OAK a = WHAT

[dav7z]

The Golden states fan have given the power foward so many names in this thread.
You have to love a Golden state fan. Some like him some hate him but thats a creative bunch. Most think hes not worth the kind of money he wants.
Good read for A OAK LAUGH.
iLL ust call him OAK - A - GREED.






http://www.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=827461&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&sid=02f67f4e80f2d290f0518a3c90acb608&start=15

http://www.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=827461&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&sid=02f67f4e80f2d290f0518a3c90acb608&start=30

[amour217]

Oka-SNORE!

or if he hangs out with Jermareo: TOKE-afor

[amour217]

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/amour217/Jokeafor.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/amour217/Yolkafor.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/amour217/Folkafor.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/amour217/Popeafor.jpg

[dav7z]

LOL so far thats cracking me up . You guys are great , We should have a OAK -A WHAT CONTEST.?

[Proudiddy]

I don't know, but Okapoor should go back and find the guy that gave him that edge up and punch him in the face. That's horrible.

[bfer]

Just keep in mind things could change at any minute and he could be on our team for years to come. I still want to hear what he has to say. This hearsay crap is getting old.

[Proudiddy]

Just keep in mind things could change at any minute and he could be on our team for years to come. I still want to hear what he has to say. This hearsay crap is getting old.

I've already thought about this scenario, and I seriously doubt it. He's gone. The guy has said all he needs to say by not saying anything at all. He doesn't want to be here.

[bfer]

You never know with our front office, we might go ahead and pay him the big bucks. The articled today talks about MJ/LB vs BJ. They say if we pay for him then that is MJ and LB decision, but if we dont then Bob is being cheap.

[dav7z]

I've already thought about this scenario, and I seriously doubt it. He's gone. The guy has said all he needs to say by not saying anything at all. He doesn't want to be here.
Agreeded
217 -I LOVE THE PICS AND NAMES .
Somebody come up with somthing better?

[dnbman]

I definitely don't want to rain on the parade, and I'm frustrated like many of you.

However, for now, Okafor is a Bobcat.

People were hating Wallace last year, and then he signed a fairly safe contract with us.

I just hate for the fan base to drive him even further away when an amicable conclusion might be right around the corner.

[Proudiddy]

But at least Wallace or his agent had came out and said they were having discussions, at the same time, Higgins was saying that they wanted Wallace back. Wallace and his agent at least acknowledged that they were actively pursuing the option of staying here. Okafor hasn't, and obviously doesn't care to.

There were never any reports about GDub cutting off talks, or wanting to leave. Yet, that has come out with Okafor. There may be a reason the Clippers decided to go after Camby instead of dealing with Okafor as well. As the report said, he seems to be very prideful and have a over-inflated view of his own value on the market. I don't put a lot of weight into reports or papers, but this one seems to have legs.

[dav7z]

I definitely don't want to rain on the parade, and I'm frustrated like many of you.

However, for now, Okafor is a Bobcat.

People were hating Wallace last year, and then he signed a fairly safe contract with us.

I just hate for the fan base to drive him even further away when an amicable conclusion might be right around the corner.

dnbman i respect ALL of your post . And you are really knowledgable about the game . Do you really think this is going to change Meks mind either way?
This is a very dead time of the year for basketball . My self i don't see how haviing a little creative fun can hurt when you hear one of your better players don't want to play for you any more .
Cho- A -FOR because he can't hit a free through. Another reason to not offer him a stupid contract'''''''''''''''''' 65 MILION SHOULD BE TOPS.

[Keetch]

I feel like I'm in an information freeze out or something. No word from the Bobcats, no word from Okafor or his agent. What we have is a Bonnell source. Therefore all I will do is be patient. This can take until training camp to settle, if not beyond. Personally, I hope we can resign Okafor to a longterm contract. Otherwise, we're "rebuilding" before we ever even had anything built.

