Our Own Restricted Free Agent Crisis

by Ziller on Sep 4, 2008 4:33 PM PDT

"Crisis" would be an alarmist prediction, surely. But nonetheless, from Sam Amick:

The Kings have until Oct. 31 to offer Francisco Garcia an extension, but it remains all quiet on that front.

From talking to numerous sources on this topic, I'd be shocked if the Kings didn't let Garcia become a restricted free agent next summer.

Good news: The 2009-10 and beyond cap picture will not see additional bloating this summer, potentially opening the drawer for a free agent run next summer, should something with the expensive frontcourt happen.

Bad news: If Garcia plays well this season, as we expect him to, he'll be more expensive in the long run.

Signing Kevin Martin to an early extension was a prescient move -- the Kings cinched Martin for much cheaper last summer than he would have been this summer. Garcia's in a different boat: we won't be talking about $50 million, we'll be weighing $25-35 million. It's a smaller risk because the stakes are smaller.

But it's still a risk. Luckily, the league is full of range-y middle class swingmen, and even a great season won't break the bank, lest half the league gets early cap room.

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What's the market price on glue?

That’s my biggest concern with losing Garcia. He really looks like the guy that everybody likes, admires and trusts. Vlade-esque, if you will. The physical talent can be replicated, but I’m not so sure that his bonding quality (and his fearlessness) are as easily replaced. We’ll see.

SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!

by section214 on Sep 4, 2008 5:34 PM PDT 0 recs

The intangibles

I’m not 100% sold on Garcia having this type of value, although he busts his arse when he’s in the game, which is never a bad thing. I wish they’d bring Doug Christie in to work with Cisco and Martin on their defense, and really help focus Garcia on his skills distributing the ball.

DC was the best. He had the kind of athleticism to drop 20 a night, but he made his bones on the defensive end, and just made all of his teammates better when he was on the floor. I’m not sure the Kings have had someone who does that since he left. Garcia could be that sort of player, I think.

Rocks are free, and slingshots easily stolen.

by andy sims on Sep 4, 2008 5:39 PM PDT up 1 recs

if you are the andy sims from KWOD

you are awesome.

by VenomySnicket on Sep 4, 2008 10:17 PM PDT up 0 recs

And if you're not that Andy Sims

you’re still pretty cool.

SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!

by section214 on Sep 4, 2008 10:30 PM PDT up 0 recs

the guy from the secretions

said he was a republican…

by passionforPERPS on Sep 4, 2008 11:32 PM PDT up 0 recs

The Secretions are a Sacto punk band

by passionforPERPS on Sep 4, 2008 11:34 PM PDT up 0 recs

just what was needed in the thread

the absurd non sequitur

by Kusian on Sep 5, 2008 7:57 AM PDT up 0 recs

Oh, there are conclusions to be drawn, especially

when one thinks of the music played on Kwod; republicans listening to antiestablishment rock is like white kids listening to rap. But musical interests aside, there are still conclusions to be drawn.

by passionforPERPS on Sep 5, 2008 2:08 PM PDT up 0 recs

Huh?

Should I explain to you the proper use of a semi-colon?

Please explain to me the relevance of a person’s politcal party when discussing the Sacramento Kings. I can’t wait to hear about all the “conclusions” one can draw.

by Kusian on Sep 6, 2008 12:38 AM PDT up 0 recs

(Quietly heading for the nearest exit to this thread...)

SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!

by section214 on Sep 6, 2008 12:55 AM PDT up 0 recs

this convo was started

by venomysnicket saying “if you are the andy sims from KWOD you are awesome.” Our bad on talk unrelated to the kings, your bad on not following the thread.

and if i misused the semicolon its news to me, so please do explain. Im always down to learn.

by passionforPERPS on Sep 6, 2008 10:15 AM PDT up 0 recs

Quit infecting our escape from wall-to-wall political coverage

Unlesss of course Spencer Hawes is a member of whatever shitty band you named

More of this brand of hilariosu insight can be found at vegaskings.blogspot.com and now reclaimingthetitle.blogspot.com

by Muff209 on Sep 6, 2008 1:26 PM PDT up 0 recs

Funny

It seems most people who want to “escape” from politics on a non-political blog are probably trying to escape from it 24/7/365.

Politics frequently intertwines with sports these days – that’s the reality. I think the community here is solid enough to handle a political convo (or to just make fun of Spencer) once in a long while, especially in an election year.

Kevin Pritchard has Chuck Norris tied up in the trunk of his car.

by otis29 on Sep 9, 2008 5:34 AM PDT up 0 recs

A lot of this community

was probably responsible for the election of Ah-nold and the California state legislature, so I don’t know that we are that solid politically…

*This note was sponsored by California State Employees (and ex-employees).

SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!

by section214 on Sep 9, 2008 7:04 AM PDT up 0 recs

Hate Arnold and hated him the day he was elected

That remains my opinion of Arnold although I’m no longer directly effected by his antics.

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Sep 9, 2008 4:10 PM PDT up 0 recs

affected^

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Sep 9, 2008 4:10 PM PDT up 0 recs

The Secretions are sactowns finest when it comes to punk

now if you think punk is shitty then thats different but theyre good at what they do.

by passionforPERPS on Sep 19, 2008 4:54 PM PDT up 0 recs

Thank You for pointing that out Kusian

I can see Spencer Hawes political preferences (as stupid and naive/dumb as they are) being a real problem for conversation in the future. Oui.

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Sep 8, 2008 7:05 PM PDT up 0 recs

This is the Andy Sims, by the way. And yes, he’s awesome.

by Ziller on Sep 5, 2008 6:10 AM PDT up 0 recs

I will agree with the first half of what you say here, Ziller.

The second half? Highly debatable.

Rocks are free, and slingshots easily stolen.

by andy sims on Sep 5, 2008 7:01 AM PDT up 0 recs

(insert requisite "purse holding drill" joke here)

More of this brand of hilariosu insight can be found at vegaskings.blogspot.com and now reclaimingthetitle.blogspot.com

by Muff209 on Sep 5, 2008 12:04 AM PDT up 0 recs

It's a tough call

I’d like to see us lock him up, but just because there is no deal doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s because the Kings didn’t want to make one. If I were advising Garcia, I think I’d seriously consider recommending that he wait, for just the reasons you mentioned. Garcia had a bit of a breakout last year and all indicators are that he’ll get more time at his natural positions(2-3) this season. So I see no reason why he won’t have an even better year this year.

From Garcia’s perspective, I think it’s a smart roll of the dice to wait until next off season to work on the extension, unless the Kings offer a very nice deal.

Ball movement ... is like jogging for most people: They do it occasionally, and it makes them happy. Then they go back to not doing it. - Henry Abbott

by Kfan in Korea on Sep 4, 2008 6:34 PM PDT 0 recs

I totally agree with that

That’s why it is smart for the Kings to sign him to an extension ASAP. If we are paying SAR, Salmons, and Udrih the mid level I don’t see why we shouldn’t offer the same to Cisco. Like Section mentioned, the stats could be replicated but the impact in the team and locker room is probably hard to find. Don’t forget Francisco is not that young anymore at 26 (27 in December). He has the make of the high energy 6th man ala B-Jax in his better days.

I also see Francisco as one of those players who truly cares about the team and although important, the money wouldn’t be that big of a difference. Business is business but some players (very few) are better than that and Francisco may be one of those.

by eduardo_m7 on Sep 4, 2008 7:22 PM PDT up 0 recs

i say smart move

I think we like Frankie more than anybody else in the League, and I also think he’s old. On the floor, he’s Matt Barnes with a Dominican accent. In the locker room, he’s important, but all things considered, you see if you can do more than “bit of a break out” this season.

Life is every mammal's journey from very very wet to very very dry.

by Holmdel on Sep 5, 2008 9:16 AM PDT up 0 recs

Better shooter, passer and ball handler

Francisco is a better shooter, passer and ball handler than Barnes. Barnes is the better rebounder and has worked hard to improve his shooting.

Shut up and Coach

by Carl on Sep 5, 2008 12:01 PM PDT up 0 recs

perfect assessment of the two players

I’ll take Garcia, thank you very much.

by Kusian on Sep 5, 2008 1:31 PM PDT up 0 recs

Agreed with Carl & Kusian

And I’ve always thought trading Matty to Philly with Webber was the biggest mistake in that trade.

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Sep 8, 2008 7:07 PM PDT up 0 recs

Greene

Perhaps the addition of a potential star in Greene has made Garcia somewhat expendable. However IMO this would be quite a leap without ever actually seeing Greene play a single game.

Also Garcia seems like the perfect sixth man ala Bobby Jax a few years down the road when we are relevant again.

Napear: "Going in to the final timeout what did the coach tell you?"
Bibby: "I asked the coach if I should go and he said, I don't really know what he said."

by kangsfan on Sep 4, 2008 8:21 PM PDT 0 recs

exactly...

…why the kings should wait and see how both players perform this year.

Beware certitude.

by Reges on Sep 5, 2008 5:09 AM PDT up 0 recs

Management must decide if Garcia has peaked or does he have more to show. I think this is a tough question. I think Garcia is a mid-level exception guy but is he worth locking up for the next five year after year 4?

If we let him become a restricted free agent, I can see teams like San Antonio, Philadelphia and perhaps Portland offering their mid-level to Cisco. Which then he will have a tough dilemma whether to sign the offer sheet.

I think we hold off on Cisco, Quincy and Donte will have to be huge for us the upcoming year to convince management that Cisco is expendable.

