Resigning Ajinca This Summer

[Mythrol]

With the current play of Ajinca it's getting harder and harder to believe we are going to let him walk. Fortunately even though we don't have a ton of cap space there is still a good chance we can keep him. It's all thanks to his Early Bird's Rights.

http://www.hoopsrumors.com/2013/04/e...rd-rights.html

That explains it in depth but the gist of it is we can offer him 175% of his previous salary OR 104.5% of the league average salary. While his previous salary plus 75% would be very easy for another team to beat the league average salary was roughly 5.2m last year. What this means is we can basically offer him slightly over the MLE for up to 4 years.

So what do you guys do this summer with Ajinca?

[BP225]

Ajinca's foul problems mean he's not anything other than a backup. I think the market for him probably looks like the market for Jason Smith. Hopefully we can keep it under $3 million. The Bird Writes did a projection of our cap space by standing pat and adding an MLE player, they thought Ajinca might become a "getting too close to the tax" casualty. http://www.thebirdwrites.com/2015/2/...r-2015-edition I do find keeping Hamilton interesting. Is he a project or a potential Withey/Ajinca replacement?

[tthier2]

Ajinca won't be going anywhere. Monty loves him.

[djpaul89]

Would love to keep him, but is he satisfied playing 4th big? Surely a bigger role has to be waiting for him somewhere.

But if Ajinca were to stay with our other frontcourt pieces intact, we'd have the best frountcourt in the NBA no doubt.

It also raises the question of if the emergence of Ajinca makes Asik or Ryno expendable. I want to hold off on that, but it makes you think. Shipping out Ryno could make Ajinca the 3rd big and lock AD permanently as a 4. Or not resigning Asik could make room for Ajinca as a reasonably priced starting center. Not saying I'd do either option, but that would be the thinking behind it.

[DRDJ1]

Ajinca won't be going anywhere. Monty loves him.

So Monty is staying?

[Mythrol]

Ajinca's foul problems mean he's not anything other than a backup. I think the market for him probably looks like the market for Jason Smith. Hopefully we can keep it under $3 million. The Bird Writes did a projection of our cap space by standing pat and adding an MLE player, they thought Ajinca might become a "getting too close to the tax" casualty. http://www.thebirdwrites.com/2015/2/...r-2015-edition I do find keeping Hamilton interesting. Is he a project or a potential Withey/Ajinca replacement?

I appreciate the article but I don't agree that we let Ajinca walk. Good backup big men are 1000% harder to find than a guy like Cunningham. As much as I like Dante if it comes down to we need to let someone walk to avoid the luxury tax, it's not going to be Ajinca.

[BP225]

I agree too. If you can keep Ajinca for $3 million or less, that's so much better than the minimum and Stiemsma level guys. Plus if you use the MLE on a SF, there are fewer minutes for Cunningham.

[UNO Gracias]

Ajinca won't be going anywhere. Monty loves him.

But what if Monty isn't here?

That said, I say keep him.

[Mythrol]

I agree too. If you can keep Ajinca for $3 million or less, that's so much better than the minimum and Stiemsma level guys. Plus if you use the MLE on a SF, there are fewer minutes for Cunningham.

Also even if you push up against the lux tax or slightly over next year the cap jumps so much higher that it makes even a 5mil/yr deal for him will be a steal.

The way I see it there are basically 3 options. 1) We keep everyone and butt up against the tax for a single year. 2) We let one or two of our fringe players go to make sure Ajinca is locked up while keeping our core. 3) We move one of our top 6.

You have to figure we sign Asik but also signing Ajinca just gives us too much flexibility to not do.

[BlueJay]

With AA, DC, Rabbitt, Asik and Cole all hitting FA Dell have a tough job ahead. All 5 are rotation players but you don't have money to keep them all.

Also do you keep all 3 of Reke, EG and Jrue?

If I were Dell I will trade RA(Rabbitt and AA can get it done cheaper) and Jrue(Reke and EG proved they work together) for cap space and one good player then use the cap space to resign all those guys.

[pelicanchamp]

Keep Cole and AA at the right price.

[UNO Gracias]

First things first, we need to resign Jimmer.

