Blazers Sign Dante Cunningham

we trade travis and don’t get pf back (which wouldn’’t make much sense).

but my impression was they had a 4 guard offense and Dante was more of a safety-valve in their system (not a focal point)

but his footwork on the pick and pop already looks like an NBA veteran

after wearing 30 his rookie year, IIRC

It’s interesting that 31 and 33 were Pend/’Ham’s 2nd round draft order, and they accepted those uniform numbers

His rookie season started a few weeks late. Then he showed the rust that came with not playing in a game, for a few more weeks. Then he was hurt again. Then he came back, and was rusty some more. Barring injury, he’ll be solid (Not necessarily All-Star/Standout) this year.

(part of my watch ’em before I lose ’em campaign)

And I noticed that Greg looked a lot looser and a lot more confident than earlier in the season. I think he’ll be fine this season…as long as he remembers to keep the damn ball up when he’s rolling to the hoop. If I see him get stripped because he has the ball down around his waist one more time, I’m going to personally call Mo Lucas and ask him to open the Enforcer Can of Whup-Ass™ on Greg in practice.

I don’t see too much crossover in their games. AC was a Big all the way, DC is a Big only in name only in the Nate McMillan/smallball universe… He still looks more like a large Wing to me… AC was a rebounder’s rebounder’s rebounder. The only Blazer comparison to this primary aspect of Green’s game is Przybilla or maybe Oden on a good day. He did his best offensive work pretty low and his defense was existential rather than active…

1) The definition of “Required Tender” means an offer of a contract at the Rookie Scale for a 1st round pick, or a 1 year minimum salary offer to a 2nd round pick. Here’s the definition direct from the CBA.

Article I Section 1 (xx): "Required Tender" means an offer of a Uniform Player Contract to a Draft Rookie, … that: … (ii) with respect to a First Round Pick, (A) affords the player until at least the first day of the following Regular Season to accept, and (B) satisfies the requirements of a Rookie Scale Contract … and (iii) with respect to a Second Round Pick, (A) affords the player until at least the immediately following October 15 to accept, (B) has a stated term of one (1) Season, and C) calls for at least the Minimum Annual Salary …

2) The Team must make a Required Tender to every Draft Pick in order to have exclusive rights to that Draft Pick. Here’s the CBA section for that:

Article X Section 4 a) A Team that drafts a player shall, during the period from the date of such NBA Draft … to the date of the next Draft …, be the only Team with which such player may negotiate or sign a Player Contract, provided that, on or before the July 15 immediately following the Initial Draft (for a First Round Pick), or in the two (2) weeks before the September 5 immediately following the Initial Draft (for a Second Round Pick), such Team has made a Required Tender to such player.

3) If the Team doesn’t make the Required Tender then the player becomes a free agent. Here’s the CBA section for that:

Article X Section 4(d) If a player is drafted by a Team … and that Team does not make a Required Tender to such player, the player will become a Rookie Free Agent on the July 16 following such Draft (for a First Round Pick) or on the September 6 following such Draft (for a Second Round Pick).

4) If the Player has received a Required Tender but signs a contract with a team outside the NBA then the NBA team retains his draft rights. Here’s the CBA section on that:

Article X Section 5 If a player is drafted by a Team in either an Initial or Subsequent Draft and, during a period in which he may negotiate and sign a Player Contract with only the Team that drafted him, and either (x) is a party to a previously existing player contract with a professional basketball team not in the NBA that covers all or any part of the NBA Season immediately following said Initial or Subsequent Draft, or (y) signs such a player contract, then the following rules will apply:

(a) … the Team that drafts the player shall retain the exclusive NBA rights to negotiate with and sign him for the period ending one (1) year from the earlier of the following two dates: (i) the date the player notifies such Team that he is available to sign a Player Contract with such Team immediately, …. or (ii) the date of the NBA Draft occurring in the twelve-month period from September 1 to August 30 in which the player notifies such Team of his availability ….


That’s basically it, you must extend an offer if you want exclusive rights to your draft pick (items 2 and 3 above).