Cap room this year?

by BlazerD on Mar 18, 2008 2:48 AM PDT

As things look now, even if Darius' contract comes off the books we still won't have cap room until 2009, when Raef's contract comes off the books. But that might not be the case for long.

I don't know the specific rules regarding this, but I'm sure the NBA wouldn't void a contract of ours (a FA acquisition as a result of freed up cap space) if Darius signed with someone else and his contract came back on our cap space. That contract can't go back on our cap space until he has played 10 minutes in the regular season, so if he goes off the books this summer we have his cap room but if someone signs him and plays him 10 minutes next year we won't have that cap space. This raises the question of why KP made this move now instead of next summer (the evaluation by the doctor usually only takes a few days to complete). I think this to get into the FA class in 2008.

How? We get the $10 million + trade exemption from Golden State that they got in the JRich deal. We give them an expiring contract in Raef plus a nice young player or two and/or picks in exchange for their trade exemption (they can only add cash or picks - no players in a deal involving a trade exemption) and then PRITCHSLAP!!!! we have a ton of cap space this offseason for trades or to sign free agents.

UFA includes Arenas, Marion, Maggette, possibly Baron Davis; RFA include Ellis, Louis Williams, Calderon, Deng and more (of both categories). If we get rid of Raef and a couple more contracts, we might have room for a couple of new contracts.

I personally think we make a major play for Calderon if this scenario plays out but there are many great players out there available this year. Thoughts?

Ooh, just realized that we still have Francis contract on the books so I'm not sure how much room we'll actually have. Might take away all of that "room" I was thinking of. I'm not sure we can do anything about that.

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That is CRAZY!!

Just so crazy it just may work. I can see why there may be some justification to your plan but I see a few holes in it.

The first one is our biggest contract does not come off until 2009 Francis and his $16mill. Second I dont see very many FAs that would suit us well, a young top flite PG or SF, sure Arenas or Magette would be nice but I do not see them fitting our team structure.

IF Miles does come off I say we do the followinf in the next 2 years:

Try to move up into the top 10 and draft a combo guard who can play lights out D, light it up from the 3pt line, run a fast break and bring the ball up to get Roy into the halfcourt set and play off the ball. Hopefully we can hop up to grab Mayo or Gordon and trade Jack to do it, even throw in a few 1st rounders 2009,2010 or 2011. There are just so many good combo gurads in this draft that can play D, we need to get them and get them into the system so they can learn.
Trading Jack will free up PT for Rudy and will keep our options open in 2009 for a run at Chris Paul, (as likely as that may or may not be.)
Keep Webster, Frye, Sergio and McBob and see what we have at the trade deadline Feb 2009, if we think they are worth keeping we can extend them or if not we can move them for an expiring and a few 1st rounders to free up some more cap space and future picks.
Shoot for the moon and hope that Paul is willing to sign with us. Trade our combo guard or drop Blake/Sergio and wait for the championships to start rolling in.

The NBA

Where Kyle Korver happens.

by SpyderRyder on Mar 18, 2008 2:53 AM PDT reply actions

Beat me to it

I was so proud of my idea and then I remembered about Francis. Still may be chance though.

Calderon would be a great fit I believe though obviously CP is much preferred. It just seems like someone would spite our cap plan and sign Darius just to try to keep us down.

by BlazerD on Mar 18, 2008 2:57 AM PDT up reply actions

I don't like

Eric Gordan for our combe guard role. From what I have seen of him, he can't handle the ball like a proper Point guard and he's not a great defender. I'd rather draft Westbrook, at least he can defend.

by VinnyB on Mar 18, 2008 6:16 AM PDT reply actions

Totally agree with this

if we are going to draft someone to be a point guard, it has to be westbrook, I think.

Unless we win the lottery, of course.

by TimG on Mar 18, 2008 9:49 AM PDT up reply actions

10 games...

over 2 years, not 10 mins. :)

by usmcr3049 on Mar 18, 2008 6:42 AM PDT reply actions

Sorry...Wrong Assumptions

First thing: he has to play in 10 games before his old salary is added back to Portland's salary base. And there is a mechanism in the same clause that would allow portland to re-apply for cap relief. If he plays in the NBA next season. portland would still have a chance for cap-space in the 2009 off-season.

Second thing: your trade idea is illegal. A trade exception must cover the entire cost of a player's salary. GS's exception is smaller then Raef's salary so it couldn't be used to aquire Raef. And an exception can't be combined with other exceptions or players in a trade. Raef is the only player right now that portland would be willing to dump for an exception, and no team under the cap would take on Raef's salary just to do portland a favor.

Third thing: Even if Portland entered the off-season with a TPE it can only be used for one thing and that is a trade. It can't be combined with exceptions or players. It must cover the entire salary of the aquired player(s). And it is not cap space, only an exception. A free agent can't be signed using the exception.

by moldorf on Mar 18, 2008 10:40 AM PDT reply actions

I don't think we will do this

I think this off season will see one or two players traded, Rudy will come over, a 1st rounder, hopefully a defensive PG, and Oden.

watch and dream
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnHYshO_qiY&feature=related

by usmcr3049 on Mar 18, 2008 11:15 AM PDT reply actions

Trade exemption

I believe you can make a trade for an exemption and the salaries only have to be within 25%. That means we could trade salary for an exemption and then have some cap space. The whole point of a trade exemption is to send out more salary then you take back. So Raef's contract would have to be within 25% of what their exemption is.

Either way, it was just an idea I threw out there... Certainly not "probable".

by BlazerD on Mar 18, 2008 11:21 AM PDT reply actions

Incorrect

When you make a trade and are over the cap, you have to use an exception. 99% of the time, teams use the 'Traded Player Exception' which says you can do one of two things:

At the same time that you send out your player(s), you can take back 125%+$100,000 of the outgoing salary in incoming players.
You can take back the same amount of salary +$100,000 up to one year later.

What is commonly known as a 'Trade Exception' is just a team using #2.

In other words, you can't use both clauses of the trade rule at the same time. Either you take back 125%+$100,000 immediately or you get a year to take back the same salary+$100,000. One or the other - never both.

by Storyteller on Mar 18, 2008 5:40 PM PDT up reply actions