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What kind of contract will Jeff Pendergraph receive from the Portland Trail Blazers?

Here's what I wrote in an earlier thread regarding this topic:

"Anyhow, it’ll be interesting to see what kind of contract Pendergraph receives from the Trail Blazers. As it is, anything beyond a two-year, minimum-level contract — which’d be worth a total of $1,219,783 (2009-2010: $457,588 & 2010-2011: $762,195) — would dip into either cap space or the mid-level exception.

After viewing contracts of a few high-end second-round draft picks signed the past couple of years, it seems fair to dip into either cap space or the mid-level exception to give Pendergraph an appropriate contract. As a result, a three-year, $2,470,500 contract (2009-2010: $762,500; 2010-2011: $823,500; 2011-2012: $884,500) — which includes maximum annual raises of 8% and the third season non-guaranteed if he’s waived before 7/1/2011 — is what I’d offer him."

http://www.blazersedge.com/2009/6/26/925910/my-favorite-pick-in-todays-draft#17451024

Depending on what the Portland Trail Blazers front office decides to do within the upcoming week and the week thereafter during the July moratorium, the organization will either have a modicum of cap space or a slew of exceptions -- which include the mid-level, the bi-annual, a couple of trade exceptions, and perhaps the Bird rights of Raef LaFrentz that'd bring with it a whopping $19,083,750 cap hold (i.e., 150% of his salary this past season) -- and, in all likelihood, Jeff Pendergraph's contract will dip into those funds.

As is common practice in the NBA today, most high-end second-round picks demand more than the maximum that's allowed without reaching into excess funds -- which, for this upcoming fiscal year, would be two-year, minimum-level contract worth a total of $1,219,783 (2009-2010: $457,588 & 2010-2011: $762,195) -- thus, it'll be interesting to see what kind of deal is agreed to between the franchise and Pendergraph.

As far as I'm concerned, Pendergraph deserves a deal approximate to two guaranteed seasons and team options for the final two seasons -- which is what first-round picks are granted -- at a cost that's worth slightly less than the rookie scale amount for the 30th pick this season (i.e., $824,200); ergo, that's how I came up with my above proposal.

Yet, rather than two separate team options for the third and fourth seasons on the contract similar to first-round picks, I trimmed it down to a three-year contract -- which makes sense since second-round picks are restricted free-agents after the third completed season, but unrestricted free-agents after the fourth competed season -- as well as made the final year of the contract a non-guaranteed salary if waived prior to a certain date (i.e., 7/1/2011) instead of a team option for flexibility purposes.

All things considered, a three-year, $2,470,500 contract (2009-2010: $762,500; 2010-2011: $823,500; 2011-2012: $884,500) -- which includes maximum annual raises of 8% and the third season non-guaranteed if he’s waived before 7/1/2011 -- for Pendergraph seems like a fair-market value deal to me.

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My guess

He’ll be paid like most 2nd round picks:

Two years, minimum salary, with either a team option for the 2nd year or else the 2nd year is not fully guaranteed.

by Storyteller on Jun 26, 2009 11:45 AM PDT reply actions  

I think Dante Cunningham will get that contract, but my money is on Jeff Pendergraph signing a deal ...

that dips into the salary cap space — if its available this off-season — or, if the front office doesn’t go on a renouncing spree come July, the mid-level exception. If I was in the position of Pendergraph’s agent, then I’d point out Joey Dorsey and Kyle Weaver’s contracts from last year as prime examples regarding why he deserves more than a minimum-level contract.

I, however, agree that Dante Cunningham should be offered a two-year, $1,219,783 contract (2009-2010: $457,588 & 2010-2011: $762,195), with the second year non-guaranteed if he’s waived before opening day of the 2010-2011 season.

Although I’m not a fan of Cunningham and still don’t grasp the rationale behind Kevin Pritchard selecting him with the 33rd pick over DeJuan Blair — which was a mammoth mistake in my book — he might as well get one season to prove himself as a worthy third-string power forward by picking up minutes in the D-League.

