Now that our main free agent has resigned, I think we can get a fairly accurate view of how much spending room we have left. Here is the roster I have: Francis- 3.47352 Mobley- 4.41288 Langhi- 0.46585 Cato- 6.0 Maloney cap hit- 2.54375 Moochie cap hit- 0.68055 Collier- 1.280067 Walt- 5.0 Morris cap hit- 0.0 Griffin cap hit-1.34072 Thomas-.94692 Taylor -6.4 ------------------------- 32.544257 Variable figures: +0.000495 (Mobley), +0.048 (Cato)=0.048495 Players Accounted For: Francis/Moochie Cat/Langhi Griffin/Morris/Walt Taylor/Thomas Cato/Collier (You can throw Bullard in too, as he'll likely be resigned with the vet. minimum) 42.5+.1 - 32.544257 = 10.055743 million (Note: the .1 comes in as we can go up to 100K over the cap.) If the variable figures are correct, then we have 10.007248 in cap space. Those who think Shandon will be resigned, or signed and traded, subtract 2.86 from the 10.055743 figure, to get 7.195743 mill. If the variable figures are correct, you have 7.147248 in cap space after Shandon. Bottom line: If we don't resign Shandon, and just let him walk, we have 10 million in spending room. I believe we are one of only 2 teams with more than 5 mill in cap space, the other being the Clippers. We'd be primed to facilitate a 3-way (such as Mason, who will likely go to the highest bidder via sign and trade, and the receiving team needs to get rid of as many $$ as possible to get Mason the money), or take on a good player on a bad contract (see Oakley for Skinner), or one overpaid player with a good player from a lux. tax fearing team (Cliff Robinson). If we do resign Shandon, or plan on sign and trading him with his early bird and can't renounce him because of that, we have 7 million in spending room. Still more than enough to sign Marc Jackson, or facilitate trades. Remember, it is not of utmost importance to spend it all now. The big spending free agency window WILL last till next year, and with most likely at least 10 mill in cap space, we can play these games again (with everyone's best friend Raef Lafrentz), or maintain our cap space throughout the season, and see if possibly what we want becomes available midseason.
Mason is hurting right now because Riley has to chop payroll and any sign-n-trade for him has to have very little coming back in return. Any ideas what teams are interested in Mason and the $$$ expected? Don't really know what the Rockets would accept in a three-way Mason deal. Mango
I'm not in complete agreement with this. If we sign Shandon next, then we are also talking about your $10.05m cap figure. Let me explain. we can give both Shandon and Marc Jackson $5m, by your numbers. The $2.8m cap hit for Shandon is eliminated once Shandon signs. So, if Shandon signs a $5m, then we still have $5m left for Jackson. Do you agree?
crispee-I agree. Not exactly sure where we disagree. If we sign Shandon outside early bird he chops into the 10 mill figure. Though, if he would take 5 mill, it'd be in the Rockets best interest to try to bargain him down to early bird (4.5), put him on hold and then use the 7+ mill on Jackson and another big man.
Me. I can't believe that we only have 3 people on this board who would rather have Shaq than Cato. <---- stupid non-animated icon
I guess I just favor stressing that we have $10m to sign Shandon and another free agent, since it looks like the negotiations are headed for more than EBR, or he walks. And .5m does make a big difference in commitment and real dollars if it is a lengthy contract (a $4m difference over 6yrs). See Dream. Your statement of $7.1m and then the EBR contract for Shandon is technically correct, but with Fegan's statement that they will not settle for the EBR, I believe it is assuming a little to much to say $7.1m plus the EBR....that is why I choose to say $10m for Shandon and another free agent.
NikeStrad, I have a few different numbers than you - I've been out of the loop for a while, so bear with me If I cover stuff you guys have already discussed. As far as I can determine, Anderson, Bullard and Colson have not been renounced, and I wouldn't expect them to be unless the Rockets specifically find someone that they need cap space for. Hence they count $2.86Mil, $4.2Mil and $0.38Mil towards the cap respectively. I have Norris counting only $0.43Mil towards the cap (120% of last years salary) Griffin should count the minimum possible until signed. Being the 7th overall pick, his minimum salary for 2001/2002 is $1.675Mil. Where did you get $1.34Mil? I have Walt Williams earning $5.58 this year - not sure of the origin of this number and your's may be more accurate. I think T.Morris will count the league minimum, until signed, of $.332Mil. Hence I have: Anderson: 2.86 Bullard: 4.2 Colson 0.38 Norris 0.43 Cato 6.0 Collier 1.28 Langhi 0.46 Francis 3.48 Griffin 1.67 Mobley 4.41 Morris 0.332 Taylor 6.40 Thomas .98 Williams 5.6 Maloney 2.54 That puts as at $41.08 mil before renouncing anyone. If we renounce the guys in bold, we are at $33.2mil. I guess it doesn't change much, because we really don't gain anything by leaving them "unrenounced" Only Bullard could benefit substantially from retaining his bird rights, and I don't see the Rockets paying him more than any exception. Let me know if any of my number are out.
davo- If I remember correctly on my Griffin number, the 1.675 is not the minimum, but the scale. Griffin counts the minimum, which is 80% of the scale. Until signed, I believe he counts my number, and we'll probably give him a max scale (120%) after signed. 2nd round picks aren't guaranteed, and don't count against the cap (yet another one of these "order" things). Though, I do need to check the number, I believe you have to have a number of player "slots" and if you're under the number, they count against the cap. You may be right on him. I think we just had different figures for Norris' salary last year. Also, the number is 130%, not 120%. I didn't include Colson because I'm fairly sure that if it came down to Colson, or anyone else, he'd be renounced. I think similar with Bullard, as he's made it clear he wants to remain a Rocket, and probably would stick around for the vet's minimum, which he could go above the cap to resign him if he's renounced. The Walt number came through one of the threads here, courtesy of the now extinct heypartner. crispee-oh, ok. Hopefully, we'll learn Shandon's status soon enough to figure out exactly what we have to work with.
davo--Morris does NOT count against the cap. Second round picks do not have guaranteed salaries. His cap hit is $0 until the Rockets actually sign him. (Hence, the beauty of getting Morris in the second round when they would have used a 1st rounder on him anyway)
Crispee,how much do you think that the Rockets are going to offer Moochie and Anderson respectively,and how much money are we going to be left with after that?
