Bucks fan here. Can anyone please tell me how come Wallace hasn't been signed to an extension by the Pistons yet? Thanks!

I thought he had been....?

I thought he had been....?

Tayshaun was re-signed, Ben hasn't been yet.

Welcome BucksFan.

It's nice to have a fan of another team here.

They can't per the CBA. That window passed a while ago, and now they have to wait until July 1st to begin negotiating again.

The reason?

A little something called the CBA:

http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#51

Follow that link and check out the CBA.

A decent understanding of the rules helps IMO

Since its a non-Piston fan asking, I am going to guess that the question is due to interest in either the Bucks landing Wallace or the Pistons losing him (I'd hope either if I were a non-Detroit fan).

Here's a little word on that from the man himself:


Ben: My heart is here

Wallace, who is eligible to become a free agent after season, wants to stay with the Pistons.

By Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

AUBURN HILLS -- If he has his way, Ben Wallace, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, will finish his career as a Piston.

"I came here and played the best basketball of my career here," he said before the season opener Wednesday night against the 76ers. "This team, this organization opened their arms up to me and let me come in at a time when probably only a couple of other teams would have. The Pistons stepped up to the plate.

"There is no question where my heart is at."

Wallace, whose agent, Steve Kauffman, was at The Palace on Wednesday, added that being in a contract year will have no effect on how he approaches the season.

"Not at all," he said. "I am just going out there to do what I do: just play basketball. I am not worrying about anything else except getting my crown back. That's the only thing on my mind."

Wallace probably will be the marquee name in the free-agent market next summer and is likely to command a maximum-salary contract from several teams.

But, Wallace said, he won't talk about any of that during the season.

"We have a group of guys here that enjoy playing the game," he said. "We're not easily sidetracked by anything, and that's a big key for us. We don't go out and try to negotiate our contracts through the media.

"We just go out and play basketball and let everything else take care of itself. Like I said last year, if you got something coming, you are going to get it. Just play."

http://www.detnews.com/2005/pistons/0511/03/D08-370880.htm


By the way, welcome to WTF.

The reason?

A little something called the CBA:

http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#51

Follow that link and check out the CBA.

A decent understanding of the rules helps IMO

So, was Wallace's contract not extended because he was originally signed for fewer than 4 seasons or because it was already extended once and 3 years that are needed for it to be extended again haven't passed yet?

Since its a non-Piston fan asking, I am going to guess that the question is due to interest in either the Bucks landing Wallace or the Pistons losing him (I'd hope either if I were a non-Detroit fan).

Here's a little word on that from the man himself:


Ben: My heart is here

Wallace, who is eligible to become a free agent after season, wants to stay with the Pistons.

By Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

AUBURN HILLS -- If he has his way, Ben Wallace, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, will finish his career as a Piston.

"I came here and played the best basketball of my career here," he said before the season opener Wednesday night against the 76ers. "This team, this organization opened their arms up to me and let me come in at a time when probably only a couple of other teams would have. The Pistons stepped up to the plate.

"There is no question where my heart is at."

Wallace, whose agent, Steve Kauffman, was at The Palace on Wednesday, added that being in a contract year will have no effect on how he approaches the season.

"Not at all," he said. "I am just going out there to do what I do: just play basketball. I am not worrying about anything else except getting my crown back. That's the only thing on my mind."

Wallace probably will be the marquee name in the free-agent market next summer and is likely to command a maximum-salary contract from several teams.

But, Wallace said, he won't talk about any of that during the season.

"We have a group of guys here that enjoy playing the game," he said. "We're not easily sidetracked by anything, and that's a big key for us. We don't go out and try to negotiate our contracts through the media.

"We just go out and play basketball and let everything else take care of itself. Like I said last year, if you got something coming, you are going to get it. Just play."

http://www.detnews.com/2005/pistons/0511/03/D08-370880.htm


By the way, welcome to WTF.

Nice article. The reason I'm asking is because I'm currently involved in an argument with a Hawks fan who thinks that Ben will surely sign with Atlanta in the offseason seeing as how he has a house there. I'm trying to convince him otherwise.


By the way, welcome to WTF.

Thanks.

what's up BucksFan, welcome to WTFD.

Nice article. The reason I'm asking is because I'm currently involved in an argument with a Hawks fan who thinks that Ben will surely sign with Atlanta in the offseason seeing as how he has a house there. I'm trying to convince him otherwise.


This is breaking and shocking news. Hawk fans actually exist?

Big Ben mentioned that the most important thing to him wasn't big money, it was stability.

Doesn't bode well for your Atlanta homey.

IIRC Dumars offered to renegotiate but Ben turned him down saying he wanted to honor the contract he signed because Detroit took a chance on him and he wanted to respect that faith by playing his contract out (much like the article I posted above). That could easily be untrue and Wallace might have just played out his contract in the belief that in the end it would garner him more money but Ben blatently lying to the media and public is out of character from what we've seen (he's more apt to just not talk to the media then lie to it).

If I can find the article where he talked about not renegotiating a couple years back (I've been unsuccessful so far) I will post it.

