(OT) Grizzlies give Conley a 5 year, $40-45 mil extension

[illmatic99]

Insane. That is Rondo-esque money for Mike freakin Conley.

They've pretty much handcuffed themselves to a mediocre PG while making unsure the futures of Randolph and Gasol for next year.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/nov/02/conley-gets-extension/

 

[BGrantFan]

How does Chris Wallace still have a job? Also, is there a new potential suitor in the Oden sweepstakes? If the Blazers end up paying the max for him...

 

[THE HCP]

WOW! There will def be a GM out there willing to throw a ton of money at Greg!

 

[BGrantFan]

WOW! There will def be a GM out there willing to throw a ton of money at Greg!

It's a very weak FA class. If Oden stays healthy this year, he just may be the #1 target available. Portland will have to overpay to keep him, but they pretty much have to do it, right?

 

[Boise Blazer]

How does Chris Wallace still have a job? Also, is there a new potential suitor in the Oden sweepstakes? If the Blazers end up paying the max for him...

Some team is going to offer a contract that will be way overpaying. It wouldnt shock me at all. There is always someone that is desperate enough to make a last ditch effort to keep their job or save their team by taking a chance on a player.

 

[Minstrel]

Well, if his play so far this year, in 3 games, is his new level of performance, it's a good deal.

If his play over the past three years is more indicative of his talent, well....

 

[Jayps15]

It's a very weak FA class. If Oden stays healthy this year, he just may be the #1 target available. Portland will have to overpay to keep him, but they pretty much have to do it, right?

I think in a vacuum guys like Carmelo, Z-bo, and Marc Gasol are the #1 guys on the market next year, but there are teams that need a defensive game changer more than they need offensive guys like that so I wouldn't be surprised if a relatively healthy year from Oden put him #1 on somebodies board. Imagine OKC with Westbrook/Sefolosha/Durant/Ibaka/Oden with Maynor, Harden, and Green off the bench...

 

[BGrantFan]

I think in a vacuum guys like Carmelo, Z-bo, and Marc Gasol are the #1 guys on the market next year, but there are teams that need a defensive game changer more than they need offensive guys like that so I wouldn't be surprised if a relatively healthy year from Oden put him #1 on somebodies board. Imagine OKC with Westbrook/Sefolosha/Durant/Ibaka/Oden with Maynor, Harden, and Green off the bench...

On talent I agree, but it's pretty much a given that Anthony is going to New York. I rate Gasol higher than Zach, just because Zach has proven to be little more than a stat maching on bad-to-average teams. Plus, Memphis is playing good ball without Zach right now.

So, if I make a list of targets, it probably goes something like this, with a vague descending order not set in stone.

Gasol
Oden (if injury-free this season)
Randolph
Jamal Crawford
Kendrick Perkins
Caron Butler
Aaron Brooks
Troy Murphy
Jeff Green
Jason Richardson
AK47
Al Thornton

Something like that. Mix or match depending on team need.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

good thing Cho is a numbers guy....oh wait, he won't be setting Oden's price....

Not sure what Memphis' money situation looks like. They can easily let ZBO and Gasol walk and offer max money to Oden to play with Conley (same agents). The blazers may or may not match, depending on whatever.

 

[BGrantFan]

If GO is injury-free, I think he'll easily top that list.

Which basically means a max contract from some desperate team. I can't really blame Cho, since the vibe I get from the Oden camp is that they weren't really interested in an extension, either.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Do you think Cho even tried?

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

Insane. That is Rondo-esque money for Mike freakin Conley.

Rondo got 55M over 5 years. I think his agent made a mistake since he is twice the player Rudy Gay is and he got 27M more.

It has deferred money and is near what Kyle Lowry and Raymond Felton make yearly.

Maybe they saw something this offseason. His numbers are better in those 3 games.

 

[Jayps15]

On talent I agree, but it's pretty much a given that Anthony is going to New York. I rate Gasol higher than Zach, just because Zach has proven to be little more than a stat maching on bad-to-average teams. Plus, Memphis is playing good ball without Zach right now.

So, if I make a list of targets, it probably goes something like this, with a vague descending order not set in stone.

Gasol
Oden (if injury-free this season)
Randolph
Jamal Crawford
Kendrick Perkins
Caron Butler
Aaron Brooks
Troy Murphy
Jeff Green
Jason Richardson
AK47
Al Thornton

Something like that. Mix or match depending on team need.

Yep, age with Randolph is a consideration as well which to me would put him about where you've ranked him overall. I'd probably switch Jeff Green and Caron Butler, and insert Carl Landry right after Aaron Brooks but otherwise I agree, it could quickly get expensive to keep Oden if he plays well upon returning.

 

[Nikolokolus]

You guys keep acting like Greg is an unrestricted free agent. Teams are going to be very reluctant to attempt to get into a game of contract chicken with Paul Allen, given his track record of over-spending on guys in the past (Miles, Z-Bo, Wesley Matthews, LMA, front and center).

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

You guys keep acting like Greg is an unrestricted free agent. Teams are going to be very reluctant to attempt to get into a game of contract chicken with Paul Allen, given his track record of over-spending on guys in the past (Miles, Z-Bo, Wesley Matthews, LMA, front and center).

There's no harm in offering a max contract even if the Blazers match. There is no "contract chicken". A team with money will throw it at greg and we'll have to match.

Especially for a team like OKC or teams going nowhere fast.

unless you think he's not going to get any offers.

