But next summer, when free agents expecting to strike it rich are shocked to find only midlevel exception offers (expected to start at most at $5 million), the Rockets will have more to offer in a sign-and-trade deal using that exception stuck in Carroll Dawson's desk drawer. The threat of a luxury tax will have been lifted. The Rockets can shop with money burning a hole in their pockets. Want a physical big man? Carlos Boozer? Etan Thomas? With a little luck, Jamaal Magliore? Need a power forward with shooting range? Mehmet Okur? Hedo Turkoglu? How about a true small forward? Morris Peterson? Desmond Mason? Help in the backcourt? Brent Barry? Kenny Anderson? Maybe even Quentin Richardson? There might be a few teams now willing to give up talent for nothing but next summer's cap space. But save the exception for a free agent sign-and-trade, and the Rockets can spend more than anyone but a few teams to carve out cap room. Question if we land in a restrictive free agent we cant match the offert how many times and that will hurt in the salary cap we will have some money on the free agents on this team about 2.5 off? i think is the same thing that happend with james posey it would be nice to have one of them IMO carlos boozer**** Mehmet Okur*** Morris Peterson**** Desmond Mason**** Brent Barry**** Quentin Richardson*****
I say use that $6.9mil Exp. + a protected future pick to get Strawmile Swift in a Sign n' Trade deal this summer. He'd be a free agent this summer and they know he's leaving anyway because they already got Pau Gasol. Swift worth more than the mid-level exp. and those few teams who's under the cap would prefer to invest their big $ on Sheed/K-Mart first; so i think the $6.9mil cap exception really gives us a good chance to get Swift. in about 20min/g of action this season, Swift averged nearly 10pt/6reb/1.8blk/0.7stl imaging what he can do if getting 40min/g alongside Yao & Steve.
This misconception occurred due to a thread featuring a Feigen article stating that Eddie Griffin (at the time of the article) could not be traded for a single player equalling his contract + the TE. After much discussion, aelliott found the actual section of the CBA which addressed this and concluded Feigen was incorrect. The use of the TE is an extension of the Rice/Amaechi trade without the use of the assigned player exception (+/- 115% + 100k). IOW, Rice to Utah, Amaechi to Houston, Griffin @$2.3m to Team A, Player A from Team A @ $8.9m to Houston would have worked capwise had it been performed simultaneously. The TE is a non-simultaneous trade which allows the Rockets to complete the Rice Amaechi trade. Since Griffin (or any other Rocket) could have been traded for a single player at the time of Rice/Amaechi, that can subsequently occur later. All the Rockets lost was the assigned player exception (+/-115% + 100k) because the TE can not be combined with another exception.
Sheed will have desirability to many teams, including possibly both the Van Gundy's squads. He will be hard pressed to get as much as 6.9mil 1st year from anyone in this market, IMO. Sure Portland would take the TE and a #2 or whatever for him if it comes to that. I am not sold on having RW here for the 3-5 years of a contract, should it come to that. The question, to me, after yesterday's timely (from feigan, wow!, an apt column) is 'when' is the optimum time to use the TE. That is keyed to identifying exactly whom you want and when he might become available. Artest? Maybe today! Q? Maybe July. This team still needs some serious help in the forwards department. 'Odd' that that is where the pickens' are slimmest, now or July.
Thanks - I remember reading that article and wondering if it was only useful in multiplayer trades. Happy to hear he was wrong. Considering how hard a time the team is having adjusting to JVG so far, I'd think a big mid-season trade would only make things worse. They aren't adding the final piece on their way to a playoff run, so they may as well wait for the summer. If we bring in Artest, he better come with a behavior chip implanted in his skull. Evan
