ALEX AJINCA

What our status with him next year? IS he an UFA?

Will he demand more than 5m a year?

I would give him what the top 20-25 centers in the NBA are getting. It might be high for some (low for others), but given that we can't fully count on him yet because of his foul trouble, I would give him something equal to what we are going to pay Asik.

People might not want to admit it, but that center duo is probably a top 7-12 center duo in the NBA. Pay them as such.

We have Early Bird rights on him meaning we can give him roughly the same as the MLE if we needed to. He's a backup up in this league with his foul trouble, so I think it's unlikely he gets even that much. If we want to keep him we should be able to.

The way he's been able to fix his fouls this seaso I'm sure it'll be even better the next. For his 3rd full season being in the NBa I'm sure his rim protection will be even better.

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Originally Posted by 504ByrdGang

The way he's been able to fix his fouls this seaso I'm sure it'll be even better the next. For his 3rd full season being in the NBa I'm sure his rim protection will be even better.

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That's the hope right? They say (due to this being an old wives tale positions seem to change) it takes centers 3 years to develop. If that's true, and given his time in (and away from) the NBA, if he can truly study the game this offseason, and improve what's going on between the ears, he could be a very good long term option for us.

As it stands, he and Asik have some work to do on their games, but both have shown flashes that they can be very good (nearly top 10 centers), they just need to do certain things on a consistent basis. I remember a game earlier this season (maybe it happened twice) were both Ajinca and Asik were on, and you would have sworn we were playing a team of 1st graders, as both of them were able to have their way defensively and on offense. I think between AD, Ajinca, and Asik we had like 11-14 blocks.

I have to say I was worried that as the sample size grew the luster of Ajinca would wear off but I have to say I am feeling the opposite right now.

If we are talking about him being our backup big the lineup of Ajinca, Davis, Evans, Gordon and Jrue currently has a 116 offensive rating and 106 defensive rating. So while it is in limited minutes(around 40 minutes total) there isn't the stats in the background saying that it can't work.

If he can finish the season out strong I think it is going to raise some interesting questions. In a perfect scenario Ajinca can be a solid Center at a bargain rate that frees up cash to make a run at a big name SF.

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Originally Posted by UNO Gracias

That's the hope right? They say (due to this being an old wives tale positions seem to change) it takes centers 3 years to develop. If that's true, and given his time in (and away from) the NBA, if he can truly study the game this offseason, and improve what's going on between the ears, he could be a very good long term option for us.

As it stands, he and Asik have some work to do on their games, but both have shown flashes that they can be very good (nearly top 10 centers), they just need to do certain things on a consistent basis. I remember a game earlier this season (maybe it happened twice) were both Ajinca and Asik were on, and you would have sworn we were playing a team of 1st graders, as both of them were able to have their way defensively and on offense. I think between AD, Ajinca, and Asik we had like 11-14 blocks.

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First off I think you are dead on about big man maturity. Look at our own Tyson Chandler as an example. If you were to look at him 3, even 4 seasons into his career would you have projected he would of grown into arguably the best defensive center for a stretch of time and a key cog on a championship team? I certainly didn't.

But then on the other hand we have can't miss guys like Okafor that ended up never really growing much more after their 3rd season.

So which one will Ajinca be? Probably neither but which direction will he go? If its up how far? What about Asik? He's 5 seasons in but 28. Does he still have room to grow? Is he worth investing 12 million a year into if a guy that can bring more offensively and we project can be about 75% defensively comes at under half the price? Especially when you factor in the inevitable growth of Davis defensively and who will likely continue to add considerable size?

As for Ajinca and Asik together, one lineup, with Cole, Evans, Gordon, Ajinca and Asik posted 113 offensive rating and 101 defensive rating. But it is only 9 minute sample size. The largest sample size with Ajinca and Asik together was with Cunningham, gordon and Evans and that was 26 minutes total and posted 106 off rating and 120 defensive rating. So the stats lean toward it not being a good combo. Albeit a limited sample size.

I don't know. I guess right now i just am interested to see how the season unfolds.

It's Alexis.

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Originally Posted by BP225

We have Early Bird rights on him meaning we can give him roughly the same as the MLE if we needed to. He's a backup up in this league with his foul trouble, so I think it's unlikely he gets even that much. If we want to keep him we should be able to.

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FYI Bird rights is a reference to Larry Bird. It is not early bird rights

Nevermind

Good points, and good question. I hate the word "potential". It is so subjective, and thrown around so much I just stop reading, or read the argument with a different set of lenses, as often times the word potential is used as the hinge on which an argument hangs. Who knows if Ajinca and Asik have the potential to be something more, but I do know both will get paid for potential of something more, so I just hope that potential comes to a realization we can all be happy with.

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Originally Posted by PhilJFry

FYI Bird rights is a reference to Larry Bird. It is not early bird rights

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What??

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Originally Posted by PhilJFry

FYI Bird rights is a reference to Larry Bird. It is not early bird rights

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Uhh yes and no. It is a reference to Larry Bird being able to be signed over the cap but it's talking about having them before 4 years.. Ie an exception

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Early Bird exception
The lesser form of the Larry Bird exception is the "early Bird" exception. Free agents who qualify for this exception are called "early qualifying veteran free agents", and qualify after playing two seasons with the same team. Players that are traded or claimed off waivers have their Bird rights transferred to their new team. Prior to an arbitrator ruling in June 2012, all players that were waived and changed teams lost their Bird rights.[25][26] Using this exception, a team can re-sign its own free agent for either 175% of his salary the previous season, or the NBA's average salary, whichever is greater. Early Bird contracts must be for at least two seasons, but can last no longer than four seasons. If a team agrees to a trade that would make a player lose his Early Bird Rights, he has the power to veto the trade.