 

[Natebishop3]

You guys keep acting like Greg is an unrestricted free agent. Teams are going to be very reluctant to attempt to get into a game of contract chicken with Paul Allen, given his track record of over-spending on guys in the past (Miles, Z-Bo, Wesley Matthews, LMA, front and center).

Unless they WANT to fuck us over. They know we pretty much have to re-sign him, so why not drive the price up?

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Unless they WANT to fuck us over. They know we pretty much have to re-sign him, so why not drive the price up?

Memphis would never do that......nor would Oklahoma City.....plus it shows some willingness on the franchise to pay for talent without actually having to do so, it wins in their fans eyes at our expense.

 

[Natebishop3]

Memphis would never do that......nor would Oklahoma City.....

No, never.......

 

[hasoos]

Hell I would ask for that much if I had to play with Zbo too.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Ironically, the ZBOEC may come back to fuck us over again as Memphis may be in position to offer max money to oden! With Conley locking up long term and no offers to Gasol or ZBO, it might be the likely scenario.....

 

[Minstrel]

Conley has set the bar. If Oden's lil' buddy gets $8-9 million per year, what will Oden (and his big buddy) want, if he stays healthy?

How does lots of mediocre play compare with not much very good play? Which is worth more?

 

[andalusian]

You guys keep acting like Greg is an unrestricted free agent. Teams are going to be very reluctant to attempt to get into a game of contract chicken with Paul Allen, given his track record of over-spending on guys in the past (Miles, Z-Bo, Wesley Matthews, LMA, front and center).

PA as the owner is not going to change what people are willing to offer Greg. What happens if you wildly overpay for him and the Blazers do not match? You get stuck with him...

So - it's not contract chicken, it's going to be like every RFA agent out there - people will offer him what they think he is worth and hope Portland will not match. If he is a $60m guy and someone is willing to overpay (say the max) - the Blazers will match. The Blazers are usually willing to overpay thanks to Paul.

So, it looks to me like this was the right move for the Blazers, if Oden proves he is healthy - you overpay for his potential. If he is not, the Blazers might have saved themselves from themselves and being tied for big money to him. Win-win.

This was the right move for the Blazers.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

How can it be win win if he stays healthy you pay max money for him, but if he is injured, that's a good thing (????) since you don't pay "AS MUCH" (he will still get paid though a team will offer a contract to him).

 

[hasoos]

We will know if Greg is worth the money by end of season. No reason to freak out over this. The facts are the Blazers can match if they want to, so they are in control of their own destiny. How much they will have to pay to control that destiny, is another matter. One that Paul Allen, really doesn't give a shit about if the player is the guy the Blazers want.

 

[andalusian]

How can it be win win if he stays healthy you pay max money for him, but if he is injured, that's a good thing (????) since you don't pay "AS MUCH" (he will still get paid though a team will offer a contract to him).

If he is healthy - the Blazers overpay him like every other team would for his potential. If he is injured, they are not in a hole and on the record for a huge contract.

This was the right move for the Blazers.

 

[Natebishop3]

I don't see how the Blazers could NOT match on Oden. They're pretty much hamstrung right now, because if they let him walk away and get nothing in return, they lose out on the only chip they still hold in the "we passed on Durant" card game. Oden still has a lot of potential, and has shown flashes of greatness. If the Blazers were to let him go and not re-sign him, it would mean that they could have had Durant and got nothing instead. Not even the promise of Greg Oden. There's no way they don't re-sign him, and if some team decides to fuck with them and offer him max money, they will really be screwed. They either look bad because they gave an unproven commodity a big contract, or they look bad because they let their #1 overall pick walk away for nothing. It's lose/lose.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

If he is healthy - the Blazers overpay him like every other team would for his potential. If he is injured, they are not in a hole and on the record for a huge contract.

This was the right move for the Blazers.

Other teams should not determine Oden's contract and value, the Blazers should.
If he did get injured, I still think the Blazers have to keep him. And other teams wouldn't mind taking a risk and offering a largeish contract regardless of injury history because of his potential, size and age.

Barring a career threatening injury (knock on wood), I think he still gets minimum $10 million offers next summer from Memphis or OKC even if he does get injured again.

 

[andalusian]

Other teams should not determine Oden's contract and value, the Blazers should.
If he did get injured, I still think the Blazers have to keep him. And other teams wouldn't mind taking a risk and offering a largeish contract regardless of injury history because of his potential, size and age.

The problem is that the Blazers can't determine Oden's contract and value given the data they have - so they can overpay him now or offend him now - or make a more informed decision later based on market conditions. That, I believe, is what they are doing.

 

[hasoos]

I don't see how the Blazers could NOT match on Oden. They're pretty much hamstrung right now, because if they let him walk away and get nothing in return, they lose out on the only chip they still hold in the "we passed on Durant" card game. Oden still has a lot of potential, and has shown flashes of greatness. If the Blazers were to let him go and not re-sign him, it would mean that they could have had Durant and got nothing instead. Not even the promise of Greg Oden. There's no way they don't re-sign him, and if some team decides to fuck with them and offer him max money, they will really be screwed. They either look bad because they gave an unproven commodity a big contract, or they look bad because they let their #1 overall pick walk away for nothing. It's lose/lose.

If Greg Oden has another major injury I would let him walk and not think twice about it.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

The problem is that the Blazers can't determine Oden's contract and value given the data they have - so they can overpay him now or offend him now - or make a more informed decision later based on market conditions. That, I believe, is what they are doing.

Informed decision making isn't having any negotiating leverage whatsoever.