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Mathews signs offer sheet w/Blazers (5 yrs/34 mil)

After pages and pages of trying to convince Borat that Wes and his agent only negotiation to the Jazz is "give us the full MLE" I don't think he's going to be swayed from his opinion. Now I would think the Jazz would counter that request with their own but maybe KOC figured it would insult him and his agent so since it was clear that the agent was only going to accept the Full MLE from the Jazz (as it is an agents job to try and get the most $$$ possible unless the players says I really want to stay with the team make it happen), KOC decided ok if you can find go and we'll see if we can match. Nothing wrong with that at all IMO.

Also anybody catch Rigby on channel 4 last night I missed the first minute or so of it but I kind of got the vibe that the Jazz wouldn't match, anybody else?
 
I would think Rigby and KOC knows that the contract is to much. By my calcs we could come in at as little as 33 million in committed contracts after next season. Could give us as much as 27 million under the cap. Enough for a max player and to re-sign AK perhaps. So need to be very careful with our spending.


After pages and pages of trying to convince Borat that Wes and his agent only negotiation to the Jazz is "give us the full MLE" I don't think he's going to be swayed from his opinion. Now I would think the Jazz would counter that request with their own but maybe KOC figured it would insult him and his agent so since it was clear that the agent was only going to accept the Full MLE from the Jazz (as it is an agents job to try and get the most $$$ possible unless the players says I really want to stay with the team make it happen), KOC decided ok if you can find go and we'll see if we can match. Nothing wrong with that at all IMO.

Also anybody catch Rigby on channel 4 last night I missed the first minute or so of it but I kind of got the vibe that the Jazz wouldn't match, anybody else?
 
After pages and pages of trying to convince Borat that Wes and his agent only negotiation to the Jazz is "give us the full MLE" I don't think he's going to be swayed from his opinion. Now I would think the Jazz would counter that request with their own but maybe KOC figured it would insult him and his agent so since it was clear that the agent was only going to accept the Full MLE from the Jazz (as it is an agents job to try and get the most $$$ possible unless the players says I really want to stay with the team make it happen), KOC decided ok if you can find go and we'll see if we can match. Nothing wrong with that at all IMO.

Also anybody catch Rigby on channel 4 last night I missed the first minute or so of it but I kind of got the vibe that the Jazz wouldn't match, anybody else?

Look, Root, I already said once 34 mil offer came out, whether KOC negotiated or not, it is a moot point from keeping Wes perspective: the offer is just too high. I don't want the Jazz to match at this point, but instead get us some other players.
 
Go tellit to Vinny, eh, Borat? I'm through witcha.

I can just see Hopper on the basketball court. Any time he is dunked on by opposing team member, he screams "Take that! In your face! You can't guard me. Two points for me!" When opposing team member shockingly says, what in the world was that, Hopper's response is to go tell it to his teammate. Sound about right, eh Hoppa?
 
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I have to say thank you very much to Blazers for firing a light under KOC's *** with this outrageous offer, which looks like is going to net us Jefferson. When KOC said he is going to assess situation on Monday, he was not joking.
 
I have to say thank you very much to Blazers for firing a light under KOC's *** with this outrageous offer, which looks like is going to net us Jefferson. When KOC said he is going to assess situation on Monday, he was not joking.
What is apparent to me is that they wanted Wesley back. Jazz were not "players" because they had to have the MLE available until an offer came in for Matthews or he accepted adeal from Utah. IN essence, by NOT signing another FA, KOC SET THE MARKET for Portland. Hey, if you guys REALLY, REALLY want Wesley, you better make it the MLE or close, because that's what we have available.

Portland played chicken. I think they wanted to force Utah's hand and prevent the Jazz from making some significant FA acquisitions. Kudos to KOC and Greg for quickly making up their minds and moving to Plan B, which I think is very, very nice. And it's very, very fortunate we have Hayward "in the wings" so to speak. That allows CJ to move to SG and cover Matthews' spot.
 
What is apparent to me is that they wanted Wesley back. Jazz were not "players" because they had to have the MLE available until an offer came in for Matthews or he accepted adeal from Utah. IN essence, by NOT signing another FA, KOC SET THE MARKET for Portland. Hey, if you guys REALLY, REALLY want Wesley, you better make it the MLE or close, because that's what we have available.

Portland played chicken. I think they wanted to force Utah's hand and prevent the Jazz from making some significant FA acquisitions. Kudos to KOC and Greg for quickly making up their minds and moving to Plan B, which I think is very, very nice. And it's very, very fortunate we have Hayward "in the wings" so to speak. That allows CJ to move to SG and cover Matthews' spot.

Jazz clearly drafted Hayward as an attempt to ameliorate the logjam problem at the wings, where there are way too many players with too few abilities.

