Re: Blount

["Dan Forant" <dforant1@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'm for making Blount happy in Boston at all costs. He's a valuable asset.
He has given us a sniff of the numbers he can put up.

DanF

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark Piotrowski"

> if i'm understanding/remembering things correctly here's the deal on
> Blount (sorry to answer my own question, which i posed this morning):
>
> He signed w/ Denver in the 2002 off-season -- to the contract that he's
> going to opt out of this summer (so it's not Ainge's doing).  As I
> understand it then, that's when his Bird-Rights-clock starts ticking.
> Bird and Early Bird rights are traded with the player so that he was
> traded from Denver to Boston, doesn't affect his Bird Rights.
>
> So this summer will be year 2 of his Bird Rights -- giving us "Early
> Bird Rights"
> [http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#17 ]
>
> Early Bird Rights allow us to sign Blount to 175% his previous year
> salary (in his case 175% = $1.7 million) or the average salary (which
> is the same as the Mid Level Exception; which was just under $5 million
> last year).
>
> So we'd be able to sign him to what amounts to the MLE trade him to
> someone (Orlando, Portland, Miami, etc), while (a) still retaining our
> ability to sign someone with the our MLE and (b) the other team can use
> THEIR MLE to sign a FA.
>
> Given that I'd really push for us sending Blount + McCarty + Dallas'
> pick to Orlando for Drew Gooden, Andrew DeClercq and their 2nd Rounder
> (Waltah & DeClercq are for salary matching purposes...)
>
> Like i said i might be wrong on understanding Bird-Rights.  But unless
> some team pays Blount MORE than the MLE we should be able to
> sign-and-trade him to get something decent in return back.  Of course
> with a sign and trade, Blount has to agree to it.
>
> So lets say Blount wants to sign with Portland (b/c that's where Obie
> lands), but they'd rather not use their MLE to do it so they can add
> someone else.  Blount can say to Boston, i'd sign-and-trade to
> Portland.  Maybe we could throw in our 2nd rounder and get Darius Miles
> back.
>
> (the other) mark