Pelicans to meet with Oden {EDIT-Oden chooses Miami,P.61}

http://es.pn/18idUB7

If i'm oden i'd bolt to the spurs or heat without thinking twice. In the six years since he's been drafted he's played 82 games (in 6 years, SIX), so honestly, i don't care one bit about oden, nor do i think he'll be able to resurrect his career. Yeah yeah maybe he will, but i don't really care if it'll be us signing him or not

From the interview he did, seemed he hated being famous and was just a shy guy. Miami seems like the last place he'd want to be. Well the NBA seems like a bad place too be, but especially Miami.

I think San Antonio and us make the most sense for Oden based on what we know about him. We'll have to see.

I really hope we get him. I don't see any negatives that could come about from this and the positives could be HUGE.

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

New Team, New Start. This would be an opportunity he can't overlook.

If Oden;s smart, then we're the frontrunners. I mean obviously I'm biased but... he avoids media critique a little bit, meets up with Monty, and has limited pressure on making an impact.

Even though I would love to have Oden here, I have no idea why he would not go to San Antonio. He would not be under pressure to contribute or even play a significant amount of minutes every game, when he was ready I'm assuming a healthy Oden would be given minutes over Diaw, Pendergraph, and Bonner, he would be under the best coach in basketball and learning from one of the best big men in the history of the league, he would be away from media scrutiny, and he would be going to a team with championship aspirations. Unless he and Monty are closer than I think then I don't see much of a reason for him to pick us over the Spurs. Don't mean to kill the optimism but just trying to temper expectations a little.

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Originally Posted by Nola3

Even though I would love to have Oden here, I have no idea why he would not go to San Antonio. He would not be under pressure to contribute or even play a significant amount of minutes every game, when he was ready I'm assuming a healthy Oden would be given minutes over Diaw, Pendergraph, and Bonner, he would be under the best coach in basketball and learning from one of the best big men in the history of the league, he would be away from media scrutiny, and he would be going to a team with championship aspirations. Unless he and Monty are closer than I think then I don't see much of a reason for him to pick us over the Spurs. Don't mean to kill the optimism but just trying to temper expectations a little.

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+1

I think we get him… Dell left that C spot wide open for him...

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--gr...083310739.html

apparently the meeting has been pushed back from wednesday but it said

The Pelicans are expected to offer a contract paying close to $3 million in the first season. At least three other teams are expected to offer similar money, a league source said.

Am i missing something? how can we offer that much?

@ESPNSteinLine: New post on @TrueHoop: Sources say Pelicans getting good look from Greg Oden alongside Heat, Spurs and Mavs:
http://t.co/04nquqpu2k

http://m.espn.go.com/general/blogs/b...ehoop&id=61505


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by The Pelican Fan

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--gr...083310739.html

apparently the meeting has been pushed back from wednesday but it said

The Pelicans are expected to offer a contract paying close to $3 million in the first season. At least three other teams are expected to offer similar money, a league source said.

Am i missing something? how can we offer that much?

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Not many people say that about a first overall picked player.. besides Kwame

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Originally Posted by Pantazis76

Not many people say that about a first overall picked player.. besides Kwame

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I meant more along the lines of us having that much money to work with. I thought we'd be down to minimum contracts at this point.

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Originally Posted by The Pelican Fan

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--gr...083310739.html

apparently the meeting has been pushed back from wednesday but it said

The Pelicans are expected to offer a contract paying close to $3 million in the first season. At least three other teams are expected to offer similar money, a league source said.

Am i missing something? how can we offer that much?

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We still have players we can move that will not impact the roster. Roberts, Jackson, Miller, Thats a little over 2mil there. iirc we still have around < 1mil in exceptions. I have a hard time believing we keep (Jeff Withey - $490,180), (Greg Stiemsma - $2,652,000) and (Jason Smith - $2,500,000) even if we don't sign Oden, and for sure one's gone if we do.

IMO Stiemsma may have been an insurance policy in case we didn't land Greg Oden.

Miller is playing himself off the team in the summer league so between him and Stiemsma you clear 3.4 mil, probably a little less b/c a portion of those are guarenteed.

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Originally Posted by Davisistheman

[/b]

We still have players we can move that will not impact the roster. Roberts, Jackson, Miller, Thats a little over 2mil there. iirc we still have around < 1mil in exceptions. I have a hard time believing we keep (Jeff Withey - $490,180), (Greg Stiemsma - $2,652,000) and (Jason Smith - $2,500,000) even if we don't sign Oden, and for sure one's gone if we do.

IMO Stiemsma may have been an insurance policy in case we didn't land Greg Oden.

Miller is playing himself off the team in the summer league so between him and Stiemsma you clear 3.4 mil, probably a little less b/c a portion of those are guarenteed.

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I doubt they would cut Steimsma after just signing him even if his contract is not guaranteed. The only 2 I can see that are not guaranteed would be Smith and Roberts, but I think we are over the cap anyway, so not sure how that would create $3 million in cap space.

Do we still have the MLE or at least part of it? Or any other exceptions?

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Originally Posted by HoustonPelicans

Do we still have the MLE or at least part of it? Or any other exceptions?

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No we used whatever we had left on Stems, unless of course his contract wasn't guaranteed. I think all we have left is min contracts but I could be wrong.

Spurs - may be bright for a year, but after that, he's playing with some old souls.
mavs - if he just wants money, go there, other than that, that team is in trouble moving fwd.
Heat - can chase a title for a year or so, but i don't think oden wants that role
Sac - too much pressure with a crappy team and no players around him.
Pels - really good fit, role player first year, solid PF playing next to him, all star talented guards, and he has connections to players and coach. Also, I think Mike Conley Sr tells him small markets are not that bad, just look at jr in memphis.

I'm going to call it here, he signs with us.

Pelicans expected to bring a high ranking NFL executive & quality offer to Greg Oden meeting. http://t.co/wk8HLhhfWh

— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) July 16, 2013

Still can't figure out how we could possibly get to 3M a year for him...

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Originally Posted by jhow0036

Pelicans expected to bring a high ranking NFL executive & quality offer to Greg Oden meeting. http://t.co/wk8HLhhfWh

— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) July 16, 2013

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Loomis makin' it happen?

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The New Orleans meeting is expected to include Mickey Loomis, the Pelicans' head of basketball operations and the NFL Saints' executive vice president and general manager, as well as Pelicans GM Dell Demps and coach Monty Williams. The Pelicans are expected to offer a contract paying close to $3 million in the first season. At least three other teams are expected to offer similar money, a league source said.

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...

Can someone clarify the amount of the mini mid level for me. I always thought it was $2.575, and we suppossedly signed Greg Stiemsma for $2.7.

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Originally Posted by AD23nEG10

Still can't figure out how we could possibly get to 3M a year for him...

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I'm thinking a sign and trade. Portland has a 2.65 mil TPE. But we would have to send back atleast 1.75 mil

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Originally Posted by AD23nEG10

Still can't figure out how we could possibly get to 3M a year for him...

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I can't either. There are really only 3 ways I can think of this possible:

1. We release Smith and 1 of Roberts or Miller
2. We release Stiemsma (if non-guar) and 1 of Roberts or Miller
3. S&T (not sure if that is even an option though)

According to spotrac Smith's contract isn't guaranteed but Stiemsma is, but have seen it different in other places so not quite sure.