With the FIBA World Championships over and NBA training camps starting in a few days, there's been a bit of a gap in the news department for NBA fans. So when it came out that the Minnesota Timberwolves were exploring options to acquire Eric Bledsoe in a sign and trade from the Phoenix Suns, the basketball world's collective heads turned and took notice.
Bledsoe is convinced that he is a max-offer type of player. Whether you agree with this or not (I wholeheartedly do not agree), the two sides are apparently pretty far apart in negotiations. The Phoenix Suns offered four years and 48 million dollars. This would help maintain cap flexibility for a young team that played well in the second half of the season and has hopes to crack the playoffs in the west this year. Bledsoe, however, wants a max deal which would pay him 64 million over four years. Neither side intends to yield ground and it has been widely assumed that Bledsoe will sign the qualifying offer and become a unrestricted free agent next year.
But in came the Timberwolves, who have already made a substantial number of moves this summer, saying that they're engaging with the Suns in a sign and trade deal for Bledsoe. This just seems like quite a bit of smoke and no fire to me. The Suns aren't going to let Bledsoe go for anything less than an all-star in return and I am sure that the Timberwolves know this. But now the Timberwolves will definitely be on Bledsoe's radar later in the season and/or next summer if Phoenix doesn't find a suitable deal during the season. This was never about making it happen now. It was about later in the year.
The Timberwolves aren't in any rush to resign Ricky Rubio and many speculate that the organization may not be as in love with him as they were just two years ago. By making noise about Bledsoe and pushing a max offer his way, Minnesota has purposely shown its hand and revealed just how serious it is about making Bledsoe its starting point guard in 2015. It is a move that makes great sense for them as an organization and I think that they made a great decision to start planting the seeds in Bledsoe's mind now. A max contract for him is still a little rich for my blood, but it would be hard to argue with a Wiggins and Bledsoe combo.
Showing posts with label basketball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label basketball. Show all posts
Sunday, 21 September 2014
Monday, 1 September 2014
Nike Just Made Kevin Durant A Very, Very Rich Man
Can't blame Under Armour for the attempt, at least.
The company offered Kevin Durant a ten year deal that would pay him more than $260 million dollars over that time in an effort to steal away one of the most valuable pieces of Nike's army of athletes. Unfortunately for Under Armour, Nike had a clause in Durant's original contract that would allow them to match any offer from a competitor. I sure hope that lawyer who included that clause in the contract got a nice bonus as a result.
Nike, unsurprisingly, decided to match the offer. While Under Armour bet the house by going after Durant, resigning him was an absolute no-brainer for Nike. Under Armour is certainly going to make Nike pay a little more than it was hoping - reports were that Nike offered an initial deal that would pay Durant only $20 million - the Swoosh really only had one choice in the situation.
Some experts speculated that the steep price may keep Nike from resigning Durant. They already boast the biggest collection of valuable marketing assets in the world when it comes to basketball, so if they had to let one go, it wouldn't be the end of the world. But Nike is smart enough to know that while shelling out a little extra money may hurt the bottom line at the end of the day, keeping the third most recognizable basketball player in the world (LeBron and Kobe being #1 & #2, respectively) under their contract and not a major competitor like Under Armour is critical for future success.
Under Armour is trying to break into the basketball market that long has been held by Nike and Adidas. It recently picked up Steph Curry as an endorser, but it knows that it needs to land a whale in order to really make a splash. That's why the aggressive move to go after Durant made sense. It would give them immediate credibility and open up the company to greater international reach, somewhere where the company has lagged behind Nike and Adidas, especially in basketball.
But I would not be surprised if Nike was prepared months earlier for a massive bid and simply needed to see exactly how much it would cost the company. Because at the end of the day, this really won't cost Nike too much. Durant's signature shoes fly off the shelves. As long as he continues to perform at the same level he has, which following an unbelievable MVP season isn't unlikely, those shoes will keep selling and Nike will keep stacking cash.
Sure, $300 million is no small amount. But Nike has proven time and time again that it makes the most out of every single dollar it puts into sponsorships. The company's marketing panache practically ensures that they'll get ridiculous ROI from Durant. And, perhaps more importantly, it's left a competitor empty-handed and pondering the next big move it must make to take on the king.
The company offered Kevin Durant a ten year deal that would pay him more than $260 million dollars over that time in an effort to steal away one of the most valuable pieces of Nike's army of athletes. Unfortunately for Under Armour, Nike had a clause in Durant's original contract that would allow them to match any offer from a competitor. I sure hope that lawyer who included that clause in the contract got a nice bonus as a result.
Nike, unsurprisingly, decided to match the offer. While Under Armour bet the house by going after Durant, resigning him was an absolute no-brainer for Nike. Under Armour is certainly going to make Nike pay a little more than it was hoping - reports were that Nike offered an initial deal that would pay Durant only $20 million - the Swoosh really only had one choice in the situation.
Some experts speculated that the steep price may keep Nike from resigning Durant. They already boast the biggest collection of valuable marketing assets in the world when it comes to basketball, so if they had to let one go, it wouldn't be the end of the world. But Nike is smart enough to know that while shelling out a little extra money may hurt the bottom line at the end of the day, keeping the third most recognizable basketball player in the world (LeBron and Kobe being #1 & #2, respectively) under their contract and not a major competitor like Under Armour is critical for future success.
