nowadays, mega stars have more power than teams. they dictate where they want to go otherwise they will test free agent market instead letting you get anything back. it may mean nothing to have trade exceptions unless you are the one mega stars wants to come.
Agreed. Yao, Battier, & Jeffries will be all off the book this summer. That itself create trade exception. It is meaningless to absorb 5+ mil salary.
that or a double dip recession in which teams like NO and Ind are forced to move assets for relief. However, that is not something i would be willing to bet on. furthermore, i'm having a difficult time believing that Sacto or anyone else in the west would be willing to make this trade as it could have the long-term effect of elevating a competitor out of the doldrums. there would have to be additional compensation such as a first rounder and possibly a player. I like the creativity of the thought, but am not an advocate of the results.
You don't think adding $10 million to their bottom line THIS YEAR, in a lockout year is enticing? Wow - I certainly do... DD
I think the rockets should stop doing this. They absorb salaries of Cook, Jeffries, ... Then, for release salary cap space next season, they have to absorb another salary... That is just a bad circle. The rocket should pay lux tax for one time this year. Then, their future is clear.
What are you talking about? There is no "trade exception" generated by allowing contracts to come off the books. It just creates more cap room, something of which the Rockets may not have enough, especially if they want to re-sign Brooks and bring back Yao. A trade exception allows the Rockets to "have their cake and eat it, too." They can re-sign all of their own guys. They can sign Yao as a free agent, possibly even using whatever form (if any) of the MLE to do so. AND they will still have all of their remaining assets plus a trade exception to shop around the league for another star. THAT is the benefit of the trade exception. Not necessarily. With the salary cap likely to decrease under the new CBA, it is unknown whether the Rockets will have a significant amount of cap room. Sure, they'll have a decent chance at some cap room if they dump Yao, Battier, Jeffries, Hayes and Brooks. But at what cost? And even then, there's a good chance that they won't have anything approaching $17.7M in cap room, which is essentially what they would get with a Yao TPE.
it make sense for kings to do the deal coz they trade a contract and get themselves under the cap further (from 12+ to 17+) at the end of the season plus a extra cash (insurance). it doesn't make any sense for rox to do the deal with any team with the cap space less than 17+ coz we have to take back contract or get a tpe less than 17+.
You are an expert about this. I think I shouldn't argue with you. However, I remember that last summer the heat had cap space and they traded for James and Bosh. For the raptors and cavs, they received 1st rounders and TE. I think the heat's cap space transferred to TE. I think you cannot make a big decision based on 'unknown'.
I agree with you. I don't think owners will want to get rid of it, and that there are more straight-forward ways of reducing payroll bloat. But, I bet if they did get rid of it, it would put downward pressure on the payroll. I think this is a good point that should probably get more attention. We couldn't get a SnT-for-peanuts the way Miami did on their deals. In addition to using this mega-exception, and convincing this FA to come to Houston, we would have to send a significant package to the incumbent team. Alternatively, we can trade for a guy under contract, but he'd either have to be paid well more than he's worth, or else we'd need to give up equivalent talent. Either way, it's going to cost us to get a star in this manner. Whether it's 5% or not in the past, his value to the organization and to Les will be declining in the future. He's already over 30 and has serious health problems that have kept him from playing for a long time and will quite possibly keep him from ever playing again. The Chinese market will not continue to throw dollars to whatever franchise owns his rights just because Yao is Chinese. Those days are over; he would have to produce on the court. Whatever benefit Les was accruing will be disappearing regardless.
A decision one way or the other must be made regardless. The unknown will not be made known in time to inform their moves, but GMs can't just sit on their hands in the mean-time. Though I will point out that the league is probably telling GMs a lot more about what they're demanding in labor negotiations than they are telling the general public. So, just because we don't know what the cap might look like, doesn't mean that Morey doesn't have a decent guess.
Yuck! Just the tought of resigning Brooks(extremely overrated) and Battier(very old), makes me want to throw up...
Juan, You totally missed my point. Les making money personally has nothing to do with the Rockets bottom line. Because Yao is associated with the Rox, Les has several OTHER COMPANIES that are doing business in China, because of Yao. Those also dry up if Yao leaves..... It would be far more prudent as a businessman to lock up Yao and his Chinese celebrity to the organization in some capacity for years, IMO. Les can make MILLIONS in China outside of the Houston Rockets by being associated with Yao. DD
According to some fans (ehheemm...DD), teams like the Clippers have been blowing up Morey's line trying to trade their first round picks (Griffin) for Yao because of his presence in China like they did in June of 2009. Morey is just waiting it out till the Heat trade over 2 of the big 3 for him at the trade deadline. -Look it wont come as a surprise to the Rockets front office that the only way a team see's value in Yao Ming's contract is for the financial relief it represents. There are no Lebron's waiting for free agency that will be available with a bit more cap space. The best you can hope for in this situation would be a second tier talent and or a possible pick or two along with a bad contract. Especially when their front office knows that he is not in the teams long term plans and might not ever play again. -It doesn't matter if the Rockets are deserate or not. Whether its at the trade deadline or before January 31st, they just cant expect to get much either way. They might as well just wait till the trade deadline set an asking price that they can live with and take the highest bidder.
I get your point, Bima. At the same time, TE's are more often than not allowed to just expire. Lebron and company's old teams now have massive TE's, and they're not getting anything for them. I think Yao, if traded for a TE, needs to have a 1st rounder coming back as well even if lotto protected. We have to find a star in the draft, so the more chances we give Morey to swing for the fences, the better.
Imagine Patrick listening to a conversation with Yao and Jordan and him sitting there saying to himself... "WTF are you guys saying... I CANT UNDERSTAND THE WORDS COMING OUT OF YOUR MOUTH."
