OT: Yao Could Return This Season

[PapaG]

I saw on the SportsCenter crawl that Houston expects him to be able to return to the court sometime this season. Exactly why were they allowed an injury exception for Trevor Ariza, again?

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6519742.html

In an indication that Yao Ming will miss all of the 2009-10 season, the Rockets signed Trevor Ariza using the disabled player exception they expect to receive with Yao out.

The use of the injury exception would indicate he plans to undergo season-ending surgery, rather than choosing the more conservative option of immobilizing the injury again in the hopes that his hairline fracture would heal without surgery.

If Yao was to recover quickly from the surgery, Yao could come back and play next season, though granting the exception indicates that the league agrees that Yao will likely miss the season.

Here is more from ESPN.

The Rockets applied for a disabled player exception from the NBA a few weeks ago, betting that their center will miss next season as he recovers. The NBA agreed that Yao's return is unlikely and approved the request, freeing up about $5.7 million that the Rockets used to sign free agent Trevor Ariza from the Lakers.

Seems like Houston was able to keep their MLE because of this exception from what I'm reading. I really don't understand why the league granted this exception.

 

[BalancedMan]

I thought they used the extra space to sign Anderson, and Ariza was using their original, normal, first MLE. But regardless, it's still frustrating that they got it to work. Morey is a solid GM.

 

[PapaG]

I thought they used the extra space to sign Anderson, and Ariza was using their original, normal, first MLE. But regardless, it's still frustrating that they got it to work. Morey is a solid GM.

Everything I've read says that the MLE was kept because of this exception.

 

[BrianFromWA]

I think it's odd that HOU was granted the exception for Yao's foot injury. But the Knicks didn't get relief for Cat Mobley retiring from heart issues b/c he didn't have an injury or illness that was in compliance with

(9) The Disabled Player Exception is available only to the Team with which the player was under Contract at the time his Disabling Injury or Illness occurred.

Technically, the illness "happened" (was found out) when he was a member of the Clippers.

As for the CBA take on this: even though it seems shady, provisions say that Yao was ruled as having a Disabling Injury or Illness:

For purposes of this Section 6(c), Disabling Injury or Illness means:

(i) for the period July 1 through the immediately following November 30, any injury or illness that, in the opinion of the physician described in subsection (c)(5) below, will render a player unable to play all (or the remainder) of the Season immediately following such July 1; and for the period December 1 through the immediately following June 30, any injury or illness that, in the opinion of the physician described in subsection (c)(5) below, will render a player unable to play all of the following Season.

So a league-approved doctor ruled, I guess, that Yao was out all season. If the League and the PA agrees, then he gets the exception. If they use it before he plays again, no problem. It's only if he plays before they use it that it goes away.

(7) Notwithstanding a Team’s receipt of an Exception in respect of a Disabled Player pursuant to this Section 6(c), such player, upon recovering from his injury or illness, may resume playing for the Team. If the player resumes playing for the Team, or is traded, prior to the Team’s use of its Exception, the Exception shall be extinguished.

PapaG's right, though. Morey said himself that:

Morey said they chose to use the injury exception on Ariza because it gives them more flexibility in signing additional free agents.
The injury exception can only be used on one player, while the mid-level exception, worth roughly $5.7 million, can be used to sign multiple players. Morey insists there is no penalty for using the injury exception money should Yao return this season.

He also said that they would've used the entire MLE on Ariza if they had to, which means that the de facto players received by this exception were anyone signed by the MLE (Andersen).

I think it's odd that the NBA would rule before Yao actually decided. If everyone agreed that he could play this year if he didn't have the surgery, or that he would definitely be out if he did; why not wait until he has the surgery to give the exception? Answer: probably b/c they wouldn't have been able to sign players using the exception during the FA period, if ever. The league totally hooked up the Rockets.

 

[PapaG]

I still wonder why last year's team didn't apply for the injury exception for RLEC. James Posey would have been a nice addition, especially using hindsight after Webster's injury.

How about Turiaf to be the back-up PF? Both were available, and both would have cost nothing more than an extra tax payment for one year.

 

[BrianFromWA]

They couldn't because of the rule that says the Disabled player must be under contract for another year AFTER the exception is granted. Since RL was an EC, we couldn't apply for it.

(8) In no event may a Team enter into a Contract with a Replacement Player pursuant to Section 6(c)(4) above, unless the Disabled Player’s Contract covers the Season following the Season in which the Disabling Injury or Illness occurs.

 

[PapaG]

They couldn't because of the rule that says the Disabled player must be under contract for another year AFTER the exception is granted. Since RL was an EC, we couldn't apply for it.

Aha! Thanks for the info.

 

[rocketeer]

ariza was signed using the injury exception but he would have been signed using the mle had the rockets not been given the injury exception. so the injury exception really was irrelevant in the signing of ariza.

the guy the rockets were able to add due to the injury exception was david anderson(even though they used a portion of the mle to sign him).

 

[Eastoff]

well didn't webster try to come back mid season? So he might have gotten ruled high enough severity.

 

[rocketeer]

and where did you get the idea that the rockets expect him to play this season?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4433605

"Yao Ming is progressing well. I don't think that [a career-ending scenario] is something that will happen, based on what I'm hearing from the doctors," Morey told Alipour. "They do know that the bone will heal and he'll get back on it. And they have not actually ruled out [his return] this season. I think that's less likely than likely, but they haven't ruled it out.

"And next season, the outlook is very good. He just took off the cast for a short period [two weeks ago], so the doctors could examine it, and everything is going well. Everything is on track."

 

[PapaG]

and where did you get the idea that the rockets expect him to play this season?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4433605

On the crawler on SportsCenter. It didn't say it was certain, but there appears to be a chance. The NBA acted too quickly in granting Houston the flexibility that the IPE gave them.

 

[PapaG]

Hindsight again, but the Blazers would likely have a Posey/Turiaf-type player had they gone this route with Darius Miles.

 

[andalusian]

If this guy scores 20 in a game, Chuck would kiss Kenny's donkey.

 

[Erroneous Subterfuge]

I saw on the SportsCenter crawl that Houston expects him to be able to return to the court sometime this season.

i.e. - ticket sales are down.

"there appears to be a chance..."

 

[BlayZa]

i heard on the radio here he's in doubt for NEXT season. rough.