Re: COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

[Kim Malo <kmalo19@idt.net>]

At 09:48 AM 4/25/98 -0400, Dorine wrote:
>What if Antoine's contract is not done before the CBA is settled?  If
>something is done about the contracts being limited or whatever, then
>nobody else would be able to offer him what he wants either, right?
>Doesn't this renegotiating start right after the playoffs?  I really
>don't know about this, so would like to hear from someone who does.  I
>think until this is settled, we're all just whistling in the wind.
>Dorine

Your last statement is exactly right. Negotiations from re-opening the CBA
will likely intensify right after the season and put a hold on ALL signings,
deals, the draft, etc. Right now they are still operating under the existing
CBA, so signings can be made (I'm 99% sure), but that ends with the season.
So it is unlikely in the extreme that he will be signed before it is
resolved and under the old terms. This may help us or it may hurt us, but
you can't tell until the new CBA is in place providing the operating rules.

The contract limitation would likely apply to the Bird Exemption, which only
involves us as his current team, if we wait to re-sign him until after his
3rd year. It might also include restrictions on the related rookie contract
extensions after the 2nd year (related in that these are the two exemptions
allowing a team to go over the cap to re-sign their own player, and IMO
opinion the bigger concern because they involve megabucks for unproven
talent based upon potential that may never be realized, while the Bird
Exemption applies to more proven players), which would also effect our
re-signing him, and possibly negatively because we don't have that much room
under the cap and other needs to fill. However, other teams under the cap
would still be likely able to offer him however much room they have under
the cap. And there are teams like the Bulls with 11 FA at the end of this
year, who could have A LOT of cap room available to offer. They can't sign
him this summer, because he will still be under contract to us, but there
will be others in the same situation the following year. Especially in light
of the boost everyone's cap will get from the new TV contract.

-Kim
Kim Malo
kmalo19@idt.net