Washington Wizards brass spent around two hours at the start of free agency meeting with Otto Porter and his agent. Despite the reported urgency by the team, no deal was agreed upon. Now Porter will begin his trip, to find an offer sheet he’s comfortable signing.
Restricted free agent Otto Porter is one of the most discussed and courted non All-Star level players available in the 2017 NBA Free agency. After his breakout year, it appears teams are lining up to sign the 24-year old to an offer sheet, knowing that it is most likely an over pay. But that is the landscape of the current NBA.
It’s a mix of what you’ll be worth in two to four years, combined with your worth compared to similar players who have signed in recent years.
Reports all day Friday indicated the Wizards planned to be “aggressive” in their offer to Porter, but it appears the aggressive approach was not enough.
Told Wizards' meeting with Otto Porter is over. Does not appear they reached agreement tonight. WAS has repeatedly vowed to match any offer.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) July 1, 2017
The Wizards are in sort of a salary cap bind, and are looking to save money and avoid paying too much in luxury tax. Letting Porter meet with other teams, means that the Wizards can match a 4-year offer he will get from another team with a lot of cap space, with a lower annual raise, instead of offering their own 5-year deal.
Expect the offer to come from a team with a young roster, like Brooklyn, Chicago, or Philadelphia. While free agency is a long period, we can expect the offer sheet soon.
Otto Porter will take visits this weekend. Max offers out there 4 RFA. Wiz say they’ll match. If so, not sure why they don’t make deal now.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) July 1, 2017
Considering all the reports of Washington’s desire to match any deal, it is peculiar that the Wizards will let Porter go searching, but it’s certainly not unprecedented. In the summer of 2013, the Utah Jazz didn’t come to an agreement with Gordon Hayward, but pledged to match any offer. He ended up signing an offer sheet in Charlotte, before Utah ultimately matched the 4-year, $63 million contract.
So, instead of crossing off the biggest domino early in the process, to allow for other smaller deals to be had, the Wizards must now wait for the Porter deal to play out. Once Porter signs, the team will have 48 hours to match.
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After all the rumors about Washington attempting to trade Otto Porter for Paul George, it would be a show of good faith if the Wizards could get a deal done quickly. But hey it’s a business, and Otto Porter’s not a businessman, he’s a business man.