What to do with Rudy? That is a big question facing the Raptors right now. There are a few options but each option has risks for the Raptors: They include:
EXTEND HIM
If the Raptors extend Rudy right now this is what they are looking at this in the CBA:
So:
1) Rudy can pick up his $19.3M 2014-15 option and the Raptors can extend Rudy for two seasons and have him under contract for the next four seasons (2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17). His salary this$17.8M, next year $19.3M, and the final two years would be negotiated but he would be eligible for well over $20M.
2) Rudy can decline his 2014-15 option and the Raptors can extend him up to 3 more seasons beyond this year - again taking the contract up to 2016-17. However, his starting contract in the extension cannot be less than the $19.3M he would have opted out of for 2014-15.
WAIT FOR HIM TO MAKE UP HIS MIND ON THE PLAYER OPTION
So:
1) Regardless of what he decides (opt in/opt out), if Rudy is extended in Toronto next season he will be making $19.3M in that first year.
2) Do you remember CB4? The Raptors might be walking in to the exact same situation except this time, with so many teams having cap space next summer, he might walk for not even a draft pick in return or Traded Player Exception.
IF HE OPTS OUT, RENOUNCE HIS BIRD RIGHTS AND RESIGN HIM
Remember a few years back when the Jefferson declined his option? He eventually resigned with the Spurs for more years and more guaranteed money but a lesser annual amount. To do this with a prearranged agreement is dangerous and would be considered tampering (which led to the Wolves mediocrity for years with KG... Joe Smith anyone?). However this is a very real option. If Rudy opts out, there is enough cap (~$20M minus any first round picks or trades that add money) space that they could renounce him and negotiate a contract that does not start at $19.3M i.e. a more reasonable contract to his production and allows the Raptors to add some more talent in free agency or unbalanced trade.
IF HE OPTS IN, RESIGN HIM IN 2015
Can meet foot, now look down road. All the same dilemmas will present themselves again in 2014-15 season EXCEPT:
1) Raptors will be not have any restrictions on the starting salary for the extension
2) Rudy is taking a very large risk should he be hurt or have a poor 2014-15 season.
TRADE HIM
So:
1) The issue here is if Rudy is traded the flag will be waived on the season. If you think a core of Lowry, DD, Amir, Fields, Ross, and JV are going to the playoffs, you have not been paying attention the last few years - even considering internal or organic growth. Now if a legitimate wing comes back in return, things become interesting but this is extremely unlikely given Rudy's ability to leave new team and his salary.
2) Similar to Bosh in 2010, Raptors would be at the mercy of Rudy in summer of 2014 if he opts out. He could go for nothing.
TRADE HIM AND RESIGN HIM THIS SUMMER
Much like the Spurs example above, Gay opts out and becomes unrestricted with whatever team he was traded to. Raptors could have enough cap space assuming they took back less than $6M for on the books next season leaving approximately $14M to make an offer to Gay.
SIGN AND TRADE THIS SUMMER
An option if he opts out of his contract. Same issues as above: do you get assets that appeal to Toronto? Does new team have cap space and all the leverage?
EXTEND AND TRADE
An option if he opts in to his contract. Rules of an extension that applied to Toronto apply to new team except raises are 4.5% and the length is 3 versus 4 years with Raptors.
That is the breakdown of the situation. I think I've covered every angle. What would you do if you were Masai?
- Extend him
- wait for him to make a decision on his player option
- renounce his bird rights and resign him with cap space (~$20M at this time)
- resign him in 2015
- trade him
- trade him and resign him this summer
- sign and trade him
- extend and trade him
EXTEND HIM
If the Raptors extend Rudy right now this is what they are looking at this in the CBA:
A contract with an option can be extended if the player opts-in. A contract with an option can also be extended if the player opts-out, as long as the extension adds at least two new seasons onto the contract (excluding any new option year) and the salary in the first year of the extension is not less than the salary in the non-exercised option year.
http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q59
http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q59
1) Rudy can pick up his $19.3M 2014-15 option and the Raptors can extend Rudy for two seasons and have him under contract for the next four seasons (2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17). His salary this$17.8M, next year $19.3M, and the final two years would be negotiated but he would be eligible for well over $20M.
2) Rudy can decline his 2014-15 option and the Raptors can extend him up to 3 more seasons beyond this year - again taking the contract up to 2016-17. However, his starting contract in the extension cannot be less than the $19.3M he would have opted out of for 2014-15.
WAIT FOR HIM TO MAKE UP HIS MIND ON THE PLAYER OPTION
Ismail
If the Raptors do make the playoffs, what do you think the chances are they could get a long term extension with Rudy Gay for less money per year?
Steve Kyler
Here is the dilemma — Raptors play great and make the playoffs… Rudy’s value goes up. Raptors play great, Rudy plays terrible, he stays in his contract and does not opt-out. Rudy plays great, Raptors don’t make the playoff Rudy walks for nothing because his value is high.
I don’t think there is a scenario where Rudy is making less money next year unless its because he signed a big free agent contract and I don’t think Rudy does an extension unless its near the same money, basically because its in his best interest to see how he plays.
