Four years on Jarrett Jack offer sheet

It didn’t take Bryan Colangelo long at all to make his next free agent move.

The Raptors president and general manager will, if he hasn’t already, extend a four-year contract offer sheet to free agent guard Jarrett Jack.

There’s no financial terms available right now but Jack made $2.2 million last season with the Indiana Pacers and it’s unlikely the Raptors wouldn’t make an offer that at least includes a marginal raise in the first year.

The four years is the interesting point. Colangelo said he was looking mainly at short-term contracts to avoid future tax penalties but if the salary is low enough, he must feel comfortable that it won’t have any long-term implications.

Jack, a college teammate of Chris Bosh at Georgia Tech, averaged 13.1 points and 4.4 assists per game with the Pacers last year, when he started 53 of 82 games, beating out former Raptor T.J. Ford for the starting role.

At 6'3, he’s also more than able to play a little two-guard and would be the kind of combo guard Colangelo likes.

Because the 25-year-old Jack is a restricted free agent, the Pacers will have seven days from the time the offer sheet is signed to decide whether or not they’ll match it. Team officials there have given no public indication before today what they would do in the event of an offer to Jack but have said they want to avoid any chance at crossing the tax threshold of $69.9 million.

Comments

[Bob]

Doug...ESPN is reporting the offer is 4 years $20 million..see this link...http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4321678
Initial thoughts is a bit high an offer but the Mavs offerred a 37 year old Kidd 3 years $25 million..Great moves by BC,,he is not done and I can see either or all of Banks, Wright or George being traded and Delfino, Rasho and other pieces being added,,really hope BC can find a taker for Banks especially, our bench is a zillion times better than we remotely thought this time last week..bring on the regular and post season to get us through the winter blues

[josh]

Doug

If we end up getting jack along with delfino, Who do you believe will start at the 2? Wright, Delfino, DeMar?

Blogger's note: We'll find out in October.

[D.Hills]

If this deal really is for the full MLE as I have been reading. I don't see the pacers matching the offer. If it pans out, another great pick up by BC.

Blogger's note: Full mid-level? Hadn't seen anything like that. But who knows

[Rex Ross]

FYI Doug - the Indianapolis Star is reporting that the Raptors' to Jack offer is four years, $20 Million (ie. $5 Million/year). They are also saying that it is unlikely that the Pacers will (or can) match the offer.

here's the link: http://www.indystar.com/article/20090712/SPORTS04/907120367/1088/SPORTS04/Raptors+sign+Pacers++Jack+to+4-year+offer+sheet

Blogger's note: $20 million makes sense, and falls in the greater than $16 million range I had heard

[g-rav]

does it worry you that rasho and delfino havent been signed yet, i just feel the longer it takes the less chance it will happen. what is your timeline, even though it might be insane to ask!, for these two guys to get signed?

g-rav

Blogger's note: Worry? Not in the least. I just hope it happens quickly, or doesn't, so I can get some time off

[Michael Z]

For my two cents worth this is how I see the Raps roster starting the season:
Bosh, Turkoglu, Calderon, Bargnani, Ukic, DeRozan, Douby, Evans, George, Wright, O'Bryant, Banks + Jack, Delfino & Nesterovic.
I would also suspect that Douby, Banks & another player maybe attached to a package collectively or individually...
Voskhul (gone), Parker (sorry to see him gone...), Pops (gone), Graham (not sure if he would be gone, somehow I think the Raps have grown attached to him and at brief moments he can be brilliant... ADD??).
I think this is a pretty promising team for 09-10. What you think of it?

[omar]

Will this offer impact what they do next year in free agency when they are trying to avoid the luxury tax?

Blogger's note: Very little because, depending on Bosh, they weren't going to be major players anyway after the Turkoglu signing

[Chris]

Hi Doug,

It seems that ESPN is reporting that the deal is at 20million for 4 years. I'm not one to question how much a guy gets paid, but i think this is reasonable.

Besides, something you forgot to mention, Jack has a tough side to him. I remember him getting into encounters with bigger guys from his days in portland. more of what we need.

Bruno loves it!

[Chris]

What is this i hear? POB with 10 boards and 2 blocks... in the summer league?

All-star

[Sami]

Doug - do you know why the Raps braintrust aren't interested in bringing back Pops? I thought he did a great job last year and brought a lot of rebounding energy to the team. I really like him and think he'd be a nice piece to the puzzle.

Thanks for shedding some light.

Blogger's note: He has no offensive game, he will be 26 when the season begins, he is closer to 6-6 than 6-10, he is a good offensive rebounder and a very average defensive rebounder, he is a tweener who jumps high
He did an okay job in 19 games for a 33-win team

[Sean]

suddenly this team looks like an improved version of the 2007 squad. Jack in place of Ford, Hedo in place of Garbo & if Rasho, and Delfino return its basically the same team + a rookie w/ a bright future.

[Shannon]

"Blogger's note: No, and if he can get $5 million, yes. Ask yourself this: Is Jarrett Jack an average NBA player? The average NBA salary is about $5.9 million per year"

Touche Doug. Touche. If we can get a guy who averages 14, 4 and 3 for less than the average NBA salary it sounds like a good move. You have me convinced :)

[Thane]

Any chance we put JJ as the starting (or primary if we're putting DD to start for a few minutes) 2?

