Dealing with AK's contract: Unconventional Solutions for make benefit of great communist recreation ball player

Over the last few days, there's been much hullabaloo made over the increasingly bizarre contract dispute between the Utah Jazz and Andrei Kirilenko (and yes this entire sentence was constructed just so I could use the word hullabaloo, don't pretend you weren't impressed). The most newsworthy blast was made by Kirilenko (right, contritely eating his cereal like a good boy), when he stated that he'd be willing to give up the entire balance of his $63 million contract over the next four years in exchange for freedom from the team. To put that in perspective, that's approximately 7,884,856 Russian pulp novels worth of cash. Kirilenko's "threat" to agree to invalidate his contract entirely combined with an actual implied promise of a training camp holdout has left much of the national basketball media scrambling for an answer to how the Jazz plan to deal with their disgruntled former all-star.

Unsurprisingly, given the identity of the team involved, most of the reporting coverage has been dedicated to very conventional solutions that only the most unimaginative of GMs would seriously consider as an A-strategy. Furthermore, the coverage seems to make the (faulty) assumption that AK holds all the bargaining chips in this situation even though he's the one contractually bound to play for the Jazz and has little recourse for playing overseas given that FIBA honors NBA contracts. To that end, after summarizing the most commonly advocated strategies by most of the basketball media for dealing with AK (and explaining why they suck), we investigate some actually novel and interesting strategies the Jazz could pursue for either making Kirilenko honor his contract and play hard or for getting top value for him if the Jazz feel they must export the Russian Rifle.

Conventional (i.e. Boring) Strategies:

1. Make the classic panic trade after a public player demand to leave the team:

Let's just set aside the fact that the panic trade pretty much never works out for the team trying to get rid of the disgruntled star for a moment and examine exactly what deals have been bandied about in the media recently. After a close look it becomes apparent all possible deals are either wholly unrealistic or consist of a classic "one dollar for 3 quarters" trade.

One popular rumor featured the Jazz trading AK to Phoenix for Shawn Marion. Another popular, and just as likely, rumor features the Loch Ness Monster inhabiting a Scottish lake. You know, unless Robert Sarver feels like starting a riot in Phoenix just for kicks.

Another rumor features the Jazz getting Lamar Odom in return for shipping our favorite spiky-haired pinko to Los Angeles. Somehow I don't think that's the sort of help that Kobe Bryant was looking for. Also, I'm sure the Jazz need another power forward.

Finally, Henry Abbott at True Hoop proposed what was essentially an Andrei Kirilenko swap to Portland for Jarrett Jack, Raef Lafrentz, and Channing Frye. In completely unrelated news it's been alleged that Henry Abbott is a Portland Trailblazers fan. I'm just stunned he didn't try to trade us Greg Oden's knee in exchange for Carlos Boozer. Although as an added bonus, I'm sure Kevin O'Connor really thinks we need another guard right now.

Let's be honest guys, with every repeated trade request, and as GM's smell blood in the water around a desperate organization it is far more likely we're going to get this guy than anyone that's actually useful:

On the positive side, Matt Harpring would finally have someone to accompany him to the bathroom and help him powder his nose. While female fans would love this, I can't imagine any situation that would make me more unhappy.

2. Eat the Contract:

Some are advocating that the Jazz take Andrei Kirilenko up on his offer to cancel the contract in its entirety. The idea being that this would generate massive salary cap room so the Jazz could sign someone else immediately. The only problem with this idea: there's no one really out there to sign right now because the Jazz have missed the free agent boat by about 2 months. Unless of course the Jazz wanted to sign Roger Powell Jr. in an effort to win back those Illinois fans they alienated by cutting Dee Brown (by the way, good luck in Turkey Dee. I hear they only throw batteries at the players there about 50% of the time). Roger Powell Jr. has been tearing up the Developmental League; of course so has Randy Livingston so take that for what it's worth. So while we get Roger Powell Jr. another team would get to pick up Andrei Kirilenko at a discount rate. This sounds like a great deal for the Jazz.

The most interesting thing about the invalidate the contract idea is that the only real precedent over the last several years is the Derek Fisher contract cancellation earlier this summer, which was undertaken supposedly due to special circumstances. Of course if Kirilenko wants to give up that kind of cash, a completely unprecedented move, the Player's Association might have something to say about that. Of course, we all know who the president of the Player's Association is.

