9/24 ESPN Insider - AI can't max his value - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

OutletPass · 09-24-2003, 02:03 PM

Iverson unable to maximize value
By KG_Veteran
NBA Insider
Wednesday, September 24
Updated: September 24
10:34 AM ET

Shaquille O'Neal never won three NBA scoring titles. Kevin Garnett never led his team to the NBA Finals nor finished the season as the league MVP. But there is one thing that both of them accomplished that Allen Iverson can never claim. They both signed contracts that are still in effect prior to 1999. And that one thing means that Iverson will have to wait another six years to make as much money as O'Neal and Garnett made two years ago. The Philadelphia Daily News is reporting that the shooting guard will sign a contract extension any day now that will, if completed, make him the longest tenured Philadelphia Sixer in the history of the franchise.

Last year, Iverson made $12.3 million. This year, he'll make $13.5. In the final year of the seven-year deal that will end in 2009, he is slated to take home $21.9 million. It's just too bad for him that his current deal that will be extended was established on January 26, 1999. After the new Collective Bargaining agreement had come into being. And after contracts by Garnett, signed in 1997, and O'Neal, signed in 1996, dictated that the two highest paid players in the league would be making $22.4 million and $21.4 million in the 2002 season alone.

The CBA began in January 1999 after a lockout that cost the league half the season, including the all-star game. It is a six-year agreement with an owner's option for a seventh. In all likelihood, the option will be exercised and this agreement will run until the end of the 2004-05 season. But there are contracts that have been grandfathered that do not have to adhere to the salary restrictions placed on contracts signed since 1999 and regulated based on a formula of revenue and percentages.
For example, the most money, under the new rules, that a player could make last year was roughly $14 million, provided he had at least 10 years of experience.

Allen Iverson's new contract is not all it could be.

Last year, there were eight such players with contracts that began before 1999 and exceeded this amount. They were, in order, Garnett, O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Juwan Howard, Scottie Pippen, Karl Malone, Rasheed Wallace and Dikembe Mutombo. However, Mourning, Howard, Pippen and Malone all had their contracts expire at the end of the latest season and took drastic paycuts. Mourning went from $20.6 million for one year with the Heat to $22.6 million for four seasons with the Nets. Howard went from $20.6 million in one year with the Nuggets to $36.9 million over six years with the Magic. Pippen went from $19.7 million for one season with the Blazers to $10.4 million in two seasons with the Bulls. And Malone went from $19.2 million for one year with the Jazz to $3.1 million for two seasons with the Lakers.

Garnett and Wallace become free agents at the end of the upcoming season while Mutombo and O'Neal have their contracts ending the year after that. But considering Mutombo's age and drastic drop in productivity and Wallace's off court troubles, their forthcoming salary demands as free agents are expected to fall in line with the current CBA limits. For the record, Wallace made $16.2 million last year while Mutombo made $16.1 million.

However, that still leaves Garnett, who made $25.2 million last year, and Shaquille O'Neal, who made $23.5 million last year, as the lone CBA survivors. And since the CBA allows a player's current team to give him raises at 15 percent increments each year, they could be making even more when they become free agents. In fact, it is quite possible that those two players could each be making twice as much money per season than any other player in the NBA. After all, Allan Houston and Chris Webber have become the highest paid players with new contracts since the current CBA came into effect and they each made $14.3 million last year.

But, then again, neither of them ever led the league in scoring nor won an MVP award, either.

LRB · 09-24-2003, 02:45 PM

Damn makes you feel real sorry for these poor NBA players. How do they survive on so little income. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

Murphy3 · 09-24-2003, 03:06 PM

AI doesn't deserve the same type of money as KG or Shaq

LRB · 09-24-2003, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by: Murphy3
AI doesn't deserve the same type of money as KG or Shaq

Shaq and KG don't deserve the same type of money as Shaq and KG either. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

cdeleon · 09-24-2003, 03:12 PM

What are you saying AI doesn't deserve that kind of money. He took his team to the finals. KG can't get his team out of the first round. Philly would really suck without him.

Murphy3 · 09-24-2003, 03:27 PM

cdeleon, KG and Shaq play in the NBA. AI plays in the eastern conference. big difference bud.

and lrb, of course..but, AI shouldn't receive the same type of money as shaq or KG..throw dirk, mcgrady, duncan and kobe in there as well. AI is a tier below those top players..

superheadcat · 09-24-2003, 10:13 PM

hmm....
another kg's article, just without disclaimer...

u r good, op.

Murphy3 · 09-24-2003, 10:26 PM

i saw that it said KG in the title..
but, i thought that MAYBE OP actually just changed the name to KG to try and pull one over on us...

you really can't tell what is sarcasm and what's not with some of the horrific articles that people pass off as stories..

such as the article about Hispanice Culture being live and well in Texas...or, the article about Wallace losing alot of PT in detroit

OutletPass · 09-24-2003, 10:27 PM

No SHC I R BAD...

but thanks for noticing. this thread had 82 views before you noticed...big props to you as an astute reader and poster.

For future reference, please note that KG and I often collaborate in the threads.....and behind the scenes....

Mo BETTA Fun !

Be serious Murph...when have I ever pulled one over on you ?