Hayward's ballhandling and facilitation skillsets, combined with good size, make for an attractive base that, hopefully, can be molded into the first outstanding wing starter Utah has had since Hornacek.

This has been a major problem that I'm glad Utah has more directly tried to fix.

To say that Hayward is a backup plan relative to Mathews or anyone else Utah has/had is to, in my estimation, miss the point of drafting him in the first place.

They're hoping for, and think they can get, more out of Hayward long term than any of the guys that have filled those slots over the Williams Era.
 
What is apparent to me is that they wanted Wesley back.

Of course they did. Before he was offered an outrageous 7 mil a year deal. I actually think Jazz are going to miss Korver more. Shooters are a premium in the League, and with Millsap and Jefferson down low playing together, a guy like Korver would strive even more than with Booz/Okur or Millsap/Okur at PF/C. Imagine - having a guy who knocks down 50% from the 3 with Jefferson and Millsap operating down low? There is a reason why we traded our first rounder for Korver a couple of years back. And the guy actually improved his shooting since. Plus, unlike Wes, his salary is actually reasonable. Not that we can afford it right now anyway.
 
Of course they did. Before he was offered an outrageous 7 mil a year deal. I actually think Jazz are going to miss Korver more. Shooters are a premium in the League, and with Millsap and Jefferson down low playing together, a guy like Korver would strive even more than with Booz/Okur or Millsap/Okur at PF/C. Imagine - having a guy who knocks down 50% from the 3 with Jefferson and Millsap operating down low? There is a reason why we traded our first rounder for Korver a couple of years back. And the guy actually improved his shooting since. Plus, unlike Wes, his salary is actually reasonable. Not that we can afford it right now anyway.

Very little has been made of Korver's record breaking 3-pt shooting percentage last year. You'd think we'd want a guy like that.
 
Very little has been made of Korver's record breaking 3-pt shooting percentage last year. You'd think we'd want a guy like that.
Maybe not enough has been made of Korver's nail-biting defense, either.

To me, having a developing Hayward instead of a $5M/per KK is fine with me.
 
Of course they did. Before he was offered an outrageous 7 mil a year deal. I actually think Jazz are going to miss Korver more. Shooters are a premium in the League, and with Millsap and Jefferson down low playing together, a guy like Korver would strive even more than with Booz/Okur or Millsap/Okur at PF/C. Imagine - having a guy who knocks down 50% from the 3 with Jefferson and Millsap operating down low? There is a reason why we traded our first rounder for Korver a couple of years back. And the guy actually improved his shooting since. Plus, unlike Wes, his salary is actually reasonable. Not that we can afford it right now anyway.

Whether anyone admits it or not, Korver also improved his defense.... everyone wants a great shooter who is also great defender... those are hard to come by. Korver knew the system well, was willing to play within it (a difficult task for any shooter who comes to Utah), was a team guy who wasn't all about the money... who wanted to be here (another anomoly). I won't get into his off-court contributions since most here don't seem to care about that, and will quickly argue that you don't pay a guy for what he does off the court (rather than realizing that part was simply a nice bonus). He signed for 3/15, but would have stayed with the Jazz for less. So for those who think 5 million a year was too much for Kyle... had he stayed here, it likely would have been for less $$.

Hayward may or may not turn into something great for us... fact is, he is totally UNPROVEN.
CJ has been a bust from day one... when he wasn't a bust, he was a roller-coaster at best. He played well in the most recent playoffs, so does that mean he's finally realized his potential? Hardly. The reality is that CJ is still unproven as well.
Matthews... has to be gone. No way the Jazz should match that offer.

The Jazz need a shooting guard at this point... and are either going to pick up a scrub for cheap (that everyone gripes about), or they are going to end up paying around the same money they would have paid to Korver, for less of a player. Korver will be missed... some just don't know it yet.
 
Whether anyone admits it or not, Korver also improved his defense.... everyone wants a great shooter who is also great defender... those are hard to come by. .

Not that hard. We dont need a "great" shooter by the way, only a shooter who can keep defenses very honest. We even had Raja Bell earlier who could do that, and then we had Mathews last season. So those aren't that hard to come by, you have to look for them. And right now even Kobe Bryant is trying hard to recruit Raja Bell to the Lakers. If you are a little lucky you get a Posey or an Ariza or a Battier in their prime just when you really need them for contention.
 
It has been somewhat discussed earlier in this thread, but is there any reason Portland would agree to send us Rudy and Mills for TPEs if we agree to not match for Matthews? I think with those two, Fes, Evans and not bringing back Gaines or Jeffers, we would have 13 players. This is a team a few million over the tax, but I don't think there would be any need to shed salary later (unless we get a great offer for AK). Thoughts?
 
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