I really don't think Restricted Free Agency is working the way the players anticipated in their last collective bargaining agreement. With the current NBA economy, the leverage on RFA's is completely with the Owners; and I really can't blame them for taking advantage of it. RFA's over the MLE are getting no bids these days, which must be frustrating the hell out of their expectations. If this cry for a S&T is real, its just that, a cry. Patience boys and girls, patience.

peace out

[dnbman]

dnbman i respect ALL of your post . And you are really knowledgable about the game . Do you really think this is going to change Meks mind either way?
This is a very dead time of the year for basketball . My self i don't see how haviing a little creative fun can hurt when you hear one of your better players don't want to play for you any more .
Cho- A -FOR because he can't hit a free through. Another reason to not offer him a stupid contract'''''''''''''''''' 65 MILION SHOULD BE TOPS.

Yeah, don't get me wrong, I appreciate the cleverness of the posts.

However, while a free agent might not read a single sight, these kinds of things become viral and begin reaching outside of the internet. These guys are in their young 20s and pretty smart. I would be shocked if they didn't pay at least a little bit of attention to the internet rumors and such going on.

Seriously, this is not any kind of moral highway or anything like that. I just think that internet chatter can become much more powerful than people realize, especially when a ton of sites start reposting a thread from one site. Think about this way: national media sites addressed the Utah trade that was started as a thread on RealGM based on wedding gossip.

I just don't want the guy to think the fans here don't appreciate what he's done.

[dnbman]

I really don't think Restricted Free Agency is working the way the players anticipated in their last collective bargaining agreement.

That's very interesting to consider. Obviously it was an agreement, where the teams got what they wanted out of it as well.

The CBA is strange because it depends so much on a three month span of a single year and can change drastically the next. Last year a bunch of mediocre talent got pretty nice contracts. This year Posey and Diop probably got more than they're worth. Last year Kapono and several others, many citing Hammer, got bigger contracts than they seem to be worth.

It's really weird.

[bfer]

I am sorry, but this a busted thread. He is still a Bobcat and should be treated that way. He has not left us and is still one of us. I am not trying to rain on this parade, but we should back him since he is still a Bobcat. We have only her from Rick B, that is it. We have no concrete proof about this. They could be tied up over a couple mill and this is getting blown out of proportion, we all dont know. Lets just support him as he is a classy part of our orgnaziation. Keep in mind he came right in and was the face of the franchise his rookie season. He immediately stepped into the publics eye here as Bobcats basketball after that other team left. I, for one, hope he comes back at a decent price that doesnt hurt us in the long term, but regardless he is still our starter for OUR team.

[dav7z]

I am a fan of Mek too , But i don't feel like Charlotte and the Bobcats has to kiss his tail . Damn the Bobcats offered him 65 milion dollars last year and he turned it down , We make him offers this year and he turns us down again , And we are supose to be careful not to hurt his feelings , Screw him and any other over paid player who thinks they to good to play for us a small city, I for one am not going to hope ,cry and beg him to play for us . As far as im concerned if he don't sign a fair contract with us . We can just give him his seven milion dollars this year set his lazy greedy ass on the beanch ALL YEAR.Then let him see if he gets more than a 65 milion dollar offer next year.
Hes NOT a Bosh , Howard, Garnett , or even close to that teir player . I for one don't want to morgage the Bobcats for the next six years for poor MEK who feelings might get hurt because hes not worth no where near a max deal. And i hope he would read this post because im saying, hes NO where near Gods gift to basketball.
So im saying this he can either take a fair contract from us , or if hes thinks hes too good for that ,the hell with him . LET HIM GO ELSE WHERE .
The Bobcats organisation should not have to beg any one to take 65 million dollars .
Sorry if i offended any one . But us posting is not stupid it's Mek being stupid for not taking a 65 milion dollar offer.

And because he didn't take 65 milion . Then he needs to be called names.

Hell we pay over three grand a year to see 41 games for me and my wife . No one says poor Dave ,for having season passes for just two seats . Hell we the fans are his living Screw him if he thinks hes too good for my three grand. to watch him score 13 points a game.

[spectre]

I'm with DNB and those advising caution on belittling Mek. I don't think he's greedy nor do I think he's being unreasonable. IMO he's worth what Bogut got, yet we're not even meeting last year's offer.

