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Dallas Headed for Fiscal Sanity? With billionaire Mark Cuban footing the bill, the Dallas Mavericks have had absolutely astronomic payrolls in recent years. Including the salary of Michael Finley (finally dropping off the books at the end of this month), the Mavericks will have over $100 million on payroll - BEFORE luxury taxes.

Finley's salary ($18.6 million remaining) was voided via the one-time amnesty provision. His number isn't taxed, but Finley (now with the San Antonio Spurs) gets paid just the same.

While the Jason Kidd trade was costly, the future in Dallas may finally include fiscal sanity. This coming season will certainly be expensive but looking to the summers of 2009 and 2010, the Mavericks may be able to get under the salary cap relatively quickly.

Kidd is scheduled to make $21.4 million this coming season but that's his final year under contract. Even if he stays with the Dallas, Kidd isn't going to see anything close to that number again.

Jerry Stackhouse recently signed a new contract with the team but only $2 million of his 2009/10 salary is guaranteed. He does have an incentive in his contract that would guarantee the full $7.3 million - but that requires the Mavericks to win the NBA Finals next season.

Erick Dampier is owed a substantial $13.1 million in 2010 but that money isn't guaranteed unless Dampier becomes an All-Star or if he logs at least 2,100 minutes in 2009/10.

The final year on Josh Howard's deal (2010/11) is a team option, lacking any guarantees for the forwards' $12.3 million.

If the Mavericks are extra conservative the next couple of years, the only serious committed money in 2010 would be $21.5 million to Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry. That would give Dallas substantial cap room to chase potential big name free agents like LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Amare Stoudemire.

Considering Josh Howard's struggles and ill-timed admission of recreational drug use, the Mavericks might even be able to get under the cap next summer if they turn around Howard for expiring contract(s).

It wasn't that long ago that Dallas gave up Antawn Jamison for what would be rookie Devin Harris. It's not outlandish to say history could repeat.

The Mavericks would just have to find a team able and willing to take on the $21.8 guaranteed to Howard over the next two seasons.

akademik wrote:LBJ

DDansby123 wrote:This is part of what the Kidd trade was about from the very beginning. Hell, even in December when the rumor first circulated, those of us who supported bringing Kidd back talked about how it would be fiscally responsible...and that was when I thought he'd only agree to a trade if we extended him for two years.

The only difference now is that one of the core, under-contract guys (Josh Howard) has proven to be far less reliable than anticipated, so plans to jettison some salary may be moved up. Trading the 2010 pick kind of puts a damper on the alternative of letting Kidd expire after this coming season, though.

italy_23 wrote:I dont get all this lbj thing. he wont come to dallas. most probably he will stay a cav for a looong time, if not, than I see him the ny area. nowhere else.
stop dreaming

arkuo wrote:what's with the LBJ fever?

reading through the other team forums, every other team is clearing cap space to sign LBJ.. are we all sure that we could sign LBJ in 2011? clearing cap space now by trading away our players for draft picks and possible expirings, then pinning our championship hopes on prayers that LBJ will sign here isnt too appealing.. at least for me...

arkuo wrote:^^ the chances that we go in next season with the same lineup is bigger than our chances of signing LBJ straight up....

dont get me wrong, if cuban can move heaven and earth to have LBJ in a dallas jersey in 2011, im all for it.. but i just dont see it happening... just too good to be true maybe....