https://nypost.com/2021/05/07/what-luca-vildozas-13-6-million-contract-means-for-knicks/

What Luca Vildoza's $13.6 million contract means for Knicks
Marc Berman

PHOENIX – The Knicks have already made a solid investment in newly signed Spanish League combo guard Luca Vildoza even if he never plays a minute for the Knicks.

Vildoza’s four-year, $13.6 million contract signed Thursday that starts with a $3.5 million wage for the 2020-21 season is not pro-rated.

Vildoza, 25, will collect all of it, according to a source, minus a portion of the buyout the Knicks have paid Baskonia. It was a bonus to keep him off the free-agent market.

The Post has also learned Vildoza’s second season becomes fully guaranteed around the start of next season. The dates for next season’s opener has not been finalized but the Knicks will get a full training camp to evaluate Vildoza and can also watch him play for Argentina in the Olympics.

The final two years of the pact become guaranteed after other future dates.

Luca Vildoza will pull in the full value of his Knicks deal, even if he never plays a minute.

A quirk in the CBA states no pro-rated contracts are in place if a club is under the salary cap. The Knicks were about $12.5 million under the cap.

The Knicks, according to a Spanish report, doled out $2 million to Baskonia as part of a buyout. Under CBA law, Vildoza’s wage gets deducted $1.25 million for the $2 million buyout.

It’s hard to imagine with this heavy investment the Knicks aren’t convinced he’s ready to play a role for next season’s team. The expenditure could motivate coach Tom Thibodeau to give him minutes if he’s able to join the club for the final three regular-season home games.

The signing has one drawback to the current Knicks players. The Vildoza signing puts the Knicks past the salary-cap “floor’’ – which is the minimum payroll allowed.

If the Knicks stood pat, they would’ve been about $3 million under the floor. Under CBA law, the gap is split among the 15 players. That amounted to a $200,000 bonus for each player but that will now be wiped out.

It will be interesting if Vildoza – if and when he arrives — is put higher in the pecking order than Frenchman Frank Ntilikina, a restricted free agent already out of the rotation.

“He knows how to play and he’s still young,’’ said former Knicks European scout and ex-Charlotte international director of scouting Tim Shea, who lives in Spain as an NBA consultant and worked with Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau. “He’s a scorer and your modern-day point guard — more scorer. As a scorer, he is better than Frank. Plays hard but his defense is half of Frank’s. I like him for sure. The fact he’s hard-nosed must appeal to Thibs.’’

And of course what Tim Shea really meant to say was "He’s a scorer and your modern-day point guard — more scorer. As a scorer, he is better than Frank. Plays hard but his defense is half of Frank’s [BUT AN UNGODLY AMOUNT MORE THAN WHAT ELF PLAYS]. I like him for sure. The fact he’s hard-nosed must appeal to Thibs."

martin wrote:I thought a most excellent article by the Berminator

https://nypost.com/2021/05/07/what-luca-vildozas-13-6-million-contract-means-for-knicks/

What Luca Vildoza's $13.6 million contract means for Knicks
Marc Berman

PHOENIX – The Knicks have already made a solid investment in newly signed Spanish League combo guard Luca Vildoza even if he never plays a minute for the Knicks.

Vildoza’s four-year, $13.6 million contract signed Thursday that starts with a $3.5 million wage for the 2020-21 season is not pro-rated.

Vildoza, 25, will collect all of it, according to a source, minus a portion of the buyout the Knicks have paid Baskonia. It was a bonus to keep him off the free-agent market.

The Post has also learned Vildoza’s second season becomes fully guaranteed around the start of next season. The dates for next season’s opener has not been finalized but the Knicks will get a full training camp to evaluate Vildoza and can also watch him play for Argentina in the Olympics.

The final two years of the pact become guaranteed after other future dates.

Luca Vildoza will pull in the full value of his Knicks deal, even if he never plays a minute.

A quirk in the CBA states no pro-rated contracts are in place if a club is under the salary cap. The Knicks were about $12.5 million under the cap.

The Knicks, according to a Spanish report, doled out $2 million to Baskonia as part of a buyout. Under CBA law, Vildoza’s wage gets deducted $1.25 million for the $2 million buyout.

It’s hard to imagine with this heavy investment the Knicks aren’t convinced he’s ready to play a role for next season’s team. The expenditure could motivate coach Tom Thibodeau to give him minutes if he’s able to join the club for the final three regular-season home games.

The signing has one drawback to the current Knicks players. The Vildoza signing puts the Knicks past the salary-cap “floor’’ – which is the minimum payroll allowed.

If the Knicks stood pat, they would’ve been about $3 million under the floor. Under CBA law, the gap is split among the 15 players. That amounted to a $200,000 bonus for each player but that will now be wiped out.

It will be interesting if Vildoza – if and when he arrives — is put higher in the pecking order than Frenchman Frank Ntilikina, a restricted free agent already out of the rotation.

“He knows how to play and he’s still young,’’ said former Knicks European scout and ex-Charlotte international director of scouting Tim Shea, who lives in Spain as an NBA consultant and worked with Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau. “He’s a scorer and your modern-day point guard — more scorer. As a scorer, he is better than Frank. Plays hard but his defense is half of Frank’s. I like him for sure. The fact he’s hard-nosed must appeal to Thibs.’’

And of course what Tim Shea really meant to say was "He’s a scorer and your modern-day point guard — more scorer. As a scorer, he is better than Frank. Plays hard but his defense is half of Frank’s [BUT AN UNGODLY AMOUNT MORE THAN WHAT ELF PLAYS]. I like him for sure. The fact he’s hard-nosed must appeal to Thibs."

Wow, much different than the deal that was tweeted on another site. Hope Luca pans out. I'd love to see Lonzo in a Knicks uniform. Would be even better if Vildoza panned out, at a much lower cap hit.