[Star-Telegram] Teams with expiring contracts interested in Finley

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/sports/basketball/12084208.htm

Posted on Fri, Jul. 08, 2005



STAR-TELEGRAM/SHARON M. STEINMAN
Other teams appear to be interested in Michael Finley.
Cuban left with tough decision

By ART GARCIA

Star-Telegram Staff Writer


LAS VEGAS - Deciding on Michael Finley's future with the Mavericks has been anything but easy on Mark Cuban.

The Mavs owner has pored through scenario after scenario searching for a loophole in the new collective bargaining agreement to keep the team's longest-tenured player and captain.

Sitting in the bleachers as the Mavs summer league team practiced in a Las Vegas gym, Cuban admitted that a difficult decision is on the horizon. As for the loophole, Cuban would be better off searching for snow on the Vegas Strip.

"I've looked through more spread sheets than I can imagine," Cuban said Thursday. "You know me, I'm always looking for every angle, for every edge. I just don't know how it will play out."

The prospect of releasing Finley under the "amnesty rule" remains a strong possibility, though the probability of a trade continues to improve. Cuban added: "It's not a foregone conclusion that Fin is gone."

Finley's value appears to be increasing as the market for proven shooting guards begins to dry up. Seattle's Ray Allen and Milwaukee's Michael Redd, considered the top two available shooting guards coming into free agency, have agreed to return to their old teams.

"We're looking to fill holes, and there is no question the phone has been ringing about Mike now that Allen and Redd have come off the board," Mavs president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said.

The Mavs have received several offers for Finley, but Nelson expects negotiations to heat up when Phoenix restricted free agent Joe Johnson makes his decision.

Washington unrestricted free agent Larry Hughes is also in play.

"We'll know more after the situation with Johnson is settled," Nelson said. "It will probably be sometime next week before that happens."

The Mavs can waive Finley as early as July 22 under the "amnesty rule," a one-time provision in the new CBA. Such a move could save the team up to $51.8 million in luxury tax payments over the next three seasons.

"It was not something I expected," Cuban said of the new rule. "It came out of left field."

Though Finley would still receive the $51.8 million left on his contract, provisions in his contract allow for approximately $30 million to be deferred. The savings over the next three years -- luxury tax and deferments -- could be in the $80 million range.

However, the Mavs would be better off financially trading Finley for expiring contracts. That would allow the team to take the last two years of Finley's contract ($35.8 million) off the books completely, allowing the Mavs the opportunity to get their payroll close to or below the luxury tax threshold.

"[Trading Finley] makes sense if it's for last-year guys," Cuban said. "We get players we can plug in, plus the luxury tax savings."

Teams with expiring contracts that could be interested in Finley include Houston, Indiana and Chicago.

Finley is scheduled to earn $15.9 million next season. Contracts of traded players have to match within 125 percent of one another.

Examples of possible trades for expiring contracts include: Houston could package Clearance Weatherspoon, Vin Baker and Charlie Ward; Indiana has Scot Pollard, Fred Jones and the contract of retired guard Reggie Miller; and Chicago has Antonio Davis.

Cleveland is in the market for a shooting guard and has the salary cap room to absorb Finley's contract, but the Cavaliers are also in talks with Johnson and Hughes.

If the Mavs did deal Finley, the "amnesty rule" could be used on Tariq Abdul-Wahad, saving up to $15 million in luxury tax. Since Abdul-Wahad's contract isn't fully guaranteed, the Mavs would pocket almost $10 million more.


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Art Garcia, (817) 390-7760 agarcia@star-telegram.com