If you're an unrestricted free agent this offseason what do you do?

[GOBB]

Take the long term deal now or wait for next offseason? Or does it matter?

[GOBB]

Or do I have the salary cap rising wrong? Is it 2016 summer or 2017 summer?

[gts]

i think it depends on if you're a max level player, if you're a max contract guy you stay put and hit the market next summer

lots of role players going to get overpaid this summer, teams will have to overpay just to be competitive, we saw some of that last summer.. it'll balance out in a year or so

edit: GOBB, it's 2016 you got it right

[navy]

Depends. If you a true max player that isnt injury prone you wait for the increase.

[AboutBuckets]

i think it depends on if you're a max level player, if you're a max contract guy you stay put and hit the market next summer



My understanding is that true 'Max' contracts (those that are certified as the greatest amount of money that the team is legally capable of paying the player) would scale with the cap increase, as they represent a percentage of the team's cap allotment? If this is true, then wouldn't it theoretically be insignificant as to when a Max Player decided to sign their contract?

If my understanding is wrong, however, then disregard that and sign a 1-year placeholder contract before going for the big one.

[BlakFrankWhite]

Take the long term deal now or wait for next offseason? Or does it matter?


If I was Anthony Davis...I'd take the next flight out of Nawlins

[ralph_i_el]

My understanding is that true 'Max' contracts (those that are certified as the greatest amount of money that the team is legally capable of paying the player) would scale with the cap increase, as they represent a percentage of the team's cap allotment? If this is true, then wouldn't it theoretically be insignificant as to when a Max Player decided to sign their contract?

If my understanding is wrong, however, then disregard that and sign a 1-year placeholder contract before going for the big one.

If you sign for the max you're able to now, it won't scale with the cap. That only applies to new contracts.

If you're a max player, I'd wait till the cap jumped. If you aren't sign now, because guys are about to be hugely overpaid this summer because of the impending cap jump

[AboutBuckets]

If you sign for the max you're able to now, it won't scale with the cap. That only applies to new contracts.

If you're a max player, I'd wait till the cap jumped. If you aren't sign now, because guys are about to be hugely overpaid this summer because of the impending cap jump

Ah gotcha. Yeah with the way contracts have been handed out recently, unless you're a max player (where the total difference would be in the tens of millions of dollars) role/mid-tier players likely wouldn't see a huge drop in their total earnings by signing a year early

[Derka]

I can see the financial sense in waiting until the cap goes up, but if I'm a guy who could command a max deal in the summer of 2015, I take it.

Consider the following: do you really want to take the chance of signing a 1-year deal this summer in anticipation of the cap going up in 2016...and then blowing your knee out? What if you just have a crappy season and tank your market value? Stranger things have and will continue to happen, yo.

A max deal in 2015 is still an insanely good payday and you can always negotiate player options into your deal if you want to revisit things four or five years down the road. Your entire career is a gamble, essentially...but if you have the chance to guarantee yours and your family's security with a $120+ million payday...sorry, but that's not worth risking. I take it.

[Xiao Yao You]

Ideally you take the long term deal with an opt out after next season.

[I<3NBA]

Ideally you take the long term deal with an opt out after next season.
this

[SwishSquared]

Ideally you take the long term deal with an opt out after next season.That's ideal, but not possible under the current CBA. Max contract length that allows a player to opt out after 1 season is just two years.

On the thread topic, I think it really depends on your situation.

If I'm a max-type guy and still young, I sign a 2-year max with player option for second season. If I'm an older max guy (maybe Marc Gasol b/c he's 30), I probably take a five year max if I'm afraid of injuries. If I'm an older role player, I try to cash in this summer with the glut of cap space around the league. If I'm a young role player and in the right situation, I might bet on myself doing a short contract, but if I can get a significant enough deal this summer, I take the money. Too risky otherwise imo. Just get the last year to be player option and enjoy being a FA when the cap's at like $120M (or more) a few years from now.

[RoseCity07]

I heard players can get way more money if they wait but I don't know how it works.

[ImKobe]

take a long-term deal with an opt out clause

[ralph_i_el]

take a long-term deal with an opt out clause
Teams will offer you a smaller deal if you insist on the opt-out