Joe Mama, riddle me this...

[Chaz]

The only question I would ask would be to turn your question around.

Why wouldn't Kobe opt out?

He can re-sign with the Lakers, he can explore options with other teams either as a FA or via a sign-and-trade. Seems to me he would not be very smart not to opt out. What does he have to lose by doing so? Nothing I can see.

 

[slinslin]

Security?

He could have blown out his knee during this season flushing an extension down the toilet that is worth as much as the contract he is now going to sign except 1 year shorter.

 

[playstation]

Money. If he signed an extension, he could continue earning raises at a 12.5% clip, however by becoming a free agent, whoever he signs with may only give him a 5% raise over his current salary. After the first year of the contract, the lakers could then resume raising his salary by 12.5% each year, while another team would be relegated to 10% raises each year. Therefore, he loses a 7.5% raise for next years salary by opting out regardless who he signs with, something to the effect of $1M. I understand that 1M is relatively little, but if you had no intention of leaving, why throw away 1M?

Once again, going by past experience, I haven't seen anyone opt out of a contract only to sign with the same team again. It monetarily does not make sense...

 

[playstation]

slinslin,
are you agreeing with me or disagreeing? i can't tell, sorry

 

[Chaplin]

Once again, going by past experience, I haven't seen anyone opt out of a contract only to sign with the same team again. It monetarily does not make sense...

Yeah, I'm not sure anyone has ever done that. If not, why? If it was such a better way of getting more money, why hasn't it been done a ton of times before?

 

[slinslin]

I agree.

If Kobe truly wanted to stay with the Lakers he would sign an extension.

Obviously Kobe likes the possibility of leaving about as much as staying.

If the Lakers don't reach at least the conference finals Kobe is gone, imo.

 

[Chaz]

Once again, going by past experience, I haven't seen anyone opt out of a contract only to sign with the same team again. It monetarily does not make sense...

Tim Duncan

 

[slinslin]

Jason Kidd too.

But none of them could have signed that extension before so they had to opt out.

 

[Chaz]

I agree.

If Kobe truly wanted to stay with the Lakers he would sign an extension.

Obviously Kobe likes the possibility of leaving about as much as staying.

If the Lakers don't reach at least the conference finals Kobe is gone, imo.

He could sign the same extension with the Lakers right now?

I was always under the impression he could get more money or more years if he opts out and re-signs with the Lakers.

I am not sure I buy the argument that he would not opt out for security. The guy has a ton of money and 30 teams in the league that would love to have him play for them next year. I don't know why he wouldn't opt out except for questions/concerns surrounding the trial.

 

[slinslin]

Same money for the first 6 years. Only difference is that the contract this offseason has a 7th year.

 

[playstation]

Tim Duncan and Jason Kidd resigned with their respective teams after their current contracts ran out. They did not OPT OUT of their current contracts to resign with their respective teams. There is a difference.

For those that are having difficulty with the difference, to opt out is basically termination of contract, while Kidd and Duncan simply did not resign until their existing contracts expired. There is a larger degree of intent when one willfully terminates contract.

I believe Jason Kidd was angling to leave, but at the end stayed because of the size of the market, similar to what Kobe's situation may end up being. I have no clue what Tim was thinking, because even he said during the year that he had no intention of leaving SA.

 

[playstation]

wait, i might be wrong here, did duncan and kidd both opt out??? if so, that's the precedent.

 

[slinslin]

Yes Kidd and Duncan both opted out but neither of them had the opportunity to sign an extension. They had to opt out to get a new bigger multi-year contract.

 

[Chaz]

I am pretty sure Duncan's situation had to do with the amount of time in the league and the CBA salary scale. He was unable to get a "max" contract because he had not been in the league long enough. He did exercise an opt out clause then re-signed with San Antonio for "max" money for his "veteran" status at that point.

I am not sure about Kidd but I thought his deal was to run for another year when he opted out.

 

[playstation]

OK, so neither of those cases mirrors Kobe.

I will say this, if the suns trade their lotto pick this year, I would bet money that Kobe is coming to Phoenix