Trail Blazers buy out remainder of Francis’ contract
PORTLAND, ORE. ‚Äö√Ñ√Æ The Portland Trail Blazers have agreed on a buyout with guard Steve Francis, who was acquired in a draft-night deal with the New York Knicks. Francis, who was due $34 million over the final two years of his contract, was expected to clear waivers and become an unrestricted free agent. The terms of the buyout with the Trail Blazers were not released. The deal was confirmed Wednesday by the Washington office of Francis’ longtime agent, Jeff Fried.
OK…so imagine that someone just told you that they’re going to drop $30 million on you…and you don’t have to do a freakin’ thing for it. Too good to be true? Well, here in the real world, yes, it certainly would be. In the rarefied air of professional sports, though, this sort of thing can somehow actually be justified as A SOUND BUSINESS DECISION. Before you go all “WTF???” on me, let me just tell you that I’m feeling you. It IS stupid beyond any rational explanation, but how do I get in on some of this action?
Man, it must surely SUCK to be Steve Francis these day, eh? “Stevie Franchise”, who began his career with the Houston Rockets because he refused to play for the then-Vancouver Grizzles (something about not wanting to learn the language….), has become something of a journeyman over the past few years…not that bouncing from Houston to Orlando to New York to Portland to…who knows where? doesn’t pay handsomely. I could be that sort of vagabond for the kind of money being tossed around here. Hell, I’d go to Rugby, ND and live in an ice-fishing house on a frozen lake for that kind of money. Nonetheless, as Francis’ skills have declined, and teams have tired of his sometimes-petulant attitude, finding a home to ply his trade is becoming a full-time endeavor for his agent. Things got so bad, in fact, that Portland was willing to acquire Francis in a draft-day deal WITH THE EXPRESS PURPOSE OF BUYING OUT HIS CONTRACT AND CUTTING HIM LOOSE. The Trailblazers did this even though the last two years of Francis’ contract are guaranteed- to the tune of $34 million.
Oooo…Daddy REALLY needs a new pair of shoes…and a Maserati….
Rumors abound that Portland will pay Francis something in the neighborhood of $30 million simply to get lost. Jeebus, people…I’d do it for HALF that much! What are you thinking??
What kind of a (&^%$#-up world do we live in when a basketball player can make $30 million dollars for doing nothing…and yet teachers are considered to be doing well if they’re making $50k per year for busting their tails putting up with our snot-nosed kids? Surely, I’m not the only one thinking that something is horribly out of whack here. When a team can piss away $30 million and consider it a sound business decision…well, what can one possibly say to explain that sort of insanity?
Not that “Steve Franchise” cares about any of this, of course. He’s going to be laughing all the way to the bank…and no, it definitely does NOT suck to be Steve Francis these days.
