While I'm not necessarily opposed to trading for Varejao, people need to realize exactly what they're getting into from a salary cap perspective. Varejao has a 5% trade kicker, and if he is traded this year (the second year of a six-year deal), that trade kicker (which is 5% of the TOTAL REMAINING VALUE of his contract) would be over $2M. Taking into account team salary and luxury tax (which could push the "cost of Varejao" to over $14-15M this season!), that is going to be one hefty price for Les to pay this season for a guy who's just a quality role player. Varejao's cap numbers would be (approximately): 2010-11: $7.7M 2011-12: $8.4M 2012-13: $9.1M 2013-14: $9.7M 2014-15: $10.4M ("only" ~$4.4M of which is guaranteed) With a new CBA coming in that will likely slash player salaries and lower the salary cap going forward, are you willing to commit THAT much money to Varejao? Unless the new CBA rolls back existing contracts to lower salaries (a big "if" and something against which the players' union will fight tooth and nail), those numbers are locked in and will clog the Rockets' cap for several years. I will say this: If you're in favor of trading expiring contracts for Varejao AND in favor of re-signing Aaron Brooks this summer, then I don't see why you'd be opposed to extended Yao Ming beyond this season. The Rockets likely wouldn't have any cap room anyway, so what's the difference to anyone other than Les and his pocketbook? Just saying, is all.
If we are committed to Scola and Martin, then we have to bring on board Elite defenders like Varejao. The guy is a stud defensively and rebounding. He does all the little things you need to win games defensively, pairing him and Battier would be a defensive wet dream.
BimaThug, I'm not following something: The salary cap hit is spread over the remainder of the contract (for the purposes of calculating team salary for each year after the trade.) When you say, "that trade kicker would be over $2M, putting Varajeo's cap number in the $9.3M to $9.5M range," that doesn't sound right. What are you addding? What year are you talking about? You make it sound like "this year." Let's assume $2m is the trade kicker for his contract (for illustration purposes), and there are 4yrs left. The cap hit is $500k per year in addition to the regular salary.
The trade kicker is paid in one lump sum at the time he is traded, and the entire amount is added to his salary cap figure for the season in which he is traded. The Rockets just experienced this with Jared Jeffries last season.
The total bonus was charged, because Jared only had one year left on his contract. I'm pretty sure the bonus is spread out over the remainder of the contract, for the purposes of calculating team salaries/cap charges. I can't find my copy of the CBA, though, to confirm.
When has Varejo ever started at power forward or know to be anything but a C?? Man, do you guys even watch the games??
Isnt this assuming we just absorbed him though? If we sent back JJ as part of the deal, who has a similar "Cost of Jeffries" which is especially painful seeing as he doesn't even play, we are cancelling out a large chunk of that salary.
Cleveland is actually one of the teams that would view AB as an attractive asset. AB would actually be an upgrade for them in the PG department. AB + Jefferies for Varejao works well for both teams.
Thats speculation What we do know is that they like Lowry and they like his contract since they are the ones who negotiated it. Lowry for Varejao works well for both teams.
Well, hot damn! You're right. I'm wrong. My bad. (See, DD, it happens from time to time.) I'll edit my post above.
This can't happen because Morey matched the Cleveland offer sheet for Lowry. Well, it can't happen for a year after the offer was matched.
Bima, doesn't the "cost of Varejao" depend on what salary the Rockets send out? Can't the Cavs conceivably actually take back more salary from the Rockets than they give the Rockets?
Varejao is listed as a forward-center. At the beginning of last year, he was started at PF next to Shaq in the starting lineup. Do you even watch the games?
Well, I guess that all depends on how you look at it. By "cost of Varejao", I'm not saying that Les will have to pay that much MORE than he's currently paying. Just that that's the price tag assigned to Varejao himself this season (assuming the Rockets are still over the luxury tax after the trade). If you wanted to deduct, say, the "cost of Jared Jeffries" from the equation, then the NET COST would be something less than the "cost of Varejao". I was talking "gross", not "net".
I'm more interested in how much talent we are going to have to send out for Varejao. I do not want to "overpay" talent.
