i believe and what might be good steps to make our team better and what do some people on this board do? they dont come back at me with fact or anything backing up their views. they just say nash sucks or nash is injury prone, nash isnt worth the money we are going to have to get him. camby is injury prone or okur is a stiff. that is fine bring something to back up your views.

in the case above i copied a piece from the new york times where the author does show some research and looks into some questions of problems that may come up with kobe bryant if he were sign before the trail was ended and what could happen. i end it with a simple question is it worth it to go out this player without first being sure of the outcome of the case? and what do i get? a bunch of replies from people who i would bet didnt even read the post before posting something to attack.

wake up there are 2 sides to every issue. it is about time some people saw that and didnt just attack everyone that has a differant view then them. time will tell what happens in the next couple weeks. i maybe right or wrong but at least i put down something other then the same old bandwagen trash that has been going on. i am great at saying i am wrong so show me where i am and i will be happy to say it? show me that nothing of what is talked about in the piece can happen and i wont feel much better in watching the suns go after kobe. so me where kobe has ever taken a backsit to anyone and not bitched about it, and i will feel much better about team working together if kobe were to come here. show me something other then he is a "name" that will magicially make rookies and young players play like season vets. that he will single handly fix the problems on this team with a wave of his blessed hands in the air of AWA.

 

[elindholm]

wake up there are 2 sides to every issue.

Yours and who else's?

If there are two sides to the issue, you should expect some people to disagree with you.

i believe that he wont be a good fit for amare and the simple fact is bigs are worth more then guards.

Often true, but not always. Just look at Jordan, Isiah Thomas, or Magic Johnson.

you have all been blinded by the light of a name that you cant see any other side of bring him in.

There are risks, but in my opinion the potential benefits outweigh them.

 

[scotsman13]

wake up there are 2 sides to every issue.

Yours and who else's?

If there are two sides to the issue, you should expect some people to disagree with you.

elindholm, beleive me i am more then willing to hear others side of the of this issue, but what i am not willing to do is keep hearing that it is worth it because he is a great player (if so what makes him a great player, what has he done that makes his game so much more valuable then others?). this the kobe fans say that he will help this team and that by adding him we become contentor right off the bat? how does kobe do that on this team? how is adding kobe going to fix the major problems that this team has in shot blocking, rebounding, braking the zone, point guard play and most importantly getting over youngester mistakes? kobe hasnt shown that these are areas that he is real strong in. he has never been know as a mentor for young players, he hasnt shown that he can single handly brake down a zone or make his teammates better. he isnt a shot blocker or a world class rebounder from his position.

what he has shown is a very good offensive game and to be a good defender when backed up by shaq. he has shown that he can hit clutch shots. but each of these areas werent real weakness for this team. the team scored well and had some players (jj) who dont have a problem hitting the clutch shot. so again what does kobe do that makes him so valuable to that we shouldnt go after players who would fit our needs better then him?

 

[elindholm]

how is adding kobe going to fix the major problems that this team has in shot blocking, rebounding, braking the zone, point guard play and most importantly getting over youngester mistakes?

This team has a lot of weaknesses. You listed some of them, but another one is the lack of a true first option. Maybe Stoudemire will get to that level soon, but he has a ways to go.

I simply disagree that Joe Johnson is anywhere near Bryant's level, but it's a matter of opinion.

Bryant doesn't address every problem the Suns have, or even most of them. But neither does anyone else. The mythical "healthy Camby," as Joe Mama said, might be comparable to Bryant in terms of how much he'd improve the team. Other than that, no one figures to have much of an impact.

Nash, in my opinion, has been effective in Dallas only because (a) they don't care about defense, and (b) he's always had other world-class scorers as teammates. I don't see him significantly improving the Suns.

 

[slinslin]

What shotblocker did the Bulls have in their title runs? Nobody better than Amare.

The Suns can still use the MLE next year. Or they could use the rest of their capspace for Foyle and sign Dice for the veteran minimum. I would guess that Dice would be more than happy to stay with this team if Kobe signs.

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

The contract will have no salary cap affect. When a contract is voided, it will immediately come off of the books by July 1st. (There may be a timeframe, like it has to happen before Dec. 31st, but that wont come into play since the trial will be over by then).

Think to the Vin Baker situation. His contract was terminated due to his inability to remain in playing condition. His contract was set to come off of Boston's cap number this summer. Kobe's felony trial would fall in the same catagory.

A death is much closer related to injry forced retirement.