I think we get a deal done with Cisco at above the mid-level or he makes the excursion to Europe.

BOOK IT!

by kingme18 on Sep 4, 2008 9:03 PM PDT 0 recs

Actually,

We get a deal done this summer. This talk of quietness is no surprise. Things will pick up by the end of October for both sides.

BOOK IT!

by kingme18 on Sep 4, 2008 9:05 PM PDT up 0 recs

Something to think about...

If Garcia gets a 5 yr extension following this season, that has him turning 33 during the last year of the contract. I like him a lot but 5 years seems a little long for a back-up swing man. 4 years- 20 mill sounds good to me, especially if Petrie can slow play the front side of the deal, freeing up extra space in 2010.

Hot dogs, get your hot dogs.

by jjham15 on Sep 4, 2008 10:03 PM PDT 0 recs

Yeah but is that an old 33 or a young 33?

Mileage I don’t think matters as much when the guy hasn’t played ball for 25 years of his life before he joined the NBA yanno?

That’s a question I think is best answered case by case. In Cisco’s case I think it would be wise to lock him up in a 5 year Mid Level contract before his worth explodes. But that’s something I think the Kings should do, and have thought they should do, and not worry about the fact that he’s an older young player.

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Sep 8, 2008 7:09 PM PDT up 0 recs

Re-sign him!

If Cisco doesn’t get an extension with the Kings, I don’t know if I will :(

by ZenBaller on Sep 5, 2008 2:02 AM PDT 0 recs

Some comparables

2008 Chris Duhon 2 years $11.6mil
2008 James Posey 4 years $25mil
2007 Jason Kapono 4 years $24mil
2007 Luke Walton 6 years $30mil

There is always a danger making this kind of list that the GM ends up paying what their stupidest competitor would pay, so please bear that in mind. Also, I am aware you can argue some of these guys aren’t exact matches for ’Cisco. James Posey for example has performed with distinction on the biggest stage.

I do think this list shows though that rotation guys, even bench players, get at least $5 million a year. If you buy that ’Cisco could play 25-30 minutes on a very good team, personally I do, then $5 mil a year is frankly probably underpaying him. I think we will be surprised what it costs to keep Garcia here.

If I were Petrie, I’d be talking to his agent before Oct. 31st and would be working my way towards hoping to sign him for 5 years, and $28-32 million before the deadline. If you let Garcia get to restricted free agency, he will have a lot of options and will end up being more expensive.

Conversely, if I am Garcia, there’s no way I take $5mil a year, even for 5 years. If that’s GP’s best offer before Oct. 31st, I politely decline and survey the scene next summer. On the other hand, if I can lock-up $30+ million, and I like it here, that sounds about right and I sign on the dotted line.

by ForThree on Sep 5, 2008 7:02 AM PDT 0 recs

Not going to toot my horn

But I said the Kings failure to lock Garcia up and not deal Artest would be a failure for summer. Obviously the 2nd part of that sentence came true, and had to happen first naturally, but the bigger part is that the Kings aren’t paying attention to Garcia for reasons that are unclear. And no amount of Amick speculation can fill that gap before it happens unfortunately.

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Sep 8, 2008 7:03 PM PDT 0 recs

I'm not sure

It’s hard to accuse Petrie of not paying attention to something. More likely, he’s not sure Cisco fits in to this team long term. It could be as simple as a Donte Green/John Salmons (sans Ron Artest) evaluation before ponying up a long-term contract.

If there are other players that can fill a hole Garcia would leave (or come close to it), and his departure gives you a chance to increase your offer to a big name free agent down the road, wouldn’t you have to wait and see?

This is just me playing devil’s advocate. Personally, I’m a big Garcia fan and I’d be happy if he was locked up for a few years down the road. I just have my doubts that Petrie has somehow overlooked Garcia completely.

Kevin Pritchard has Chuck Norris tied up in the trunk of his car.

by otis29 on Sep 9, 2008 5:40 AM PDT up 0 recs

I think you hit an important point

Greene’s presence perhaps may change the thinking of Petrie and the brass with relation to Garcia. Or, and this is perhaps a more important point, that the Kings want to deal Salmons before committing that type of money to Garcia too.

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Sep 9, 2008 4:08 PM PDT up 0 recs

I think Cisco is on GP's mind

But GP has until 0ct. 31 before he has to pull the trigger so he has plenty of time and GP is not one to rush into things. I imagine that there are converstations and jockeying for position between the Kings and Cisco’s agent that we aren’t privy to. I also get the sense that Cisco is teetering on the same fence as Hedo was back when he was ultimately traded away (i.e. is he good enough to be a keeper or can we do better?).

by hozr on Sep 9, 2008 11:56 AM PDT up 0 recs

True True

No doubt on that one. So perhaps my statement was a bit over-zealous.

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Sep 9, 2008 4:06 PM PDT up 0 recs