Boozer to Jazz! Can Rockets make TE deal with Cavs?

As far as I know, nobody suggested that, because it is impossible.

 

This whole situation gives sports such a bad name. These types of verbal deals are made in each sport, all the time. Boozer and his agent came to Paxson with a deal. If they would let him out a year early, they would sign below market rate. I also read at the time they made the announcement that his contract w/CLE would include a player option to allow him to opt out if he continued to play at a high level. I can see going against your word if the choice is going from nothing to something. Boozer sold his soul by going from alot to a little more. It's not worth it. He will be booed in each visiting arena. He wil never get any type of endorsement deal. His agent will suffer as well. Not his clients like Kobe, but the lower level players. I think if CLE decides to match they will have some willing partners. Of course, every team is looking out for it's own best interest, but CLE's owner is very beloved in NBA circles. I really think HOU would be quick to help. Getting Battie for nothing, hurting a team (UTAH) that you will be fighting against for a playoff spot, and helping out a team/owner who most teams feel got screwed. Lebron's agent released a statment saying how LB was disappointment about not playing with Boozer and that "some people" do not keep their word. That should lead to a very intersting Olympics. I can see LB and friends freezing Boozer out.

 

TE won't be enough for them to do it. They'd need to be about 7 million under the cap to match, since the MLE can't be combined with cap space or another exception to sign a player. They're currently standing at $39 million commmitted for next year. Salary cap is about $33 million. $39 - $7 = $32 million = $1 million under. No dice.

Evan

 

33 million? You are way off, I think.

33 million would be closer to the minimum team salary is my guess. 44 million would be something I could imagine for the salary cap, but that is just a guess.

 

Salary cap should be set at 46 million, give or take a few hunderd G's, still it's been said that the Jazz structured the deal to where it will be almost impossible for the Cavs to match. Heard that close to 25% of the 68 million is given as a signing bonus+salary in the first year, 15 million will be going to Boozer in the first season if there's any truth to that. Cavs would need to trade away at least 10 million in salary, ain't going to happen...

 

You know what I haven't even seen mentioned? How this effects Lebrons desire to play in Cleveland. Before the season started I felt like "So what they got to draft LeBron, he'll be there for his three or four years and then go sign elsewhere at age 21 or 22." but then as the season progressed and I realized they really did have a solid core in he and Boozer with some nice veterans around them and some young talent being developed I thought "Well hell, maybe he will play his career in Cleveland.".

But after this? After the first year in at least a decade that this team had any hope at all their second best player jumps ship? If Boozer is leaving that organization after it looks like their fortune was turning around what shot do they have to keep LeBron when his contract expires? I'd think none at all if they keep Paxson as their GM. They'll have to make some serious changes that make LeBron believe he's surrounded by people with the desire and know how to put the talent around him he'll need to win.

I really think the damage done to Cleveland goes far beyond losing Carlos Boozer here. If they don't do everything right from here on out it could very well lead to losing LeBron James.

 

I really wish people would stop quoting trade restrictions/allowances and figures that don't exist.

Besides the fact that the Cavs have 43.2m committed according to a Cleveland area paper, I can guarantee you the salary cap will not be $33 million.

The salary cap is set by taking a percentage (48.04%) of BRI. For the last 3 seasons, this figure has amounted to 42.5 million, 40.271 mill, and 43.84 million respectively.

Estimates I've seen for this range from 43-46 million, most commonly, 45 mill.

Please, no more.

 

ummmmm....what?


cleveland needs to be under the cap the same amount as the first year of boozer's contract. that's all. MLE doesn't mean anything. and they can use our TE to clear salary to get further below the cap. the numbers that seem to quoted as their salary for next year is $42-43M. the cap is supposed to be about $46M. thus, whatever boozer's first year cap hit is, subtract that from 46 and that's where they need to be. subtract that from 42 or 43 and that's how much they have to shed. as it stands right now, if they really need 11-12M, even our TE may not get it done.

