[ClutchFans] BimaThug: Houston Rockets Salary Cap Update

Still over the tax

 

Still about $1.35M above the tax threshold. They'd need to also trade another player (or two if one of them's Chase).

 

Interesting tidbit from Feigan's response to a comment in his article...

'This trade having saved 10 million was not a cost-cutting move'
Yeah right!!..... and courtney lee is a better player than ariza ?

(If the Rockets do not make a trade to get under the tax -- such as dealing Jeffries -- and use the exception they got in the deal, this trade will actually cost them more than the $10 million they would save if they don't use the exception. They do hope to use that exception. Otherwise they would not have used the Carl Landry trade exception to get a new, $6.3 million exception for a potential, later deal. -- Jonathan)

 

$1.35M?

Man, has Morey worked magic or what?

So they could trade Chuck at the trade deadline, give someone $3 million to take his contract, which would net the other team about $1 million, then resign Chuck as he is released ala Big Z last season, and wallah, they are under?

Or they could trade Jeffries or Battier at the deadline and just take back a little less salary....

Man, Morey has shaved over $8 million off the payroll without weakening the team.

Amazing.

DD

 

Next off-season.

 

Exactly...they are getting under the tax......history says that is what they do.

The only exception would be if a superstar shakes loose...Melo might but he is not going to sign an extension so it would be too risky.

DD

 

I thought trade exceptions were only good for a year, so it would expire by the next off season.

 

We are in the offseason...right now...so if they use it in July and August that is...next offseason.

DD

 

My guess is that no trade exceptions will be used in July or August of next year. There WILL be a work stoppage in the league. Here's hoping that teams are granted a "tolling period" to account for the work stoppage.

One way for the Rockets to assure that they can use the trade exception without risking losing it due to the work stoppage would be to use it on draft day.

We'll just have to see.

 

Soooo....BimaThug...you think we will pay luxury tax after all, yes or no?

 

Bima,

Do you think that the team will pay the tax now? I mean it is so low, that I could see them trying like mad to get under it, or to simply pay it, and not be bothered.

I do think they get rid of Taylor now though, or will this season.

I could see them going into the season with only 13-14 players.

Yao/Miller/Hayes
Scola/Hill/Patterson
Battier/Cbud/Jeffries
Martin/Lee
Brooks/Lowry

Taylor or Smith as the final roster spot.

I mean that is a versatile team, and if they get rid of Taylor they save double his salary....

Even if you include Taylor they are barely over the cap.

DD

 

I didn't read the whole thread so sorry if it's been addressed, but can you combine trade exceptions with players when making trades. i.e. $6.3mil TE + $7ish mil for Jeffries = you can trade for a player making $15ish mil?

 

he strengthened the team imo. we have much greater flexibility with the yao situation still up in the air. then he balanced the team positionally and gave adelman more on court flexibility with an athletic defensive backup 2 who can play 25 mpg and can actually shoot and drive. morey got the man he has been wanting and this man, c. lee, isn't a bonehead either like ariza could be. ariza is a long, athletic, hard worker and laid it all out there, but he suffers from rafer shooting syndrome with a mild case of stromile palsy.

morey realized his mistake with overpaying and giving too many years to ariza. he saw there was a solid market out there for him and he struck a deal while he could, got the man he wanted, and saved the owner a boatload of money. great trade imo. people will be happy with lee here.

 

Yeah, at this point, I think they likely end up getting below the tax threshold.

Like I said before, I think the most likely scenario for reducing/avoiding the tax at the trade deadline will involve the Rockets trading Jeffries in exchange for a scrub on an expiring contract but who makes less than Jared. Something akin to the Darko-for-Brian Cardinal trade last February.

 

Agreed that this is the "default position" if no opportunities for improvement presents itself.

Given that all they need to cut is $1.35 mil, the Rockets can very well just pay the other team, say, $2 milion which would more than cover the less than 1/2 season worth of salary difference and give the other team a nice chunk of cash profit. The Rockets save the $1.35 mil in tax + whatever the "refund" is. Won't need to give a pick to cut that kind of salary.

 

It's $2.13M. The smaller figure was in response to DD asking what the figure would be without Taylor.

 

Such a move could only involve Hayes or Hill? If memory serves McGrady was headed to the Kings not Knicks originally. So Hill is more expendable than Budinger?

 

I would say that the move will be to find a team with a young player that has no room within their team, and a trade exception and trade jeffries for that.

We take back a young prospect with 2 more years in his contract of about 1.5-2.5 millions a year and the trade exception, and we are under the tax and ending up with "something" in return.

 

I would be shocked if he is on the team after the trade deadline, the only way they keep Taylor, IMO, is as insurance stashed in Rio Grande.

DD

 

ESPN trade machine figures have it at $1.54M over incl. Taylor w/o the non-guaranteed contracts.