i'm new, so dont chastize me for this just yet if its already been discussed... but, does anyone have some realistic predictions about who the rockets can make a run at this summer in the free agent market? i know we have that 4.5 mil exception thing, but does that mean we can sign a free agent even if it puts us over the cap or is it only for trades? i know we obviously cant make a run at like duncan or hill, but what about, jalen rose, brian grant (i think that would be a NICE addition) i also like austin croshere a lot, think he'd be a nice fit kurt thomas, danny fortson, or rashard lewis, etc. and how does the salary cap work if we were to trade our lottery pick. i dont think anyone as suggested that yet.. trade our what will prolly be a 6th or 7th pick, with wiz/drew/kennyT/etc AND the 4.5mil exception, what can we get? ------and one thing i wanna say, all you hakeem bashers, just shut up. that is the most ungrateful load of crap ever. the man has had god knows how many surgeries and some bronchial medical problem, and he's 37. just wait until next year. hakeem will ALWAYS be da man no matter what. ------------------ you are to be praised by gods and revered as women.
Hi jamma, welcome - pretty cool that your number of posts reads "1". Since the Rockets will be over the Salary cap after this season, we cannot simply sign a free agent, UNLESS we use one of the exceptions (Mid level, $1Mil) etc. For a full description of those exceptions go to http://www.members.home.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm and see Question 16. The $4.5 Mil exception you are talking about is actually a trade credit, and as such can ONLY be used in a trade. Even when a team (like us) is over the salary cap, you can TRADE for anybody, as long as the total Salary you are trading for equals(within 10%) the total salary you trade away. Hypothetical Example: San Antonio sign Tim Duncan to $9mil contract and immediately trade him to Houston. Houston send Walt Williams ($4.5mil salary) to SA along with using our $4.5mil credit. (I know this scenario is unlikely but I used because I know how much it irks some people on this board ) Draft picks have no trade salary value. If we sweetened the above Duncan/Williams deal with our first round draft pick, it would not contribute to the salary matching equation. (Note that even when you are over the cap you can sign draft picks to maximum allowable salary due them) ------------------ http://rocketdavo.tripod.com
The only way I think that other team would take $4.5 M of nothing in a trade is if they have an overpaid, underperforming player with a long term contract that they are looking to dump. It is an open question whether the Rocks would really want to lock cap space with this type of player. Another situation where another team might make this trade is in a sign and trade deal, where the other team will get something for a player that they are losing. I assuming here a package deal, where the Rocks would include another player in the deal. The short coming here is that the Rock's package deal could be easily outbid by another team who would be sending all players instead of including $4.5 M of nothing. ------------------
