LaMarcus Aldridge, Trail Blazers make progress in contract talks

[Warren2ThaG]

http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/09/small_lamarcus.JPG

LaMarcus Aldridge, Trail Blazers make progress in contract talks

"Contract negotiations between the Trail Blazers and star forward LaMarcus Aldridge continue daily as the Oct. 31 deadline nears, but general manager Kevin Pritchard said it could take time and is a "complicated" process. The biggest problem is neither side knows what the figure for maximum contracts will be because the league doesn't release that information until July 2010, when the league sets its salary cap and reveals the figure for basketball-related income (BRI).

 

When a player signs a maximum contract - like Blazers guard Brandon Roy did in August - the first year of his contract is approximately 25 percent of that year's BRI. The league typically releases those figures in the first week of July.

 

The league allows maximum contracts to be signed without designating the exact amount. If the two sides were to decide on less than a maximum deal, that would be trickier.

 

"We both understand LaMarcus' value," Pritchard said of the team and Arn Tellem, Aldridge's agent. "But getting that to correlate to the BRI is very complicated."

 

Because of the weak economy it is possible that the BRI will decrease next season.

 

Pritchard said the daily talks have been amicable and that the two sides "are in the same ballpark." The main holdup is basing negotiations on an unknown number like next year's BRI.

 

"But we are continuing to work at it," Pritchard said."

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http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/09/lamarcus_aldridge_trail_blazer.html

[Dr. Feelgood]

He'll get his pay, no doubt. So I'm not worried at all.