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KOC had a terrible off-season

The biggest problem signing Matthews was luxury tax hit this year. Next year we are shedding 18 mil of AK salary and get some relief. We don't need to sign a replacement SF, because we just drafted a SF with top 10 pick, who will be under contract. Take a look at the numbers: https://hoopshype.com/salaries/utah.htm

And for this year, Wes counts 5.7 mil against the CAP. Raja counts 3. So, we are not talking about crazy difference this year here. Perhaps if we kept Wes, we wouldn't sign Raja and Elson. Would you rather have a young player like Wes over 2 guys near end of their careers, like Elson and Raja. The difference in salary is only 1.1 mil. Raja is struggling to produce now what Wes did last year in his rookie season. And Raja will only get worse. For the difference in salary, isn't it apparent now that we should have kept a 24 year old guy, who in second year, when starting, is producing nearly 20 ppg on good shooting and playing good defense? Jazz made a huge blunder here, and I am not sure why there is even a debate on this given today's performance of the players in question and their upside (or lack thereof in case of Raja).

Dont forget there was also a very large signing bonus and when you consider luxury tax it is really double the difference.
 
Dont forget there was also a very large signing bonus and when you consider luxury tax it is really double the difference.

No. Only the CAP hit is being penalized by the luxury tax. Big bonus just means you pay him money up-front vs throughout the contract. But it is the same amount of money overall with CAP hit around 5 and a half mil this year, which will be taxed. Same way Raja's and Elson's salaries will be taxed, saving Miller a cool mil this year in luxury tax payments when KOC went with these 2 old farts instead of Wes.
 
I'm on record that my position is I'm not declaring this move a mistake and won't call it a major blunder until atleast 1 full season and offseason have passed. I prefer to wait until we see the new CBA and wait until we see how much flexibility the Jazz will have in it.

However, if it means this garbage thread will stop getting bumped, then by all means - not matching on future all-star Wes Matthews was the worst move in the history of professional sporsts and I'm not sure this franchise or the state of Utah can ever recover from it. I hope Matthews lights up the Jazz for 40 in a blowout tonight just to stick it to KOC for being such a big dummy.

You are being rather obtuse. We could be so much better this year with Wes over Raja (and Elson), and the difference is just 1 mil in lux tax payments. Then next year instead of having a guy who is not even able to produce what Wes did last year as a rookie, and is only going to get worse, we could have had the best defender on the team, who is averaging almost 20 ppg as a starter today on good shooting for a winning club and is young and only going to get better – for mid-level. What is so hard to understand here? Everyone with half a brain, including KOC, if they could this all over again, would match Wes instead of getting Raja and Elson. Unfortunately, KOC preferred to spend nearly the same luxury tax money on elderly Raja and Elson, in spite of having Wes for a year to evaluate him. Enough time has passed to show that KOC screwed up royally, and it’s time to admit it.
 
I hope Matthews lights up the Jazz for 40 in a blowout tonight just to stick it to KOC for being such a big dummy.

You were wrong. Matthews lit us up only for 30 in a blowout tonight. Which is consistent with his other performances as a starter. Still in denial about how big KOC screwed up this franchise letting him go for elderly Raja and Elson in return, plus 1 mil luxury tax savings this year?
 
My favorite part is it's really not KOC's job to match a ridiculous offer sheet. Whether Matthews continues to produce like this does NOT change that that was an outrageous offer sheet and that it's not KOC's money.

But please, let's place this all on him.
 
Fine. The Jazz made a fatal move by not resigning Matthews. It's clear after tonight's performance Wes is a future all-star and possibly could go down as one of the greatest ever. I know Cleveland lost a pretty good player in LeBron but frankly I'm starting to believe the Jazz suffered a greater loss in Matthews. I'm not sure how this team, the organization, and the entire community will recover. It's not the fact that the Jazz are on a 55-win pace despite facing one of the tougher schedules in the league, it's the fact that a chance to win 73 games was robbed from us Jazz fans by Kevin O'Connor. It's the fact that a sure-fire 3-peat was stolen right out from under our noses by Portland. And it's the fact that from this day forth no matter what the Jazz accomplish (and w/out Wes it won't be much) it could've been so much greater if Wes was on the team. This franchise is in major major trouble without Matthews and could really take a lesson or two from Portland in how to build a championship team. It's truly possible Jazz basketball has died.

