The Lockout has arrived.
- Thread starter rainmaker
- Start date
bajaden
Hall of Famer
There are plenty of unused one's walking around!
Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
Just heard the same thing from a source that ought to know. Could it finally be?
bajaden
Hall of Famer
Just heard the same thing from Wojo. I'm holding my breath!!
Dime Dropper
All-Star
YES!!!!!!!!!!!! I've been eagerly checking twitter first thing every morning awaiting this news. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it. This has to pass the vote, so excited for the action to start!
Trueblood
Bench
Howard to the Lakers can't happen unless they make a trade this year and in that case, the Magic would be getting someone like Gasol and/or Bynum in return. It can't happen in the offseason because the new rules won't allow for tax teams to do sign and trades so that eliminates both the Lakers and Magic plus the Lakers won't have enough cap space to sign him outright.
OTOH, the Clippers and Nets will both have sufficient cap space to sign him outright so if he desires a glamorous market with up and coming teams, he will have no problem in the off season.
rainmaker
Hall of Famer
On the mid level:
Sounds great for the players, right? Here’s the rub: If you use the full mid-level to get to or approach that barrier looming $4 million over the tax line, you cannot cross it by re-signing your own free agents via Larry Bird Rights. You can cross it to sign rookies or guys on veteran minimum contracts. Let’s use a real world example: The Celtics have about $66 million in salary committed to seven players next season, putting them about $4 million under last year’s tax line of $70.3 million, which we’ll use as a projected tax level for the upcoming season. Using the full mid-level on, say, Jason Richardson, would take the Celtics’ payroll to $71 million–over the tax line. Under the owners’ old proposal, Boston would have thus been prohibited from using the full mid-level
Sounds great for the players, right? Here’s the rub: If you use the full mid-level to get to or approach that barrier looming $4 million over the tax line, you cannot cross it by re-signing your own free agents via Larry Bird Rights. You can cross it to sign rookies or guys on veteran minimum contracts. Let’s use a real world example: The Celtics have about $66 million in salary committed to seven players next season, putting them about $4 million under last year’s tax line of $70.3 million, which we’ll use as a projected tax level for the upcoming season. Using the full mid-level on, say, Jason Richardson, would take the Celtics’ payroll to $71 million–over the tax line. Under the owners’ old proposal, Boston would have thus been prohibited from using the full mid-level
Trueblood
Bench
Even worse, using the mid level would prohibit them from signing Big Baby and Jeff Green. The MLE now makes the luxury tax a hard cap of sorts. If you want to avoid being limited by a hard cap/lux tax line, you better not use the MLE unless you have no interest in your own free agents. If I'm Boston, I take care of Green and Davis, sign my rookies and then get the best minimum salary players that I can.
Vlade4GM
All-Star
That's what I always expected to be the case anyway. I think the package the Lakers would try to sell the Magic would be Bynum, Odom, and picks. Definitely a crappy deal for the Magic, but it may be something they settle for if Howard starts demanding a trade to the Lakers. The reality that sets in for the Magic if they start to realize that they're going to lose him, is that they're done, and that means they have to shed salary and start over. The Lakers' package doesn't do that for them, the only way a Lakers' package could do that for them is if they work in another team.
I don't see the Clippers as much of a possibility for Howard, they have a nice nucleus, but don't overlook the reality that Sterling has a horrible reputation among players. I would never sign with that douchebag if I were in Howard's shoes.
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bajaden
Hall of Famer
I have no idea where Howard will end up. He's stated that he's not totally opposed to staying with the Magic. However, if Orlando wants to start over, and at this point, it might be the way to go, then they should go with younger players in a trade of Howard. So personally, I'd skip dealing with the Lakers. They're picks are at the bottom of the draft, Odom, while still a good player, is no spring chicken, and Bynum is injured as often as he plays. Not to mention, your bringing back equal amounts of salary, which restricts your abilities in the freeagent market.
