[BimaThug] how the rockets can avoid the tax while signing buyout guys

One way to look at the Math is by just adding the Full MLE to committed salary now, to see what is left.

If we spend Full-MLE on a new guy, we'd be at $131m, with still needing to pay Shumpert, Rivers, Faried, Green, and House under the Apron. And that puts us at only 13 roster spots. And, due to Hardcap, we can't make any salary-increasing trades over Apron.

Now, of course, it would allow us to exceed mini-MLE on Rivers, Faried, Green and House, fill out 2 more spots with vet mins, and fit Shump under Apron. But that is Status Quo, and I thought this exercise was about additional talent who we otherwise couldn't get unless we spent all those draft picks on tax savings.

 

Daryl Morey, CPA

The most expensive accountant in America

 

Lotta you guys seem bummed out.

 

Probably because the Rockets have the best player in the league on their team. Too bad they can’t surround him with anyone!

 

If only he waited 373 hours, 22 minutes and 45 seconds for Tillman to make sure he doesn’t pay any luxury tax, we could have had him!

 

Good one

How many GM's would've been able to plan out and pull off the flurry of moves taken to acquire CP3?

But that's fine, keep whining and adding nothing to the discussion

 

These were advantages the way Mike Dantonio's offense was in 2005

Everyone has caught up now. Not as many asymmetries to exploit.

The meh curve is becoming infinite

 

Why don't you just say "thank you" to the owner for paying James Harden to play for Houston. You can't pay Harden, and neither can I.
Thank you, Tilman Fertitta: I love the Rockets; I'm psyched for the remaining games; I've got no complaints.

 

This was two summers ago btw:

 

Uh oh, BigBum is boldly serious!

 

This is much better than Max Kellerman

 

Oh okay. I see what you're saying.

I don't see an obvious path to adding additional talent for next year either. The full MLE does increase the Rocket's chance of retaining Rivers or Faried. Though I doubt it's enough to sign both with the MLE unless they both take a discount.

Getting under the luxury tax this year does give Morey more wiggle room to not MUST get under the luxury tax in the next couple of years though. I definitely see a benefit in that. Hopefully Morey won't be attaching a FRP or SRP to get rid of an expiring in the next couple of seasons.

If it looks like Capela is going to miss his rebound and free throw incentive goals this year. I hope the Rockets can offer Danuel House a slightly bigger contract under the lux tax to get House to stay for 1 or 2 more years for ~$2M/year.

If the Rockets can retain Shump, House, one of Rivers/Faried, and maintain a $3-5M space for waived and buy outs during the season then I would consider it to be an acceptable off season.

 

If the Rockets are serious in the offseason, they’ll use the full MLE on an actually good role player like Danny Green and re-sign Shumpert to an oversized expiring for a future trade that’ll definitely put them in the tax.

Little moves like splitting the MLE between replacement level guys that couldn’t even make the rotation on Eastern conference teams and giving Shump what he’s worth (~$3million or less) is a sign that nothing has changed.

We’ll know fairly quickly whether Tillman is lying about paying the luxury tax (hint: he is).

 

Here's the thing... A sports franchise owner should be treating it as he would a classic collectible automobile, e.g. gull-wing Mercedes; it's a bauble, a symbol of wealth and of personal pride. NEVER should it be added as a P & L cost center of his primary business enterprise or, at a minimum, make it into its own P & L entity as it if were a regular private business; if it comes down to that, then the owner can't afford the expense of a sports team and should unload to someone willing to pay for his own entertainment, along with the team's fans. If he makes a few bucks from gate / swag / media revenue, then great; roll it back into the team. But KEEP IT AS A TOY.
I think Leslie understood that.

 

The same Les Alexander who sold out the entire way the team looks to China?

That Non-business Les

 

I think Morey's a great GM , I don't think he's chess-checkers level of advantage the way he used to be on the old school jock-ocracy approved GM's, especially now with an owner who's using the Rockets to finance the sale of extra large margaritas and shrimp cocktails.

 

Let me resurrect my earlier analogy... say that Les had a pearl-white gull-wing Mercedes and figured out if he painted it Revolution Red (Commie Red, wtvr), that a massive subset of previously-unknown collectible car fans would offer support and even sponsorship? That's more windfall than P & L...

 

Hardin picket 7th by the king for allstar

 

When would be play him?
He would be 5th in the guard rotation.

 

While I'm disappointed we weren't able to make any bigger moves to really swing for the fences this season (yes, I was one of the idiots hoping for AD or Beal), I completely understand Morey's/TF's desire to get under the luxury tax this season--if possible.

I CANNOT believe how ignorant some of you posters are about this!

If we avoid the luxury tax this year, we're MUCH more able to go over it the next few years. If we didn't get under this year, we'd have had to do this type of cap gymnastics next year, or the year after, or the year after that. If none of those 4th star type of players were acquirable, this is the best possible fallback option.

With the GSW adding Boogie, this might be the absolute toughest year to win a title anyway (maybe... ever?). It makes sense for us to invest in the next 2-3 seasons with the expectation that we're going to do everything possible to win it all. My bet is that we'll be over the cap each of the next 3 years with "win-now" type moves. And it'll all be possible BECAUSE we got under THIS season.

What if KD and Boogie (and maybe Klay) change teams this summer? We'll be in a great position (without dead salary like Brandon Knight) to load up and take the crown.

Trust me, I've aired my frustrations on here as much as the next guy. This trade deadline was not ideal for us to win a championship this season (and I get it, this may be Harden's absolute peak), but I can see major benefits coming from these moves. The cost of getting those top tier guys was insane this year anyway (did yall see what Philly gave up for an expiring Tobias Harris?? Yuck!).

I don't necessarily think these moves are being done because TF is "cheap", I think they'll prove to be smart and forward-thinking. Besides, I still think we have as good a shot as anybody aside from GS this year. Hopefully we can get a little health luck to swing our way this time!