It's actually not a bad suggestion. "Go Fund Me" Randle Fan Club could be a sponsor.

Still need to be under the salary cap of course, but 1,000 fans with $50 each means $50,000.

I'ld chip in $50 (min) as well.

Doesn't have to be under the salary cap if they label him as their marquee player.

Randle's management has put an offer to the 36ers which the club board only needs to sign off.

"We have a meeting in the morning and retaining Jerome is a priority," 36ers general manager Guy Hedderwick said.


“We get that done and Joey (Wright) can set about organising the rest of his team.”

Like all of the 36ers’ fanbase, Hedderwick is anxious to get the Randle deal done before he departs in the afternoon.

Is there a marquee player rule for the NBL?

"Randle's management has put an offer to the 36ers..."

Is that how it normally works, shouldn't clubs be putting offers out to players?

I reckon he'll sign with Melbourne United.They have the $$$$....

Randle's agent named a price and they are holding a meeting now discussing. Make or break time for Hedderwick.

But to get back on track I would be happy to put up $50

Wilson Sting: It all depends how aggressive his manager is Im guessing. Randle is hot property in the NBL which basically means his manager would be crazy not to seek the highest dollar for his player, whether than be facing 36ers against United/other for his services.

His media profile is also huge at the moment (and with good reason) so Im guessing his manager can use that as leverage also. The same thing that attracted Adelaide fans to games he was in, would attract Melbourne fans, would attract Brisbane fans and so on.

I'm in and would happily chip in $50 to keep the great man.

Ideally you would want to sign him before you release your membership packages for next season!

I think Randle's (agents) offer is inclusive of more than 1 year..

Could do something similar to a few years back where they put your name on the jersey for a price.

Could charge $200 bucks for a special "sponsors" jersey or something....

Melbourne's offer is supposedly 4x what the league MVP would probably be getting paid this year. Let's hope Randle really likes playing for Joey.

And I doubt crowd funding would get even 10% of what they might need. If you want to keep the club financial, there are countless ways you can throw money at them.

Or countless things they could've done this season to win over more fans.

Isaac, I would assume, possibly incorrectly, that Lisch would have been on around $200k?

By that math, United are offering Randle around $800k per year? Surely that,s way off?

If that's the case Isaac and Adelaide have an offer put to them obviously it is about more than money for Randle?!

The point of a salary cap is league equality and to ensure teams can be competitive, it's a bit of a joke if United can just buy whomever they want.

I think Crowd funding is a brilliant idea though, especially with how popular Randle is, I think you could get $100k and that would help the 36ers massively

Someone start it then.

I think the 36ers would have to start it

Im just going by what i can read from the way Boti has been reporting but it does seem as if the Randle party is prepared to be pretty fair and reasonable if it's true what Melbourne are offering. Would still be a fairly high price for the club to come up with though it seems.

800k is ridiculous so who could blame him for taking it if that was true.

I get the vibe that they're going to get it done though.

You would barely crack 20k crowdfunding for Basketball in Adelaide. Nice idea but sadly the people who pack the Arena every game to see him play aren't necessarily the ones in a position (or inclination) to pony up.

Could some kind of a package deal be done between some sponsors? e.g. a few businesses band together to pony up the cash, and maybe in exchange his contract stipulates he needs to do a couple of endorsements over the course of the season or something.

"I came back to Adelaide to finish something.......this delicious carton of Farmers Union Strong Iced Coffee *chug*"

You know what, i think you'd be surprised though. Pushing hard through facebook etc. you could get people, particularly the 20-30 year olds who don't go to many 36ers but who love Randle and hear about him a lot would be willing to chip in $10.

It's not out of the question getting 10,000 odd Adelaideans putting in on average $10. $100-120k on top of the 36ers money and any sponsor gained could be a persuasive difference for Randle to stay here instead of heading to Melbs.

Had confirmation from Boti that we will have a good idea by the end of the day if we will be getting Randle or not.

Hopefully it's more exciting that the trade deadline....

