For what it's worth... [free agency: 7/8]

[nate33]

If the Wizards buyout Mike James, do they avoid paying the luxury tax?

I believe if they complete a buyout, they save the difference of money of what the buyout and his original salary multiplied by 2.

If they buyout James, their cap and luxtax hit will be the cost of the buyout rather than the cost of his contract. I think they might get a little more relief if James turns around and signs someplace else for more than the vet minimum (unlikely).

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

1. Buyout Mike James. (Make everybody's day)

2. Sign Diogu (hopefully) to a non-guaranteed deal, or to the minimum. (Make my day)

Those two things happen and I'm sipping koolaid all the way through the playoffs.

[JonathanJoseph]

1. Buyout Mike James. (Make everybody's day)

2. Sign Diogu (hopefully) to a non-guaranteed deal, or to the minimum. (Make my day)

Those two things happen and I'm sipping koolaid all the way through the playoffs.

While I would prefer Diogu and agree that he has some potentially untapped upside, neither he nor Mike James will have any impact this season and so one vs the other is a moot point in the short term.

I would rather sit on James expiring contract as a trade chip or take his cap space into next year. I have no problem going into the season with the current 13 players and perhaps some minimum salary veteran on a 1 year contract.

If you look at Orlando, Cleveland and Boston, they all have higher total payrolls and have 11 or 12 players under contract and some of those guys are summer league quality players. No one expects a 13th or 14th player to have any impact when your regular season rotation goes no more than 10 deep. I say leave the roster/cap space open.

[WIZKID]

JJ is very smart, keep writing I like your stuff

[WizarDynasty]

JJ is very smart, keep writing I like your stuff

yeah i like him too. he is already a heavy weight in here.

[fishercob]

1. Buyout Mike James. (Make everybody's day)

2. Sign Diogu (hopefully) to a non-guaranteed deal, or to the minimum. (Make my day)

Those two things happen and I'm sipping koolaid all the way through the playoffs.

While I would prefer Diogu and agree that he has some potentially untapped upside, neither he nor Mike James will have any impact this season and so one vs the other is a moot point in the short term.

I would rather sit on James expiring contract as a trade chip or take his cap space into next year. I have no problem going into the season with the current 13 players and perhaps some minimum salary veteran on a 1 year contract.

If you look at Orlando, Cleveland and Boston, they all have higher total payrolls and have 11 or 12 players under contract and some of those guys are summer league quality players. No one expects a 13th or 14th player to have any impact when your regular season rotation goes no more than 10 deep. I say leave the roster/cap space open.

+1. James is a marketable trade chip -- or will be at the deadline, especially for teams looking to get under the tax. If the Wiz have a great first half, EG may be able to convince Abe that we're one guy away from a legit title run and Abe would green-light using James' expiring, among other things, to bring in that guy.

A lot of teams spent a lot of money this summer, and some of them are going to have buyer's remorse when their players or teams underperform. There will be a market for James' deal. For that reason alone, I wouldn't buy him out right now.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

1. Buyout Mike James. (Make everybody's day)

2. Sign Diogu (hopefully) to a non-guaranteed deal, or to the minimum. (Make my day)

Those two things happen and I'm sipping koolaid all the way through the playoffs.

While I would prefer Diogu and agree that he has some potentially untapped upside, neither he nor Mike James will have any impact this season and so one vs the other is a moot point in the short term.

I would rather sit on James expiring contract as a trade chip or take his cap space into next year. I have no problem going into the season with the current 13 players and perhaps some minimum salary veteran on a 1 year contract.

If you look at Orlando, Cleveland and Boston, they all have higher total payrolls and have 11 or 12 players under contract and some of those guys are summer league quality players. No one expects a 13th or 14th player to have any impact when your regular season rotation goes no more than 10 deep. I say leave the roster/cap space open.

JonathanJoseph, you not only know what you're talking about, you express your ideas with clarity, precision, and a matter-of-fact style that's really refreshing.

Your take on James makes a lot of sense.

Also, I have to admit that Diogu's minutes would only come in case of trade or injury to Antawn or at the expense of Blatche and McGee. The latter would cause chemistry or developmental delay issues. Diogu's not playing would cause chemistry issues if he was clearly better but not playing, which as you say is likely what would happen.

I just see Diogu's talent and think he's a guy that can play ..

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

+1. James is a marketable trade chip -- or will be at the deadline, especially for teams looking to get under the tax. If the Wiz have a great first half, EG may be able to convince Abe that we're one guy away from a legit title run and Abe would green-light using James' expiring, among other things, to bring in that guy.

A lot of teams spent a lot of money this summer, and some of them are going to have buyer's remorse when their players or teams underperform. There will be a market for James' deal. For that reason alone, I wouldn't buy him out right now.

The only thing I'll add is that it's too bad the Wizards couldn't have sent James' deal instead of Etan's. Thomas had to go for minutes to open up, but seems to me he'll be very marketable by the deadline. Teams need bigs and just seems to me their harder to find that PGs.

[lupin]

I feel like I have to make the following statement every year. Take note, you Krazy Kool-Aid drinkers!

It is better to prove a pessimist wrong than an optimist.


Think hard about it.

[nate33]

The only thing I'll add is that it's too bad the Wizards couldn't have sent James' deal instead of Etan's. Thomas had to go for minutes to open up, but seems to me he'll be very marketable by the deadline. Teams need bigs and just seems to me their harder to find that PGs.

