[Detroit News] Pistons owner Davidson faces some taxing decisions

I think the question is: How much of our MLE do we offer?

 

I keep seeing people talk about this guy, but I've never seen him play. I hope he's as good as people here seem to think he is if we sign him. But to be honest, I kind of doubt it if Dumars is ready to watch him walk away so easily.

 

The Rockets should offer a front-loaded contract to Amir Johnson... let's say, 3 years $10-12 millin, but with the first year figure being the full MLE.

 

You're right about Dumars. I can't say what the owners will do but it will be interesting to see what happens. IMO Amir Johnson is not what the Rockets are looking for because of his inexperience but they have shown mild interest in him.

 

Can't do that.

Just like raises, paycuts are bounded as well. You can do a 3 year deal starting at 4.3m, and declining by the 8% to get a 12 million dollar total deal.

When teams talk about front loading, it's usually with a high money player and they give him a signing bonus (which maxes out at 20%) -- for a guy on an 80 million dollar deal, you're talking about an initial outlay of ~25 mill (signing bonus + first year salary). 20% of a 12 mill is not going to have the same effect, and it doesn't effect the cap.

 

Good to know... but they can still front load it, for cap purpose, as much as possible. May not be a lot of difference in terms of raw salary, but if luxury tax limit is the absolute highest DET will go, it could make a difference.

 

I showed the most front loaded scenario.

A signing bonus would not help to front load it for cap purposes -- it counts the same against the cap as if there were no bonus.

 

What I meant is that the difference between $4.3 million and $3.7 million in first year salary, given how close DET is to the tax limit, could convince them not to match.

Another thing they can do, if they want to offer a higher value, is to have the last year not being guaranteed (like Sura) so if he busts, he stays on the cap shorter.

 

Amir is the only FA I'm still interested in. Hopefully, they get it done. Darko is interesting, but the Magic have seen him all season long, and aren't doing anything to keep him ... not a good sign. Detroit let him go for nothing for almost nothing. I think we'd be better off with Amir.

Hopefully we do what it takes to get him, perhaps pick up Francis, and trade Alston, Sura's contract and anyone else (Snyder, JL3, etc.) for a decent PF.

 

for those who don't know who Amir Johnson is, do a search ... there's lot of info that's been written here.

 

offering the majority of the full MLE is risky but well worth it. A 20 year old 6'9 rebounder and shot blocker with range is now 6'11...take the risk!

 

Grant Hill will become a Phoenix Sun any day now. It may not be "official" till the 11th, but it will happen, so the Pistons working hard to keep their two main FA guys makes a LOT of sense.

I'm still a Darko guy. I pray we don't end up with Mikki Moore or Joe Smith or any of the other has-been, never will be kind of players that seem to litter the FA market.

There's a reason so few are getting phone calls from their agents. Moore needs to stay in the East, preferably on a team that needs a big man and same for Joe Smith, I like the guy, but NOT as a starter, and no, we cannot have Landry or Chuck start next year if we expect to be better.