 Get Creative To Get CJ Watson Tom Moore has the scoop on the Sixers' pursuit of CJ Watson. In a nutshell, his sources tell him the Sixers are still interested, but only want to offer a one-year deal. Watson wants two years. After the jump, I've got a solution that may help solve more than one problem. First of all, I think someone's wires have gotten crossed because I don't believe the Sixers can sign CJ to a one-year deal. Here's the relevant blurb from the CBA FAQ: When another team wants to sign a restricted free agent, it signs the player to an offer sheet, the principal terms of which the original team is given seven days to match. The offer sheet must be for at least two seasons (not including option years). The 1-year, $2.3M offer from the Sixers has been widely reported, but if I'm reading this correctly, they can't sign him for one season unless he's renounced by Golden State and becomes an unrestricted free agent. Let's table that part of the discussion for a moment, though, and talk about how the Sixers could structure an offer sheet to make it (a) desirable for Watson, and (b) poisonous for Golden State to match. First of all, I'm not sold on the idea that Golden State is eager to match an offer sheet for Watson. They have 15 guys under contract, the max number for a roster. Of those 15, you could reasonably expect four to see time at the point: Monta Ellis, Acie Law, Stephen Curry and Speedy Claxton (assuming Speedy doesn't miss another season due to injury.) Let's assume, for argument's sake, that they really do want Watson back to make it five PGs on the roster (maybe they buy Speedy's contract out to make room for him.) Then the question becomes how do you structure an offer sheet to make it poisonous to the Warriors, but somehow favorable to the Sixers? We need to first identify the reasoning behind the Sixers one-year offers only mandate. It seems clear to me that they're scared to death of where the luxury tax number will fall next season. They seem willing to spend their available money this upcoming season (they have somewhere around $8M before the lux tax kicks in, when you factor in the mandatory minimums to fill out the roster), but next season they could be butting right up against the luxury tax, or over it. There's a simple solution here: Sign Watson to a two-year deal, but front load it drastically. Overpay for his services in 2009-2010, then make the second year for the league-minimum. The deal would look something like this: Year 1 - $3.8M, Year 2 - $885,120. Watson winds up with $4.6M guaranteed over two seasons, but the Sixers don't add any additional payroll for next Summer (they'd have to fill the roster spot with a minimum contract anyway). Golden State then has to decide if it's worth $3.8M for their fifth point guard. I scoured the CBA and I can't find any reason why this type of offer would be against the rules. 
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Would CJ Watson agree to this kind of deal? Assume he does well in his first season, would he be content to going back to being paid the league minimum the next season?
I don't know. I mean, you're obviously overpaying him for the first year, that's the point. You'd just have to sell him on the fact that it's a 2-year deal for $4.6M, which should be enough to get him.
Watson probably wouldn't sign something like that right now, but things could change if this is the best offer in a week or so. Let me check to see if this contract proposal is possible.
Not sure if I'll get a response tonight, but will let you know when -- if? -- I do.
Thanks, Tom. I can't find anything that says you can't front-load a deal.
i really like CJ.
it's a good idea B, but i don't see a scenario where a young guy with potential accepts this kinda deal. trust me, i've tried it on NBA 2k9.
i don't see the issue with just offered him 2 years 5 mill... 2.3 first year, 2.7 second. GS might match that however.
Excuse my awful spelling and grammar.
I meant offering*.
I don't know, I mean if you offer him the most total guaranteed money, why wouldn't he? This is the exact same total over 2 years as a $4.6M deal spread evenly over both seasons. Should actually be worth more, if you have a good financial guy. Should earn interest on the $3.8M you get in the first year.
I get the logic. I just don't see C.J. or his agent accepting the fact that he'd take a 4 million dollar pay cut regardless of how he played. I also don't think Ed would ever offer something like that.
The best part is GS would never match a 4 million dollar deal.
God forbid anyone in the NBA think outside the box.
I'd like to know the answer... but I think if you frontload or give a signing bonus the cap hit is spread throughout the duration of the contract. Maybe I'm wrong, cause the CBA is impossible for mere mortals to keep trac of.
The Arenas Provision actually works in the opposite direction. Teams can sign FAs to big offer sheets that grow over time, but they have to fit the average salary under the cap in the first year, whereas the team matching only has to fit the first-year salary under the cap.
I couldn't find anything about decreasing value in salaries, so as far as I can tell, they would be on the hook for the actual salary in each season.
I know you can front load a contract. I just don't think the paycut can be that drastic.
Good reasoning, good idea. Be interesting to see if this is workable. Comes off like a signing bonus.