Joe might have given him the right/ability to speak to other teams after this season to help set his price, who knows?

Here's the best I could find.



http://forums.warriorsworld.net/main/msgs/811852.phtml

NBA'S BEST BARGAIN: Detroit Pistons All-Star center Ben Wallace is one of the meanest, strongest, toughest cats in the league (right Ron Artest?). He was the anchor of a team that won an NBA championship on the defensive end; the symbol of a team that trumps flash with substance.

Wallace is making $6 million this year and is scheduled for $6.5 million next year, part of a six-year $30 million deal. True to form, he's not the least bit upset -- though the likes of the Bobcats' Jahidi White ($6.1 million), the Bulls' Antonio Davis ($12.9 million), and the Bucks' Alan Henderson ($8.3 million) make more.

"When I came here, I got a decent contract with some security and that's all I asked for," he told the Detroit News. "The way I love playing this game and the enjoyment I get from playing, I think I am compensated very well."

It doesn't stop there. Not only is Wallace not pouting, not demanding trades, not crying about his desire for an extension. But he turned down an opportunity to renegotiate in the summer of 2003. He said because the Pistons gave him a six-year contract when nobody would, he was going to honor that contract.

Who is this guy?

"I am still happy with my contract," Wallace told the News. "You just go out and do what you can to help your team get better. When you start to gripe and moan about your contract, you lose focus on the big picture. You take the shine away from your team and put all the attention on yourself. I don't think that's a good thing."

Wallace is eligible to become a free agent at the end of next season. According to the News, Pistons president Joe Dumars has been keeping a close eye on his payroll and is preparing to reward Wallace with a fat contract. There is talk of Wallace becoming the first Piston to get a max deal.

"It's one of those things where you work hard and if you've got something coming to you, you are going to get it," Wallace told the News. "I am not going to bicker and moan about things. I feel I'm blessed to be in the position I am in."

This is more Joe Dumars brilliance, IMO. Joe is not gonna let Ben go no matter what. I hate to say "Even if it took a max deal." but I doubt that even that would stand in the way and Ben (and more importantly) all the teams in the NBA know it.

That being said not a lot of teams are going to go chasing him this offseason coz they know it will be futile. In addition despite the fact that we know he's one of the best players in the NBA, that is not the perception around the league and you always hear people poke holes in his game and his "decline" because of age. So the price tag on him this summer will prolly not be too crazy......

Joe steps in....offers more than any other team (won't take a max) and everyone wins.

IIRC Dumars offered to renegotiate but Ben turned him down saying he wanted to honor the contract he signed because Detroit took a chance on him and he wanted to respect that faith by playing his contract out (much like the article I posted above). That could easily be untrue and Wallace might have just played out his contract in the belief that in the end it would garner him more money but Ben blatently lying to the media and public is out of character from what we've seen (he's more apt to just not talk to the media then lie to it).

If I can find the article where he talked about not renegotiating a couple years back (I've been unsuccessful so far) I will post it.

IIRC due to the CBA rules any extension Ben signed would have sucked.

I can't find the info right now either but I believe the CBA limits how much of a raise Ben could have recieved.

Due to his bargain contract even if he re-signed with MAX raises he'd still be getting something relatively shit.

Being unrestricted means Joe can use his Bird Rights and "pay what we owe". Ben, as mentioned in the article, knows he's gonna get paid.

BTW, huge welcome to BucksFan: I might have sent you to the wrong answer. Sorry if I did. Ben's contract IMO wasn't extended because Ben was smart enough to not sign another shitty contract.

How is Bogut doing for you guys?

This is more Joe Dumars brilliance, IMO. Joe is not gonna let Ben go no matter what. I hate to say "Even if it took a max deal." but I doubt that even that would stand in the way and Ben (and more importantly) all the teams in the NBA know it.

That being said not a lot of teams are going to go chasing him this offseason coz they know it will be futile. In addition despite the fact that we know he's one of the best players in the NBA, that is not the perception around the league and you always hear people poke holes in his game and his "decline" because of age. So the price tag on him this summer will prolly not be too crazy......

Joe steps in....offers more than any other team (won't take a max) and everyone wins.

That's where I was going with this:


Joe might have given him the right/ability to speak to other teams after this season to help set his price, who knows?

But you said it much better.

You should post more.

Thanks to everyone for a warm welcome and an excellent answer to my question - it really cleared things up for me. I knew I'd get some great responses here.

Pharaoh, Bogut has been doing better and better. I believe he's averaging pretty close to a double-double in January. You guys will be able to see him in action tomorrow night at Detroit at 6:30. Obviously the Pistons will slaughter the Buckd, but it's to be expected. Good luck to you guys the rest of the season. I think you will go all the way.

If you could stop by every now and then to provide updates on your team we'd appreciate it.

As an Australian I'd appreciate all the info on Bogut's play you could provide.

Pharaoh you are right, not sure where it is but the contract exentsion would have been limited to the 12.5% raise per year from the old CBA. So the best Joe could have done would been limited.

He would have started with a base around 8 million and been given raises off that. It may have been viewed as a slight to a guy who has been grossly underpaid for what he has done.