We're not talking about the salary cap. The new CBA has this one-time luxury tax exception. This summer, teams can waive one guy on their roster, and that guy's salary will still be on the cap, but will be exempt from luxury tax calculations. The Lakers are in Luxury Tax territory. So if they cut a big salary guy like Brian Grant, they don't have to pay dollar for dollar however much he put them over the tax.
what's the point of the trade? all the players stink and and the #35 pick for the #17 pick is stupid. this is a pointless trade.
Come on man. Trading for Vincent Askew and Reggie Williams was genius! And let's sign a broken-down Sarunas Marciulonis!
Didnt he also trade back Mark Jackson to the Pacers again? If I remember correctly, the Nugz got Jackson via trade and traded him back to the Pacers the same year before the trading deadline?
Yeah. Bickerstaff apparently thought that he could get more value by just letting Mutombo leave for nothing. OK, now you guys are just rubbing salt in the wound. I forgot about the Jackson trade. UGH! Jalen Rose, Eric Williams and a top ten pick (who I believe became the greatest center in the history of the game Erick Dampier) for Jackson, Pierce and a late first rounder (which we undoubtedly wasted). In defense of Bickerstaff, he's not the one who traded Jackson back a few months later, that was Bristow (who's now ruining the Hornets). I believe we got some pieces of lint and a few second round picks for him. So we gave up Jalen, Eric Williams and a top ten pick for a few second rounders, a late first, and three stiffs. And Kelly, I think we actually TRADED for a broken down Sarunas Marciulonis. Signing him wouldn't have cost us anything. That wouldn't make sense for us. Good times. No wait, no they weren't. Ugh.
A-ha. Thanks - I didn't hear about that until last night. I don't think that (waiving Grant to avoid the lux) will really change (significantly) what the Lakers might do - they'd still have to pay him, as well as whoever they might bring in. And as long as they're capped out, they can't bring in someone for big dollars. It's a nice perk for Buss, especially if he can get Grant to agree to a buyout payable over several years, but not one that would let the Lakers bring in a Ray Allen. Evan
New York Daily News is now reporting the rumored trade is actually Bender+#17 for Medvedenko+#10, which makes a lot more sense from Indiana's perspective. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/story/322459p-275690c.html
