The Jazz finally used some of that cap space to facilitate a trade, but in an unusual twist, the Glen Rice-for-John Amaechi swap will actually open up even more cap room for the Jazz next summer. Assuming for a second that Utah doesn't re-sign any of its free agents next summer (like Keon Clark, DeShawn Stevenson, Greg Ostertag or Jarron Collins) the Jazz are looking at about $15 million in guaranteed salaries next summer. That will give them, by far, the most cap room in the league. Of course, as they learned last season, that's no guarantee that free agents will come when you wave cash their direction. In fact, no is even sure whether Rice will come this season. The Jazz are rebuilding and Rice, from his early indications, sounds like he doesn't want to be there. "We're going to sit down with him and sit down with his agent and go from there," Kevin O'Connor, the Jazz's vice president of basketball operations, told the Salt Lake Tribune. "In 24 or 48 hours we'll have a better feel about a decision." Chances are the Jazz will waive Rice, who is in the final year of his contract, and let him join the team of his choice. So why did the Jazz pull the trigger on the swap? In addition to the cap space they receive next year, the Rockets took one of the team's trouble makers off their hands and threw in a couple of first-round picks and a few million in cash to boot. In other words, the trade was really a slam dunk for Utah. The Jazz will potentially get the Rockets and Bulls' first-round pick next year. Both picks do have some protection. It is believed that the Rockets' pick is lottery protected for the next four years. The Bulls' pick is top-19 protected. Houston acquired the Bulls pick in the Bryce Drew trade a few years back. If the Bulls don't finish in the top 10 this year, the Jazz will get the Bulls second round pick '05 and '06. O'Connor said he may not be done shifting things around. "Do we still have some more options before our first game? Yes," said O'Connor. "I've been fairly open in saying I don't think this is the end of the roster moves. We could still do something." The deal also helps the Rockets' bottom line. Before the trade the Rockets were about $1.7 million over the projected $57 million luxury-tax threshold. Moving Rice's $9.6 million deal for Amaechi's $2.3 million got them safely under it. It also allowed them to give Jim Jackson a three-year, $7.3 million contract to fill the void left by Rice at small forward. Jackson, who was a key contributor to the Kings last year, has to be breathing a sigh of relief. For the past few seasons, he's had to accept minimum deals just to play in the league.
That's our Rockets! Giving security to vagabonds like handing out candy on Halloween. If you're a scrub or a career journeyman looking for a deal make sure to call Carroll Dawson! He'll hoooooooook you up!
Wonder if Rice will sign here if he's waived, or does the team that picks him up this season take the salary he had on?
Please...Jim Jackson is a better player than James Posey. What other career journeyman and scrubs has CD signed?
They are saying we took Amechi who is one of the Jazz trouble makers. Go to a Jazz board and read what they think of Amechi... he is truly hated by the Jazz fans.
Matt freakin Maloney? Moochie Norris? Kelvin Cato? MoFat? Jim Jackson is such a better player than Posey that he's been working the NBA minimum for years now.
I don't care how much he makes...he's a better, more proven player than Posey. Posey's ridiculous contract is based on potential that will never be fulfilled...just watch. It's like Shandon Anderson all over again, only this time we did the right thing by letting him go for nothing.
As it stands... Les won't have to pay the 1.7 LT plus he saved 6.9 in the trade but he'll have to pay 3 million more next year for John and the year after. The 1.25 they spent of MLE money on JJ would have actually cost him another 1.25 so... +1.7 LT +1.25 extra LT on JJ +1.25 on JJ + 9.6 on GR - 5.6 for JA for the next 2 years So Les traded 2 mid-first rounders (maybe 1 first and 2 seconds) for less than 8.2 million (he had to pay some cash considerations too). Oh wait...we did get the Kings 2nd round pick too. Picks (future) for money is what this deal is.
I don't like the length of the deal. I would have personally preferred a 2 year deal due to his age(and yes, I know that he's in good shape right now). But I assume 3 years was a MAJOR sticking point in negotiations with him. Ah well. Good FA acquisitions by the rox, imo.
I believe the owners who stay under the LT threshold actually collect millions in Luxury Tax from the other owners, so Les actually makes far more in this deal than you've detailed.
Good point that I forgot to add in. But the bottom line there were 2 deals yesterday - 1 for a player I'm happy to have - the other was to make Les some money at the cost of some 1st rounders.
In addition to the cap space they receive next year, the Rockets took one of the team's trouble makers off their hands and threw in a couple of first-round picks and a few million in cash to boot Anybody knows how much " a few million in cash" exactly is?
