FC Barcelona Regal has reached an agreement with Mad-Croc Fuenlabrada to purchase Gustavo Ayón's ACB rights, paving the way for the Orlando Magic center to join Barcelona for the 2012/13 season, according to a Google Chrome translation of this report from The Counterattack. Orlando would cut Ayón, whose contract is guaranteed for $1.5 million, according to ShamSports.
Fenris-77 wrote:That's right Orlando. You go right ahead and cut your best big man, because you're so awash in talent it just doesn't matter. Yikes.
This is the same guy who last year couldn't beat out Jason Smith for the starting position. Jason Smith who apparently can't beat out Robin Lopez for the starting position. Robin Lopez who couldn't beat out Marcin Gortat for the starting position. Marcin Gortat who couldn't beat out Dwight Howard their Center last year. By my count that is about 5 steps below what they had last year. According to Yahoo this guy is signed for the NBA minimum $ 473g per year. That is what he is worth. 27 year olds who have been playing basketball all their life are not "projects with potential". (See Uwe Blab.) He is what he is. A solid 3rd string center. At least the Swiss kid they got from the Sixers, you know the one who couldn't beat out Spencer Hawes, has potential. If the guy wants to go to Europe for more money, the Magic should let him. Otherwise he could just "stink it up" to force a release, provided that the Magic notice he is "stinking it up".
I'm just going to assume that you went on that rant without, you know, actually looking at his production or anything. Anyone who actually owned Ayon last year knows exactly how good he can be.
The New Orleans Hornets and Coach Monty Williams actually owned this guy last year and they started Okafur, Kaman, & Jason Smith rather than Gustavo. The Orlando Magic own him this year and they figure he is worth the NBA minimum.
schweigersaipan wrote:The New Orleans Hornets and Coach Monty Williams actually owned this guy last year and they started Okafur, Kaman, & Jason Smith rather than Gustavo. The Orlando Magic own him this year and they figure he is worth the NBA minimum.
Have to agree with Fenris. You're being too hard on Ayon as he was very valuable to the Hornets last season. Once he picked up some schemes, he was on the court doing his thing. Towards the last 2 months of the year, he had worn down and wasn't physically close to 100%. Trust me, the Hornets didn't want to deal him but they had to in order to land Ryan Anderson.
The thing is Ayon's not gonna make or break Orlando's season one way or the other. Did he have some nice Fantasy #'s last season? No doubt. But we can all acknowledge that Orlando front court situation was crowded and less than ideal fantasy wise. For now it's at least a little clearer and they can concentrate on developing Vucevic and Nicolson for the future..
bujfan2030 wrote: For now it's at least a little clearer and they can concentrate on developing Vucevic and Nicolson for the future..
By cutting a better player in Ayon and starting a worse one in Davis. That's the rub right there, although it's right in line from what I expect of Orlando's flaming-bag-of-dog-poop front office.
bujfan2030 wrote:But realistically it's easier to cut Ayon's 1.5 than whatever Davis is raking in.
Sure, but from a value for contract dollar and win production standpoint it's terrible. What's happening here is that they're making one terrible decision as the result of another even more terrible decision which was to trade a very good player in Bass for the sack of suet they're now forced into playing (and paying plus MLE money to for another couple of years). Madness.
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Yikes.
Anyone who actually owned Ayon last year knows exactly how good he can be.
