From: davem@uvmark.uucp (Dave Meeks)
Subject: Re: Jimmy Jackson update
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 92 03:51:28 GMT
Organization: VMARK Software, Inc.
Keywords: Jimmy Jackson

In article <57377@olivea.atc.olivetti.com> rsmith@strobe.ATC.Olivetti.Com (Russ Smith) writes:
>In article <1992Dec16.155041.23764@uvmark.uucp> davem@uvmark.uucp (Dave Meeks) writes:
>>Couple of questions.  Anyone know what the last offer JJ had was?? And, how
>>it compares to the player above and below him?  I was under the assumption it
>>was between the two.  
>
>It was comparable for the first 4 years, yes, but JJ wants 6. If you look
>at Mourning and Laettner, they have heavyily backloaded their contract in
>the last 2 years. This is why JJ wants a 6 year deal, the first 4 are close
>to the guys in front of him, but the average over the whole contract is
>much less because they won't give him the last 2 years.Unless they give him
>only 4 years but up the salary so its more in line with Mourning and Laettner,
>they are offering him too little. They say money is not the concern, its
>the extra 2 years, JJ and his agent say the same thing, but they are really
>arguing over the extra 2 years because of the money.

A couple of differences to note though.  Both Charlotte and Minnesota were
expansion teams looking for that "franchise" player (ok.. so Charlotte has
LJ).  So, JJ wants a 6 year deal.  You know what makes me sick...  Is some
people are feeling sorry for a guy that is upset because they are only 
offering him a ton of money for 4 years.  You complain about "... what if
he blows his knee out..."..  Good point... That's why a lot of players these
days take out personal insurance against injury.  But, what about the other
angle...  How many #4-6 picks in the last few years have been worth the kind
of money that JJ is asking???  How many have bombed out or are good but not
great players.  Taking a risk and paying great sums of money is one thing, 
but doing so and wrapping it up for 6 years is taking a great risk.  At least
with the Shaq, or Mourning (perhaps), the team was expecting a long-term, 
franchise type player.  With Laettner, a similar situation, but he also adds
a great deal of potential marketing hype (because of his exposure).  There are
a lot of questions about JJ, questions many of the experts asked about his
NBA potential.  Some think he has a lot of potential, but I can't remember 
too many labelling him a sure thing...
>
>JJ and his agent are looking at average yearly salary, the Mavs are looking
>at their 4 years versus other players first 4 years.
>
>If they won't give him the 2 extra years he wants, I think he has a perfect
>right to expect them to up the average salary to keep it in line with other
>guys.

But again, the "salary" is the same.  Remember, the NBA doesn't use "average"
salary for salary cap purposes.  Give JJ all that extra money and the team 
loses a great deal of potential for building.  And, unless JJ turns out to
be a Jordanesque type player, you screw your team in the long run and have
no promises of any return...

>
>Sure he could play 4 years and then sign a contract elsewhere and maybe
>get more in those 2 years than he might get now, he could also blow out
>his knee during the first 4 years and get nothing. He's not asking for Shaq's
>deal, he just wants them to make a comparable offer., 

But, if he gets that extra money you are talking about, his numbers get
alot closer to Shaq numbers...

>>And JJ is screwing with Dallas, by holding out on what seems to be a fair 
>>offer.  My opinion is screw him.  He is not going to help Dallas at this 
>>point, so I say trade him for someone who is willing to play...
>
>This is not a John Elway or Danny Ferry trying to maneuver around the draft.
>He has negotiated with them for months without publicly demanding a trade.
>His agent is a jerk, without question, by past actions, but expecting him
>to take a lower much lower average salary and 2 years less because they want
>to establish a precedent is unreasonable.

How much "lower" is this average salary??  In the first 4 years, he would be
making a fair and equivalent salary.  He is not being offered the 2 extra
years.  I guess it is all in how you look at "fair deal".  How many players
these days are getting signed to 6 year deals???  Not many...
>
>I wish they could trade him somewhere, but with the salary cap it will be
>tough.

You complain about the salary cap for trading purposes, but what about for
simple signing purposes???  You want to give him an outrageous salary, thus
destroying Dallas' salary cap resources...
>
>If the Mavs were intent on setting their own course for contracts to rookies,
>they should have asked JJ prior to picking him, is 4 years going to be a
>problem.

And, do you really think that at that point JJ would have balked at 4 years?
Yeah, right...  who was the last rookie signed for greater than 4 years???
-- 
David T. Meeks            || "New shadows tugging at the corner of his eye
VMark Software, Inc.      ||  Jostling for attention as the sunlight flares
uvmark!davem@merk.com     ||  Through a curtains tear, shuffling its beams
davem%uvmark@merk.com     ||  As if in nervous anticipation of another day"
Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.pro