JumpMan, as i understand it, you can frontload contracts to affect how much money you are actually giving a guy at the beginning, but it has no effect on what a guy counts toward the cap. a contract cannot go down from one year to the next, meaning at the highest, the first year cap hit can only be the average cap hit (in this case apparently 68/6=11.33M). thus, cleveland only needs to get about 11M below the cap and apparently they are 3 or 4 million under already. whether or not our TE can get it done remains to be seen when the actual numbers come out on the 14th or 15th.

 

WOW. 15 mil? Impressive move on the Jazz's part.

But, its not impossible as you say. It just means moving some players to teams under the cap, and to someone like us with the TE. They may not LIKE it ... but ... I'm hoping the Rocket's have their hands wide open ...

 

Signing bonus, in regards to the salary cap, are averaged out over the length of the contract. Also, given his NBA service time, the max amount Boozer can make next year, total, including any signing bonus is 9 million. Which means CLE needs about 5 million to get to that figure. Most likely trades, Battie to HOU for the TE. Any 2 of Diop, Wagner and Brown to ATL or CHA for a second round pick(s). Diop, Wagner and Brown should be very attractive to ATL or CHA. Each player can be a FA next year if the team doesn't pick up their option.

 

Francis 4 prez... Last year Andre Miller and Lamar Odom got front loaded contracts to try and keep the Clippers from matching.

 

25% is the maximum amount of a signing bonus. However, when signing bonuses are given up front, it actually reduces the overall compensation as well as the future base year amounts.

Coon's FAQ does an exceptional job on it, IMO. Signing Bonuses FAQ

This was the strategy Miami used to sign Odom when he was an RFA- signing bonuses lessen the cap hit and overally compensation, but force more of the real money to be paid up front. Assuming Gund has no qualms giving Boozer the money (something the frugal Sterling had problems doing), signing bons doesn't affect too much.

Utah is still bound by the maximum salary restrictions. The most Cleveland will have to clear will be 25% of the cap, which will likely fall between 11 and 11.5 million.

 

I don't believe $15 million is possible under the current CBA. The max Boozer can get for his first year is 25% of Salary cap, which is around $46. So that would be $11.5 million. Clevend is currently $3 million under cap. They would need $8.5 million extra.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2004-07-01-dupree-free-analysis_x.htm

 

Then there is a chance, hmm... We'll just have to wait and see...

 

Easier said than done....

They've got two options, they can gut their team or trade Big Z. The first one isn't likely, or really worth it and the Cavs would be digging a larger hole if they did that. The second one is possible, but again very hard to do.

Why? Because Big Z has a large contract and is an injury prone player. That AND not many teams can take that size of contract. Basically only the Jazz, Hawks, Nuggets and Bobcats can take Big Z's contract.

The Jazz won't do it. So take them off the list.

The Nuggets probably will wrap their money up with Martin. So cut them from the list.

The Hawks probably don't want to waste their money on a center that has a 60% chance of getting injured. That and they wouldn't want to spend that money so early in the FA season (remember, the FA season has basically just kicked off). If the Hawks tie their money up in Big Z, their arms are tied.....

The only other team is Charlotte.

Would they do it? Who knows.....

 

Back to basketball for a minute. Neither Okur nor Boozer is a great defender, but AK's weakside shotblocking should help camouflage their weaknesses. And he won't have to concentrate on the defensive boards as much, so he could be even more of a whirling dervish on defense. However, against the Rockets he'll probably have to shadow T-Mac most of the time, so Yao should be able to go to town. If the Rox could get a guard who could penetrate and dish, they'd be scary. Is Moochie available?

 

I think I showed that we could take Z's contract and help Cleveland to get about 8 million under the cap.

 

I like the new baner on the main page. Anybody elso notice that!!

 

Ok, but that sorta ties into my first point...being 8 under STILL won't give them enough to match Utah's offer. Chances are they'll have to pay 11 million (if the contract is front-loaded). So Cleveland would get rid of their center and now have to shop around other players.....