| When It Comes Time, Allen Needs To Pay Authored by Billy Ray - July 22, 2005 - 7:49 pm
The Portland Trail Blazers rebuilding project started with around 30 games to go at the end of last season. Going into the upcoming season the project is in full swing with yet another high schooler added to the mix in Martell Webster, and a young point guard in Jarret Jack who will undoubtedly deserve solid minutes as he eases into his role.
But, if you ask Los Angeles Clipper fans about so-called youth movements, there is probably one thing that will stand out more than anything: If you don't resign the players you waited patiently to develop, you will never get out of rebuilding.
The Blazers took the first step in securing their future by picking up Travis Outlaw's player option for the 2007-2008 season. While picking up the option does not completely safe guard Outlaw from taking his services to another team in free agency, it does allow Portland to match an offer from another team to retain Outlaw's services.
Portland should not only match for Outlaw, they should try to avoid the free agency fiasco altogether and extend him next summer.
Currently the Trail Blazers are feverishly trying to stay under the luxury tax threshold. Depending upon where the new CBA determines that threshold to be, Portland will look to try to be just under that amount. The threshold is expected to be in the neighborhood of 60 million, but most likely a little higher.
It is understandable that John Nash and the Blazers are looking to stay under the tax threshold. The team is not expected to compete for a playoff spot next season so there is little point in paying like they are. But what about in two or three years when Portland's big three from summer league--Sebastian Telfair, Webster, Outlaw—along with the rest of the bunch all start finding their niche in the league, will the Blazers be willing to pay then?
If Portland wants to get back to winning basketball they will.
While a predicament of having three or four players deserving of max or close to max dollars comes around very rarely, one team is currently having to deal with that issue right now. The Phoenix Suns who just completed one of the most dramatic turn-arounds in NBA history have Shawn Marion, and Steve Nash locked up for max or close to max dollars. Amare Stoudemire is coming down the turnpike shortly and there is no way that the Suns will not pay him. That leaves Joe Johnson, a very exciting and multi-talented player who is also worthy of a high paying, close to max contract possibly leaving the team.
The Atlanta Hawks are believed to be close to tendering a 5 year, 70 million dollar contract to Johnson. Initial indications were that the Suns were going to match any offer, but now reports are indicating that that may not be the case. While the Suns still would be considered a contender without Johnson, it would hurt to lose such a tremendous young player just as a young team is starting to find themselves.
That brings us back to Portland. Currently the Blazers have invested a max contract in Zach Randolph, and nearly 50 million in Darius Miles. The more Telfair seems to show, the more he is starting to lend himself to a max contract if his improvement and play continues throughout the next two seasons. Outlaw, while still very raw is very popular in many NBA circles. Many see super-stardom for the 6'9” small forward with the potential to play 3 positions.
But before needing to worry about Outlaw, Telfair and the rest of the young Blazers resigning the Blazers have one other obstacle to deal with—securing the future of center Joel Przybilla. Przybilla is scheduled to finish out a contract that should pay him somewhere in the neighborhood of 1.4 million—a complete steal when considering the monster presence Przybilla gave the Trail Blazers.
The problem lies in Przybilla's contract length. Since the deal was only a two year pact, the Trail Blazers do not have Przybilla's “bird rights.” Without his bird rights the Blazers don't have the option to exceed the salary cap to secure his services. If a team far enough under the cap wanted to offer Przybilla a contract starting at 7 million a year the best the Blazers could offer would be a little over 5 million.
All is not totally lost when it comes to resigning Przybilla. The Blazers could persuade him to sign a one year contract for the Mid-Level Exception which is an exception alloted to all teams over the salary cap. That would give the Blazers the necessary third year to obtain his bird rights. The second option is offering Przybilla a similar contract to what Shareef Abdur-Rahim received from the New Jersey Nets. That contract would be for 6 years in the neighborhood of 39 million. Milwaukee Bucks center Dan Gadzuric received a similar offer, while Philadelphia center Samuel Dalembert will most likely receive a little more.
Assuming the Blazers lock up Przybilla at nearly 5.5 million a year to go along with Randolph's max contract and Miles' hefty wage the Blazers will have a decent chunk of change already spent before embarking on resigning forward Travis Outlaw and point guard Sebastian Telfair.
Which leads back to the question: is Paul Allen still willing to pay? It would be a pity if the Blazers had to cut costs at the expense of cutting the young talent the team has already cultivated. Allen has never shied away from spending money until just recently. But the reason he is unwilling to spend now is because Portland isn't going to be competitive for a while, right? Right?
For the Trail Blazers sake, lets hope so. |