Under Armour is trying to break into the basketball market that long has been held by Nike and Adidas. It recently picked up Steph Curry as an endorser, but it knows that it needs to land a whale in order to really make a splash. That's why the aggressive move to go after Durant made sense. It would give them immediate credibility and open up the company to greater international reach, somewhere where the company has lagged behind Nike and Adidas, especially in basketball.
But I would not be surprised if Nike was prepared months earlier for a massive bid and simply needed to see exactly how much it would cost the company. Because at the end of the day, this really won't cost Nike too much. Durant's signature shoes fly off the shelves. As long as he continues to perform at the same level he has, which following an unbelievable MVP season isn't unlikely, those shoes will keep selling and Nike will keep stacking cash.
Sure, $300 million is no small amount. But Nike has proven time and time again that it makes the most out of every single dollar it puts into sponsorships. The company's marketing panache practically ensures that they'll get ridiculous ROI from Durant. And, perhaps more importantly, it's left a competitor empty-handed and pondering the next big move it must make to take on the king.
Saturday, 23 August 2014
Damian Lillard cut from team USA and I'm okay with it
Team USA made its final cuts just ahead of the FIBA World Championships and the last of those who missed the cut were Gordon Hayward, Chandler Parsons, Kyle Korver and Damian Lillard.
As a Portland Trail Blazers fan, my first instinct is to be upset about Lillard getting cut. I understand why he was since it was essentially between him and Kyrie for the final point guard spot. There was no chance that either Derrick Rose or Steph Curry got the axe. So between Irving and Lillard, one had to go. I think that you can make a strong argument for either point guard deserving the nod, but Irving certainly benefitted from Mike Kryzewski and his Duke connection. Regardless, team USA enters the tournament with a host of offensive options with Rose, Curry and Irving as the ball handlers.
Now, I am sure that many Blazer fans are upset about team USA's decision. But when I stop and think about it, I'm strangely okay with it. First, the World Championships are not the Olympics. While they certainly have a degree of prestige, at the end of the day, I care significantly more about team USA bringing home the gold at the Olympics than I do at the World Championships. Most countries do not field their A teams at the World Championships (case in point, team USA), so while winning is exciting, it certainly isn't an indication of the best basketball country in the world. Sure, it would be great to have seen Lillard don a USA jersey, but I have much less invested as a USA fan in the World Championships.
The other main reason that I'm okay with Lillard missing the team is tied to the above: I would rather see Lillard get the additional rest in the months of August and September before heading into the NBA season in October. The Blazers will have to battle through the Western Conference, which is deeper now than it has ever been, for 82 games before hitting the playoffs. Lillard is only entering his third year and last year was his first in the playoffs. It is tough to stay sharp for 90+ games of an NBA season, especially after playing competitively through the summer months, and I'd bet that he can attest to that after the Spurs series in May.
My interest level for team USA at the World Championships is definitely lower than that of my interest in seeing the Blazers make an extended run in the playoffs in 2015. Lillard already got some of the benefits of practicing and playing with team USA and I hope that he absorbed what it really looks like on the most elite level. He's made incredible strides as a player, but he can still achieve a great deal more, especially on the defensive end.
I'd like to see Lillard take his experience in this winning culture and bring it back to the Blazers. Aldridge is the unquestioned leader of this team, but there's no doubt that Lillard made his mark on this franchise. Use the cut as motivation because now the Blazers' expectations are higher. The competition is more fierce. And I want my point guard fully ready to go on day one, even if it means missing out on team USA.
As a Portland Trail Blazers fan, my first instinct is to be upset about Lillard getting cut. I understand why he was since it was essentially between him and Kyrie for the final point guard spot. There was no chance that either Derrick Rose or Steph Curry got the axe. So between Irving and Lillard, one had to go. I think that you can make a strong argument for either point guard deserving the nod, but Irving certainly benefitted from Mike Kryzewski and his Duke connection. Regardless, team USA enters the tournament with a host of offensive options with Rose, Curry and Irving as the ball handlers.
Now, I am sure that many Blazer fans are upset about team USA's decision. But when I stop and think about it, I'm strangely okay with it. First, the World Championships are not the Olympics. While they certainly have a degree of prestige, at the end of the day, I care significantly more about team USA bringing home the gold at the Olympics than I do at the World Championships. Most countries do not field their A teams at the World Championships (case in point, team USA), so while winning is exciting, it certainly isn't an indication of the best basketball country in the world. Sure, it would be great to have seen Lillard don a USA jersey, but I have much less invested as a USA fan in the World Championships.
The other main reason that I'm okay with Lillard missing the team is tied to the above: I would rather see Lillard get the additional rest in the months of August and September before heading into the NBA season in October. The Blazers will have to battle through the Western Conference, which is deeper now than it has ever been, for 82 games before hitting the playoffs. Lillard is only entering his third year and last year was his first in the playoffs. It is tough to stay sharp for 90+ games of an NBA season, especially after playing competitively through the summer months, and I'd bet that he can attest to that after the Spurs series in May.
My interest level for team USA at the World Championships is definitely lower than that of my interest in seeing the Blazers make an extended run in the playoffs in 2015. Lillard already got some of the benefits of practicing and playing with team USA and I hope that he absorbed what it really looks like on the most elite level. He's made incredible strides as a player, but he can still achieve a great deal more, especially on the defensive end.
I'd like to see Lillard take his experience in this winning culture and bring it back to the Blazers. Aldridge is the unquestioned leader of this team, but there's no doubt that Lillard made his mark on this franchise. Use the cut as motivation because now the Blazers' expectations are higher. The competition is more fierce. And I want my point guard fully ready to go on day one, even if it means missing out on team USA.
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