It's not like we're some great up and coming team...look at what the hell we've subjected our players to last year with the Idiot. "He's a PF, we need a C". "Oh wait, he's a C...we suck because we have no PF!". "He's not showing enough emotion...to the bench with him!".

After all that how can we blame ANY player that doesn't want to get the hell out? In my mind management should be doing a little ass kissing instead of insulting him by not offering him at least the 5/60 with 5 in incentives.

And if it keeps up, expect Felts to be doing the same damn thing next year.

[dav7z]

Spectra i agree hes worth the 60 or 65 milion . But if he has turned that down again screw him its no way the Bobcats or any one else should kiss his ass .
He should be HAPPY JUST TO BE HEALTHY ENOUGH JUST TO PLAY PRO BALL.
For ever Mek it's a milion kids who didn't make it and no one kisses thair ass.
If its any ass kissing going on it should be him because we the fans who pay our hard earned money to watch him play pays his salery. Sorry Spectra it's no way we should be kissing his ass.

[spectre]

But Dav, we're not even offering that now. You and I both agree he's worth it, but management doesn't seem to want to go that high.

To me that's insulting.

I know it's a priviledge to play in the NBA, but he's doing just what you or I would be doing...trying to get the best payday he can. If we'd have developed him like we should have then maybe we could talk about a home team discount...but instead we've put some of the worst coaching imaginable around him and then blasted him for not becoming Howard V2. IMO he has every right to get what he can.

If it comes out that we offered him 13-14 per and he refused then so be it. Less than 12? I lay that on management.

[dav7z]

But Dav, we're not even offering that now. You and I both agree he's worth it, but management doesn't seem to want to go that high.

To me that's insulting.

I know it's a priviledge to play in the NBA, but he's doing just what you or I would be doing...trying to get the best payday he can. If we'd have developed him like we should have then maybe we could talk about a home team discount...but instead we've put some of the worst coaching imaginable around him and then blasted him for not becoming Howard V2. IMO he has every right to get what he can.

If it comes out that we offered him 13-14 per and he refused then so be it. Less than 12? I lay that on management.

Less than 12 milion,100 percent agreeded. If management is low balling him.
But if hes being offered between 60 and 65 milion and turning that down . It's all on him. It's hard to belive management has offered less than what was offered last year. I know Deng was offered less but i havn't read no where thet we are offering less this year.
Does any one have a link of what the offer is.

[110oldeast]

I'm not going to add to this thread (I want Okafor back, but don't want to overspend either) other than to say the post below was hilarious!




I don't know, but Okapoor should go back and find the guy that gave him that edge up and punch him in the face. That's horrible.

[spectre]

http://www.charlotte.com/bobcats/story/722943.html



Negotiations between Okafor and the Bobcats are at an impasse, an informed source told the Observer, with the team offering less now than the $12million-plus annual salary it did a year ago.

[dav7z]

Im sure Mek was looking for a contract at the 65 milion mark he was offered last year.
Being offered less has pissed him off and now it's looking like he just wants out . It even looks like he would take less just to get out of Charlotte. Management should have matched the offfer last at least he played the full 82 games last year . Unless Larry Brown is working out a nice sign and trade thet would benefit the team in the long run. A trade to our advantage. Other wize its a stupid move on managements part.
I would not mind a sign and trade with Golden State.
We could get our P/F Brandon Wright and a decent Center. I don't know how the numbers would work it might take some fillers.
But i think Wright and Randolph are about the same player. So i think one of those two are expendable. Im all so looking at Lma who mght be added in some how as Golden state is growing tirded of him.

Thanks Spectre for the link.

[BobCatsFanInTx]

Yeah, don't get me wrong, I appreciate the cleverness of the posts.

However, while a free agent might not read a single sight, these kinds of things become viral and begin reaching outside of the internet. These guys are in their young 20s and pretty smart. I would be shocked if they didn't pay at least a little bit of attention to the internet rumors and such going on.

Seriously, this is not any kind of moral highway or anything like that. I just think that internet chatter can become much more powerful than people realize, especially when a ton of sites start reposting a thread from one site. Think about this way: national media sites addressed the Utah trade that was started as a thread on RealGM based on wedding gossip.