Heck, Cunningham can’t be any worse than last season’s revolving door of Ike Diogu, Shavlik Randolph, and Michael Ruffin at the third-string power forward spot. Yet, that notwithstanding, it was still a downright foolish, unjustifiable pick with Blair — regardless of any health or weight issues — on the board.

by AK1984 on Jun 26, 2009 12:05 PM PDT up reply actions  

Pendergraph won't have any bargaining room, IMO

I believe that the trade of Sergio is a signpost that the team intends to get below the cap this summer. And I think you’d be hard-pressed to argue that the team will reserve $700,000 or $800,000 of cap space just to sign Pendergraph. In fact, by the time Summer League finishes and it’s time for him to sign a contract, all the cap space might well be gone. Or if not, I believe it will be all gone by the time the team looks to give him a deal.

That will leave the team with one option to sign him – a minimum contract. Same with Cunningham and Mills if they get contracts, too. Pendergraph, in other seasons, might have the negotiating power to get a big of the MLE in the way you suggest. Not this year, IMO.

by Storyteller on Jun 26, 2009 1:56 PM PDT up reply actions  

I'd be glad if the team took a hardline stance and backed Jeff Pendergraph into a corner, as ...

a two-year, minimum-level contract would be more cap friendly than a three-year contract that has a starting salary of roughly $800,000. At the same time, though, that extra third year on the contract worth roughly $900,000 — particularly if it’s non-guaranteed or a team option — would be better in the long run, as he’d hit restrcited free agency during the summer of 2012 rather than the summer 2011.

If Pendergraph puts up solid numbers throughout the first two seasons of his career, I’d prefer to have him essentially under club control — for a non-guaranteed salary of $900,000 would be both prudent and cost-efficient — instead of potentially having to match an offer sheet he may sign with another team that’s a few seasons in length and worth a substantial amount of coin.

This ff-season, Ramon Sessions and Kyrylo Fesenko are perfectly exemplify that situation. While the Milwaukee Bucks will probably let Sessions leave as a restricted free-agent due to his pricey contract demands, the Utah Jazz have Kyrylo Fesenko under contract for a paltry $870,000 after having exercised its team option for next season on him.

by AK1984 on Jun 26, 2009 2:51 PM PDT up reply actions  

I think the team's hands will be tied as well

There’s only so much cap room they’re going to have, and in this once-in-a-decade summer of cap room, they’re not going to use it on a second round draft pick. That leaves a minimum contract deal for 2 years as their only option.

by Storyteller on Jun 26, 2009 2:57 PM PDT up reply actions  

Eh, my grammar is so shot in that above post I feel like more of an idiot for that than ...

anything else. Regardless of that, though, it’ll be inetersting to see what kind of bargaining power Jeff Pendergraph as as the 31st pick versus whether or not the Trail Blazers take a hardline stance in negotiations. In my opinion, it seemingly could go either way.

by AK1984 on Jun 26, 2009 3:24 PM PDT up reply actions  

This team can do so much better at it's backup 4 spot

You don’t waste cap room the only summer you’re going to have it, on a guy who most likely will be at the very end of your bench. If Pendergraph sees minutes actually on the court for this team it will have meant that management messed up in getting an actual backup for LMA.

by as11osu on Jun 26, 2009 3:12 PM PDT up reply actions  

Couldn't disagree more

It seems people are taking the Blair thing a bit too hard and missing the forest for the trees…

Pendergraph is a 4 year college guy with skills, athelticism, defense, etc. He’s a hard nosed player with a lot of experience and is going to be outstanding (in my and apparently KP’s opinions) backing up LMA and maybe even Joel and Greg’s minutes when necessary. He is going to be a great backup.

"Male sperm swim harder than female sperm."

by BlazerD on Jun 26, 2009 4:08 PM PDT up reply actions  

What about Cunningham?

I just don’t see him with the team

Draft Cole Aldrich 2010

by jlarose78 on Jun 26, 2009 11:49 AM PDT reply actions  

Well, I fully believe that the Dante Cunningham selection was pure lunacy and a sign of incompetence.

Then again, I’m desensitized to stupid draft picks from the Seattle SuperSonics doltishly wasting the 10th pick in the 2006 NBA Draft on Mouhamed Sene.