Brian, I found out contracts can only go up or down 8 percent (signing another team's free agent) OR 10.5 percent (your own). If they paid $3.8 mill the first year, the second couldn't be less than $3.5.
Well that's disappointing. They could make it a signing bonus (worth 20% of the total guaranteed money), but that gets spread out over the life of the contract. Oh well, back to the drawing board. Thanks for the clarification, Tom.
While it's an intriguing idea, am told it wouldn't be allowed under the current CBA. The old one used to allow balloon payments to give a player a big bump in the final year of a deal, but now it could not be more than a 10.5 percent bump.
I think the sixers aren't offering anyone more than a one year deal these days - the fear of the 2011 luxury tax is strong with them...I mean if they raised cable rates a buck I think they'd make up the whole money in about 3 months, but hey, what do I know :)
Seriously though, this whole one year cowardly act is just one of the more disappointing things of the off season
Tom,
Does the percentage apply to incentives too? In other words, could they structure a deal whereby you would get the same (potential, but likely) effective result by tweaking the incentive structure to achieve what Brian proposed... with the base salary meeting the variance requirements?
It could include incentives, but don't believe you could front-load them, either. For example, $100,000 for 60 games in first year, then $10,000 in second.
Am told Portland's interest in Miller is more likely to sign him with cap space than work out a sign-and-trade with Sixers.
Unless they can get Lamar Odom - it makes sense
Besides, with the sixers on their one year or no kick what could the blazers offer?
Steve Blake (one year, $4.9 mill).
I expect Portland only does a S&T if they can get Odom and Odom is going to requrie the bulk of their cap room since he'd reportedly prefers to play in places with sun and beaches, not rain and trees.
At that point a S&T for miller rquires more than blake to work.
It actually doesn't, though there are reports Miller is signing with the Blazers (no sign-and-trade). Portland is $7.5 million under the cap. Blake makes $4.9 mill, so Blazers could make an uneven trade because of their cap space.
IF THEY GET ODOM
3 years 21 million so says ESPN
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4354227
Heard the Blazers never offered Blake to the Sixers, which Philly would've liked, and the Blazers would've been interested in a sign-and-trade if Portland could've signed David Lee with their cap space.
http://www.nba.com/sixers/features/offseason_update_090724.html
At least the idea of starting small seems to have been taken off the table. In this piece, Jordan is quoted as saying that Lou and Dala will be the starting guards coming into camp. That points to a Lou/Dala/Thad/Brand/Sam lineup
That is definitely the one bright spot in the day. I really hope Iguodala/Thad can grow into a top 5 SG/SF combo in this league. There will be growing pains for both players (and the entire team this year) but Thad is not a PF and Iguodala can't block him from starting.
Agreed. This is very good news.
I am bummed Miller left for nothing. I would have liked Blake for a 1-year rental.
That would seem to be most likely, despite Jordan saying at his hiring news conference that Iguodala would begin the year at forward.
Expect the Sixers to sign veterans to minimum salaries at the 1, 3 and 5. That would give them 13 players and keep them under the luxury tax by about $7 million.
A shame. They will still be right up against the tax next summer, so we better hope the young talent on this team explodes in the next 2 years.
Exactly.
But there realistically isn't enough talent on this team to explode in the next 2 years, though. That's why the pick was so damming and now adding the subsequent leaving of Miller for - ab-so-lute-ly - nothing, and you have a franchise on a never ending obstacle course.
Hope springs eternal is about the best I can say...
Please start Iggy at the 2 and Thad at the 3. Then we'll see how far this team can go.
Now that Miller is officially gone, I see them starting Lou. Although I feel strongly that he's better as the spark off the bench (and is less of a liability at that point). Holiday is going to have to learn to score a bit quick if he's going to win that starting spot.
http://www.nba.com/blazers/news/Trail_Blazers_Sign_Andre_Mille-320175-41.html
Andre Miller has signed with the Blazers!
Oh, man. Can we please get a vet or someone like Watson?
Also check AI9's latest tweet:
Practice is over and I got the worst news of the day... Dre Miller signed with portland...ruined my day...what the @#!ยค?
http://twitter.com/AI9
Jordan and Stefanski better get everybody on the same page now...
Wonder if that was just 'player-speak'?
Or really geniune or him fronting?
If the Sixers are going to take this 'we're not going to budge' approach, then just maybe they can get an Anthony Carter or Carlos Arroyo to man the point at crucial game-times because Lou usually played the 4th quarter anyway albeit at the two. They would be my - 'if all I had to pick from choices'.
But they are being soooo cheap that if Luther Head even comes close to inking with them, it should be considered a windfall. He can somewhat reasonably handle, and make buckets when open from deep.
But truly, this is a disgrace to any diehard fan.