knicks1248 wrote:TheGame wrote:I think the deal includes some injury protections. They really had no choice. When healthy the kid is by far the most promising center in the league by a wide margin. The guy can shoot from the perimeter, he has an advance post game, and he blocks shots and plays defense. Some other team was going to offer him the max and probably include poison pill provisions in the contract to convince the sixers not to match. At least this way, they can structure the contract the way they want and include injury protection.
his contract would be similar to a nfl player, packed with incentives, and only a small amount guaranteed..
Yes, and No, with a stronger emphasis on the "No" part.
The relative "push/pull" with incentives in pro sport contracts is they are very LIMITED in nature to prevent circumvention of the actual salary cap in place.
For example, if the Knicks signed Ron Baker, but put in a provision that he'd get a 2 million per year bonus if he made the All Star team. How likely would it be that Baker would actually make an All Star team?
One of the feared base manipulations would be a team gutting itself to cut payroll to nothing, then use incentive based contracts to hit the cap floor for the season. The flip side, and more dangerous, is trying to create a loophole to PAY a player more than his listed salary cap charge. ( This would have been useful for the Warriors and Igoudala this offseason, esp with tax implications and repeater tax implications)
The 31 games actually helps the 76ers here. IIRC, the level of not likely to be earned incentives is partially calculated on injury history and production of previous seasons. The other thing that helped ( or could hurt ) the 76ers here is Michele Roberts, head of the NBAPA is a blithering idiot. But she's demographically basically insulated from any kind of public criticism. But she's probably one of the dumbest people in all of sports today. The lack of a "smoothing" option to the cap spike of a few years ago means more teams will be cap locked this offseason. Fewer teams could have bid for Embiid ( but some team would have) and this created an incentive, plus his health, to sign now. And fast.
Rough guess here, and I haven't done any calculations on what the CBA provisions might do here, the CBA is actually pretty deep on stuff like this, is Embiid is likely to see 60 percent of this money. Up to 80 percent. Unless Philly has unearthed some loophole deep in the CBA no one has used yet.
While the league values wings more, Embiid has positional value. I'd argue this was a better risk than the Clippers resigning Blake Griffin. ( Injury prone, huge contract, older, low positional value)
On the flip side, as a push/pull for fallout, it means Jahlil Okafor will likely be available at some point. I don't think the Knicks can use him, but he'll be out there.
My guess is during the next CBA, the new rules will try to cover this again. Veteran players are the ones negotiating and they don't give a **** about rookies and rookie contracts and rookie rights. They are the first thing to be sacrificed in negotiations. Veterans only care if veterans are getting paid. I keep hearing Melo is a "good guy" Well Melo, Chris Paul and LBJ negotiated to turn the Over 36 rule into the Over 38 Rule, to benefit basically them. Word out is they conceded a lot to do it. Conceded value for ALL PLAYERS in the league. Good guy my @ss. At least Embiid will put his hand up in the air when an opposing player shoots the ball.
This contract will be interesting. It might end up being a hedge point in the next labor war.