If there is one thing we know for certain about the Rockets is that management will try to work the rules in our favor. I am hoping we can come up with creative ways to take advantage of the possible loopholes in the new CBA. For example: 1) Target a premier player on a team with an albatross contract. Trade for that premier player and then do a "wink-wink" deal to have that team amnesty the albatross contract with the understanding that we will over bid for that player to relieve the first team of their salary commitments. Which teams are really struggling with money? New Orleans, Milkwaukee, Atlanta, Philly, etc. 2) Gamble on a project player with big upside but huge red flags like Greg Oden by offering a "toxic" front loaded contract. Something like 11 million the first year so that Portland can't match. The beauty is that we get this year to figure out if Oden's knee will hold up. If it doesn't then we can amnesty him next year and it will not affect our cap space. Portland can't do the same because they are already using it for Roy.
If you are implying that the Rockets will Amnesty a player they just traded for then you need to read the guidelines of the new CBA. You can't do that.
Acutally the amnesty clause is only valid for players on rosters by July 1, 2011 so I guess we can't use it to cut new players. This sucks that the system rewards those who make stupid decisions (ala government bail outs of corporations and CEOs). Still, there's got to be some ways we can take advantage of the new CBA before others catch on and create the a new rule to close the loophole.
The new CBA doesn't help out the Rockets at all. Especially with the Carmelo rule being abolished and the amnesty clause only being used on existing players.
The way we take advantage of the new CBA is in the Future. The real rewards for smart teams come into effect in two years when the sign and trade restrictions and the increase in tax kick in. For now? Just spend wisely and stay under the tax for 2013.
That's all you can do right now. Les doesn't want to tank and no superstar wants to come to Houston. We will still be in the same situation in 2013 that we are in 2011.
No, he's saying that the Rockets would "trade" with a team that includes a player with a bad contract. However, instead of the other team actually trading said player, they amnesty him with the understanding that the Rockets would "overpay" so that they win the "bid" on him and end up paying most of his contract.
Well the new rule after 2013 won't allow teams to sign and trade players if they end up $4 million in the tax. https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&p...mMzI4&hl=en_US
We don't even know what the true numbers for soft cap and luxury level is right now eh? I wonder how much of the new CBA Morey guestimated and prepared for.
One thing that will be VERY relevant to the Rockets is how the new provision on reducing qualifying offers to 5th year rookies based on playing time works. Larry Coon seemed to indicate that lottery players who have not earned "starter minutes" could see their qualifying offers dropped significantly, perhaps to the equivalent of someone drafted in the latter half of the first round. This could be highly useful to the Rockets, as even the greatest Rockets homer in the world probably does not expect the quartet of 2009 lottery picks on the roster to ever earn starter minutes. Therefore, instead of having to offer an exorbitant $8.8M to Thabeet to retain his rights, the Rockets might get away with offering something closer to $3.95M, the equivalent of the 16th overall pick. In addition, they can be a bit more cavalier about picking up Thabeet's option for 2013, knowing that they can still amnesty him if they need the capspace. Seems like a classic Morey move to me, always trying to squeeze as much out of any particular player as possible.
