How much should Les be willing to let the Rockets go over the Salary cap to put together the best Championship contending team? Here are the current Team total salaries for the biggest contenders in the East and West this year: West: Lakers $82,111,385 San Antonio $67,733,194 (two minor players still unsigned) New Orleans $69,032,260 (two minor players still unsigned) Utah $65,841,407 Dallas $95,506,874 (two minor players still unsigned) Phoenix $75,059,826 (two minor players still unsigned) Denver $77,037,781 (three minor players still unsigned) East: Boston $80,284,135 (two minor players still unsigned) Detroit $69,056,906 (two minor players still unsigned) Cleveland $86,842,023 (two minor players still unsigned) Orlando $68,859,274 (two minor players still unsigned) New York $97,726,228 (just put them in because they are the highest) The Rockets’ current salary is $69,974,120, which is $-11,294,120 of cap room according to ESPN trade machine; and that is minus the unsigned salaries still yet of Landry, Deke and Dorsey. We have 14 players signed without them, so two of the smaller salaries will probably be dropped through trade or unguaranteed contracts. Next year we have to consider paying more money for Artest and probably Steve if he plays well this year and we want to keep him; I know that’s a big if to lots of you. Assuming we add about $4 mil for Landry and $2-3 mil between Deke and Dorsey, that would push us to about $77 mil this year! I think that now is the time for Les to do as Boston did and push the $80 mil mark, with ticket sales up and this being our best chance for a championship since our last! If so, what could we do with that amount? Your thoughts and comments please.
we should get someone else for insurance if one our stars go down, raja bell? barbosa? some things we should look into further down berfore the trade deadline
I say we're fine because we have the flexibility to make a big move come trade deadline. Don't forget that Utah, SA, and NO all have similar cap room, so if they make a move, we have flexibility in cap to counter it.
I also think that we will need at least another $7 mil to offer Artest next year, giving him somewhere around $14 mil a year for about 4 or 5 years to keep him. That by itself would push us to over $84 mil next year. Then we still got Steve next year and trying to resign Scola, Yao and Tracy before they get into free agency.
Since NY is at 97 mil, we must spend more than NY to be a better than the Knicks. Les should spend 98 mil, then we will be the best team.
Is Mark Cuban still playing Finley's salary? I wouldn't count his salary, since he isn't on the roster anymore.
At least I spent my time writing something to talk about during a down time in Rockets stuff to talk about. What did you spend your time doing? Reading what I wrote! ROFL (Btw, that was an awesome convention tonight! )
In randomly trying to add up all those salaries for Dallas without a calculator, it's seems that they total about $90 mil....so maybe he is still paying about $5 mil on Finley if that is even possible; or they just have some salary that he is paying that isn't showing up there. Either way, he is still spending over $90 mil on a team that is vastly less talented than ours if you ask my opinion about it.
Dallas is actually the one that shocks me the most. I can't imagine living costs in Dallas is that much higher in Dallas than it is in Houston. With the high costs of living in NYC, Boston, L.A. and without the luxury of having no personal income tax, I think it is expected for those salaries to be higher. I also found this article an interesting read. http://www.kiplinger.com/tools/slideshows/slideshow_pop.html?nm=2008-best-cities&KIPAD_ID=47 It lists Houston as the top place to live and play.
I agree with you, we still have some room that Les should be willing to make. What I don't understand, is where is Landry and his agent thinking they should land in the salary department. They are holding us up from probably signing Deke and making a trade possibly involving Luther and/or Hayes for a better backup center or point guard. You would think that Landry and his agent would see the numbers and want something reasonable under $4 mil, but maybe the Rockets are closer to $2.5 mil for him; which I kind of agree with. I only mentioned $4 mil because we should be willing to do it in order to keep him if he is healthy. But then that will just add more to what we will have to pay Scola when he comes up for resigning. I really would like to see the Landry situation handled soon. I don't want it to interfere with training camp. We need to be hitting on all cylinders this year from the start.
