[Stein] Melo will consider Rockets, Bulls and Mavs

Boozer expires in a year, but they will amnesty him if they take on any big contracts.

 

Bulls could trade for Kevin Love. This would make Houston Carmelo's only option..

 

or


Love could figure out that if he's going to have a chance at winning anything next season that he has to get to CHicago or Houston and decide Houston is where he wants to be.....

 

GS is also a choice for Love

 

Besides Melo Murray should be also looking for a bench.

 

With Carmelo, you are going to gut Chicago just to bring him in. Losing Taj Gibson in the process who is a major piece to that team. You also have Derrick Rose, who has barely played in the last two years with two significant knee injuries. On the other hand you have Houston who has James Harden and Dwight Howard. Choice shouldn't be to difficult.

 

They've gotta give up too much to get him. Won't be a contender if they trade for him.

 

So Feigen is saying that the salary distribution in the last table (below) can't happen?

How Miami’s Big Four Will Work Financially (taken from Heat Hoops.com): http://heathoops.com/2014/06/could-the-miami-heat-afford-carmelo-anthony-big-four/#comments. I don't know if the author is a good capologist but the numbers look about right.

1. Salaries For Melo, LeBron, Wade, and Bosh 2014-2016:
Player……………….2014-2015…………2015-2016………Total
Carmelo Anthony…$23,333,405…………………………………................
Dwayne Wade………$20,164,000……….$21,655,000…….$41,819,000
LeBron James………$20,590,000……….$22,112,500…….$42,702,500
Chris Bosh…………..$20,590,000……….$22,1112,500……$42,702,500
*Wade, James, and Bosh own player options in 2014, 2015, and 2016.
http://heathoops.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Salary_to_be_Sacrificed.bmp

2. Miami Heat Salary Cap Situation in 2014-2015:
Player……..………..2014-2015
LeBron James…....$20,590,000
Chris Bosh………....$20,590,000
Dwayne Wade....…$20,164,000
Udonis Haslem...…$04,620,000
Norris Cole………....$02,038,206
Chris Andersen...…$01,448,490
First Rd Pick…….....$01,149,720
Justin Hamilton...…$00,816,482
Second Rd Pick…Rights Held
James Ennis………Rights Held
Total Team Salary..$71,416,898
Total Contracts = 8
Salary Cap ------$8,218,341 (over; cap=$63.2M))
Luxury Tax……….($5,484,341) (under; projected to be app. $77M)
Tax Payment-----$0.00
Amnesty Obligation..$06,600,000
Total Expenditure…..$78,016,898
http://heathoops.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Heat_2014_Team_Salary_Current.bmp

3. Hypothetical Structure of The Miami Big Four (All Four Take Pay Cuts). This assumes a) Wade, Bosh, and LeBron opt out; b) Wade, Bosh, and LeBron sign a one year contract for less money; c) Carmelo is willing to take a pay cut; d) a $63.2M salary cap; and e) that the Heat have $11.9M tied up in Haslem, Cole, Andersen, 1st rd pick, and mandatory roster charges). Under these conditions, Melo, LeBron, Bosh, and Wade must share $51.3M , about $12.8M each.
Player……………2014-2015
LeBron James…...…$12, 822, 345
Chris Bosh……....….$12,822,345.
Dwayne Wade……..$12,822,345
Carmelo Anthony…$12,822,345
Udonis Haslem….…$04,620,000
MLE Player……....…$02,732,000
Norris Cole………....$02,038,206
Chris Andersen…...$01,448,490
First Rd Pick…….....$1,149,720
Min Salary Player…$0,915,243
Min Salary Player…$0,915,243
Min Salary Player…$0,915,243
Justin Hamilton……$0,816,482
Second Rd Pick……$0,507,336
James Ennis………..$0,507,336
Total Salary………..$67,854,677
Total Contracts = 15
Salary Cap……….…$04,654,677 (over; cap = $63.2M)
Luxury Tax………...$09,145,323 (under; projected to be app $77M)
Tax Payment------$0.00
Amnesty Obligation.....$06,600,000
Total Team Expenditure…$74,454,677
http://heathoops.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Heat_2014_Team_Salary_Including_Carmelo_Anthony.bmp

4. Possible Heat Salary Distribution Without a Melo Pay Cut (assuming a) LeBron, Wade, and Bosh opt out; b) LeBron, Wade, and Bosh sign a one year deal for $9.5M in 2014-2015; c) that LeBron, Wade, and Bosh are then resigned in 2015-2016 via Bird Rights to max deals. Only the first two years are shown here so as to compare with their original contracts.
Player……………….2014-2015…………2015-2016………….Total
Carmelo Anthony…$22,763,888……….$23,788,263……….$46,552,150
Dwayne Wade………$09,508,497……….$21,770,750……….$31,279,247
LeBron James……….$09,508,497……….$21,770,750……….$31,279,247
Chris Bosh…………..$09,508,497…….….$21,770,750……….$31,279,247
*These are the maximum numbers; any player could take less.
The salaries for Anthony would be the first two of an up to four year deal.
The 2014-2015 salaries for James, Wade, and Bosh would be one year deals.
The 2015-2016 salareis for James, Wade, and Bosh could also be another one year contract, or, the first of a longer term contract.
http://heathoops.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Big_Four_First_Year_Salaries.bmp

Conclusion: 1) LeBron, Wade, and Bosh sacrifice $10-11M each to sign Carmelo. However, there is no reason to think that Haslem will opt out since he makes a lot less money and is not a part of the Big Four. 2) Assuming the salary distribution in the last table, Melo loses very little. 3) The projected $160M expenditure to the Heat owner in 2015-2016 (assming a total team salary of nearly $100M and an expected luxury tax of about $60M) might not be so bad if that money can be offset over the next three to four years by lucrative local tv deals, anticipated increases in NBA league TV revenue, and increases in the luxury tax floor. The Heat owner is a billionaire and probably won’t care much about cost; LeBron makes nine figures per year so will recoup any loss in team salary from other deals; Wade will get his; Heat front office will see to that; so the deal basically depends on Bosh and the team owner.