I just don't want the guy to think the fans here don't appreciate what he's done.I appreciate Okafors contributions up to a point. Last year EO seemed like his head was not in games on many occasions and he just didn't seem to have the passion for the game one would expect from a guy looking for a raise in pay. He is quite important to our team just giving us what he did last year but if he thinks he is worth more than his contributions to our team he is a fool. I can not blame the Bobcats brass for holding strong to a reasonable offer. I would rather we try and find a diamond in the ruff in the NBDL rather than EO trying to bully us to meet his demands. The demand for his services does not seem that high at this time or another team would already have made an offer to him.

The NBDL may produce a solid contributor and if we have to struggle a bit early this season so be it. I say we release EO if a deal can't be completed in a fairly timely matter. The sooner the players know what the makeup of our team will be the better for everyone.

If you are reading this EO, you are not above the team and if you choose to feel somehow entitled to a bigger contract than you showed you deserve based on last season no team will want you. Teams aren't loaded with cap space so your options aren't many. If you were a top level player you would have gone to the LAC already. Instead they picked a 34 year old Marcus Camby!
If that does not tell you how much your valued nothing will. If you want to go overseas that is a good option. The overall talent is not as great there and you won't be overpaid for your contributions.

[davcbow]

I appreciate Okafors contributions up to a point. Last year EO seemed like his head was not in games on many occasions and he just didn't seem to have the passion for the game one would expect from a guy looking for a raise in pay. He is quite important to our team just giving us what he did last year but if he thinks he is worth more than his contributions to our team he is a fool. I can not blame the Bobcats brass for holding strong to a reasonable offer. I would rather we try and find a diamond in the ruff in the NBDL rather than EO trying to bully us to meet his demands. The demand for his services does not seem that high at this time or another team would already have made an offer to him.

The NBDL may produce a solid contributor and if we have to struggle a bit early this season so be it. I say we release EO if a deal can't be completed in a fairly timely matter. The sooner the players know what the makeup of our team will be the better for everyone.

If you are reading this EO, you are not above the team and if you choose to feel somehow entitled to a bigger contract than you showed you deserve based on last season no team will want you. Teams aren't loaded with cap space so your options aren't many. If you were a top level player you would have gone to the LAC already. Instead they picked a 34 year old Marcus Camby!
If that does not tell you how much your valued nothing will. If you want to go overseas that is a good option. The overall talent is not as great there and you won't be overpaid for your contributions.

I say if the man dont want to play here for the Bobcats then get rid of him and get someone that will want to play for us. We need a team player not someone just out for himself.....:cool:

[TheBeagle]

I really agree with Tex and davc on this one. Like I mentioned on the "mildly interesting..." thread, having Mek come back with the QO will likely be disastrous for team chemistry, that is, having a malcontent mercenary just doing his thing for a year and then splitting; even with LB, I just don't see how that arrangement can bring anything but bad things.

Until we find out how much lower than the 12M we offered him last year, this year, I'm not going to hate on Mek too much, but I've lost a lot of respect for the guy as of now. I think he needs to go to Europe and play, and soak up some Old World culture; read the Communist Manifesto in the British Museum; read some Flaubert or Balzac outside a cafe in Paris; whatever. Just do something that pleases him cause it's not happening here apparently...

[WAM9]

Until we find out how much lower than the 12M we offered him last year, this year, ...

I can't provide the link but I read we offered him around $10 million per this time around...

[dav7z]

It's not looking good for the home team
Meks value has just went up again.


http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3507385

What is the top dollar we offer now?

[BIGCatBobcat]

It's not looking good for the home team
Meks value has just went up again.


http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3507385

What is the top dollar we offer now?

5 years $60mil? Isn't that the Bogut deal? Put some big incentives in there and get it over with. Maybe we're trying to get a home town discount, well he's not going for it. Maybe we actually have been undervaluing him, but no one else has offered him anything. I wonder what the rest of the league is thinking here?

