[外電] Knicks Lin, Novak deserve Bird rights

[cty (cty)]

NBA union chief: Knicks Lin, Novak deserve Bird rights

By MARC BERMAN



http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/hunter_lin_novak_deserve_bird_rights_eo30phXcJRLan9wGnfRuZO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Knicks


http://tinyurl.com/8y6j53c


In Billy Hunter the Knicks trust.

The Knicks’ chances of having a July’s free-agent bonanza — perhaps
signing Steve Nash — hinge greatly on the Players’ Association’s
arbitration hearing in which it is seeking restoration of the Bird rights to
free agents Jeremy Lin and Steve Novak because they were claimed on waivers.

Late Tuesday night, Hunter, the union’s executive director, tossed his
grenade, saying in a statement:

Bird and Early Bird rights are among the most valuable rights that players
have under the [collective bargaining agreement]. These rights simply cannot
be extinguished in the absence of an affirmative decision by a player to
select a team through free agency. We will ask the arbitrator to resolve this
dispute on an expedited basis.’’

The union is trying to make a case that Novak and Lin should be treated the
same as players who are traded. Traded players keep their Bird rights.
According to sources, the union will hone in on the spirit of the word “
trade.’’ The union will argue that in Lin’s and Novak’s cases, they had
no say in their destination, that by being waived and claimed, they
essentially had their contracts “traded.’’

If Lin and Novak have their Bird rights restored, Knicks general manager Glen
Grunwald will be happier than a clam. It would enable the Knicks to re-sign
both players without using their $5 million mid-level exception. If that
exception is preserved, the Knicks can then sign another quality point guard,
maybe even Nash.

Other solid point guards on the market — Jason Kidd, Andre Miller, Jameer
Nelson, Ramon Sessions, Louis Williams, Raymond Felton and Leandro Barbosa —
 would suddenly be in play.

The union said last night it asked for arbitration to “affirm the
well-established proposition that whenever a player and his contract move
from one team to another as a rule of an agreement between two teams, or
through a waiver claim, the Bird rights of those players are preserved.’’

The NBA, however, has a very narrow view on players keeping their Bird
rights. One conspiracy theory is the NBA doesn’t argue this tooth and nail
because a union victory will mean a giant victory for the Knicks.

NBA spokesman Mike Bass said Tuesday, “We’re confident that our
interpretation in the CBA is correct.’The case will be heard likely in mid
June.“By letter of law, it’s a very difficult case,’’ one NBA GM said.

Even if J.R. Smith opts out of the final year of his contract by the June 26
deadline, it is hardly a fait accompli he leaves the Knicks. In fact, the
Knicks appear in OK position to retain their top reserve because of a wrinkle
in the CBA.

Because he signed for the new mini-mid-level exception, the Knicks can
re-sign him for a 20 percent raise of this season’s $2.4 million salary.
Unlike Novak/Lin currently, the Knicks never would have to use part of their
$5 million mid-level exception.

With the middle-class salaries suppressed in the new CBA, it would be
surprising for another team to blow out of the water the Knicks’ offer for a
backup shooting guard with a checkered past. If Smith can get assurance the
Knicks will give him the 20 percent bump, Smith, a Freehold, N.J., native,
would have nothing to lose by opting out. Smith has stated his desire to stay
home and tweeted yesterday he wants to build his dream home in Jersey.

***

Amar’e Stoudemire apparently is not looking to go to firemen’s school this
offseason. Instead, he tweeted he has enrolled at the University of Miami to
take a couple of courses.



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◆ From: 59.120.54.76
※ 編輯: cty             來自: 59.120.54.76         (05/16 16:11)
※ 編輯: cty             來自: 59.120.54.76         (05/16 16:11)
推 PikaRen:原來鳥權認定還存有彈性的?
推 peterwu4:因為之前從來沒有被waive的球員可以打到好的讓人想用鳥權
推 drcula:應該說這存在了解釋空間,如果凹的過,其實對雙方都有好處
→ drcula:尼克可以運用的薪資空間變大,搞不好可以留下LIN,NOVAK,JR
推 osape:http://tinyurl.com/7xqsl22 NBA官網也有這條新聞了
→ osape:除了LIN和NOVAK外，快艇的槍西和阿拓的J.J. Hickson也是
→ osape:看起來似乎有解?
推 lest83:好像說6月中旬會開庭@@
推 skymay:最後一段是指阿罵跑去讀邁阿密大學嗎??!XD
推 osape:應該是，還酸了一下...不是去消防員學校...XDD
推 skymay:喔喔 果然是紐郵 XD  是說6月中旬還好久喔,對了JR不是6/26
→ skymay:之前要確定是否執行球員選擇權嗎?
→ skymay:所以這段時間就是盡興玩囉? 如果鳥權要到六月中旬才有結果
→ skymay:的話XD
推 HarryYu:Lin算是首例吧.Lin爆發之後最剛開始的新聞是說Lin有鳥權
→ HarryYu:過一陣子才被否決(忘了是誰否決的)應該還有討論的空間?
推 essendo:六月揭曉之前,這個議題大概會塞滿媒體XD
→ achin:更慘(??)的是，明明這隻球隊就放假了，還老是一直搶新聞XD
推 essendo:我怎麼覺得尼克老闆很喜歡媒體搶尼克新聞啊XD
推 lest83:杜蘭:沒想到不說話也可以炒新聞>.^
推 skymay:是說這新聞還真的可以無限炒XD 每天請個專家發表想法或意見
→ skymay:又可一篇了XD 今天甲專家:不同意 因為...  明天乙專家:我覺
→ skymay:得這部分確實有爭議，有機會爭取到...
推 faseno:Dolan都不用付廣告費每天媒體都幫他打廣告真好XD