Minnesota Sports Forum

Im assuming that he will be getting 12 to 15 when taking into consideration the money being spread around lately. I dont even consider it questionable. If Gordon Hayward and Chandler Parsons can get it, so can Ricky. Some team will give it to him so I am indifferent to when Minnesota gives it to him.

This is our reality. Rubio's agent wants him in NY or LA, full-stop, so he will spit right in Minnesota's face with a hard-line demand for max money because it's nothing but a win/win proposition for Ricky. We either overpay through the goddamn nose for his services or watch him leave for one of the only two markets that apparently matter in this increasingly stupid league.

Say what you want about the side effects, but I can't wait for the no max/hard cap CBA. If players want to manipulate their way to a small handful of markets, they should have to take gigantic effective pay cuts to do so.

Honestly, I'm just glad one of our players wants to stay here long-term. It just feels like an increasing rarity.

Lets See what Eric Bledsoe gets first.... He probably wont get max since other teams know the suns are likely to match and hes better than Rubio..

Same should happen to Rubio just wait and let the market offer him next year

Its the desperate and lower tier teams that always over pay for their own player in the hopes that the player becomes its savior. That players contract more often than not keeps that team feeding at the bottom.

Lip--I think a five-year max deal for Ricky would total around $90 million over the contract period. I'd offer a five-year $60 million deal now. Don't know if his agent would accept it. We could always wait until next summer and make him a RFA, giving us the right to match.

I know Washington maxed Wall, it seemed early to me. I wonder if Flip thinks Ricky can do what Wall does, or if he thinks he has what Wall does in Lavine. I really think Flip wants to see Lavine at point guard to see if he has something there, before he decides on Ricky

horatio81 wrote:This is our reality. Rubio's agent wants him in NY or LA, full-stop, so he will spit right in Minnesota's face with a hard-line demand for max money because it's nothing but a win/win proposition for Ricky. We either overpay through the goddamn nose for his services or watch him leave for one of the only two markets that apparently matter in this increasingly stupid league.

Say what you want about the side effects, but I can't wait for the no max/hard cap CBA. If players want to manipulate their way to a small handful of markets, they should have to take gigantic effective pay cuts to do so.

Yeah I really want to see a hard cap not fully guaranteed CBA. It would help curb these damn deals that bank on potential. The other sports pay you for what you HAVE done, not what you MIGHT do.

I think there is some overreaction to the recent salaries and Ricky's situation. The League is doing extremely well and the new CBA is spreading that huge pool of revenue more effectively around the League to teams like the Wolves. Moreover, the NBA's revenue stream is about to go up substantially from the upcoming new broadcast deals.

Very few teams are willing to pay the luxury tax and, as we've seen, paying the luxury tax doesn't seem to bring championships. If you don't believe me, just ask the Knicks and Nets. So no team has to go way above the salary cap into luxury tax territory to succeed.

What does this all mean for the Wolves? It means we shouldn't get all hot and bothered about paying Ricky a max deal. First, we can't blame his agent for asking and he may ultimately settle for less. Secondly, the Wolves will be able to afford a max deal for Ricky if necessary and still build a contending team if they make smart player personnel decisions over the next several years.

How did I come to this conclusion? The salary cap will increase from around $57 million last year to around $62 million this year with a luxury tax threshold of close to $80 million. Apparently, the new broadcast deal will likely drive the salary cap close to $80 million. That's what I read. Assuming Love leaves, and also assuming the Wolves don't get rid of any of their other current contracts guaranteed through 2015, then giving Ricky a max deal starting around $15 million in 2015, we give the Wolves a roster of 9 players under contract for a total of $53 million. Add Wiggins, Bennett and Waiters at a total of about 10 million and the Wolves would be right at the cap with a nearly full roster of 12. We'd still have room to sign someone at the full MLE without hitting the luxury tax. Assuming the cap goes up even to just around $70 million, the Wolves would have the cap space even after giving Ricky a max deal.

So here's my bottom line. We're simply not in a position to let both Love and Ricky walk over the next 12 months. Ricky is an excellent PG in every respect except shooting. He's a superb passer, excellent rebounder and very good defender. His style of play and personality attract other players to the team and help put butts in seats. In addition, if he ends up shooting the rest of his career like he did after the all-star break last season, his shooting will be on par with Jason Kidd's. And guess what. The Wolves can sign him with cap room to spare to fill out the roster with quality players and ensure Glen Taylor makes a profit. Refusing to pay Ricky the max doesn't do anything to advance the franchise because it's not like we'll be able to sign a star with the extra cap room. Stars don't sign with teams like Minnesota just for the money. In other words, with or without Ricky here on a max deal, the success of our franchise will depend on whether Flip makes good draft and trade decisions.

I'd certainly try to keep Ricky's contract in the $12 million per year range and I'd give him that amount for 5 years if the CBA allows. I think that would be a fair, reasonable deal for both sides. But a max deal wouldn't be a terrible outcome and it might be essential if necessary to keep him from walking with no assets in return.

The five year deal for the designated player has to be for the max amount for the first year. It can go up, down or stay the same in future seasons although each season has to follow suit on the previous one. So he could get a max year to start and then decrease each season after. Could sign a max and maintain that flat rate for all five years as well. Essentially a five year deal would be worth between 65 and 90 mil approximately depending on whether it decreased, stayed the same, or increased over the term of the contract. Even the 65 mil for 5 years seems too much for me. I could live with that, but would prefer to have him test RFA, although that is always a risk (even though Khans doesn't think so).

Pek got a five year deal because he was not on a rookie scale contract, and as such wasn't bound by the designated player rule. Oh, and because Flip was an absolute idiot!