[spectre]

It's 6 years at 63 according to that article...and it said "worth", so that most likely is a smaller base with incentives. They also said there was a player option for the last year. IMO this should give ammunition for Mek's camp to get management to move.

Let's tie a lot of Mek's incentive to his FT%. If he gets up to 75% then He'll be a 20/10 guy.

[Slam]

Using what we know is annual rises, are you able to forecast Beans starting salary and then yearly cap hits Spectre?

[spectre]

http://www.ibabuzz.com/warriors/

According to this it's all base and is spread evenly across the 6 years.


A source close to the fifth-year center confirmed that the Warriors have signed Biedrins to a six-year, $63 million contract, which was first reported by ESPN.com. Not only does Andris get more than $10 million per year (the deal is even across, not front loaded or back loaded), but he gets an early termination option after the fifth season of the deal.

That'd be 10.5 per...close to Ellis' deal of 11 per which was also reported as a flat rate.

Sof far as their cap situation...those GSW guys on RealGM are all over it:

http://www.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=783890&start=315



2008/09:
Monta Ellis $11,000,000
Andris Biedrins $10,500,000
Al Harrington $9,226,250
Corey Maggette $8,600,000
Stephen Jackson $7,140,000
Adonal Foyle $6,440,000 Buyout
Ronny Turiaf $4,500,000
Kelenna Azubuike $2,900,000
Brandan Wright $2,497,320
Anthony Randolph $1,709,280
Kosta Perovic $1,634,000
Marco Belinelli $1,446,720
Marcus Williams $1,262,520
CJ Watson $711,517($100K guaranteed)
Richard Hendrix $442,114
Anthony Morrow $442,114(non guaranteed)

Total $70,451,835

Luxury Tax $71,150,000



A little over 600k til they hit the tax...probably push it to 1 million when they cut (I assume) Morrow.

[Slam]

Being a flat rate is a pretty good deal I guess. It's a long time and a lot of money though!! He has youth on his side though I guess.

Sure does have a pretty big implication on their roster flexibility for the next 4-6 years though.

[BIGCatBobcat]

It's hard for me as a Bobcats fan and an Okafor fan to see these contracts being put out to "similar" big men. I don't want the Bobcats to over pay but we're seeing the going rate for a starting strong (not all star) big man. I don't want to say just give him what he wants but dont' get cheap either. It's frustrating the hell out of me.

[dav7z]

After that signing im thinking it's going to take at least 75 milion to get him inked now.
Incentives included. His position is going to be he has more value than the 63 and the 72 signed .
Do we morgage the house for the next six years for Mek. at 14 milion a year.
If we do . He better be the one that puts us in the play offs . We should have just offered him a decent contract from the start matched last years offer.
Im begining to think we might be better off just leting him walk, if we have to pay him the 14 or 15 milion dollar a year range??????

[TheBeagle]

The more I think of this, I'm coming to the conclusion that we really do need to sign Mek to whatever it takes, despite my initial (and likely better) judgement. The fact is, no FA of any real value will come play for us...flat out; Charlotte is viewed as the armpit of the NBA by other teams, players, media outlets, etc., so we have no hope of landing anybody currently better than Mek this year, the next year, the next year, ad infitium. Therefore, we have to acquire our talent via draft and trades, and seeing there is no Mek substitute out there to realistically acquire, it's incumbent that we sign him. I really see no better alternative at this point, if there ever was one.

The caveat to this is if Mek just doesn't want to play here, regardless of money, which is a possibility, though slight at that. If that's the case, let his ass walk to Siberia and play, but like I said, I don't think that is the case. Mek is no GW: he's a typical mercenary who just wants to fill his coffers, team be damned. When he's averaging a double double, blocking 2+ shots a game, and playing 75+ games a season, none of this will matter, but what has transpired this off-season with Mek has really changed my attitude about him and what he really stands for...$

[BRNC]

Given these stats for Biedrins,EO50, and Bogut last season...

