Question About Koponen

[Freshtown]

What's the rule on players drafted in the first round who's teams don't want to sign them? Could they force the issue and sue until they were signed or something?

Just wondering.

 

[THE HCP]

I thought the team that drafts them loses their rights to the player after a certain amount of time.

 

[C_note]

Well, we never lost Sabonis' rights did we?

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I thought the team that drafts them loses their rights to the player after a certain amount of time.

Considering we still own the rights to Marcelo Nicola (who I believe we acquired in the Drexler trade!), that seems unlikely. And in fact, I think a team only loses its rights if the player sits out a year and doesn't play for any pro team anywhere.

Koponen was a first round pick. The only time I remember a team actually renouncing a first round pick was that white center from (I think) UCONN whose name escapes me that the Jordan Bulls drafted with (of course) the very last pick of the first round. They just let him go. He then latched on with the Lakers and actually got a nice fat contract, which quickly became a millstone as Jerry Krause's foresight in letting him go became obvious.

Batum forced the Blazers' hand a little this year I think by insisting on coming over (when I'm pretty sure they wanted him to go back to Europe), but I don't think that's likely with Koponen because the team could just call his bluff. Although isn't the deal with him and Freeland that they're likely to sign long term deals with big buyouts unless they're brought over, like, this year?

 

[Minstrel]

Koponen was a first round pick. The only time I remember a team actually renouncing a first round pick was that white center from (I think) UCONN whose name escapes me that the Jordan Bulls drafted with (of course) the very last pick of the first round. They just let him go. He then latched on with the Lakers and actually got a nice fat contract, which quickly became a millstone as Jerry Krause's foresight in letting him go became obvious.

Travis Knight?

 

[THE HCP]

Didn't Atlanta or another team draft Sabonis first?

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Didn't Atlanta or another team draft Sabonis first?

no, Portland was actually at the forefront in looking at European players.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Travis Knight?

THAT'S the guy.

Didn't Atlanta or another team draft Sabonis first?

Yes, Atlanta, but it turned out he was too young to be drafted, so Portland got to draft him all over again the next year. And then wait a decade for his services.

 

[THE HCP]

no, Portland was actually at the forefront in looking at European players.

You might want to check your facts brother. I think Atlanta drafted him the season before us.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

HCP is correct. Sabonis was drafted by ATL, but I think he was too you, either that or there was a thing against drafting soviets, I can't remember which. So we drafted him later, then he signed to play in spain. God, if we'd only had him for that drexler/porter team.

So, we were the first team to legally draft him. I don't see the problem.

As for the actual subject of this thread, if we have a spot on the roster I think we should bring him over.

 

[alex42083]

According to Larry Coon,
http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#Q42

What if the team and player can't agree to a contract? What options does the player have? How long does the team keep his draft rights?

The player's options are limited. What happens depends on a number of factors:

* If the player is already under contract to, or signs a contract with a non-NBA team, the team retains the player's draft rights for one year after the player's obligation to the non-NBA team ends. Essentially, the clock stops as long as the player plays pro ball outside the NBA. Players are not included in the team's team salary during the regular season while the player is under contract with a non-NBA team.
* If the player was still eligible to play in college before he was drafted, the team retains the player's draft rights until the draft the player would have entered had he not left college early. For example, if a team drafts a college sophomore in 2005, they retain his draft rights until the date of the 2007 draft. Note that the current NCAA rules state that players lose their NCAA eligibility if they are drafted, so the player could not return or go on to play college ball.
* For all other players, the team retains the player's draft rights until the date of the next draft.

In any of the above cases, if the team does not sign the player in the allotted time, the player can enter the next draft. If the team that selects the player in the next draft doesn't sign him either, he becomes a rookie free agent.

When a team signs a first round draft pick in a year other than the year in which he was drafted, the player is signed using the salary scale for the year in which he is signed, not the year in which he was drafted. An exception to this is for players drafted prior to 2005, under the previous CBA. These players may be signed according to the rules for scale contracts set forth in the previous CBA, including three guaranteed years plus one option year, at the scale salary for the year in which the player was drafted.