Once you get to the number of zeros in Rudy’s bank account he ability to have power and influence over where you play is desirable. That does not mean a guy wants out. It simply means he wants to chose whether he stays or goes – that is where Rudy is at.
Read more at http://www.hoopsworld.com/nba-rumors...e-kyler-102813
If the Raptors do make the playoffs, what do you think the chances are they could get a long term extension with Rudy Gay for less money per year?
Steve Kyler
Here is the dilemma — Raptors play great and make the playoffs… Rudy’s value goes up. Raptors play great, Rudy plays terrible, he stays in his contract and does not opt-out. Rudy plays great, Raptors don’t make the playoff Rudy walks for nothing because his value is high.
I don’t think there is a scenario where Rudy is making less money next year unless its because he signed a big free agent contract and I don’t think Rudy does an extension unless its near the same money, basically because its in his best interest to see how he plays.
Once you get to the number of zeros in Rudy’s bank account he ability to have power and influence over where you play is desirable. That does not mean a guy wants out. It simply means he wants to chose whether he stays or goes – that is where Rudy is at.
Read more at http://www.hoopsworld.com/nba-rumors...e-kyler-102813
1) Regardless of what he decides (opt in/opt out), if Rudy is extended in Toronto next season he will be making $19.3M in that first year.
2) Do you remember CB4? The Raptors might be walking in to the exact same situation except this time, with so many teams having cap space next summer, he might walk for not even a draft pick in return or Traded Player Exception.
IF HE OPTS OUT, RENOUNCE HIS BIRD RIGHTS AND RESIGN HIM
Remember a few years back when the Jefferson declined his option? He eventually resigned with the Spurs for more years and more guaranteed money but a lesser annual amount. To do this with a prearranged agreement is dangerous and would be considered tampering (which led to the Wolves mediocrity for years with KG... Joe Smith anyone?). However this is a very real option. If Rudy opts out, there is enough cap (~$20M minus any first round picks or trades that add money) space that they could renounce him and negotiate a contract that does not start at $19.3M i.e. a more reasonable contract to his production and allows the Raptors to add some more talent in free agency or unbalanced trade.
IF HE OPTS IN, RESIGN HIM IN 2015
Can meet foot, now look down road. All the same dilemmas will present themselves again in 2014-15 season EXCEPT:
1) Raptors will be not have any restrictions on the starting salary for the extension
2) Rudy is taking a very large risk should he be hurt or have a poor 2014-15 season.
TRADE HIM
Many consider it a foregone conclusion that newly hired (and analytically inclined) general manager Masai Ujiri will look to trade Gay (who has a $19.3 million player option for next season) at the earliest opportunity, ....
http://nba.si.com/2013/10/28/nba-pre...3_a2&eref=sihp
http://nba.si.com/2013/10/28/nba-pre...3_a2&eref=sihp
At this point, Gay is playing this situation like Ujiri with a wait-and-see approach, but this is not something the Raptors can ignore past the trade deadline and end up stuck in the worst of all possible worlds like in 2010 with Chris Bosh. A decision one way or the other is in the cards this season. A lot of people are hoping Gay really does want to stay in Toronto.
However, Ujiri’s wait-and-see approach is the right way to go for now. December 15 is the date most free agents signed during the summer become available to trade and after 6 weeks, teams are starting to face the reality of where their 2013-14 season is actually headed.
http://probballreport.com/raptors-se...ay-have-to-go/
However, Ujiri’s wait-and-see approach is the right way to go for now. December 15 is the date most free agents signed during the summer become available to trade and after 6 weeks, teams are starting to face the reality of where their 2013-14 season is actually headed.
http://probballreport.com/raptors-se...ay-have-to-go/
1) The issue here is if Rudy is traded the flag will be waived on the season. If you think a core of Lowry, DD, Amir, Fields, Ross, and JV are going to the playoffs, you have not been paying attention the last few years - even considering internal or organic growth. Now if a legitimate wing comes back in return, things become interesting but this is extremely unlikely given Rudy's ability to leave new team and his salary.
2) Similar to Bosh in 2010, Raptors would be at the mercy of Rudy in summer of 2014 if he opts out. He could go for nothing.
TRADE HIM AND RESIGN HIM THIS SUMMER
Much like the Spurs example above, Gay opts out and becomes unrestricted with whatever team he was traded to. Raptors could have enough cap space assuming they took back less than $6M for on the books next season leaving approximately $14M to make an offer to Gay.
SIGN AND TRADE THIS SUMMER
An option if he opts out of his contract. Same issues as above: do you get assets that appeal to Toronto? Does new team have cap space and all the leverage?
EXTEND AND TRADE
Similar to a sign-and-trade arrangement (see question number 90), a team may sign an eligible player to an extension (see question number 59) and immediately trade him to another team. Such an "extend-and-trade" is limited to three seasons, which include any seasons remaining on the player's current contract1. The salary in the first season of the extension can have a 4.5% raise over the last season of the existing contract, and subsequent raises are limited to 4.5% of the salary in the first season of the extension.
http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q93
http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q93
That is the breakdown of the situation. I think I've covered every angle. What would you do if you were Masai?
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