Andris Biedrins
GMs MPG FG% FT% 3PT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
76 27.3 62.9 62.0 - 9.8 1.0 0.7 1.2 10.5
G Min FGM-A FTM-A 3PTM-A REB AS ST BK PTS
76 2078 340-541 116-187 0-0 742 75 56 94 796

EO50
GMs MPG FG% FT% 3PT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
82 33.1 53.4 57.0 - 10.7 0.8 0.8 1.7 13.8
G Min FGM-A FTM- A 3PTM-A REB AS ST BK PTS
82 2718 460-861 213-374 0-0 876 70 62 138 1133

Andrew Bogut
GMs MPG FG% FT% 3PT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
78 34.9 51.0 58.7 0.0 9.8 2.5 0.8 1.7 14.3
G Min FGM-A FTM- A 3PTM-A REB AS ST BK PTS
78 2720 464-909 189-322 0-7 763 199 65 135 1117
I think 12-12.5 would be the max I would offer EO50...Bogut seems to have been somewhat over payed with his contract...Biedrins seems the most efficient given his lower minutes and better FG and FT %. Sorry if stats a little hard to read...did the best I could pasting. I think, given the contracts that Biedrins and Bogut received, that the contract EO50 was offered last year was a fair offer and FO should stand by the offer or let him sign the one year and hope for the best down the road...just my opinion...

[Keetch]

I think Biedrins is a pretty good player and by NBA standards is worth $63M for 6. I think the Warriors are making a good deal; its not great, buts it right where Biedrins should be.

I agree that Okafor's contract will have to be at least $12M a year to start, but since he rejected that last year, I doubt he'll sign for that now. It's looking like a QO year for our guy, or he could sit out like Varejao did, because I doubt the Bobcats will go higher than than 12 or 12.5, flat. It's possible Okafor would sign for a contract starting at 12 and going up a million a year for five years, but I doubt we'll offer that, except maybe as incentives.

[dav7z]

I agree with Bonnell if we only offering 10 milion a year considering the other contracts signed this year. It does seem like we trying to low ball him .
Management get your stuff toghter and get this done . At a fair price?

http://blogs.charlotte.com/inside_the_nba/2008/07/are-bobcats-low.html

[Slam]

I think Biedrins is a pretty good player and by NBA standards is worth $63M for 6. I think the Warriors are making a good deal; its not great, buts it right where Biedrins should be.

And here is the problem. NBA standards and how deals like the Maggette, Lewis and Bogut ones blow those standards out of the water.

There are brackets of players based on ability, impact, marketability etc and the brackets of bigs should breakdown like this IMO:

Bottom Bracket:
Eg: Perkins, Przybilla, B.Wallace, Varejao, Darko

Middle Bracket:
Eg: Bogut, R.Wallace, Z, Kaman, Horford, Bynum, Chandler

Top Bracket:
Eg: Amare, Dwight, Duncan, Dirk, Bosh, Yao, KG

The bottom bracket should be paid between $5-8 mil a year.
The middle bracket should be paid between $8-$10 mil a year.
The top bracket should be paid what ever it takes to keep them.

Okafor is should be paid in the same bracket as the middle players IMO - but the high end ($55/5 for eg).

But because teams blow their wads and over pay guys, it throws the whole balance off.

Which means it sucks for teams like us who have players like EO50 who SHOULD be getting paid one thing but will no doubt be paid a lot more - or we lose him all together.

[ReesieNCPantherCatfan1]

I think we should just pony up and at least offer the same offer from last year, maybe a hair more (bogut money). I would really hate to see our most irreplaceable player leave for nothing, or some throwaways. It just seems like the Hornets and Alonzo Mourning again, and IMO that was the beginning of the end for the Hornets in Charlotte.

I think Mek backed himself into a corner at this point, and he can't accept a lesser offer than last year b/c he would lose face. I do think that management should pay the necessary money to keep him though, within reason, not rashard lewis money. He has us by the balls though, since we are all but guaranteed to get screwed on a sign and trade this year due to the restricted FA contract. Plus I would be a little weary that he might be given away like MJ tried to do with GW for TJ Ford. Ford is pretty good, but I hated the thought of giving up GW for that trade. I've got my fingers crossed for a good outcome for the Bobcats.