[Mythrol]

Personally if it came down to it I'd keep Ajinca over Cole. Big men are a commodity and anytime you have a chance to lock a good backup up you do it. Especially right before a huge cap spike. His contract will be so good in another year or two.

I'm all for hanging on to all 4 of them if possible but I think you gotta make Ajinca your first priority. Even if long term he is a trade chip.

[AUSSIE_PELICAN]

I still think he signs elsewhere where he gets consistent playing time.

[Mythrol]

I still think he signs elsewhere where he gets consistent playing time.

Possibly. But he was on record last year as saying he prefers coming off the bench and thinks he is best if he keeps his minutes around 20 or less. At the end of the day he will probably go where he gets paid the most.

[AUSSIE_PELICAN]

Possibly. But he was on record last year as saying he prefers coming off the bench and thinks he is best if he keeps his minutes around 20 or less. At the end of the day he will probably go where he gets paid the most.

And speaks to counselor to help him with Monty's rotations.
I'd leave for less money but more playing time.

Do you know the difference in money per year if he stays here or goes elsewhere?
I can't open the link.
Thanks

[djrnno]

I've been in AA's corner for a while now . If he keeps playing like he has and continues to improve , gonna be hard to keep him on the bench . I know Asik's D is better but it's nice not to have stonehands out there sometimes

[Mythrol]

And speaks to counselor to help him with Monty's rotations.
I'd leave for less money but more playing time.

Do you know the difference in money per year if he stays here or goes elsewhere?
I can't open the link.
Thanks

What sense does it make to turn down money? This is not a guy who is going to sign multiple large contracts and has advertising and shoe deals to make money. Especially when he has already said he prefers coming off the bench.

I don't think anyone knows for sure what other teams will offer him. All we know is what the maximum we can offer him is. Roughly 5.5m up to 4 years. I'm inclined to believe he won't get more than that. So if we want him we can get him.

I don't see much incentive in him leaving. If he can get just as much money here with the team that took the risk in him, in a city that has a strong French connection, playing for a team that shows signs of improvement next to a superstar. Why leave that? Only reason would be more money offered elsewhere. All things equal I'd have to believe he would choose here.

[Pelicans78]

I would rather resign Ajinca than pay a ton to bring Asik back.

[notime]

I would rather resign Ajinca than pay a ton to bring Asik back.

Riiiiiight then everyone's back to complaining about not having a center smaaaaart smdh

[MichaelMcNamara]

I offer him a deal similar to what the Spurs gave Danny Green when he started to show some signs of life, but not enough to make him a super hot commodity across the league. 3 years, 11.5 million sounds far for both sides. Ajinca gets some security and we get a guy we helped develop for a reasonable price over his prime.

Reaching the lux tax will be really hard this summer. I expect the Big 6 back, plus an MLE guy, Cole, and Q-Pon too. Of the fringe guys after that, I would rank them: Ajinca, DC, Babbitt as far as priority order.

Oh, and Mythol - no shout out for reminding you of the rules we can use to re-sign him. Smh

[msw2024]

I think ajinca is a must if we even sniff the thought of trading Anderson. Nice backup is all he will be. He won't break the bank.


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[Mythrol]

I offer him a deal similar to what the Spurs gave Danny Green when he started to show some signs of life, but not enough to make him a super hot commodity across the league. 3 years, 11.5 million sounds far for both sides. Ajinca gets some security and we get a guy we helped develop for a reasonable price over his prime.

Reaching the lux tax will be really hard this summer. I expect the Big 6 back, plus an MLE guy, Cole, and Q-Pon too. Of the fringe guys after that, I would rank them: Ajinca, DC, Babbitt as far as priority order.

Oh, and Mythol - no shout out for reminding you of the rules we can use to re-sign him. Smh

I remember very clearly someone telling me "go look it up yourself" lol

But no, you are right our conversation is exactly what spurred this. I thought we'd have to give him part of the MLE until you said something about league average and I was like wtf.

[IamQuailman]

I remember very clearly someone telling me "go look it up yourself" lol

But no, you are right our conversation is exactly what spurred this. I thought we'd have to give him part of the MLE until you said something about league average and I was like wtf.

Damn, get a room you two

[tthier2]

Let me clarify regardless of coach I think Ajinca stays with us