Yet, I applaud the selection of Jeff Pendergraph, who was third on my draft board of realistically attainable power forwards behind DeJuan Blair and Taj Gibson. At least the Trail Blazers didn’t use the 33rd pick on Jon Brockman, which would’ve sent me into a fit of rage.

by AK1984 on Jun 26, 2009 12:13 PM PDT up reply actions  

I agree - cunningham will be in the D league next year.

Pendergraph will be on the roster and will probably gets minutes as I don’t think we will land a back-up powerforward in free agency. The money just isn’t there right now.

by Sonic Boom on Jun 26, 2009 12:19 PM PDT up reply actions  

"most high-end second-round picks demand more than the maximum that's allowed"

I thought there was no maximum salary for 2nd-rounders. That’s how the Suns were able to get Goran Dragic over to the States last year—by paying him a couple million per year so that he could afford to pay his buyout.

by ninjasocks on Jun 26, 2009 12:02 PM PDT reply actions  

Oh

I must have missed that. So do the contracts of 2nd-rounders have a cap hit that’s less than the paycheck or are you saying that, in general, “mo’ money = mo’ cap hit”?

by ninjasocks on Jun 26, 2009 12:51 PM PDT up reply actions  

a roster charge equal to the league minimum is already in place for Pendergraph and Cunningham. Thus, if we paid them the league minimum, it would not affect our cap; however, if we were to give Pendergraph above the minimum, it would go over and above the roster charge and thus adversely affect the cap.

by Cablinasian on Jun 26, 2009 1:30 PM PDT up reply actions  

Soooooo

There’s really no such thing as a “the maximum that’s allowed”. It’s just that you take a bigger cap hit if you pay a player more. “Maximum” has a meaning and it’’s not that.

/grammar a-hole

by ninjasocks on Jun 26, 2009 1:47 PM PDT up reply actions  

There is no exception to automatically be able to sign 2nd round picks

the same way that there is for 1st round picks. So if you are a team over the cap and you want to sign a 2nd round pick, you must use an exception. Most teams use the minimum salary player exception and just give their 2nd round picks the minimum salary. Some use a different exception – such as the MLE – to give their 2nd round picks either more money or a longer contract (the minimum player exception can only be used to sign a player to a two year contract).

If a team is under the cap, then signing a 2nd round pick means using cap space.

The maximum that a 2nd round pick can make is essentially limited by how much cap space or how large an exception the team has to offer, however the CBA does put a true maximum on rookie contracts, a figure that’s just less than 25% of the salary cap number.

by Storyteller on Jun 26, 2009 2:15 PM PDT up reply actions  

question

do we now have cap holds for Pendergraph, Mills, and Richie’s older brother, or do they count $0 until we actually offer them a contract?

How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009

by douglast on Jun 26, 2009 3:22 PM PDT up reply actions  

nevermind

just read your next post. i was pretty sure there was no hold, but wanted to get your take on it.

How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009

by douglast on Jun 26, 2009 3:23 PM PDT up reply actions  

Not true

There’s no cap holds for 2nd round picks in the same way that there is for 1st round picks. And Portland, if they renounce all their free agents, will still have 12 count against team salary, so no cap holds will be applied for having less than 12 count against team salary.

Now if something changes and the team gets to a point where they have fewer than 12 players counting against team salary, then there might be a cap hold or two of $457,588 applied. But as things sit right now, anything that the 2nd round picks sign for is simply added to the team salary figure.

by Storyteller on Jun 26, 2009 2:01 PM PDT up reply actions  

which pretty much means

these guys won’t get contract offers until AFTER we do whatever we plan to do with our cap space.

How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009

by douglast on Jun 26, 2009 3:24 PM PDT up reply actions  

hopefully

they’ll both get insurance waivers so they can play in Vegas, beginning on the 13th

by two4larue on Jun 26, 2009 6:40 PM PDT up reply actions  

but as Nate said, we only have ten players right now. Cunningham and Pendergraph are 11 and 12.

by Cablinasian on Jun 26, 2009 4:03 PM PDT up reply actions  

Yes but until they are renounced

the cap holds for the free agents (LaFrentz, Frye, Randolph and Ruffin) and for the three unsigned 1st round picks (Claver, Koponen, Freeland) take the total over 12.

