[SuperJon]

I don't know what got me thinking about this, but I was and I thought it would be fun to put on here. It's basically a what if... type of question.


Imagine you're the GM of an NFL or NBA franchise. You drafted a player in the first round that you expect to contribute in his rookie year. You're in talks with him regarding his contract. Things are going good. Your side and his side are agreeing on things and it looks like you're about to finalize the deal. The player does not want to hold out and wants to start working with the team as soon as possible.

Then, before he can sign the contract, he is in a traffic accident. The accident is 100% not his fault. He was doing nothing wrong and just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. His leg is completely broken and will require at least a year to recover, and there's a chance he may never be the athlete that he was before the crash.

What would you do? Would you still offer him the contract? Would you ratify the contract to still pay him while he's injured and put stipulations on it that he may get more if he's able to compete down the road? Would you not offer a contract at all?

Think about it. Say what you would do and say why you would do it.

[LUconn]

offer him a contract for a lot less money.

[TDDance234]

I think you would have to sign him to the original deal. If you didn't...other players could be iffy on negotiating with your team. Once you develop that kind of reputation, you're team is going to have a hard time getting players to sign with you.

See the story on agent Scott Boras. Certain teams won't even negotiate with him--unless they go straight through the player.

Tough question, though.

[jcmanson]

You are running a business, a product of yours cannot produce like it was expected. You wouldn’t pay the same for a defect as you would for one which was produced perfectly. Same situation. I would still offer him a contract, but not much would be guaranteed. Most of it would be dependent upon how much he is able to contribute when/if he returns.

Tough situation, but it is a business.

[Sly Fox]

The player's value to you and everyone else in your league has been depleted. You will be paying a price for drafting someone that high that won't perform to those levels.

Great pains were made to show the player wasn't at fault. But neither was the franchise.

I agree in offering an incentive-based contract.

[4everfsu]

Play him what you agreed, your word is more important then anything else in this world.

[Hold My Own]

I thought you graduated...I swear this sounds like a SMGT question on an exam

[SumItUp]

Play him what you agreed, your word is more important then anything else in this world.

I disagree. Drafting a player is a desire and interest to sign a player. It is not giving your word. When a team signs a contract, it is based on the fact that the each party will fulfill their part of the contract.


Generally, first round picks are going to have an insurance policy against a major injury, freak accident, etc....

[Fumblerooskies]

The bonus money would be a lot less...but the contract would be incentive-laden based on games played, overall health, etc so that he recoup a salary that would equate to the verbally agreed upon amount. As the player, I would negotiate for a shorter term deal, if I KNEW I was healthy, in an attempt to get a big signing bonus down the road.

[scuzdriver]

Did the Celtics pay Lenny Bias family when he died? I'd say that player would be out of luck on the big contract.

[BJWilliams]

I would sign him to the deal, but a lot of the money would be changed around and there would be a lot more incentives as a lot of the other people here have suggested. I will make sure to honor that contract and he gets his money that first year while he recovers and many of those incentives I'll structure to come into play starting with that second year.

[ATrain]

One thing I like about working in college athletics: Medical Redshirts.

In this case, you still offer the contract, but it will be for less with the option for pay increases if he returns to play and is a productive member of the team on the field.

[olldflame]

I honestly don't see where the people who are saying you should "keep your word" are coming from. There is no contract. The fact that numbers were discussed and an agreement was close is irrelevant. There are 2 sides to every story, and if the player had agreed to the team's latest offer, he would already be under contract and there would be no discussion. He didn't.

What if he had died in the accident? Are you suggesting the team should have paid his family whatever the latest offer was that was made by the team? It's a hard reality, but if his injuries prove to be career ending, he can no more give the team value than if he were dead. IMHO to offer a minimal (by NFL standards) base salary with incentives for productivity would be generous. I'm pretty certain the team is under no legal obligation to shell out a dime.

[RagingTireFire]

I remember that this sort of happened with Ronnie Turiaf when he was drafted by the Lakers. They signed him to a contract and then discovered a life-threatening heart condition when he took the team physical. As I recall, the Lakers were very nice about it -- they retained his rights and even went so far as to pay for the surgery he needed -- but his contract was completely voided. Fortunately, he recovered and the Lakers ended up re-signing him as a free agent but not for anything close to what his original draft-day contract was worth.

In this case, why would you sign someone to a contract when they clearly are no longer able to fulfill it? You're just asking for legal complications. In effect, this is no different than if you were in negotiations to buy a house but then it burned down before you signed any paperwork. The player gets nothing and the team appeals to the league to get some sort of compensation for the useless draft pick.

[adam42381]

No way do you give him the full contract you had discussed. His future return for your organization is questionable and you can't make that kind of gamble. You sign him to a low end deal with large incentives bonuses tied to future production.

[ToTheLeft]

No way do you give him the full contract you had discussed. His future return for your organization is questionable and you can't make that kind of gamble. You sign him to a low end deal with large incentives bonuses tied to future production.

Like he said.

[Ed Dantes]

Here's the thing -- you are talking about a first round player, and he will command A LOT of money. Millions of dollars -- easily. For some teams, it's like a drop in the bucket (hello, Yankees! and many others). Other teams don't have the resources to be Good Samaritans.

Sorry, but it's true.

When former Dookie Jay Williams was injured in a motorcycle accident, the Bulls offered to buyout the remainder of his contract (which they could have voided because riding a motorcycle was in violation of the contract). I think that's the right move.

That being said, if i were the GM I would not give the guy a contract for the same length, for the same price, and with the same stipulations. I would offer him a contract at his current market value. I would have the last year(s) as team options. I'd front-load it, so I wouldn't be taking as much of a hit in later years... And, to be nice, I'd offer him a nice signing bonus.

[belcherboy]

I agree with most, you cannot keep the verbal agreement originally agreed upon. The player is unable to fulfill his end of the verbal agreement (he is going to miss an entire season). Give him a nice signing bonus, so that he is not discontent with the team, and absolutely load his contract with incentives. He can make a full paycheck, if he reaches certain numbers. If not, he can still live a pretty comfortable life without playing much time as a pro. I can't imagine other players in the league, or that will come to the league, will look down on you and your team because of it.

[flamesbball84]

You are running a business, a product of yours cannot produce like it was expected. You wouldn�t pay the same for a defect as you would for one which was produced perfectly. Same situation. I would still offer him a contract, but not much would be guaranteed. Most of it would be dependent upon how much he is able to contribute when/if he returns.

Tough situation, but it is a business.

same here. business is business and if you pander to one person's tough situation every other player will want you to do that for them. then you either have to pander to all of them, or oyu have to cut it off at some point and tick off some players. so you can't make exceptions here...

[SuperJon]

You guys who are saying no contract aren't considering that if he comes back healthy and can play, he's not longer yours and can play for anyone.

[RagingTireFire]

You guys who are saying no contract aren't considering that if he comes back healthy and can play, he's not longer yours and can play for anyone.

Simple. Retain his draft rights. See: Ronny Turiaf.

[belcherboy]

You guys who are saying no contract aren't considering that if he comes back healthy and can play, he's not longer yours and can play for anyone.

Who is saying "no contract"?

[SuperJon]

I misread it on here. People on AGS were saying no contract whatsoever.