Everything Derozan

[Barolt]

If that was the case then people wouldn't be as surprised. People also wouldn't turn this into "its DeMar looking to squeeze more money out the Raptors." as some have.

I'm not surprised. But I do think leaking things to the media is an effective negotiating strategy.

Whether he intends to return or not, not taking meetings with other teams and choosing to leak that is a negotiating strategy. If his agent isn't actively trying to make DeMar as much money as he can in the next month, he isn't doing his job.

Anyone who's ever been part of any public contract negotiation knows that how you handle the media is just as much a part of negotiation as what is actually being said in the room. The court of public perception is an important aspect.

If DeMar's people weren't trying to 'handle the media', they just wouldn't be talking to the media.

[Chr1s1anL]

I'm not surprised. But I do think leaking things to the media is an effective negotiating strategy.

Whether he intends to return or not, not taking meetings with other teams and choosing to leak that is a negotiating strategy. If his agent isn't actively trying to make DeMar as much money as he can in the next month, he isn't doing his job.

Anyone who's ever been part of any public contract negotiation knows that how you handle the media is just as much a part of negotiation as what is actually being said in the room. The court of public perception is an important aspect.

If DeMar's people weren't trying to 'handle the media', they just wouldn't be talking to the media.

So you know for a fact that DeMar's agent leaked that?

[Barolt]

So you know for a fact that DeMar's agent leaked that?

Who else would have?

I'm being serious. Who else had any reason to leak that information?

[Miekenstien]

Who else would have?

I'm being serious. Who else had any reason to leak that information?

it could have been people calling demars agent to book meetings. he isn't chop liver where gms would just not inquire until durant made a decision. it doesn't necessarily have to have been demar or his agent.

it doesn't matter who said it. it means that both sides are going to get it done. i don't agree with abbas's numbers but the idea that this thing is basically a formality waiting period now is totally believable to me.

[Barolt]

it could have been people calling demars agent to book meetings. he isn't chop liver where gms would just not inquire until durant made a decision. it doesn't necessarily have to have been demar or his agent.

it doesn't matter who said it. it means that both sides are going to get it done. i don't agree with abbas's numbers but the idea that this thing is basically a formality waiting period now is totally believable to me.

But if a team calls DeMar's agent for a meeting and gets declined, that doesn't mean he isn't taking meetings with any team, just means he's not taking them with that team. And again, why would a team every leak that a free agent didn't want to meet with them?

[Miekenstien]

But if a team calls DeMar's agent for a meeting and gets declined, that doesn't mean he isn't taking meetings with any team, just means he's not taking them with that team. And again, why would a team every leak that a free agent didn't want to meet with them?

enough people call right? other teams will start talking and figure it out for themselves as well. then it is out and about, beat writer hears through a source, boom internet.

kinda double sided talking about how upstanding demar is and then linking him to trying to manipulate the media for negotiating leverage. not that that is what you specifically are doing. just people in general, right. either you think someone is an upstanding loyal guy or he is a guy you could see doing some shit.

[Barolt]

enough people call right? other teams will start talking and figure it out for themselves as well. then it is out and about, beat writer hears through a source, boom internet.

kinda double sided talking about how upstanding demar is and then linking him to trying to manipulate the media for negotiating leverage. not that that is what you specifically are doing. just people in general, right. either you think someone is an upstanding loyal guy or he is a guy you could see doing some shit.

DeMar is an upstanding guy. But manipulating the media for negotiating leverage is smart. Honestly, if that's what he's doing I'm really impressed with his agent, because I think it's a brilliant move.

[DanH]

But if a team calls DeMar's agent for a meeting and gets declined, that doesn't mean he isn't taking meetings with any team, just means he's not taking them with that team. And again, why would a team every leak that a free agent didn't want to meet with them?

Or the agent tells the first team to call that DeMar is not taking meetings with anyone.

Not all leaks are intentional. Most teams don't have an air-tight front office like Toronto. Odds are most leaks are not desired or part of a strategy.

[Barolt]

Or the agent tells the first team to call that DeMar is not taking meetings with anyone.

Not all leaks are intentional. Most teams don't have an air-tight front office like Toronto. Odds are most leaks are not desired or part of a strategy.

That's fair. All I'm saying is that if this is intentional strategy, it's a very, very good one.

Honestly, the posts about that were admiration on my part. I've been involved in public negotiations before, and people with great media strategies usually win.

[DanH]

That's fair. All I'm saying is that if this is intentional strategy, it's a very, very good one.

Honestly, the posts about that were admiration on my part. I've been involved in public negotiations before, and people with great media strategies usually win.

Sure. But Occam's Razor here - simplest answer is that DeMar really is just taking meetings with us with every intention of re-signing, at some value that's already almost certainly been measured out by both sides give or take some small negotiating.

[Barolt]

Sure. But Occam's Razor here - simplest answer is that DeMar really is just taking meetings with us with every intention of re-signing, at some value that's already almost certainly been measured out by both sides give or take some small negotiating.

I do have to say though, I find it somewhat interesting that both sides have slightly hedged(assuming this came from DeMar's side).

During Masai's end of season presser he said that he wanted to bring DeMar back, but some of his comments were to the effect of it not being a sure thing. And in this release, it said he would only take meetings with other teams if talks with the Raptors fell apart.

There's at least some ambiguity there.

[DanH]

I do have to say though, I find it somewhat interesting that both sides have slightly hedged(assuming this came from DeMar's side).

During Masai's end of season presser he said that he wanted to bring DeMar back, but some of his comments were to the effect of it not being a sure thing. And in this release, it said he would only take meetings with other teams if talks with the Raptors fell apart.

There's at least some ambiguity there.

Sure. There's ambiguity. But short of already having signed an extension, I can't recall another free agent having this little ambiguity in their comments. This is orders of magnitude less ambiguity than is typical.

[Barolt]

Sure. There's ambiguity. But short of already having signed an extension, I can't recall another free agent having this little ambiguity in their comments. This is orders of magnitude less ambiguity than is typical.

I'd point out the Marc Gasol negotiations, when there was no mention of other teams or things not working out at all in the comments prior to him signing.

[DanH]

I'd point out the Marc Gasol negotiations, when there was no mention of other teams or things not working out at all in the comments prior to him signing.

Good example, might be the only one, and of course it resulted in Gasol re-signing...

[Barolt]

Good example, might be the only one, and of course it resulted in Gasol re-signing...

Yeah, and again, I'm not saying there's anything to any of this. I'm still expecting DeMar back.

I just read into the leak possible media strategy, and posted speculation about it here. If I was sure it was real noise I would've posted it elsewhere and turned it into an article, rather than idly speculating here.

Regardless of strategy or not, this plays very well for the DeMar camp. If he re-signs with Toronto, he looks loyal, if he doesn't, it looks like Masai failed to bring it home, not that DeMar wasn't loyal. It basically puts all the burden on Masai and takes pressure off DeMar, even if that isn't intentional.