CBA Negotiation Pose Big Risks To Raptors And Will Influence Decision Making

[Maleko]

I'm not so sold on a hard cap, but truly the luxury tax currently does little to deter. So why not make it a $3 for every dollar over the cap. Sure it's a soft cap, but even Jerry Buss would back off paying out an extra $100M for the same product. He was rumoured to be pushing back on the current spend in the summer. Even a $2-1 ratio would be a deterrent.

[Maleko]

I also think it is ridiculous that Kobe will be making into $30M in a few years. Good/great player or not, that's out of hand when you compare the teams.

[Apollo]

All I know is the greatest pro sports league in North America, the NFL, uses a hard cap. The top players still get paid and every team has a shot a winning. A good GM can rebuild a team in as little as a couple years. Small market teams win championships. Football players don't scoff at going to small markets because there is parity. In the NFL strong management wins championships. In the NBA strong management can only win championships with strong financial backing. The NBA's current setup takes away from the "purity" of the game. You now only see a few players play virtually an entire career on one team. In the NFL it's very common to see a player play his whole career on one team. In the NFL the contracts can be canceled at anytime and all the team is on the hook for is the signing bonus. If the NBA used similar rules a guy like Hedo could have been sent packing with little damage inflicted on the Raptors. The Wiz could have nuked Gil's deal without the PA being able to say a word. Michael Redd would not be collecting over $20M this year to not even be allowed on site.

[Maleko]

All I know is they greatest pro sports league in North America, the NFL, uses a hard cap. The top players still get paid and every team has a shot a winning. A good GM can rebuild a team in as little as a couple years. Small market teams win championships. Football players don't scoff at going to small markets because there is parity. In the NFL strong management wins championships. In the NBA strong management can only win championships with strong financial backing. The NBA's current setup takes away from the "purity" of the game. You now only see a few players play virtually an entire career on one team. In the NFL it's very common to see a player play his whole career on one team. In the NFL the contracts can be canceled at anytime and all the team is on the hook for is the signing bonus. If the NBA used similar rules a guy like Hedo could have been sent packing with little damage inflicted on the Raptors. The Wiz could have nuked Gil's deal without the PA being able to say a word. Michael Redd would not be collecting over $20M this year to not even be allowed on site.

Very interesting points. I like the thoughts.

[mcHAPPY]

TPE = first dibs in contract dumps?

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=18146


"First Dibs: For those of you hoping to see your team trade a large ending contract for a better player, keep an eye on Cleveland and Toronto. Both teams are sitting on $14.5 million Traded Player Exceptions and both teams have made it clear to other teams, that anyone looking to dump a higher priced player, both are open for business.

This becomes very relevant for teams like Orlando with Vince Carter's pseudo-ending deal or why New Orleans pulled the early trigger on Peja Stojakovic's huge ending deal.

League sources explained recently that with the Cavs and Raptors both positioning themselves for the players that could be moved at the deadline, they possess the better assets in the TPE than the ending contract of other players, especially for teams looking to liquidate.

In New Orleans' case moving Peja was about securing their own $9 million Traded Player Exception, an asset sources say is far more valuable than Peja was, mainly because no team in the league viewed Peja as a viable player to improve their situation, he was simply an ending deal.

In Orlando's case Vince Carter can still play, but sources wondered aloud whether the third-best player made available at the trade deadline was a better improvement than what Vince is in Orlando today. The answer is probably no.

As the source said, you can basically cross off the top two players made available as salary dumps, as those players are likely headed to Toronto and Cleveland respectively. So you're really talking about the third best asset. So while Carmelo Anthony, Andre Iguodala and maybe Jason Richardson are the top names hitting the market in the next 76 days, the odds all three are moved is slim, meaning while there may be a market for ending contracts, there may not be better players available for teams holding ending contract players mainly because Cleveland and Toronto are going to have first dibs in the cap clearing game."

Interesting article but the $14.5M TPE in Toronto is now actually $12,237,400 (according to ESPN trade machine). Would not beable to take on AI.

It is the first time I've read anything US that gives the TPE for either TOR or CLE any value.

Also with nearly an extra $20M in expiring contracts and 1 extra roster spot, TOR would most likely have the upper hand on flexibility.

[mcHAPPY]

A list of potential contract dumps from around the league that are less than $12,237,400. I'm not advocating any of them just throwing out what I could see. If the Raptors were to take any of these contracts on, draft picks had better be included!

ATL: Marvin Williams ($15.7M guaranteed over 2 years with option for 3rd at $7.5M)

CLE: Varejao has been mentioned but I'm sure they'd want draft picks or young talent in return (3 years and $25M owed)

DEN: Nene? (1 year ETO $11.6M), Billups? (1 year $14M, only $3.75M guarantee for next season)

DET: Maxiell (2years $10M after this year)

GSW: Biendris (3 years $9M per after this year)

HOU: Jeffries (expiring $6.9M - TOR picks up and it would put them below the luxury tax, especially if the rumor of Randolph to HOU for NY's first round pick back are true - TOR would need a draft pick(s), of course, 2 second rounders?)

IND: Posey (1 year $6.9M after this year)

MEM: Thabeet (1 year $5M after this year)

MIL: Maggette (2 years $21M after this year)

PHI: Lou Williams (1 year $5.1M and ETO for second year), Nocioni (1 year $6.65M plus team option $7.5M)

SAC: Beno Udrih (2 years $14.3M after this season), Garcia (2 years $11.9M after this season)