Etan had a trade kicker. Any team trading for him would need to take on more salary in return. Mike James is a much better trade asset.

[LyricalRico]

+1. James is a marketable trade chip -- or will be at the deadline, especially for teams looking to get under the tax. If the Wiz have a great first half, EG may be able to convince Abe that we're one guy away from a legit title run and Abe would green-light using James' expiring, among other things, to bring in that guy.

A lot of teams spent a lot of money this summer, and some of them are going to have buyer's remorse when their players or teams underperform. There will be a market for James' deal. For that reason alone, I wouldn't buy him out right now.

The only thing I'll add is that it's too bad the Wizards couldn't have sent James' deal instead of Etan's. Thomas had to go for minutes to open up, but seems to me he'll be very marketable by the deadline. Teams need bigs and just seems to me their harder to find that PGs.

Yeah, but CCJ that assumes that Etan would have actually been healthy at the deadline. I would probably have bet against that. At least Mike James can give a team some minutes.

And who's to say that there won't be a market for PGs? Orlando had to pick up Alston at the deadline. Boston had to pickup Marbury late. There could be teams in similar situations this season. And if a team is just trying to cut salary, they're probably not going to care what position a guy plays as long as he has an expiring contract.

[Kanyewest]

The only thing I'll add is that it's too bad the Wizards couldn't have sent James' deal instead of Etan's. Thomas had to go for minutes to open up, but seems to me he'll be very marketable by the deadline. Teams need bigs and just seems to me their harder to find that PGs.

Etan had a trade kicker which would have made him more difficult to move than Mike James.

[newslowsad]

Oberto is still our #1 option according to Mike Jones:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/weblogs/ ... op-target/

[REDardWIZskin]

i'm with keeping the current team but that is with the knowledge that the teams defense as a whole has to step up and take some defensive pressure off of Haywood. He is a shot blocker and shot blocker's can be proned to commiting fouls early which could have a big effect on our team that does not have a lot of depth at C/PF. he has done better in his career at staying on the floor in the last fews years but I would like to see defense of the team improve. Of ourse the defense needs to improve anyway but this is a underlying effect that could hurt the teams in alot of games, especially when we play guys like D Wade. If the team D is not improved the team should go after someone before the dealine.

[LyricalRico]

The Lakers have also considered forward Shelden Williams.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-lak ... 7681.story

Looks like we might have some competition if we're going after The Landlord. Williams is probably my #2 option behind Oberto at this point.

[MF23]

Shelden Williams is a good pick up if a team needs a 10 min a game role player coming off the bench. He'd be good for the Wizards at the minimum.

[likwitdesi]

Damn. Just ship Foye, Butler, Blatche, and James to Phoenix for Amare Stoudemire and sign Ramon Sessions at the bargain price he is going for on the market.

Starters: Arenas, Young, Miller, Stoudemire, Haywood
Backups: Jamison, Sessions, McGuire, and McGee

[REDardWIZskin]

Damn. Just ship Foye, Butler, Blatche, and James to Phoenix for Amare Stoudemire and sign Ramon Sessions at the bargain price he is going for on the market.

Starters: Arenas, Young, Miller, Stoudemire, Haywood
Backups: Jamison, Sessions, McGuire, and McGee

I wouldnt do anything that drastic unless we started the season like 3-15 or sumthin which i doubt would happen. We should give this team a chance to play together first they havent even all been in the same gym yet.

[FreeBalling]

Damn. Just ship Foye, Butler, Blatche, and James to Phoenix for Amare Stoudemire and sign Ramon Sessions at the bargain price he is going for on the market.

Starters: Arenas, Young, Miller, Stoudemire, Haywood
Backups: Jamison, Sessions, McGuire, and McGee

How about the Wizards throw in 4 mill in cash on top of your deal, just for being pals.


The Wizards offered Jamison and the 5th for AS, Suns said they wanted Buttler and the Wizards said NO!

Now your asking for even more. Nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[fishercob]

From David Aldridge:

Free agent forward Fabricio Oberto will decide on an NBA team by next week, according to his agent, Herb Rudoy, with the Washington Wizards favored to sign him. Oberto, who is at home in his native Argentina deciding what he will do, has also mullng whether to return to the San Antonio Spurs, who sent him to Milwaukee in late June in the Richard Jefferson trade. However, a league source said Wednesday that the Spurs, while keeping their options open, are looking in another direction.

The Wizards have offered Oberto their bi-annual exception, set for next season at $1.99 million. That amount, combined with the $1.9 million that was guaranteed on Oberto's deal next season, would make the four-year NBA veteran financially whole for next year. Despite good Vegas Summer League play from young forwards JaVale McGee and Andray Blatche, Washington still believes it has a gaping need for a veteran big to back up center Brendan Haywood next season.

"He knows he wants to go where he can play on a team that has a chance to win," Rudoy said.

The whole article is here: http://www.nba.com/2009/news/features/d ... index.html

Does the bolded section mean that the only portion of Oberto's salary that the WIz would be responsible for would be the luxtax payment, since the Bucks essentially owe him the biennial exception?

And by the way, it's biennial, not bi-annual. Bi-annual means twice a year. Biennial means every two years. (Semi-annual means every half year). Drives me crazy. Read, people!