If you increase memberships by $20 (an extra $1.35 per game) and you get 5,000 members you have an additional $100K - it is reasonable and possible.

Imports aren't usually this upfront and active, usually they delay, force long negotiations, wait for other opportunities, demand a lot.

It seems like Randle has made it clear he likes Adelaide, he's got a figure he wants, he's up front about it, and wants a deal done quickly.

This is great from the aspect he doesn't want to mess about, he doesn't want to screw with the organisation. He can't be blamed for demanding a fair amount if Melbs are offering $$$ so it becomes an easy situation, either Adelaide coughs up whatever figure he decided is worth staying here (which he has told the 36ers this is what I want), or he'll go to Melbs or elsewhere.

Randle just keeps gaining respect.

With the crowd funding, it's a pledge and only goes out of the bank account if it's used. I think the 36ers should absolutely do it, even if they somehow can afford what Randle wants, it gives them a bit of financial relief. And getting money for Randle would be one of the easier ways to drum up mass funding and support.

Why not?

Hell you guys are loving in dream land, if you think anyone on Adelaide would throw 50 dollars just to keep randle at the 36ers tour kidding your selves. Yeah people on this site say they will, but the average joe will just scoff at the suggestion of a pro team begging for money, it's a bit sad honestly!

KET, agree about Randle.

These guys only have a short career so they have to make what they can. Seems like he is giving Adelaide the first option and giving them every opportunity to make it happen or plenty of time to work out the roster if they can't come to terms. Can't ask for much more than that!

Randle to United? Goulding to Brisbane? Rumours or facts?

Randle and Goulding couldn't play nicely together on the same team. Each needs the ball in their hands too much.

Sell the score cube and pay for Randle. I'd rather watch him than have stats and replays available at the game!

I would love it if Jerome stays in Adelaide but under current circumstances why would I donate $50 when I can only see him at home games.

With decent free to air I would find $50 happily.

Larry can go screw himself with his NBL "Aspire" bullshit double standards.

Do you only care about results of home games?

Why is $50 the figure anyway? Some people may donate a tenner, some a fiver, some $20, some stronger fans a $50.Some little businesses might put in a few hundred

Now that Nike has dumped Manny Pacquiao, perhaps Adelaide could approach them about being a player sponsor.

Randle isn't the right fit for UTD as long as Goulding's there.

Randle worked when he was sharing a back court alongside lesser lights like Gibson, Teys and Sobey. Role players. Guys who don't put up lots of shots.

Isaac, I would assume, possibly incorrectly, that Lisch would have been on around $200k?

If that's the case Isaac and Adelaide have an offer put to them obviously it is about more than money for Randle?!

Yes, I imagine you're off the mark. Consider that Lisch approached Sydney, was rebuffed

People are acting like there is a dark cloud over the situation. I think you can consider the deal done and they're just going over the formalities. Chill out. Relax. Keep your money in your pockets. I am 95% sure Jerome Randle will be an Adelaide 36er next year, provided for some reason the NBA doesn't come knocking.

I actually think it's a good idea though. With cult type situations (such as cult movies) it's possible to get some pretty decent funding through this method. I've been thinking about this of late.

The 36ers can't just say "give us money" because people won't just donate for any old reason or be motivated, but with Randle becoming that kind of cult hero status and creating that interest and momentum, it's a good way of generating funds, if anything so they can direct the money they would have given to Randle, elsewhere to another player or to simply paying off some debts.

There are a fair amount of people who aren't necessarily big 36ers fans but are interested in sports generally and therefore a fair bit of NBA and which gets their interest in basketball and then hear about the Randle bandwagon and 36ers success and gain a little bit of interest in that. Plenty of young professionals in this area in particular, these people might not go to 36ers games all that regularly, maybe once every few years, but they'd be willing to chuck a tenner in.

The only thing is whether Randle would be happy about this, it seems somewhat charitable in a way.

