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Masai Ujiri doesn't play around.
The price?
A cool 13 Mill.
At face value, yep, $13M is a lot of money for a back-up point guard. Vasquez' reported deal (which has since been confirmed by a few other journalists) means he'll actually make more money next season, than Kyle Lowry did last year.
It's enough loot too that the Dinos likely lose the mid-level exception as while the club is over the salary cap (thus triggering the exception), the full mid would likely put them over the luxury tax threshold, something I'm betting MLSE wants to avoid unless they've got an NBA title on lockdown.
However it's hard to get too bent out of shape with this signing.
For one, it's a two year deal meaning the pain will be short-lived. (And as Scott Carefoot and Zach Lowe noted on Twitter, wraps up just around the time Vasquez' good buddy, Mr. Durant, hits the free-agent market.) I'd much rather take two years of Vasquez at that price, than three or four at just a bit less.
Secondly, Vasquez isn't simply a run-of-the-mill back-up. He's likely a top three back-up option in the league, plus, he played very well beside Kyle Lowry last season, so will be backing up the shooting guard spot as well at times.
And oh yeah, Mr. Lowry. While last year Lowry was the club's MVP, he hasn't always operated at peak efficiency during his NBA career, and he's been prone to bumps and bruises due to his playing style. So having a competent back-up was a must, and Vasquez certainly provides that.
Finally, the Vasquez inking means the Dinos keep that stellar chemistry from last season's playoff run virtually intact, putting the club on a nice footing to start the 2014-15 campaign. Masai Ujiri promised this would be the case, and indeed, he delivered.
Now, before we all go back to refreshing Twitter to see what LeBron James had for a late-night snack, we want to hear your take on the deal in our poll question and comments below. Love it, hate it, give us your thoughts.