 

I was under the impression with Harden on board we are going to have trouble attracting even D league guys to sign with Houston.

 

Yeah he really sux don't he

 

Not happening. Those guys aren't going to sign for $12 million each. Melo has to sign a 4-year deal. They don't have his birds rights. They've got the other guys birds rights. So, they could sign Wade to a minimum salary one-year deal and then sign the other 3 long-term to deals in the $19 million range. Then bring back Wade on a short term max salary deal to make up for what he would have lost on the one-year minimum salary deal.

Wade is no longer a max player guys. He won't generate a max contract on the open market. He'd be lucky to get a team to hand him 4/40. Lebron and Bosh know that. And truth is, Wade knows it too. So.....if those guys gonna stay together and add to.....it's gotta be Wade that takes the air out for a season.

That's really the only realistic way the Heat play this thing out. They get Wade to take the minimum. Wade piddle farts around most of the year. They sign Melo or possibly Pau and Lowry or possibly trade for Asik/Lin into their cap space...and they go to war....then bring back Wade into the rotation late in the season and on into the playoffs with Wade rested and recovered.


This whole fiasco of everybody taking $12-14 million isn't plausible. Because Melo has to take that for a 4-year deal.

 

I feel so honored that he would 'consider' the Rockets for his championship gravy train run.

 

You don't think it's a possibility LeBron could take a pay cut to have Melo join him in Miami...? I think it's highly possible.

And if Melo did go to the heat _ why would they keep Bosh when Melo could play the 4... They could trade Bosh for a center like Asik.

 

It will take a lot more than that. Wade, Bosh and Lebron would all 3 have to opt out and take a pay cut. I really can't see all 3 doing that, Lebron could opt out and sign for min and Melo takes a small pay cut while Wade and Bosh ride it out. But given the lack of results from those 2, I can't see Lebron making a sacrifice so that his slacker friends can win more rings.

 

I highly doubt Bosh takes a pay cut by almost half to accommodate Carmelo. He's already taken a playing time and reputation hit by being third wheel on that team. Now he's gotta take a salary cut too? Someone out there will pay him near max money.

And then if I doubt Bosh takes a pay cut, then I KNOW Wade won't. His legacy is cemented. He won one alone. What does one extra championship matter if it costs him 20-30M off his entire NBA career earnings? Why should he even opt out for that matter? There's no other team out there that would even pay him 10M per year at his current rate of production. Those knees ain't magically healing.

 

I am not as knowledgeable about the CBA as you and most others here but I agree with you concerning Wade. His on court value is not equal to his production this season, but, he certainly has value to the Heat (a hero). Wade played miserably last game against the Spurs (it was gut-wrenching for me as a Wade fan to watch all those turnovers). He doesn’t have the agility to play PG any more; his knees won’t allow it. But he has to because the Heat PGs aren’t contributing much. Wade is struggling and his skills are eroding so other teams won’t offer him max money or anything near that but his declining health and diminishing basketball skills doesn't tarnish his god-like status in Miami. The Heat loyalists want him rewarded with a lifetime acheivement contract ala Kobe (who is also not worth his contract). If Wade opts out this summer to get Carmelo, the Heat can resign and reward him the year after.

Wasn’t it Wade, LeBron and Bosh that decided to play together in Miami? Each took about $15M less to make it happen, according to espn (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5368003). Since they have a history of making sacrifices and creating superteams, they know how to make it happen. Experience is the best teacher. The players involved know CBA limitations regarding contracts (length/years, mximum amounts, annual increases, Bird Rights, Over-36 rule, etc) or their agents know. I was just thinking that if the four superstars want to play together, as reported, before they retire, they’ll find a way to do that. And if it happens at all it must happen now (Wade won’t last much longer).

Finally LeBron has been the best player in the league for years but you wouldn’t know that looking at his salary. According to hoopshype.com, LeBron's salary is the 9th highest (but he's worth more). See http://hoopshype.com/salaries.htm. I'm guessing most players (Melo among them since he’s never signed for less) would at least try to get more money given an MVP award. This suggests that LeBron isn’t concerned about his basketball contract. He’s got loads of money. I don't know man but there's nothing in their NBA contract history to suggest that LeBron, Wade, and Bosh won't take a pay cut to get Melo. In fact, their history suggest the opposite.

 

These ridiculous scenarios where they give up tens of millions are as likely as Dwight accepting a minimum deal in '16 to accommodate Durant.

 

That number is based on them playing out all 6 years. At this point, they've given up about $9mil apiece. If they sign at $12mil each, they'll all be giving up $8mil per year. And they have no chance to recuperate this money because this will be the last big contract for all of them except maybe LeBron.

 

This is getting out of hand fast, you guys seriously, truly, honestly, confidently, want another primadonna, self-centered, egomaniac, little defense playing girl looking Carmelo on this team?????

 

If LeBron takes a pay cut he will recoup that money easy. He made $72 million last year. And he got $30 million off the Beats deal so he's off to a good start this year. NBA money is like a lil extra income on the side for him at this point like it was for Jordan through most of his career until his final couple of seasons in Chicago.

I don't know if Melo would actually go to Miami. He would definitely burn bridges in his hometown. But if he did... Why would Miami keep Bosh. Why do they need two star players at the 4 position...? I think they would be bringing in Melo to replace Bosh and not to play with him.