Breaking Down the Salary Implications of Waiving McHale

If salaries of coaches were part of the CBA, BimaThug would have already started this thread.

So, let me try.

Here's what we know:

McHale's Salary

Morey and Les gave McHale a $12m fully-guaranteed, four-year extension worth $3m/year. As we know, those are pretty good numbers for a starting NBA Coach, but not what we would consider a shrewd Morey ball contract. It had little flexibility for a coach -- who "win now" and "for the win" Rockets fans like FTW Rockets FTW have been screaming to waive for 2 years now.

Now that he's been waived, his contract will remain on the books, unless another team picks him up. At which point, the Rockets out-clause kicks in, and he comes off our books. But, why would McHale seek another HC job, when no one will come close to paying him $12m/yr after witnessing this McFailure of a year so far. He can just get a TV job, or even better become a Lurch butler for the Kardashians.



Remaining Team Salary

Despite the common belief that Les is displaying heroic owner commitment to the greater good of the Rockets by foregoing $12m, Morey does not have to fill McHale's vacant roster spot, making waiving McHale's salary a zero sum gain.

Here's the salaries:

By signing JB Bickerstaff as a 32yr old straight out of his dad's garage apartment, Morey still has JB on a rookie-scale salary. Rumor has it that the pick was McHale's, but we know who runs the coaching staff around here. By promoting a now 36yr old Bickerstaff to starter, we have the cheapest starting coach in the league at $250k per year, giving us the cheapest active roster, as well, at a combined $1,600,000. Compare that to the NBA average of $3.06m which is not so surprising nearly identical to McHale's salary. For further reference, Doc Rivers is making a flopping $10,000,000/year.

To round out the team, it's rare that assistant coaches make more than the starters, but that's what we have in TR Dunn ($535,000/yr) and Finch ($375,000). But around the league, their salaries are considered normal given their veteran experience.

But, Do We need to Fill the Empty Roster Spot?

Both TR Dunn (with 15yrs NBA experience) and Chris Finch (stolen from vaunted UK National Team) are well-seasoned veterans in their own right and fill important roles off the bench. Although many see Dunn (an 8yr backup for Rick Adelman) and Finch (groomed to replace Adelman) to be redundant offensive specialists, it was yet another brilliant Moreyball move to add flexibility in both salary cap space and bench options whether they fit together and add chemistry or not.

So, who can we sign to fill the empty roster spot? There are plenty of minimum salary options. According to sauces that basketballholic says are known to exist, Calvin Murphy is willing to join the team for a mere $5,000/month wardrobe stipend. Not only would that be a steal for a HOFer Shooting Coach, which we so desperately need, but he can handle Heather ****'s request for halftime interviews when the rookie Coach just wants to escape into the tunnel during another 20-point blowout.



But will Morey make another surprise move as he is known to do? Morey is finally considering taking a page out of Popovich's book with a hire from the female ranks.

According to plowman sauces, Morey is said to be quite enamored with Pops new girl, and will try to steal her away from the pockfaced old fart. Becky Hammond would be a welcome, dreamy addition for all us hopeless geeks in the GARM



<img src="https://usatq.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/ap-spurs-hammon.jpg" width=600>

But that said, once again it seems Le$ may force Morey's hand by telling him to sign someone from China to appeal to the Asian fans.

Our guess is Zhao Shuang

<img src="http://giaoduc.net.vn/Uploaded/nguyenlap/2012_10_17/ZhaoShuang-4.jpg">

<img src="http://media.makeameme.org/created/s-h-u.jpg">

Rep to anyone who can put Zhao Shuang in that photo.

 

Uh oh. Thread might turn serious.

I actually wasn't joking about that. McHale's contract (like many other in both the NBA and NFL) have an offset clause, should he get another coaching job in the NBA -- meaning the firing team only pays the difference (if there is a difference). These offset clauses are pretty standard now.

 

How sure am I about offset clauses? I'm positive. How sure am I McHale has one? Speculation. But since this is an extension, and he isn't a top coach, I seriously doubt Morey/Les didn't include such a clause.

If you are thinking about Mike Brown, his original contract with CLE was one of the reasons offset clauses have become routine throughout the NBA and NFL. Think about it. There is really no monetary harm for a coach to sign one. It still guarantees he'll get the fully-guaranteed salary, he just won't get double salary. The only reason you wouldn't sign one (especially in the first contract) is to make it very painful to be fired, as a further guarantee you will get to stay for your entire tenure, to build your system and have a full chance to succeed.