Jason Richards

[Three34]

The Miami Heat waived David Padgett and Jason Richards.

Richards will miss the entire season after tearing knee ligaments while participating
in the Heat's offseason program, therefore Miami will pay his entire rookie salary of $442,114.

Is this normal? He was only $50,000 guaranteed - what part of tearing his knee up meant he got a full guarantee? And why wouldn't Keith Van Horn have done the same?

[So Cal Blazer Fan]

Gee, and all along I thought that being partially guaranteed for $50,000 meant partially guaranteed for $50,000....

Are you sure of the source of the quote, Sham? Or maybe his contract actually was written in such a way that he would get $50,000 if waived for lack of skill but the full $442,114 if waived in case of a season-ending injury....

[Three34]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/b ... ref=sircrc



I just don't see why this would happen. Why would he get paid more for not playing than if he'd (for example) made the team and been cut before the guarantee date in January? And what happens to the second, fully unguaranteed year of his deal?

Does Richards have quirky language, is there some kind of CBA clause that I don't know of, or has the reporter just misfired?

[LarryCoon]

It's a CBA clause. If a player is injured as a direct result of playing basketball for his team, then his contract is guaranteed until he's healed or until the end of the season, whichever comes first.

[Three34]

Hmm. Tough break for the Heat. Lucky break for Richards, sort of.

[Three34]

So, supposing Richards heals in midseason (impossible, but just for argument's sake) - is the Heat's cap number then amended?

[So Cal Blazer Fan]

It's a CBA clause. If a player is injured as a direct result of playing basketball for his team, then his contract is guaranteed until he's healed or until the end of the season, whichever comes first.

Thanks for the information, Larry.

[Three34]

Also, I guess this applies to Mike Wilks, too.

[So Cal Blazer Fan]

Also, I guess this applies to Mike Wilks, too.

Did Wilks get released?

[Three34]

Not yet, but I bet they will if/when they find the third point guard. Although if they really want to keep costs down, I guess Jeremy Richardson's a goner.

[Dunkenstein]

So, supposing Richards heals in midseason (impossible, but just for argument's sake) - is the Heat's cap number then amended?

Once he is certified as healthy to play, the Heat no longer have to pay him and this is reflected in his cap number.

[Three34]

It seems like a bit of a odd rule, to be honest. It seems to punish a team for something which isn't their fault. Richards wouldn't have made the team even if he was healthy, but now that he's popped his knee, he's getting $390k that Miami wouldn't otherwise be giving him, a figure that pushes them reet up next to the tax figure. And all because they signed him immediately after summer league so that no one would beat them to it.

Oh well.

[Modern_epic]

How is it not the teams fault he blew out his knee? He was working for them when it happened. Employers are liable for workplace injuries.

Look at it from the other perspective, Sham, and it makes plenty of sense. If I'm playing for the heat and I blow out my knee, then playing for the Heat has cost me my chance at earning a livelihood anywhere until I heal up. They bloody well better pay me until then.

[Three34]

Well, not really. It's not like they crowbarred him. He just got unlucky. I agree that from his perspective the money compensation is imperative, but the Heat are now brushing upa gainst the tax all because some guy that they never wanted in the first place (and let's be honest, they were never THAT desperate for a point guard - they were just playing the training camp game) went and popped his knee on a jum-stop or whatever it was. It would kind of put me off signing people right after summer league again.

[Modern_epic]

I don't disagree that they never intended to keep him. And sure, they didn't crowbar him. But they don't have to. If you get a repetitive stress injury (also a fully foreseeable but not inevitable injury) working for General Motors, they still have to pay you, even if they were about to fire you. The money part isn't arguable; it's just how workplace injuries are dealt with. It's for reasons of loss of livelihood, and because the employer can easily lie about it.

As for the tax, if you let them exempt this, it just opens up a whole world of possibility for fraud by teams.

It may suck for them, but Miami knew exactly what they were getting in to when they signed him. It is unlucky, but not unjust.

[Three34]

Well, maybe. But I wonder if it starts a trend of people deliberately landing awkwardly on their knees in training camp. You know that if Robert Traylor ever gets another invite, he's taking a dive.