Interesting thought though, why do we need to match any other clubs offers. He himself has said he hasn't loved the game for some time until coming to Adelaide. Clearly the city and coaching have had the biggest impact on his game in some years, and he could very well go elsewhere and flop as a result of not having that combination anymore. Sell him on a long term contract at less money, but assurances to chase up private sponsorship for himself to make up for the loss in income from the contract, and also try to surround him with business minded individuals like Childress has in Sydney. If he decides to think short term, then probably can get a similar impact player elsewhere

Ricey, don't think we are matching another team's offer. AFAIK he has stipulated what he wants to come back to the 6ers which is less than he has supposedly been offered by Melbourne. I did read that he doesn't want a 1 year deal either.

"Interesting thought though, why do we need to match any other clubs offers."

If he really wants to stay, he'd probably stay for less than he could get elsewhere. But if one team had (purely hypothetical) $500k on the table and we are at say $300k, that's a big difference. Loyalty goes a certain distance, but end of the day, it's still his job.

No, they wouldn't be matching offers. There might still be a $100k+ gap even.

A gap which mayyyy be able to be made up through crowd funding ;)

No, I'm saying they probably don't have to make up that gap. Just get him over the line.

Boti says they need to do it before he leaves for Lithuania.

Really, they should be locking him in and then starting earlybird season ticket renewals to get fans locked in. Season ticket sales - that's crowd funding.

Unless Boti knows something we don't know, that article seems a bit unfair.
We either can afford him, or we can't. You'd have to assume that if we can afford him, and he wants to play here, which it sounds like he does, we will sign him. So, if we are in a position where we need to be thinking about it and weighing up our options, that suggests that it's not that simple.
We don't want a Brian Goorjian situation, where we have a great team one year and splash out to try get a Championship, then don't exist the next year because we've gone bankrupt.

If you hit a paywall on a news website, just google the headline. It bypasses it.

If you can afford Randle this year, why can't you afford him next year. Sixers had an ok year for them so shouldn't have receded financially.

Boti said there will be an announcement in the paper tomorrow

Drop Adam Gibson, who seems to be on vacation last two years, and you will have no problem funding a good team.

"If you can afford Randle this year, why can't you afford him next year. Sixers had an ok year for them so shouldn't have receded financially."

Because at the start of the season he was a sub-6 foot point guard who was a complete unknown to our league, who had a good video, but so does every import that joins the league.
Now he's a fan voted MVP who has dominated the league for a season and is a proven match winner.

I'm still backing the idea

"Because at the start of the season he was a sub-6 foot point guard who was a complete unknown to our league, who had a good video, but so does every import that joins the league.
Now he's a fan voted MVP who has dominated the league for a season and is a proven match winner."

Are you implying he will demand more money? As somebody who arrived here unknown and not liking basketball to leaving in love with the game again and the nominal mayor of Adelaide, why would he demand more money? The love from the people should be enough unless he's one of those selfish little bastards who is not as lovable as his image projects. Every imports agent will, after some on court success, say there's offers from rival clubs in Aus and wherever their imagination takes them.

How about a hunger strike until he resigns?

Adelaide, apart from Randle, stuck massively this season. Randle stands out because nobody else could score. They need to concentrate on building a team, not buying a single super-star.
The concept is commonly referred to as "money-ball."
Put simply, if you have a limited budget compared to your competitors, you need to hunt for bargains, and in effect try to get 80% of the player, for 50% of the money. Blowing your budget on a single player, especially a midget who can't play D, is a recipe for ruin.

The additional problem, is that when you're repeatedly telling your other players that you can't afford to pay them what they're worth, splashing out paying one player mega-bucks will generate a lot of disharmony.

Are you implying he will demand more money? As somebody who arrived here unknown and not liking basketball to leaving in love with the game again and the nominal mayor of Adelaide, why would he demand more money?

Do Sixer fans really think the organisation has no pride or no shame?

Cyber begging to pay for players is what the organisation is reduced to is a frightening state of affairs.

Do you really want the Sixers to be the laughing stock of the League?

In practical terms, how do you structure a deal to Randle based on the future remittance of Cyber Begging?

If I were the Agent, I'd consult Randle to stay away from an organisation that has to do this to afford his services.