Re: National Basketball Association Daily - 7/9/97

[wfcooper@tiac.com (Bill Cooper)]

On Tue, 08 Jul 1997 23:20:26 MDT, Sortswarp wrote:


>GRIZZLIES GIVE 'BIG COUNTRY' SIX-YEAR EXTENSION
>
>Canada will be the home of "Big Country" for the next seven
>years. The Vancouver Grizzlies announced Tuesday that they have
>signed center Bryant Reeves to a six-year contract extension at
>undisclosed financial terms. The contract begins in 1998 and
>carried through 2004.

I've thought for a while that some teams would offer to extend the
contracts of their second year players to try to get them to sign for
less than it would cost them to resign those players as free agents
after their third season (a la the Cleveland Indians, a few years
ago).  This will probably reduce the effect of the 97-98 free agent
class since the best players (Garnett) will be resigned.  To take the
idea a step further, I tend to think that if a team doesn't resign a
player at a reasonable price after his second year they should
probably move him if there is anything to be had for him, or just
reconcile themselves to letting him go FA at the end of the third year
(Are you listening Rick?  I know it's hard to think of things that far
in the future).  The end of the second year is the time to fish or cut
bait.

I have no idea if the Griz signing Big Disappointment for twice what
he's worth fits into this pattern or not.

Bill Cooper
wfcooper@tiac.com

P.S. Actually the Big "D" tag is a little harsh, but I just can't
resist.