A much-publicized example for this was Devean George, who vetoed his inclusion into a larger trade during the 2007–08 season that would have sent him from the Dallas Mavericks to the New Jersey Nets.

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Originally Posted by BallSoHard

Uhh yes and no. It is a reference to Larry Bird being able to be signed over the cap but it's talking about having them before 4 years.. Ie an exception




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Apparently it is the "Larry Bird exception" but "Early Bird Rights". My mistake

http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q33

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Originally Posted by PhilJFry

Right but is it not called the "Larry Bird exception"? I guess it is a reference to both though

http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q33

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No. Larry bird rights are the ability to sign a player after 4 years under the same contract up to a max. Early Bird Exception is the ability to use an exception to have that ability before the 4 years.

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Originally Posted by BallSoHard

No. Larry bird rights are the ability to sign a player after 4 years under the same contract up to a max. Early Bird Exception is the ability to use an exception to have that ability before the 4 years.

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Well I am just all kinds of wrong today

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Originally Posted by N.O.Bronco

I have to say I was worried that as the sample size grew the luster of Ajinca would wear off but I have to say I am feeling the opposite right now.

If we are talking about him being our backup big the lineup of Ajinca, Davis, Evans, Gordon and Jrue currently has a 116 offensive rating and 106 defensive rating. So while it is in limited minutes(around 40 minutes total) there isn't the stats in the background saying that it can't work.

If he can finish the season out strong I think it is going to raise some interesting questions. In a perfect scenario Ajinca can be a solid Center at a bargain rate that frees up cash to make a run at a big name SF.

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Ajinca ' s next contract will not affect the possibility of signing a big name SF....Because we own his bird rights

I like Alexis and he seems to step up when he's needed.
He also works very well with Asik in a "what do we need, defense or offense" way.
They are interchangeable and also work well together.

He has nice touch at the rim, length and has seemingly overcome his "more fouls than minutes" stigma.

Frenchie & The Turk: sounds like a terrible 80s cop drama.

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Originally Posted by PhilJFry

Well I am just all kinds of wrong today

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Sounds like my day at work. God bless the weekends.

The problem that might come up with signing Ajinca won't have to do with money, it will have to do with playing time. He is a smart guy and if he sees that AD, Ryno, and Asik will all be back, he will know that other teams can offer more minutes. So, if the offers are similar, I can see him taking that route

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Originally Posted by SaintPelican225

Ajinca ' s next contract will not affect the possibility of signing a big name SF....Because we own his bird rights

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Im saying that in an ideal world Ajinca makes Asik expendable. Freeing up cap space for a better SF. I assume Ajinca will get 3-6 million depending how he finishes out the season. Asik will probably command 10-12 on reputation alone.

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Originally Posted by MichaelMcNamara

The problem that might come up with signing Ajinca won't have to do with money, it will have to do with playing time. He is a smart guy and if he sees that AD, Ryno, and Asik will all be back, he will know that other teams can offer more minutes. So, if the offers are similar, I can see him taking that route

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Like Ayon and Lopez, to me Ajinca is a prime candidate for one of Dell's offseason trigger moves. It'll be different, since it would be a s&t instead of something else, but I see that happening about as much as him wanting to stay and us wanting to pay. I could be way off base, but it's an inkling.

Question on the way S&T's work? Could a signed and traded Ajinca be paired with Ryno to go after a bigger fish? Or even a double S&T with Asik? Say 4 mil for Ajinca packaged with 1 of the two to get Al Jefferson or Pekovic?

Could a double S&T be possible? Like Ajinca for Danny Green?

Not saying the trades are desirable or possible, just curious of the rules

I like AA, in the just under 2yrs he's been here he has shown a pretty big improvement , I think , especially lately. I heard that this last offseason was the first time he ever worked out in a weight room. I see only improvement from AA. While he may not be a full time starter yet , I could see him being that in a yr or 2 , if he continues like he has.

I like him as a microwave scorer off the bench, wouldn't really wanna count on him as a starter though

So bird right won't effect the cap right? Tax wise?

And we can match any offer but he has the right to leave? I'm confused. Sry

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Originally Posted by lsutigers33

So bird right won't effect the cap right? Tax wise?

And we can match any offer but he has the right to leave? I'm confused. Sry

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It affects the tax line if we go over....which we wont this year.
He can sign anywhere he want's but we can pay him the most.....if we choose.
It will come down to playing time over the money if it is close.

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Originally Posted by AUSSIE_PELICAN

It affects the tax line if we go over....which we wont this year.
He can sign anywhere he want's but we can pay him the most.....if we choose.
It will come down to playing time over the money if it is close.

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We can't pay him the most. Early Bird Rights let you go up to the league average salary (roughly the MLE), so if someone wanted to pay him $10 million we wouldn't come close. But it's very unlikely he gets a big money offer, especially with as many centers as will be on the market this year.

This ^

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Originally Posted by Pelicantoo

Like Ayon and Lopez, to me Ajinca is a prime candidate for one of Dell's offseason trigger moves. It'll be different, since it would be a s&t instead of something else, but I see that happening about as much as him wanting to stay and us wanting to pay. I could be way off base, but it's an inkling.

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I kind have that sneaky suspicion now that you bring it up. He would be an ideal candidate for such actions (we have a need, he is going to be a commodity of some sort to somebody), but you can only wonder how much he is worth to another team, or if he is worth more to us than he is to others (lets hope).

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Originally Posted by AUSSIE_PELICAN

It affects the tax line if we go over....which we wont this year.
He can sign anywhere he want's but we can pay him the most.....if we choose.
It will come down to playing time over the money if it is close.

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thanks mate