11/05/24
July 12, 2004
Rob Pelinka. Agent. Fall Guy: We discussed Carlos Boozer's renegging on his deal with the Cavs. Now comes news that his agent has resigned over the debacle. Is this a case of an agent caring about business ethics or an agent looking to save his ass from being blamed and subsequently screwing his other clients in future negotiations?
I think it's a case of an agent who will never be trusted again by any NBA executive who values his job.
posted by rcade at 06:04 PM on July 12, 2004
Prediction from SI: "Later this summer, after Pelinka's client Kobe Bryant has signed with either the Lakers or the Clippers, look for SFX and Pelinka to cut ties permanently."
posted by rcade at 06:32 PM on July 12, 2004
Apparently the Cavs are offering $5M/1 yr and are willing to renegotiate after the season. This is quite an olive branch to extend when the guy has already gotten over on you once. Boozer seems to really be taking a hit in the press, tends to happen when you take advantage of blind people. Booze won't even take Coach K's calls. Then there is the little matter of whether the Cavs pending offer of $40M/6 yrs could be construed as a violation of the CBA.
posted by lilnemo at 06:33 PM on July 12, 2004
Crap the "little matter" link should be this. This could venture just short of "Joe Smith" territory people. The Cavs could end up doubly screwed. Not only do they lose Booze, they might have to suspend Paxson, pay a fine, and sit out a few drafts. Fun. Does anyone get the feeling Paxson may end up fired over this by the All Star break? always preview...always preview...always preview...
posted by lilnemo at 06:37 PM on July 12, 2004
This could venture just short of "Joe Smith" territory people. Exactly what I thought about when this was first announced. Isn't it a handshake/wink deal just like Smith's? And the Joe Smith deal still seems bizarre to this day. It's not like his NBA career has been outstanding for being an overall #1 pick.
posted by usfbull at 09:47 PM on July 12, 2004
So the agent's blaming Boozer for making him renege on a verbally agreed upon contract that may or may not be allowable under the CBA; The other team still expects the other agreed upon contract to hold while the initial team is in danger of being investigated and decides to offer a lowball deal to make the whole thing somehow work out and keep the lying backstabber? Wow! What a country.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 12:52 AM on July 13, 2004
And the Joe Smith deal still seems bizarre to this day. It's not like his NBA career has been outstanding for being an overall #1 pick. The Joe Smith deal happened because the ghost of the Herschel Walker trade haunts downtown Minneapolis and occasionally comes out of the shadows to possess front-office types for the local sports franchises and make them do incredibly stupid things. It's terrifying. Someone should write a screenplay about it.
posted by cobra! at 11:00 AM on July 13, 2004
Boozer speaks out. From the link: "I didn't make a prior agreement. And if I did, I would've stayed here," Boozer said. "For them [Cavaliers] taking shots at my character is incredibly wrong, and I don't understand that. I thought I had a great relationship with them. Maybe they're trying to save face or trying to make up stuff and kill my character. And if that's the road they want to take, that's OK." "I assumed they were going to pick up my option and work something out for the long term, but they went another route," Boozer said. "I was shocked that they didn't pick up my option. I left the meeting excited because this meant that I was going to get a long-term contract." "Maybe with me telling them that I wanted to be in Cleveland and wanting to have security could've made them believe I was going to sign with them, but that wasn't an agreement," Boozer said. "I never gave them my word, never signed a document and I never shook hands with the idea that I was going to sign." Someone is wagging the dog.
posted by lilnemo at 12:35 PM on July 13, 2004
Anyone who believes Boozer needs to explain why his agent, the person most likely to know the particulars of how this went down, just dumped him as a client at a cost of millions.
posted by rcade at 02:19 PM on July 13, 2004
rcade: well, if pelinka is at fault, and boozer pulls the trigger first, then pelinka could lose the Kobe contract, worth probably twice as much as Boozer's even before figuring in endorsements. [As an aside, does anyone know if agents can get pinged/fined/suspended for participating in a CBA violation, which it looks like this verbal agreement was, if it existed?]
posted by tieguy at 02:36 PM on July 13, 2004
This might explain rcade: Boozer said that Pelinka was forced to end his relationship by order of SFX, the sports management company for which he works, because he was receiving pressure from different sources. "It was overwhelming for him," Boozer said. "He was getting death threats. Rob Pelinka didn't do anything wrong and I didn't do anything wrong. He's taken a lot of heat for something he doesn't need to take heat for. This is the Cavs' mistake. The Cavs created this."
posted by lilnemo at 02:42 PM on July 13, 2004
Or this: "Rob works for a corporation called SFX, which felt like the negative publicity was hurting their company," the source said. SFX "gave him an ultimatum: Leave [Boozer] or be fired. He had to what was best for him."
posted by lilnemo at 02:46 PM on July 13, 2004
"Maybe with me telling them that I wanted to be in Cleveland and wanting to have security could've made them believe I was going to sign with them, but that wasn't an agreement," Boozer said. "I never gave them my word, never signed a document and I never shook hands with the idea that I was going to sign." Wow. The one Duke guy I thought was okay. I guess Boozer thinks we're all dupes and suckers. Okay Los, I'm sure that's what happens. Dudes cut stars with super cheap contracts free all the time on an vague expression of interest. If it wasn't obvious before, it is now, Boozer's pants are on fire.
posted by Mike McD at 04:40 PM on July 13, 2004
If it wasn't obvious before, it is now, Boozer's pants are on fire. Or, to quote Lewis Black: What we have here is a Liar, Liar, pants on fire situation!!
posted by lilnemo at 05:09 PM on July 13, 2004
"He was getting death threats. Death threats. Over a minor issue related to a ball game. Has anyone else noticed that virtually every time someone does something, anything, that garners negative press attention, they are receiving "death threats"? What a society.
posted by rushmc at 10:13 AM on July 14, 2004
From an open letter from Gordon Gund:
Over time Carlos had told Jim and me repeatedly, “If you show respect for me, I will show respect for you.” So, in the June 30 meeting, I reminded him of that and said, “We are all counting on what you said in earlier meetings and again today.” He responded, “That’s right and you can trust me on that.” I asked if we could all trust each other? Carlos, his wife and agent each responded “Yes.”
posted by avogadro at 04:44 PM on July 14, 2004
Carlos Boozer was a 2nd round draft pick. A second round draft pick. You would think a guy drafted in the 2nd round would show a little loyalty to the team that chose him. Often you hear player showing animosity towards the teams that passed them which surely Utah must've done.
posted by geekyguy at 09:22 PM on July 14, 2004
It's probably a little of both, but I was wondering if anyone felt strongly about this either way.