Aminu

[AUSSIE_PELICAN]

Here's the thing. Hind sight is 20-20. Most everyone was cheering for the move when it happened because Aminu had just come off a horrible season, and he still hasn't proven he has the basketball I.Q. to be trusted. Sometimes he flashes, but a lot of times he makes really stupid mistakes. He has elite tools, and he is only 23, so I am guessing that Dell is planning on locking him up for 4 years, $12-15 million or something along those lines. I think he'll take a little less to stay here because he respects Monty and knows that Monty has put in a lot of time (and will continue to do so) to develop his game. Monty has mad respect from his players, and I think that is going to go a long way when it's time to re-sign Aminu this off season.

More importantly, Demps made the move because it gives us cap flexibility moving into the off season. You look at $3.2 million and think, "that's nothing, we could have afforded that." But in reality, that is the difference between us being able to offer a max contract and not being able to do so. If Aminu was locked into the books at $3.2, we don't have the space to offer the max. Demps is playing chess. Let him work gentlemen.

Good post.
This is the exact reason Aminu didn't have his QO accepted....to leave room for a max player.

I just don't know who that max player is going to be.
Cant think of any FA's that are worth the max though.
It has to be to have enough money for a few players.

Aminu will be in a Pelicans uniform next season and so will Smith who gets an extension.

[Impose]

Aminu is a painful decision. You gotta think his jumper will start falling. If he'd take it, id give him 4 years 16mil and trust he rounds out his game. I dont see him as a legit starter, but I can see him sliding between 3 and 4 off the bench and help us manage small ball teams nicely. As others have noted his free throw shooting is suite nice. Shooting a jumper with that much ark takes time to get comfortable with though, I seem to remember his Clipper highlights showing a much lower arc on his jumper, hes only really just changed it (correct me if im wrong)

Keep both Miller and Aminu, but still try to upgrade at starting SF. As Roberts' great play as starting PG has shown, we have a very PG friendly system and having a star there would take us to the next level IMO

[Davisistheman]

We have a salary floor to meet next year as does every team. Who is going to be available worth spending some money on? Not saying I disagree with your assessment but I don't see much available that gets me excited free agency wise.

Personally, I'd be looking at drafting one of the top SF. Shabazz seems like a logical target.

In free agency I'd be taking long looks at:

Dorell Wright
Corey Brewer
Chase Budinger

[PELICANSFAN]

Good post.
This is the exact reason Aminu didn't have his QO accepted....to leave room for a max player.

I just don't know who that max player is going to be.
Cant think of any FA's that are worth the max though

That's the thing. It is a nice theory, but not realistic. Unless we feel we can get CP to come back, there are no FAs worthy of a max contract. I doubt we would sign another max player anyway unless we got rid of Gordon.

[Mr. West]

Put Aminu in the gym and make him shoot a couple thousand jumpers a day until they fall atleast semi consistantly and you've almost got Gerald Wallace. That drives me nuts. It would open up so much for his and our offense to have him be a threat from deep.

But will it ever happen? It hasn't yet.

[ml wave]

Pretty sure that since we didn't extend the QO, we are prohibited from paying him more than the QO amount.

[NOLa.]

I really want to see Aminu back with the Pelicans...

The Pelican Chief.

[BallSoHard]

Pretty sure that since we didn't extend the QO, we are prohibited from paying him more than the QO amount.

I don't think that's true at all. It just means he won't be restricted.

[HornetGuru]

i just dont see any players in free agency that are worthy of a max contract other than dwight... Hope a trade is involved or something.

[Purple Haze]

Pretty sure that since we didn't extend the QO, we are prohibited from paying him more than the QO amount.

That's not true.

[ml wave]

That's not true.

Check Larry Coon's twitter feed from 1/23 (I can't link it from work). "NO can't re-sign him for more than he would have made under his rookie contract. No limitation for other teams."

[Purple Haze]

What the heck? When did that become a rule?

[donato]

Check Larry Coon's twitter feed from 1/23 (I can't link it from work). "NO can't re-sign him for more than he would have made under his rookie contract. No limitation for other teams."

Here's his exact tweet:

NO can't re-sign him for more than he RT @nicobaguio: how much can he be signed to? Read in CBA FAQ that his salary can't be > 4th yr salary

[SaintBrock]

Here's his exact tweet:

NO can't re-sign him for more than he RT @nicobaguio: how much can he be signed to? Read in CBA FAQ that his salary can't be > 4th yr salary

WOW!! I guess this whole thread was pointless. Aminu is a gone pecan.

[ml wave]

What the heck? When did that become a rule?

I'm not 100% sure that it's the case...I couldn't find the situation addressed directly in the CBA, since we'll be under the cap and the only provision that I found dealt with teams over the cap. Possible, I suppose, that Coon a) didn't realize we'd be under the cap or 2) didn't realize that restriction was only for teams over the cap.

[ml wave]

Here's his exact tweet:

NO can't re-sign him for more than he RT @nicobaguio: how much can he be signed to? Read in CBA FAQ that his salary can't be > 4th yr salary

The next tweet finishes his quote.

[ml wave]

WOW!! I guess this whole thread was pointless.

Just like the rest of them!

[donato]

The next tweet finishes his quote.

Ok, here's the whole thing (read bottom to top):


Larry Coon ‏@LarryCoon 23 Jan
...would have made under his rookie contract. No limitation for other teams. @nicobaguio
Expand
Larry Coon ‏@LarryCoon 23 Jan
NO can't re-sign him for more than he RT @nicobaguio: how much can he be signed to? Read in CBA FAQ that his salary can't be > 4th yr salary
Expand
Larry Coon ‏@LarryCoon 23 Jan
No. RT @nicobaguio: Q: is Aminu a RFA?

[donato]

I can't find that rule in the CBA agreement, which I'm not saying it's not in there. I'm just not going to read the whole thing.

[BallSoHard]

Ok, here's the whole thing (read bottom to top):


Larry Coon ‏@LarryCoon 23 Jan
...would have made under his rookie contract. No limitation for other teams. @nicobaguio
Expand
Larry Coon ‏@LarryCoon 23 Jan
NO can't re-sign him for more than he RT @nicobaguio: how much can he be signed to? Read in CBA FAQ that his salary can't be > 4th yr salary
Expand
Larry Coon ‏@LarryCoon 23 Jan
No. RT @nicobaguio: Q: is Aminu a RFA?

Makes sense.

[Purple Haze]

Well then this thread is over.

And I have an entirely different big board.

[SaintBrock]

Demps gambled on this one and lost. I'm not going to cry over Aminu but this is not too good for a team like ours starving for quality NBA talent.

[Purple Haze]

Demps gambled on this one and lost. I'm not going to cry over Aminu but this is not too good for a team like ours starving for quality NBA talent.

Bazz/Porter and Miller is just fine with me. Clearly a downgrade in defense and rebounding, but I think it will even out to be an upgrade overall when you see more than 7 points a game from your STARTING SF.

[Inner_GI]

My next question now is, why is Aminu playing for us, when Miller could be getting minutes. Aminu is as good as gone now.

[SeaLegs]

That seems rather silly. Why would that be in the CBA? To encourage teams to take a chance by extending a player rather than letting them see what the player's true value in the FA market would be?

It just doesn't make much sense, at least to me. Why are we just now finding out about this? I'm not saying it's untrue, but it's a seemingly nonsensical rule that apparently none of us were familiar with.