This is shocking. I'm serious. Why? Doesn't get them cap space. Doesn't save them much money....I'm floored. Richard Jefferson isn't THAT bad, c'mon.
Why not wait a year?
He does give them cap space. Enough to use the full MLE, which is what they wanted and which is what they've done more than likely because there's no way they'd amnesty RJ without a replacement having committed.
They WAITED a year. He's just not a Popovich player. Even Grant Hill is an upgrade over him.
I know but you want to pay him $30 MILLION just to go away? It's not like he has a bad attitude or is continually injured.....ok he's disappointing, so is half the league! Trade him to the Magic for Turkoglu or something......
Watch for the Detroit Pistons and his old coach Lawrence Frank to make an offer.
He'll be a nice addition to a contender for around $3 mill or so a year. Lakers could use him. So could a team like Dallas or Boston. Not sure what the Spurs were thinking...besides the MLE I suppose.
I know but you want to pay him $30 MILLION just to go away? It's not like he has a bad attitude or is continually injured.....ok he's disappointing, so is half the league! Trade him to the Magic for Turkoglu or something......
It depends on what team decides to cover of his salary.
I could see a team covering $5 Million for RJ yearly which is about what he is worth, and that would only cost San Antonio $15 Million for making the move.
IMO, its a slap in the face to RJ who opted out of his deal to save money for San Antonio. People forget that "weird" decision he made last year to opt out and take a smaller deal from San Antonio.
Yet now that smaller deal is "too much" and they want to amnesty him.
Quote:
Watch for the Detroit Pistons and his old coach Lawrence Frank to make an offer.
Re: Spurs to make Richard Jefferson the first-ever NBA amnesty clause victim!
As a Spurs fan and SA resident, I'm glad this is happening. I gave him as much benefit of the doubt as anybody, he did show some improvement, but simply put, RJ was a waste. A waste of time, money, and effort. It's one thing to say a player has the talent and skill (and Jefferson does), but if his head isn't in the game none of that matters. Too often Jefferson would fade in the second halves a games, his intensity and competitiveness is questionable. He's better suited for a team that's not quite a contender, or on team where less is asked of him. $30 Million dollars over the next three seasons, especially when you consider Duncan may be out of the picture, is alot of money (do you really want to give that money to a questionable player who's on the backside of his career?). It's one thing if you're stuck with that contract, but if you can let him go? why not? He's hurting the Spurs (with the illusion of being a sturdy, dependable SF) more than he's helping/has helped.
Is this official?
Seems surprising. Butler is a mild upgrade over Jefferson IF he has recovered well, which no one knows.
That's alot of money to spend when one guy is doing an average job for you already, just to sign someone to do a slightly above average job for you, and he just had a major injury.
Might be more to this.
Re: We Have Our First Amnesty Victim
