http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... SPORTS0102Money matters in NBA trade talks
Teams are more concerned with clearing salary-cap space than acquiring key players. The NBA, like the rest of the country, is in a severe belt-tightening mode, which is why nobody should expect a flurry of major deals before the trade deadline Thursday. Commissioner David Stern threw a bucket of ice water on any trading frenzy during All-Star Weekend when he predicted that for the first time, the salary cap and luxury tax threshold would be decreasing the next couple years. That means salaries are going to come down. That means players who thought they were going to break the bank as free agents the next couple summers might have to lower their expectations, or even consider signing extensions with their current teams. And that means more than ever, financial concerns are going to motivate trades and non-trades more than basketball needs.
How does that impact this trade deadline? You have a lot of sellers and not too many buyers. There are a lot of teams looking to trade off big contracts but very few teams looking to take back contracts that extend past 2010. A team like New Orleans, a cash-strapped contender, traded their best big man in Tyson Chandler for two players with expiring contracts (Chris Wilcox and Joe Smith) Tuesday. Does it make them better? No, but it saves them money. Chandler will make $25.5 million the next two seasons. Teams such as New Jersey, Milwaukee and Sacramento have serious payroll issues and are trying to shed salary. Thus, you see a lot of chatter about New Jersey wanting to move Vince Carter, Milwaukee wanting to move Richard Jefferson and Sacramento wanting to move, well, just about anybody. But Carter has two years and $33 million left on his deal. Jefferson has three years and $29 million. Those players are too talented and important to give away, yet are too expensive for most teams.That said, there are some intriguing scenarios, especially for Carter. One involves the Rockets, who would send Ron Artest (expiring contract), Carl Landry and Luther Head to the Nets for Carter and Josh Boone.
Another involves the Spurs, who would send a boatload of players for Carter. One rumored package includes Roger Mason, George Hill, Bruce Bowen and Fabricio Oberto. That's a lot of players, more than the Nets could accommodate. But one reason the Spurs can be in the conversation is Tim Duncan. In 2007, when Duncan signed an extension, he structured it so the Spurs could have some flexibility in the summer of 2010. He gave back about $3.3 million. Carter would make $17.5 million in 2010-11. As reported by the San Antonio Express-News, Carter, Duncan and Tony Parker would be on the books for about $50 million that year. That would leave them enough room to re-sign Manu Ginobili, whose contract is up after next season. That's the kind of flexibility and proactive thinking every franchise aspires to right now. Does that mean there won't be any trades made before Thursday? No. Just not as many blockbuster types as you might have hoped for.
