Minnesota Sports Forum

Duke13 wrote:He would be in the way way minority of players who except that much less money. It happens but very few and far between. I know this will upset people, but if I'm Noah and Deng, I'm not sure I want to sign with an "upcoming" team that isn't realistically ready to compete for a championship in 3-4 years.

Realistically the wolves need a couple years of being the 6-8th seed, having some success but taking their lumps at the same time. If I'm those two guys I'd much rather play for a title in my last couple years.

You could be right about the Wolves not yet being at a point where they're attractive to 31 year old vets like Noah and Deng at lower than top dollar. All the more reason to focus on the lower dollar free agents like Cole Aldrich, Jamal Crawford, Courtney Lee and Jared Dudley.

JasonIsDaMan wrote:

AbeVigodaLive wrote:Noah being offered $120M over 4 seasons.

http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/news/nba-free-agency-washington-wizards-joakim-noah-chicago-bulls-knicks-derrick-rose-bucks-timberwolves/1g5h2xcr8ello1ct5ne29gn4m5

Good luck with that. Things are only going to get crazier from there if that really happens.


[note: 2017 lockout looms. there's gonna be a lot of bitter players around the league... think about this... guys like curry and kemba walker will make about 40% of what noah will make. that should sit well with most guys... ahem.]

So the owners are going to lock out the players....because they are upset about how little Curry made on that contract he signed when his ankle was considered iffy?

So the players are going to lock themselves out...because the guys who could have taken shorter deals KNOWING that these two big jumps in the cap were coming instead took the guaranteed money when it was presented?

And Curry is upset...because the contract he signed is entering its final year and can go ahead and sign a Noah-or-Love-level (or better) contract on July 1st, 2017?

The cap is going to be $110m in '17/'18 if it's a dollar. The players are showing up on time and with clean urine. If the owner's lock them out, it won't be because of the reasons you stated. It will be fringe issues, like PED testing and maybe a disagreement about whether or not there should be something in place for concussions, whether it be testing and/or a straight expense account set up, but even that won't be a deal breaker in a non-collision sport.

Oh, I don't think disparity among salaries is going to be the only reason for a lockout. I predicted a lockout for 2017 minutes after the last one ended. There will be a wide range of issues to discuss/fight over. There's a A LOT of money out there right now and everybody wants their hand on it. With the owners winning the last round decisively, I'm sure some players/agents/stakeholders want their share this time.

It's not exactly rocket science. Or some grand prognostication. Lockouts have merely become part of the negotiations process (screw the fans, what do they matter anyway!). And with this much money out there... I can't see that changing the next go-around.


[Note: Curry and Walker were used as examples. I don't know if they're truly angry or not. I don't know them, never will. Word is that Curry understands and that's a big reason for GSW's success. But we can expect for there to be animosity among some players because of some guys having better luck (timing) than others.]

AbeVigodaLive wrote:

JasonIsDaMan wrote:

AbeVigodaLive wrote:Noah being offered $120M over 4 seasons.

http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/news/nba-free-agency-washington-wizards-joakim-noah-chicago-bulls-knicks-derrick-rose-bucks-timberwolves/1g5h2xcr8ello1ct5ne29gn4m5

Good luck with that. Things are only going to get crazier from there if that really happens.


[note: 2017 lockout looms. there's gonna be a lot of bitter players around the league... think about this... guys like curry and kemba walker will make about 40% of what noah will make. that should sit well with most guys... ahem.]

So the owners are going to lock out the players....because they are upset about how little Curry made on that contract he signed when his ankle was considered iffy?

So the players are going to lock themselves out...because the guys who could have taken shorter deals KNOWING that these two big jumps in the cap were coming instead took the guaranteed money when it was presented?

And Curry is upset...because the contract he signed is entering its final year and can go ahead and sign a Noah-or-Love-level (or better) contract on July 1st, 2017?

The cap is going to be $110m in '17/'18 if it's a dollar. The players are showing up on time and with clean urine. If the owner's lock them out, it won't be because of the reasons you stated. It will be fringe issues, like PED testing and maybe a disagreement about whether or not there should be something in place for concussions, whether it be testing and/or a straight expense account set up, but even that won't be a deal breaker in a non-collision sport.

Oh, I don't think disparity among salaries is going to be the only reason for a lockout. I predicted a lockout for 2017 minutes after the last one ended. There will be a wide range of issues to discuss/fight over. There's a A LOT of money out there right now and everybody wants their hand on it. With the owners winning the last round decisively, I'm sure some players/agents/stakeholders want their share this time.

It's not exactly rocket science. Or some grand prognostication. Lockouts have merely become part of the negotiations process (screw the fans, what do they matter anyway!). And with this much money out there... I can't see that changing the next go-around.


[Note: Curry and Walker were used as examples. I don't know if they're truly angry or not. I don't know them, never will. Word is that Curry understands and that's a big reason for GSW's success. But we can expect for there to be animosity among some players because of some guys having better luck (timing) than others.]

I would be interested in hearing the actual reasons you think it will happen (who are the stakeholders?). I just see the owners seeing their sport as being on a roll, and the players could move into first place among the sports in average salary in the '17/'18 season and won't want to mess it up.

I also think you are mixing it up with the NHL. In the NHL, there are all these southern teams that live hand to mouth like Nashville and Phoenix coupled with Gary Bettman's absolute inability to use any macroeconomic foresight whatsoever in crafting the agreements. The NBA is more stable. The '11 lockout was about driving down the cap percentages, and the '99 lockout was about limiting contract length and percentage of cap per contract, which is now hilarious when you think about Rich Devos being concerned about Anfernee Hardaway's attitude in light of Garnett's extension, and then signed/traded the guy as soon as his contract was up.

Long story short: There has to be something worth the players leaving money on the table and the owners risking damage to the brand. So far I haven't heard any.

Per Doogie FWIW but if Lee gets much above 10 million a year...nice enough player but yikes.

How you getting all 3? Told $$ on Lee is $14M/yr, & Deng/Noah will be higher annually. #Twolves space is about $29M.

https://twitter.com/dwolfsonkstp/status/747423949051564032

I think this is the year you list a few target players and go after them. Then if you whiff you wait and do nothing and let everyone spend there money and pick up bargains.

I love the free agent "courting" process and the corresponding ridiculous offers (26 per for Noah?? Are you f'n kidding me?) where cities roll out their celebrities, etc. If we need to bring in Garrison Keillor to close the deal with Courtney Lee, then let's do it.

BizarroJerry wrote: If we need to bring in Garrison Keillor to close the deal with Courtney Lee, then let's do it.

Absolutely. :-)

bleedspeed177 wrote:

BizarroJerry wrote: If we need to bring in Garrison Keillor to close the deal with Courtney Lee, then let's do it.

Absolutely. :-)

Losing Prince is a big blow to this franchise. I have a sneaky suspicion that Bob Dylan doesn't give a rat's ass about the Timberwolves or NBA basketball.

BizarroJerry wrote:If we need to bring in Garrison Keillor to close the deal with Courtney Lee, then let's do it.

You sir, have just been entered into Drew's Book of Funny.

The girl from "Blackish" is 16, so in a couple of years, maybe she can help.