Not matching on Matthews, Mo Williams, trading Eric Maynor and Ronnie Brewer. Kevon O'Connor is worse than Isiah Thomas. Anyone on this message board could've stepped into his job after losing Stockon and Malone and rebuilt this team into a consistent 50-win team. Until we fire KOC, the Utah Jazz will continue to be the league's doormat.

(Actually no, I'll stand by all my previous posts and if we're playing basketball next year this time - and if you're all still Jazz fans - I'll come back on this board and admit it was a major mistake. At. That. Time.)
 
You were wrong. Matthews lit us up only for 30 in a blowout tonight. Which is consistent with his other performances as a starter. Still in denial about how big KOC screwed up this franchise letting him go for elderly Raja and Elson in return, plus 1 mil luxury tax savings this year?

Mathews aint the difference maker. He would be lucky to average 15 ppg if Brandon Roy was healthy and playing on that team. And we would have had to shell close to 4-5 mil more this year in order to keep him, considering the LT penalties. Not worth it. He is'nt Eric Gordon or Jason Richardson. And we needed Elson anyways because of Okur's health uncertainity.
 
Would've been worth it to keep Matthews. Mid-level money even for what would "only" be a 15ppg SG, maybe better, who brings solid defense and hustle. Have you seen our current sorry crop of SGs? Improved up front with Jefferson but took part of that away with a logjam of mediocrity at SG. Wes was definitely worth keeping for what he's getting and doing now. KOC and the Millers screwed up this one.
 
My favorite part is it's really not KOC's job to match a ridiculous offer sheet. Whether Matthews continues to produce like this does NOT change that that was an outrageous offer sheet and that it's not KOC's money.

But please, let's place this all on him.

It's not KOC's job to match offer sheet? BS, complete and total. That's exactly what his job is. I remember how KOC was saying this is different from Mo Williams offer sheet when he screwed that one up. Well, I don't see much difference now. KOC did great finding talent, had it for a year, and then failed to properly evaluate and lost the talent, with other teams reaping the benefits of his original find. Even at mid-level, Wes is underpaid right now given the way he is performing. And as far as it not being KOC's money, Greg Miller went above and beyond agreeing to pay luxury tax for second year in a row, because of irresponsible spendings of KOC in years past. He approved huge extension offer for Okur, trade for Jefferson, and he even approved KOC to continue to go above the tax to sign other players (Raja, Elson) AFTER Wes left, resulting in about the same tax payments (1.5 mil less). So, don't put it on Greg - it was KOC who screwed up here once again, just like with Mo. And as far as B's offer sheet being ridiculous, well, looks like they got more than what they paid for, doesn't it? Besides, Wes was a starter on a top 4 team in the West, put up solid rookie numbers (not far off Deron's rookie year), was as a rookie THE BEST defender on the Jazz (according to Jazz own formula), did even better after taking full time Brewer's spot in starting line-up towards the end of the year, and even better in play-offs. As a rookie. So, is average salary (which is what mid-level is) really too much for a guy with these accomplishments as only a rookie? True, because contract is 5 years, total amount is high, but the guy is young. It's not like we would have committed to pay him when he is almost 37 (oh yeah, we actually did that with his replacement Raja Bell). It's KOC's job to get the best talent to this team, and when you actually already found the talent, then lose it, lose the guy who is producing 20 ppg as a starter on great shooting for a winning team, while also being a great defender, is an incredible failure in doing his job.
 
You were wrong. Matthews lit us up only for 30 in a blowout tonight. Which is consistent with his other performances as a starter. Still in denial about how big KOC screwed up this franchise letting him go for elderly Raja and Elson in return, plus 1 mil luxury tax savings this year?

You are a moron! EVERYONE on this board, around the league, experts said that contract was insane and no way should the jazz match. Shut the hell up already. At the time the decision was right. Maybe koc should hire you as his own personal nostrdamus so we can predict the future of players and never make a mistake like this again.
 
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