From: davidy@sumax.seattleu.edu (Stimpson J. Cat)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.pro
Subject: Re: Doug Christie
Date: 8 Jan 1993 18:10:34 -0800
Organization: Seattle University
NNTP-Posting-Host: sumax.seattleu.edu

In article <1993Jan7.025935.21281@leland.Stanford.EDU> terry@garfield.Stanford.EDU (Terry Wong) writes:
>Actually, the Sonics are currently trying hard to trade Christie.
>I would really be surprised if his rights aren't traded to somebody
>before next year's draft.  
>
>The Sonics never really offered Christie a reasonable offer.  Those of
>you out there who have readily condemned Dallas' treatment of Jimmy
>Jackson should also condemn the Sonics for their treatment of Christie.
>They offered Christie a 4 year $2.9 million salary, which for a 17th
>overall pick, was way out of line.  Players picked after him were
>getting much bigger contracts.  

	This may not neccessarily be the case. If I am not mistaken, Randy
Woods, picked by the Clippers in the 16th slot, made about the same money.
The salary cap is an issue. Seattle was willing to sign a short deal to offer
Christie more later, but they wanted the $$$ and a long term contract. 
	If there is unfairness, it is in the salary cap. Christie is hurt 
because Seattle doesn't really need him right now. They wanted to groom him as
a eventual replacement for Ricky Pierce and/or Eddie Johnson, but he probably
wouldn't have played that much right now. So, it wasn't pressing for Seattle
to sign him, and that hurt Christie a lot. But, I also feel Christie's agent
is a novice and unskilled. He took everything public early on. The same type
of situtation existed last year with Rich King, almost identical, but
they eventually worked it out, and kept it private. I'd agree with going public
now, but not two months before trainiing camp. His latest manuver is to try
and get Christie declared as a free agent by saying Seattle had illegal talks
with Christie's former agent before the draft.
	Christie's agent has never before worked as a player representative.
He always wanted more than Seattle offered, and made it public. If he was
representing a superstar whom Seattle desperately needs, such public pressure
tactics may be viable, but they are much less so for a 17th overall pick going
to a solid team. As an agent, he has to recognize this, and he didn't.
	Seattle offered $500,000 a few weeks before training camp, then signed
Gerald Paddio to a guaranteed contract. After Paddio was signed, Christie's
agent allowed as how $500,00 might be acceptable if it was offered, but after
the signing of Paddio, it just didn't exist anymore. His agent wanted $1 
million plus previously, and while that may have been a negotiating ploy,
nonetheless the other side has to think that you are reasonable.
	The Sonics then started playing real hardball, and though Christie
perhaps might have accepted the $500,000 (which might have required some
manipulation of the cap) Seattle kept lowering the offer. So I feel that
Christie's agent was responsible for this holdout early on, and the Sonics
responsible for it after training camp. The only defense for the Sonics is
that being under the salary cap does appear to have great advantages for a 
team as far as deal making goes - I recall some article where the Knick GM
said if you want to make deals, you better be under the cap, and you had better
be really happy with your team before you go over. If there are any big deals
cooking with Seattle, Seattle would want to maintain the cap flexibility.


>
>The story behind the Sonics low-ball offer to Christie is starting to
>come out.  The Sonics could offer no more to Christie without passing
>the salary cap, and the Sonics were adamant that they would not do so.
>The reason for this is Benoit Benjamin.  Since last summer, the Sonics
>have been trying to trade Benjamin with no takers.  Benjamin's current
>salary is $3.2 million per year, which is by far the highest salary on the
>team.  Considering that Benjamin is not starting and his minutes have
>been declining, and Karl hates him (reminds him too much of J.B. Carroll),
	              ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

	Where do you hear this? It hasn't appeared in the local media, not even
as a rumor. Karl always praises Benjamin's practice habits and attitude when
asked. But he does hint that Benjamin's skills are not a good fit for his
system, which is why he isn't playing. The reason I feel Karl is being honest
on this is that Benjamin's agent, and Benjamin himself, have made no smoke
or complaints, which wouldn't be expected if Karl was bashing Benjamin.
Benjamin is said to do everything Karl asks, and Karl even praised the way
Benjamin stays after practices for extra instruction.  I attribute the 
lack of playing time to Karl's love of small ball and small lineups, but that's
another topic altogether. Certainly, had Karl been the coach two years ago,
the Benjamin trade would not have been made.

>					terry@garfield.Stanford.EDU



				David L. Yee
			email to:davidy@sumax.seattleu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.pro