Agent: No Progress In Jrue Holiday Contract Talks
By Spike Eskin
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Jrue Holiday can become a restricted free-agent at the end of the 2012-13 season. The Sixers can prevent that by giving him a contract extension before 5pm on Wednesday. Indications are you can count on the former scenario rather than the latter.
"We've had conversations, but I don't feel like any progress has been made," Tony Dutt, Jrue Holiday's agent, told USA Today Sports on Monday of the talks with the Sixers. "We haven't talked in a while."
There were reports during the offseason that Jrue Holiday would be seeking a "max" contract extension from the Sixers. Holiday said later that he wants to be a "Sixer for life."
The Sixers can offer Holiday a five year contract before Wednesday's deadline, worth an average of $12.9 million per year. Holiday will earn $2.6 million this season in the final year of his rookie contract.
As a restricted free-agent, the Sixers would be able to match any contract offer given to Holiday after the season. It will likely be one of two big decisions the Sixers will need to make with current players, with Andrew Bynum having the ability to be an unrestricted free-agent after this season. Dorell Wright and Nick Young will be free-agents after the 12-13 season, but will not command the sort of contract that Holiday or Bynum will.
The Sixers picked up the 12-13 option on Evan Turner's contract last week.
