OKC Convincing 1st Rd Pick To Forego 750k Rookie Salary and play at 25k D League Rate

[JohnMax]

...to save capspace?

Presti plans to convince No. 29 pick Josh Huestis to hold off on signing his $750,000 guaranteed contract for the 2014-15 season and instead sign a contract around $25,000 to join the NBA D-League for a year. Huestis would then sign his Thunder deal a year from now or maybe two, at which point the standard guaranteed rookie contract would begin.

It could likely be that this is the result of a pre-draft deal in which the Thunder agreed to take Huestis in the first round so long as he agrees to spend a year or more playing at D-League wages to help the Thunder out.

You may ask how this is different than international "Eurostash" players. Those draft-and-stash players are usually second-round picks, which means there's no guaranteed NBA contract regardless. The ones who go in the first round but stay overseas are absolutely making much more than $25,000. Dario Saric, the No. 12 pick in the 2014 draft, signed a deal playing him around $3 million a year to stay in Turkey for a couple of years.

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2014/7/2...ookie-d-league

[navy]

The Thunder make enough money lol. Josh Huestis would be foolish to take up Prest's offer.

Edit: Upon further research it appears that they are going to give him his guaranteed contract no matter what happens? If so, he can sign with the DLeague if he wants. Still shady though.

[BlazerRed]

The Thunder make enough money lol. Josh Huestis would be foolish to take up Prest's offer.

Edit: Upon further research it appears that they are going to give him his guaranteed contract no matter what happens? If so, he can sign with the DLeague if he wants. Still shady though.

Surely they can't do that. If so how is that any different to a team paying Lebron an extra 5mil under the table? Can't be right..

[D-FENS]

If this happens, that rookie is an idiot and FA's should bypass OKC

[ralph_i_el]

They probably made that a condition for drafting him in the first round.

They meet with these guys before they draft them. Presti was like: "dude you're going in the second round anyways unless we take you. Play a year in the D-league and the guaranteed deal is still on the table because of your first round pick status"

OKC doesn't have to sign this kid at all

[CelticBaller]

OKC loves having that cheap ass reputation

[Thorpesaurous]

This is not good. If you're in this tight a situation, just trade the pick for a future pick. Hell trade the first rounder for a second and a future second. Trade it for a second you can stash reasonably. Take a Euro guy you can arrange ahead of time to stay over. Hell, trade it for a future second rounder straight up and get hammered for it but at least you can say you're just protecting yourself from the cap without undermining the first round guarantee.

I would hope the players union would go nuts about this. But they have no leadership still. From the union's perspective, this should be as egregious as the Donald Sterling situation.

[ralph_i_el]

This is not good. If you're in this tight a situation, just trade the pick for a future pick. Hell trade the first rounder for a second and a future second. Trade it for a second you can stash reasonably. Take a Euro guy you can arrange ahead of time to stay over. Hell, trade it for a future second rounder straight up and get hammered for it but at least you can say you're just protecting yourself from the cap without undermining the first round guarantee.

I would hope the players union would go nuts about this. But they have no leadership still. From the union's perspective, this should be as egregious as the Donald Sterling situation.

Why? Just because you draft a player doesn't mean you have to sign them at all.

[GimmeThat]

not if the rest of the teams in the league says its not okay

[Rocketswin2013]

Can't imagine the bitchfest if Daryl Morey did something like this.


But oh no, it's wrong to treat players like "assets". Lol at the end of the day thats exactly what they are.

I feel for this guy though. He'll be making less than more than half the people on this forum.

[choppermagic]

Why? Just because you draft a player doesn't mean you have to sign them at all.

No, just because they are low balling him because of the situation he is in. If they were going to cheap out, they should have passed and let another team pick him and sign him. All for 700k savings is pretty petty thing to do. A rookie who has never played in the league and might wash out before ever playing an NBA game should be worried about taking this deal.

By OKC picking him in the draft, this player got stuck. i;m sure there is some sort of expectation that the team will take a fair look at signing him based on his selection.

Find the small savings another way and OKC can avoid a black mark on their reputation.

[D-FENS]

wow.....unless like you guys said, there was some sort of pre-draft discussion about this, that is a fvcked up thing to do.

It should scare rookies away from OKC at least

[JohnFreeman]

Durant is off to Washington

[D-FENS]

Durant is off to Washington

I agree. F*cked up situation in OKC. I hope the team bolts, fans revolt, and they have to move back to Seattle.

[christian1923]

Is this why they passed on Nick Johnskn