3. Wait it Out:

We all know how well this is working out for the Lakers with regards to Kobe's on-again off-again trade demands. Also, I can think of all sorts of teams that have performed well during an ongoing contract dispute with its highest paid player. That's a sure-fire recipe for success following our run to the Western Conference finals. I can't think of a more fool-proof strategy.

So our options are trade for some crappy player who has a similarly bloated contract (or the refuse left in Henry Abbott's sink in the morning), give another team a huge boon in Andrei Kirilenko while we get back nothing, or create season long controversy immediately. I'm sure thrilled with those options, aren't you? Here's some alternatives:

Unconventional Strategies:

1. If Kirilenko leaves, make him sign a non-competition agreement:

This option has only been discussed tangentially (I've seen exactly two sentences about it in one SLTrib Blog Entry) in the media. The idea is simple: if the Jazz really want to just get the whole situation over with immediately by invalidating Kirilenko's contract they should get rid of some of the sting by ensuring that he doesn't sign with a rival and proceed to burn them between 2-4 times a year plus the playoffs. Thus, as part of the buy-out agreement the team would force AK to agree not to sign with another NBA team for a specified number of years (presumably 4 given that's the length of his current contract with the Jazz), and would gain a functional guarantee that he's banished to Siberia for the foreseeable future.

My reading of the CBA and Larry Coon's CBA FAQ indicates there is no explicit prohibition on the Jazz including such a non-competition agreement. Of course there's nothing saying it's kosher either. That lands this idea in questionable territory, although someone would actually have to protest it in order for its potential invalidity to mean anything. It's a good thing we've established so much goodwill with the president of the Player's Association right?

Pros: Jazz prevent the messy contract situation from benefiting a rival team.

Cons: Jazz still receive no compensation for their former all-star.

2. Use the big bargaining chip: Olympic play

It's no secret that AK played with a renewed fervor during the recently concluded Eurobasket 2007 tournament, where he was named MVP. In fact, AK has made several statements after that tournament indicating that playing for the Russian national team and representing his country is extremely important to him. Funny, I think getting high value out of his $63 million investment is probably important to Larry Miller. This might give Larry some leverage.

Unfortunately Kirilenko isn't allowed to play for the national team unless Larry gives him the ok because of his current contract with the Jazz. How do you think AK would react if Larry told him in no uncertain terms "Shut up, show up to training camp, play hard, and stay after practice to keep Jerry and Deron Williams happy or else I'm not signing your permission slip to Beijing." Bad PR move in Russia for the Jazz owner? Probably. I'm thinking the cossacks don't have all that many season tickets though. This has thus far been a severely overlooked and powerful bargaining chip in the Jazz's pocket.

Pros: AK sticks around and plays out the season; Larry Miller gag order largely removes team distraction.

Cons: Potential nuclear conflict with Russia; Possibility that Andrei Kirilenko doesn't really care about playing for the national team so threats of holding him out of the Olympics rings hollow.

3. Convert AK into different highly tradable assets:

There are still a handful of mid-value free agents out on the market (think Sasha Pavlovic, Chris Webber, and Anderson Varejao) looking for a home and who's former team is eligible to include them in a sign and trade deal.

The last few years should have taught us all one thing: First round draft picks and expiring contracts are gold in the current NBA trade market.

The Jazz could offer a team with an unsigned free agent Andrei Kirilenko straight up in exchange for a highly value inflated expiring contract and one or more first round draft picks. Under this scenario, the (just as one example) Cleveland Cavaliers would agree to a sign and trade deal with Sasha Pavlovic for $39 million for three seasons with a team option after the first year and trade him and a first round draft pick to the Jazz in exchange for Andrei Kirilenko. The only reason Pavlovic's deal is for three years is because the NBA CBA requires sign and trade deals to be at least three years in length but only the first year must be guaranteed. Presumably Pavlovic would understand that he's in effect signing a one year deal for $13 million.

After this deal went down the Cavaliers would have the current Eurobasket 2007 MVP in exchange for only a role player and a draft pick, the Jazz would have two highly tradable and valuable assets in exchange for Kirilenko and potential salary cap flexibility next off-season, and Sasha Pavlovic would get $13 million for playing the shell game and unrestricted free agency next off-season. I'm guessing any current free agent would agree to such a ludicrously enriching scheme.

Pros: Jazz get flexibility and assets; smile put on face of relatively crappy player; draft picks likely in the mid-to-late first round.

Cons: Kirilenko employed by another NBA team, presumably a contender willing to part with first round draft picks; Jazz would inevitably use the assets to acquire Aaron Gray.