Lafrentz has a player option on his contract after this season for another 2 years and around $23 million. Obviously, he would be foolish to not exercise that option as there is no way he gets a contract that good in free agency. But at the same time, he is buried in Portland. It doesn't look like he is ever going to get playing time in light of their rebuilding. What would happen to their cap if they approached him after the season and offered him, say, $14 million or some agreeable amount not to exercise his option? Would that money count towards their cap for next year, this year, or not at all? Anybody know how that works? I would think if they could get Raef not to take the option and it not hurt their cap that they would do that. Otherwise, they are stuck with each other, Portland paying him a ton and him not getting any playing time, for another year and a half, when he is expiring and may or may not be able to be moved for something else.
Probably the same thing that happened with the Webber buyout...though I don't know how it counts against the cap. DD
Looking at Coon's FAQ (http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#59), it looks like you can buy-out a player and pay him to not exercise his option. However, they can only pay up to 50% of the salary owed in the option year. But, if I understand the FAQ properly, the buy-out amount (instead of the option amount) would count against the cap. So they could reduce but not eliminate his impact.
