Bima-question. With the balloon payments obviously a big issue in any potential blockbuster moves this offseason, questions have arisen about work-arounds. Two thoughts come to mind: 1.) A big hoopla was made a while back about Kobe (I think it was Kobe...) receiving a lump sum salary payment before the season started, as opposed to weekly game checks (or whatever the increments are). 2.) There is also a somewhat vague salary advancing provision in the CBA, but it is unclear how it exactly plays out with cap hits via trades, etc. Are either of these avenues available to help lessen the salary hit on Lin and Asik's deals to make this more movable?
1) I think what Kobe got was a SIGNING BONUS (in connection with his recently signed extension), which was forbidden in the "Arenas Rule" contracts that Lin and Asik signed. 2) The "salary advance" angle is one which I have explored (as has basketballholic). To be honest, I'm not sure whether it could apply in the present situation this summer. I've reached out to sources who would know better than I would but have heard nothing back. Unless there is affirmative evidence that it would apply, I would just assume for now that this approach would NOT work.
Bima, Fantastic article as always!! I wasn't aware the Rockets had 4 2015 2nd round picks. Can you list how the Rockets obtained those? Didn't the Rockets also get another player's rights from the Blazers/Robinson trade in addition to Kostas Papanikolaou?
Hi bima, Sorry for a noob question. If lin/asik and the team agree to a buy out say $5m, what would be the cap hit of the team or none at all? I know it wont happen, just curious. TIA
It's really not that big a deal, to be honest. It would only save Les Alexander about $400k and would not greatly impact the Rockets' cap room unless the team is somehow able to clear out both Lin's and Asik's contracts without taking back much/any salary. Yes, the Rockets got the draft rights to both Kostas Papanikolaou and Marko Todorovic (a 2013 second round pick), plus two other future second rounders. The (potential) 2015 second round picks the Rockets own are: (1) Their own pick (2) The Knicks' pick (from the Marcus Camby sign-and-trade in 2012) (3) The lesser of the Timberwolves' pick or the Nuggets' pick (via Portland in the Thomas Robinson trade) (4) The Clippers' pick, but ONLY if it falls within the 51-55 range (via Toronto in the David Andersen trade) No way Lin and Asik walk away from $14.9 million next season. But, hypothetically, I suppose the cap hit would be $5 million.
Thanks for the pick update. Still amazes me how the Rockets were able to trade the corpse of Camby for 2 2nd round picks. LOL at that Clippers 2nd round pick conditional range!
On Melo: I don't believe there is any way NY trades us Carmelo in a sign and trade, even if he threatens to leave to CHI. People keep suggesting that it will work like this: IF Melo decides he wants to come to Houston, Melo threatens NY that he will sign with CHI as a free agent if they don't sign-and-trade him to Houston. It doesn't really work that way, even though people keep suggesting it. When a player commits to a team, that's who he commits to. He's not committing to a team but hoping another team can get him. To get Melo, we will have to send away Asik and Lin in separate deals to OTHER TEAMS. Then Sign Melo as a Free Agent. Won't be max room but that available salary slot is what he will have to take if he wants to come here. Lots of IFS. NY will not give us Melo for Asik/Lin/whatever else. Why would they? Because he is bluffing that he'll sign with Chicago if they don't do it? Overcomplicated and unrealistic scenario.
Will be very interesting to see how the roster shakes out by September/October. I agree that I would prefer to see Morey trade out of the 1st round this year, hopefully for something like a 2015 1st and a 2014 2nd round pick. I know this isn't a random trade thread, but something like this just makes sense: Houston Out: Asik, TJones, 2015 1st, 2017 1st, Rights to Papanikolaou Houston In: Kevin Love Minny In: Hibbert, TJones, Rockets 2015 1st, Rocket's 2017 1st, NYK 2015 2nd Minny Out: Kevin Love Indy Out: Hibbert Indy In: Asik, Rights to Papanikolaou This all assumes that Minny believes they can get Hibbert's head on straight, and Love tells the front office he's leaving. Hibbert would be a good fit with Pekovic.
The media, including Eric Pincus (Good guy and trusted source) reported Kobe 's $24 million payment on November 1, 2013 as an 80% advance, which was permissible under the old cba. They reported that advance as grandfathered in. Don't see how it could have been a signing bonus either since that was the last year of his old contact. Anyways, here's what I've heard. Source 1: Rockets can advance 50% of the base salary after October 1. They can advance 25% before October 1 and another 25% between October 1 and November 15. Questions Source 1 could not answer: 1. Does the advance have to be spelled out when the contact is signed or can the team and player agree on the advance at the time of the advance? 2. Is the base salary for calculating Lin's and Asik 's maximum possible 50% advance $8.375 million or $15 million? (Source 1 did not know for sure but felt it was probably $8.375 million.) Source 2: Gave me the Bima Special (I don't think so) when I asked him about advances. Then he told me he would check on it. That has been months ago and he's tired of me asking. Says he still doesn't know. And he most definitely should know by now because of his connections to both front offices and player agents. Source 2, because he should know and is acting like he doesn't, is making me feel like I'm on to something. And then there's Bima with a direct connect to the man himself. (tapping fingers) On a more serious note, if the Rockets can actually advance both Lin and Asik 50% of their $8.375 million cap makes them much more desirous in a trade package or individually. As a package the receiving team would basically owe both players a total of less than $18.5 million. That may actually be a bargain for their services. Here's a link to the story on Kobe ' s advance. http://articles.latimes.com/2013/oct/31/sports/la-sp-ln-friday-is-payday-for-kobe-bryant-20131031
So if the 50% advance is correct, the acquiring team will pay Lin and Asik roughly what their cap hit will be.... Asik/Lin's Actual Pay = $14.9 50% of $8.375 = $4.189 Rockets 2014/2015 Cash Allotment (half) = $1.5 Total Salary Due = $9.211 million each Cap hit = $8.3 This would be a big deal.