A couple of weeks ago, Chris Paul re-signed with the Hornets. Now it’s Deron Williams’ turn.
According to league sources, Williams agreed to a three-year extension with a player option for the fourth year. The deal will pay Williams the maximum allowed by the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement and the earliest he can become a free agent would be the summer of 2012.
Williams’ extension is similar to the one New Orleans point guard Chris Paul agreed to just 10 days ago. Lance Young, Paul’s agent, said Paul agreed to a three-year extension with a player’s option for a fourth year. The total value of Paul’s deal is $68 million.
Although the exact value of Williams’ extension won’t be determined until the NBA sets its salary cap next July, the Tribune reports Williams will earn approximately $50 million for the first three years of the deal and as much as $70 million if he exercises the option.
“I know everybody has worked very, very hard toward reaching an agreement,” McClaren said. “It’ll be fun to talk about it tomorrow.”
I’m not an agent, but how “hard” is it to agree on a max contract? Is McClaren trying to justify his existence in Williams’ life?
In recent years, the three-year deal with a player option for the fourth has become a popular choice among some of the league’s elite players. Paul, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade all went with the three-year plan, with James and Wade signing their deals in the summer of 2006.
Players that sign these shorter deals are giving up the extra security of another year (or two) of guaranteed salary, but they have the flexibility to opt out and leave early if the franchise isn’t headed in a direction that suits them. It also allows their respective salaries to grow along with the NBA. Every so often, a new Collective Bargaining Agreement is reached, and it usually means raises across the board.
I love Williams’ game, but I only think there are 8-15 players worth a max contract, and I’m not sure he’s on that list. However, it’s not worth the risk to piss off your superstar to offer him a contract worth slightly less than the max, just to save a little dough. This is a good signing by the Jazz.