Gives us great positioning in the back court, and would allow Roko to develop better himself (and JJ can backup 1 if DD is having a rough night)

[Mike]

Everyone in Raptorland, you better be following Chris Bosh on twitter. Him and Charlie Villaneuva have a bet on to see who can be the first to 50,000 followers. The loser has be in a youtube of the winner's choice. CV has decided Bosh has to do the Beyonce dance in single ladies, if he wins. I DO NOT WANT to see that, so if your not following Bosh on twitter yet start following him, if you don't have a Twitter account sign up on twitter.com its easy.

I'm looking at you Doug.

Oh ya and unfollow Charlie V.

Click the link and join the cause if your a true raptor supporter, http://twitter.com/chrisbosh.

[Aaron D]

Doug, great job keeping up with the column this far in the summer I admire the dedication you have to your job and the raptors fans all over the country. I love reading the column and comments every day but I wonder if maybe you should have a link to the answers of your most asked questions. (ie MLE, Pops coming back) This way you could direct people to that information and not have to keep answering the same questions over and over again.
On the Raptors I think Colangelo has played off the 2010 FA season well by locking key players up and improving both the talent and league image of this team now while other teams are clearing cap space and not wanting to commit to salary now. These signings will give Bosh a lot to think about come the end of next season and may open some minds around the league if he decides not to re-sign. With Jack on his way to town it looks like all positions would be adequately backed up in the event of injury which has hurt the team the past few years. All I can say is that no matter what happens the rest of the summer I am anxiously awaiting the 2009-10 season to see this team in action.
Keep up the great work.

[jim]

I think Jack would be a fine addition. If the Pacersdecide to match, they would have 5 point guards costing over $22 Million in payroll. Would it then make any sense for BC to offer them Banks and George for Tinsley. Leaving the mle intact to use elsewhere?

Blogger's note: No. There is no way they even sniff at Jamal Tinsley.

[Wayne]

Good solid move by BC Jack will help improve the team for sure ,nice combo guard who is only 25. Then you add Carlos Delfino and that weak bench is not so weak anymore plus you can still add a bargain player or two(Rasho)etc. BC has turned over the roster and is still active give credit to the guy for not sitting on hands this summer.

[Ken]

Doug, can BC still make a run at David Lee? I read that the Knicks may just sign him back to a one year at like 2 Million something. Wouldn't you think Lee is a perfect fit here? He won't need plays run for him and steal anyone's shots. Although he won't block you any shots or get on highlight reels, but he's the type of hardworking, model citizen we love in TO!

Ken

Blogger's note: If Indiana matches in a week and Toronto has some money if they can get David Lee for $2 million something, I will eat my hat

[Mahdi]

I don't want to start believing that this team will compete next season because of the O'neal experiment last season that I got too excited about. We'll see in the fall but you gotta be at least optimistic about the chances of this team being top 4 in the east if majority of them are healthy...

and if you compare our bench last season with this one(which is umcompleted yet....), our current bench would destroy who ever was on that digusting bench that was by far one of the worst in the league, I mean what was bryan thinking last season?

[Mich G.]

Hey Doug,

If the Raps offer 4 years at x amount of dollars, do the Pacers have to match the time and dollars or only the monetary amount?

Thanks, you rock.

Blogger's note: They have to match all the terms of the offer

[Bendit]

Not bad...but imo we still have a lack of "toughness" upfront. When crunch time arrives (last 5 min.) do we have the ability to boxout and rebound and in effect create the stops needed. This is even more important in the playoffs. I know we now have Evans but a Glenn Davis or his type would be nice to have. Dont know that Rasho would provide that

[Joe]

Doug,
Any possibility of moving Banks and that ugly contract? If they get Jack, sign Delfino, and sign Rasho, they'd have:
C: Bargnani, Rasho, O'Bryant
PF: Bosh and Evans
SF: Turkoglu, George, Delfino
SG: Wright, DeRozan, Banks, Douby
PG: Calderon, Jack, Ukic

We should move Banks for a PF. I'd actually take a chance and offer him to Dallas for Kris Humphries, straight up.

[Chris]

Its very doubtful, but would trading Banks for a second rounder be realistic?

Blogger's note: Yes, it would be unrealistic.

[doug]

to people that go on and no about Banks and his contract your losing sight of the big picture...first we had to absorb that contract to move O'Neal get Marion which led to Hedo and these other moves, there all inter-connected..plus Banks contract in terms of the over-all team payroll is not large, and also if you look at our roster that is the one "bad" contract we have as other teams all have 1,2,3 ..look at the Pacers for instance they have 2 for sure maybe 3 (Tinsley,Dunleavy for sure maybe T.J)that add up to over 20 million...plus Banks contract although maybe a liability now becomes a asset in terms of trade value the closer it gets to it's expiration...to buy him out wouldn't be a prudent move, his contract has worth....

[MikeT]

Blogger's note: If Indiana matches in a week and Toronto has some money if they can get David Lee for $2 million something, I will eat my hat

Joe: We should move Banks for a PF. I'd actually take a chance and offer him to Dallas for Kris Humphries, straight up.

Unlikely. I am sure Doug will eat his underpants if BC manages to trade Banks for Humphries.