Pistons re-sign Amir Johnson, 3 years/$11mil

[JS]

Refusal to pay luxury tax could cost Pistons Amir Johnson
Posted by Justin Rogers June 30, 2007 16:36PM

According to Chris McCosky, at least one team (Houston) is showing interest in Amir Johnson. McCosky suggests if any team offers Johnson the a full mid-level contract exception, which should average approximately $6 million per year for five years, Detroit would be unlikely to match.

June 30, Detroit News: There is a chance the Pistons could lose Amir Johnson this summer. Signing Billups and Hill, the Pistons will be flirting dangerously with the luxury-tax threshold. Johnson is a restricted free agent, which means the Pistons can match any offer he receives.

However, if a team decides to use its mid-level exception to sign him, the Pistons might be hard-pressed to match that. It would be a tough sell to owner Bill Davidson to pay a luxury tax on a 20-year-old.

Houston, a team in need of frontcourt help, has expressed at least some casual interest in Johnson. The Pistons would have seven days to match any offer made to Johnson.

This is an obvious move. Amir Johnson is a very intriguing prospect, who absolutely dominated lesser competition in the D-League, but is entirely unproven at the NBA level. To lock up that much money in an unproven player, by any team, is a foolish move. It's probably unlikely anyone offers Johnson that type of coin, but he very well could field offers in the $3 million per season ballpark. At that more reasonable price tag, expect the Pistons to match any offer.

http://blog.mlive.com/fullcourtpress..._tax_coul.html

[JS]

Let me make this clear, I get that Amir likely won't get the MLE anywhere, so don't try to sell me on that I get it. My point of the thread is Joe and the PR firm have been selling us on Amir and how great he can be and all of his potential. We have been told he was a steal and would have been a lottery pick this year, yet once again with the threat of paying luxury tax the team would throw it all out, to save a few million. Let's assume he has Rashard Lewis potential (once again for those stuck in literal mode, I am talking in terms of value, fmpact on a franchise and role of not in terms of style) is it worth keeping him for the Mle since that is still is a bargain in today's NBA

So please since I am not fan enough for some here explain to me how to spin this as good? This being losing a talented 20 y/o for the sake of a few dollars, or not doing what it takes to win now and in the future. I get going too far over the tax can be crippling but we aren't talking about Knicks or Mavs tax we are likely talking about a few million for a few years.

[Uncle Mxy]

He's restricted, so it'd likely morph into a S+T if it came to that.

[Kstat]

It's not good, and it won't happen. It's speculation by an idiot.

[b-diddy]

lol. or maybe it will. who knows. very typical. one second your saying he's the steal of the 2005 draft (i wonder which of the what, 5 games he's played in the nba, makes you call him that), the next second your saying no one is going to offer him $$$.

thats fantastic.

[Uncle Mxy]

If Amir were the #10 pick, he'd be getting 2 years guaranteed for ~$4.5 million, plus another 2-3 years of team options for up to nearly $9 million.

I'd take Amir over whoever was at #10.

[Fool]

Dumars has never had trouble giving players away for nothing (see Corliss and Delfino). Dumars wil hand Nazr to anyone for a 2010 2nd rounder before he "loses" Amir because of the luxury tax. This is a columnist looking for a column. And the "Fire Dumars" squad looking for anything more to add to their chant.

[b-diddy]

well, you give him away for a second rounder to who? theres only a handful of teams w/ cap room. so you have those teams. otherwise, its trade exceptions, not sure who has those. gs, for one. but i guess they have plans for kevin garnett. if that falls through (im sure it will) maybe we can convince them that nazr is a good plan b.

the only trade rumor im aware of re: nazr involved marco jaric and troy hudson. 2 equally bad contracts.

if we wanted to dump his salary, we needed to use 1sts.

[Fool]

The 25% +100Gs leeway on trades for teams over the cap is about 1.5mill in a Nazr trade. That's half of the 3 mill per year that is the more realistic money for Amir thrown out in that piece. There won't be a problem finding a team to throw two white guys on the end of their bench at Detroit for Nazr. 1sts won't be necessary.

[darkobetterthanmelo]

Anything more than the mid level is ludicrous. This guy has done nothing but dunk on scrubs and play well in the NBDL. Any team that overpays him, gets him. That being said I'd match everything including the mid level.