Third time to make a thread regarding this topic. Let's keep in mind that the team has publicly said they they are prepared to pay the tax, are "all in," don't make decisions based on the tax, it never comes up, etc. After waiving Anderson today before his cap hit starts escalating, it appears the Rockets are once again preparing to dodge the Luxury Tax this season, or at LEAST keeping it open as an option. They are now setup to basically need to only dump Nene's salary at the deadline or potentially one other minimum guy if Capela hits his incentives. They stand just shy of $200k above the tax line as of today. We all know that the dreaded repeater tax looms like the grim reaper in the future, ready to bring death to any team that gets into the LT 3 out of 4 seasons. So, the question is, will the Rockets get oh so close to that horrible outcome by paying the tax this year for the...checks notes...first time? Or will they dodge it and spare us all the anxiety ridden offseason worrying of the impending doom of the repeater tax?
Ryan Anderson per 36 this season: 13 ppg, 18 rpg, 5 apg, 2.6 spg. Tilman waiving him to save a couple bucks is a crime!
The biggest casualty out of all of this is if Chris Clemons actually plays well while injuries are ongoing but then he is relegated to spending the rest of the season in the Gleague due to LTS. I am not a Tilman believer and unfortunately I am convinced that the Rockets will do everything possible to acquire LTS at the trading deadline.
reposting from Ryno's thread imo, the waive (=$500m tax hit) v trade ($0 tax hit) is an indication that we intend to favor CCS over LTS. (CCS = Cash Considerations Savings) esp considering Capela is well on his way to a $500k bonus for DREB% at 32.2% v 30% target. btw: MCW cost $1.065m in Cash Considerations last year, so I think Bima's "few hundred thousands" is a tad optimistic ... especially if other GMs/Owner are truly pissed at Morey for The Tweet, and make him pay a CCS premium for doing him LTS favors ... that is, LTS favors verus blackballing Rockets to pay into the tax pool ... and not be a tax-sharing recipient.
My goals for the season: 1. Tilman saves money 2. Rockets win a title 3. Tilman saves more money We're 2/3rd's of the way there!
That's why it's a bonus v base salary. Right now, he's being paid $14.8m (w/o bonuses), which is 18th for Centers. 30% DREB% is a Top 10 stat (Top 5-7 for starter minutes >25mpg). And until recently, it was more like a Top 3 stat.
Tilman will again downgrade the team and trade away future assets to duck the tax. And the usual suspects will keep making excuses for him.
Opinion: Tilman will spend on a player that he views will increase his bottom line enough to make up for the potential luxury tax and repeater tax losses. There will not be a trade available this season for a player of that caliber in my view. This is not a trade for a player that increases championship odds necessarily but increases the team's visibility. Tilman doesn't plan on spending more than this team earns him even if it means putting more stress on the players, coaches and front office. Tilman does not believe that the average fan cares enough about his penny pinching to stop it. It's his prerogative to do what he wants with the team but I personally feel when you have a player at Harden's level you spend everything you can to get him a championship caliber team. $80 Million on your starting back court and avoiding the luxury tax is remarkable.
Good thread. Anytime we can throw Tilman's *Whatever It Takes* BS back in his face when he favors LTS I am all for it.
Why did you have to remind us of what the true goal is this year (LTS) right in the middle of this winning streak... Cmon Just yank
I wonder what potential trade will fizzle this year ? I’m sure around the trade deadline we will get the standard “aggressive/ whatever it takes” answer from til til , and then it will be up to him to concoct a trade partner that backed out and screwed us