Instead I'd try and deal with a team that can absorb salary, and at the same time offer better draft picks, and perhaps a young talented player of two. Doing that, along with using the amnesty clause could put the Magic quickly back on the road to success. Of course you'll need Howards approval if your going to sign and trade him, but there are up and coming teams out there, like the Thunder or Memphis, or, Ahem, the Kings that might be able to convince him to come. I'm still not trading Cousins for him though.
Instead I'd try and deal with a team that can absorb salary, and at the same time offer better draft picks, and perhaps a young talented player of two. Doing that, along with using the amnesty clause could put the Magic quickly back on the road to success. Of course you'll need Howards approval if your going to sign and trade him, but there are up and coming teams out there, like the Thunder or Memphis, or, Ahem, the Kings that might be able to convince him to come. I'm still not trading Cousins for him though.
Vlade4GM
All-Star
It goes without saying that the Lakers' deal would be far less than ideal for the magic, but if Howard badly wants to go to the Lakers, he can threaten the Magic to trade him there or lose him to some other team in free agency. At that point, the Magic would have to decide between taking the Lakers' pittance, or losing him for just cap space + plus whatever they could possibly get in LeBron/Bosh type sign and trades. With all that being said, Howard may not even be considering doing that at all, and this is all moot.
If he wants to go, I'd guess that he'll do it the Garnett way, rather than the Carmelo way.
If he wants to go, I'd guess that he'll do it the Garnett way, rather than the Carmelo way.
Trueblood
Bench
I still see some bad blood between the Magic and Lakers that go back to when Shaq left them high and dry. I don't think and am hoping that I'm right, that the Magic will help them out. They may decide that a Brooke Lopez, Anthony Morrow and a draft pick would be the better way to go. Or like you said, just make the most out of the cap space coming their way if Howard were to indeed bolt for nothing in return.
Vlade4GM
All-Star
However they do it, if they lose Howard, they better get ready to send Pat Williams to every draft lottery, because they're going need a lot of luck to get back on their feet.
bajaden
Hall of Famer
Actually, I was wondering if we could borrow him........
MassachusettsKingsFan
All-Star
Well, based on what Im reading ... if the Heat want Dalembert, the Heat will get Dalembert.
est.1999
Starter
How so? I thought they can only offer a mini MLE; am I wrong?
rainmaker
Hall of Famer
Looks like teams can offer the full mid level as long as it doesn't take their total salary more then 4M over the tax line. Mia is at 65-66M now, I think, so eventhough the full mid level would take them over the tax line(around 70M), it would not take them 4M over. If it did, they could only offer the mini mid level, which clubs like the Lakers will be stuck offering.
On top of that, is the amnesty clause. If Mia releases Miller, which they've told him they would if need be(house is already on the market), then they are even farther below the tax line. So, with the numbers being thrown out, Mia can offer the full mid level. If the tax line is lowered, which there is no talk of that happening, then they can still waive Miller, and be low enough in team salary to still offer the full mid level.
SUCKS!
bajaden
Hall of Famer
So what your telling me, is that Dalembert would rather play for 5 mil a year with the Heat, than 8 mil a year or perhaps more, with us. If so, I'll be shocked!
rainmaker
Hall of Famer
Never said that. Just explaining the situation, and that Dally could very well be offered the full mid level from Mia. Now does he want it, and will we offer more? Time will tell. I said it sucks, because it does suck that a team like Mia with so much committed payroll, can still offer the full mid level. Did not think that would be a reality when all was said and done.
Uncia03
Starter
Yeah, with the rumors all summer long regarding Dalembert and the Heat, I was hoping that the Heat wouldn't have any sort of opportunity to land Dalembert.
With that said, this would be the last year that Miami could offer the MLE, since next season their payroll with the yearly increases plus this year's MLE should take them above the luxery limit.
So while it's bad for us in particular (assuming that we want Dalembert and he is willing to go for the MLE), in the long-run it should really help our team, especially as we'll be able to offer max deals to any of our players when their contracts are up, as we'll retain their bird-rights, while at the same time limiting competition from over-the-cap teams.
So while it isn't quite the deal I wanted, I'm going to like the new system as far as our future success than I would have if things had remained the same.
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