If the free agents are renounced, the 1st round pick cap holds still keep the total over 12. If a couple of them are renounced or if more players go out in trade than come in, well, then cap holds for having fewer than 12 count against team salary might come into play. But right now….

by Storyteller on Jun 26, 2009 5:10 PM PDT up reply actions  

I think Pendergraph will get a fair contract from the Blazers

But I hope they have learned not to guarantee the second year on second round picks. Then they need to scramble to dump them when it turns out they underperform (see also: McBob, Green).

by baduk on Jun 26, 2009 12:30 PM PDT reply actions  

Just heard on 95.5 that there is a rumor

That Pendergraph is going to be part of the deal to get Hinrich

"I been ridin' the midnight train, got ice water in my veins." -Bob Dylan
"Sasha? That's a sissy name." -Mike Rice

by koyote on Jun 26, 2009 1:39 PM PDT reply actions  

whatever it takes

I’d like to keep Pendergraph, but he’d probably have very little impact next year.

"I been ridin' the midnight train, got ice water in my veins." -Bob Dylan
"Sasha? That's a sissy name." -Mike Rice

by koyote on Jun 26, 2009 3:13 PM PDT up reply actions  

:-( That would make me sad. He’s a good fit as the backup PF.

by danielfarrell on Jun 26, 2009 3:10 PM PDT up reply actions  

I agree

but if he can help us land Hinrich, then I can live without him.

"I been ridin' the midnight train, got ice water in my veins." -Bob Dylan
"Sasha? That's a sissy name." -Mike Rice

by koyote on Jun 26, 2009 3:16 PM PDT up reply actions  

Guess I’m not as sold on Hinrich as others are. He’s fine but I’m really just as happy with a healthy Blake and Bayless slowly taking over the minutes throughout the season.

by danielfarrell on Jun 26, 2009 3:49 PM PDT up reply actions  

Yes, that was Chris Monter

he was on with Wheels (95.5) and said he had heard that Pend could be a part of a trade, perhaps the rumored Hinrich deal

We shall see

by two4larue on Jun 26, 2009 6:49 PM PDT up reply actions  

Bulls also trying to dump Tyrus Thomas

I think he could be in play along with Hinrich.

by spencerbutte on Jun 26, 2009 8:17 PM PDT up reply actions  

but wait....

the Bulls already have 8 forwards
including James Johnson and Taj Gibson who they just drafted.

What would they want with Pendergraph?

by spencerbutte on Jun 26, 2009 8:53 PM PDT up reply actions  

You quote yourself ...

more than any other person I’ve seen on the internets, anywhere. Why is that? Do you just like what you have to say so much?

"These are dreams that we have." --Rudolfo Fernandez

by bfan on Jun 26, 2009 4:50 PM PDT reply actions  

Okay, I'll weigh in.

I believe that Nate, KP, Tom, and PA have long had a plan for this team.

I think that they don’t draft BPA. I think they know things about their plan that they don’t share with us. But I think we have indications. Players are off their draft and FA boards because of character or age just as easily as because of their perceived price or ever their redundancy with the current roster.

Mr. Blair seems like he makes the character cut, but maybe fails the health check. Maybe not. I sure don’t know.

I porpose that there is another test he probably fails.

We are set at the center position. We have two rebound machines there and did okay rebounding with them last year. They will almost certainly improve on this significant team strength. Our PFs aren’t welcome hip checking our center and hanging out with them at the low posts. We want defense and spacing. We want versatility.

I love Blair’s attitude, his rebounding efficiency and his girth. I am concerned about his knees, his height, his feet and mostly his ability to keep a double team off our center. My concerns about his fit with our long term plan for the PF position is enough that he probably wouldn’t be on my board at any draft slot.

If he were to fall in the draft, say, to the late 30s, he still doesn’t fit with our style of play. I might consider abandoning my plans and grabbing him just to trade him to some one else later. It would probably backfire, but I’d consider it. Hopefully cooler heads would prevail and we would simply stick to our plan and our own draft board.

But I’d be tempted.

KP? I think not so much.

Bedge or go home.

by Ojala John on Jun 26, 2009 4:55 PM PDT reply actions  

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