Salary Cap/Luxury Tax/MLE Set!

[WTFsunsFTW]

From Headline ticker

The National Basketball Association today announced that the Salary Cap for the 2009-10 season will be $57.7 million. The tax level for the 2009-10 season has been set at $69.92 million. Any team whose team salary exceeds that figure will pay a $1 tax for each $1 by which it exceeds $69.92 million.

The 2008-09 Salary Cap was $58.68 million and the tax level was $71.15 million. Although league-wide revenue increased 2.5% this past season, the decrease in the Salary Cap and tax level for the 2009-10 season is the result of the formula used to set the Cap and tax under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement.

The new Salary Cap and tax level go into effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on Wednesday, July 8, when the league’s “moratorium period” ends and teams can begin signing free agents and making trades.

The mid-level exception is $5.854 million for the 2009-10 season and the minimum team salary, which is set at 75% of the Salary Cap, is $43.275 million.

Anyone feel like crunching numbers to give us:

-Suns current salary (including Nash's option this year, and Pavlovic/Wallace contract, and rookies)
-Suns current salary (not including Nash's salary, but including Pavlovic/Wallace contract, and rookies)
-Suns potential salary (assuming a Wallace for T.Chandler trade and buyout of Pavlovic (was it like 1.4M or something?))
-Suns potential salary (assuming Amare for Biedrins/Azibuike/Bellinelli/B.Wright)

Thanks in advance!

[NashtyNas]

Current Salary (including Nash + Pavs + Wallace + Rookies) - 76Mil
Current Salary (not including Nash, but including Pavs/Wallace/Rookies) - 63Mil
Potential Salary (Nash option taken, Wallace for Chandler, buyout Pavs) - 68Mil

I will not work out the potential salary for that trade because:
A) It's not going to happen
B) I don't want it to happen
C) There would be cash/TPE's involved, which we don't know the amounts for

Basically, if we go in with Wallace and Pavs and all, we'd be paying 7mil lux tax, without any signings. If we do the Wallace for Chandler deal and buy out Pavs, we can probably sign 2 min FA's or use our LLE before paying tax because these figures are approx. So, best option for us is to do the Chandler trade and get their 2010 pick + Chandler for Wallace. Then, we buy out Pavs, and sign Frye to LLE, and be right at our barely over the lux tax.

Nash/Dragic
Rich/Barbs/Tucker
Clark/Duds/Tucker
Amar'e/Frye/Amundson
Chandler/Lopez/Amundson

That's a nice competitive team OUTSIDE of the lux tax, and if Clark turns out to be half a stud, we'd be in the playoffs.

[NashtyNas]

Current Salary (including Nash + Pavs + Wallace + Rookies) - 76Mil
Current Salary (not including Nash, but including Pavs/Wallace/Rookies) - 63Mil
Potential Salary (Nash option taken, Wallace for Chandler, buyout Pavs) - 68Mil

I will not work out the potential salary for that trade because:
A) It's not going to happen
B) I don't want it to happen
C) There would be cash/TPE's involved, which we don't know the amounts for

Basically, if we go in with Wallace and Pavs and all, we'd be paying 7mil lux tax, without any signings. If we do the Wallace for Chandler deal and buy out Pavs, we can probably sign 2 min FA's or use our LLE before paying tax because these figures are approx. So, best option for us is to do the Chandler trade and get their 2010 pick + Chandler for Wallace. Then, we buy out Pavs, and sign Frye to LLE, and be right at our barely over the lux tax.

Nash/Dragic
Rich/Barbs/Tucker
Clark/Duds/Tucker
Amar'e/Frye/Amundson
Chandler/Lopez/Amundson

That's a nice competitive team OUTSIDE of the lux tax, and if Clark turns out to be half a stud, we'd be in the playoffs.

[Phystic]

Wow, looking at the #'s it's actually cheaper to make our team better. Interesting.


Though I guess you could argue that they could buy out Wallace/Pav and be much cheaper. But that's just dumb.

[DirtyDez]

Gambo said Nash wants Max $ for a 2-year extension, that means at least 14 mil per... Kidd is getting like 7 per. Nash and his agent have to realize nobody will give him that much at his age

[Kerrsed]

Gambo said Nash wants Max $ for a 2-year extension, that means at least 14 mil per... Kidd is getting like 7 per. Nash and his agent have to realize nobody will give him that much at his age

Just Nash's way of being polite and asking the Suns to NOT extend him. Then he will go to NY and play for the MLE.

[NashtyNas]

Wow, looking at the #'s it's actually cheaper to make our team better. Interesting.


Though I guess you could argue that they could buy out Wallace/Pav and be much cheaper. But that's just dumb.

No, it wouldn't, because we spend the money and it counts against our cap, but we don't get anyone to play for us. Basically, we need to do the Chandler trade.

Also, Nash is not going to ask for or get max money, that is 99.9% a false rumor. + There's no way they resign him for 28/2, and I wouldn't expect them to. I'd rather watch Dragic play 48 minutes at PG than pay a 37yo Nash 14million after this season. 7-8, yes. Anything more than that, and he's crazy. And this is coming from a die hard Nash fan, he's from my city after all.

[NashtyNas]

Didn't want to make a new thread about this, but here:

Everyone seems to feel that Dwayne Wade will be made available for trade if they can't get Bosh/Amar'e before the deadline because they want to get something in return for him. Does anyone think we'd be willing to offer:

Lopez+Dragic+Richardson+Clark+2firsts for Wade+Jones+Quinn?

Nash/Quinn
Wade/Barbs
Dudley/Jones
Amar'e/Frye
Chandler/Amundson

I'm 99% sure they take it unless OKC is willing to give Green+Harden for him, or someone giving something of such sorts. Yes, we give up a total of 4 firsts + Richardson and Dragic for him, but if it means being able to keep Amar'e here and retool and compete at the same time with 2 major stars, I'm all for it. Hell, we could afford to give Nash the 28/2 extension this summer if we get Wade + Amar'e to extend before (although that would make up about 50mil of space). We would basically just need small role players a la Barbs/Dudley/Amundson (a few more of those of course) to be real contenders with our 3 stars leading us.

[DirtyDez]

Gambo said Nash wants Max $ for a 2-year extension, that means at least 14 mil per... Kidd is getting like 7 per. Nash and his agent have to realize nobody will give him that much at his age

Just Nash's way of being polite and asking the Suns to NOT extend him. Then he will go to NY and play for the MLE.

We then we might as well trade him, duhon and a 1st rounder + player.....

[Kerrsed]

Gambo said Nash wants Max $ for a 2-year extension, that means at least 14 mil per... Kidd is getting like 7 per. Nash and his agent have to realize nobody will give him that much at his age

Just Nash's way of being polite and asking the Suns to NOT extend him. Then he will go to NY and play for the MLE.

We then we might as well trade him, duhon and a 1st rounder + player.....

EXACTLY! Nash to NY for Duhon+Future Pick+Resigned (Lee or Nate). Best deal we could get.

Duhon/Dragic
JRICH/Barbosa
Dudley/Clark/Griffin
STAT/Frye/Griffin
Lee/Lopez/Amundson

[WTFsunsFTW]

Didn't want to make a new thread about this, but here:

Everyone seems to feel that Dwayne Wade will be made available for trade if they can't get Bosh/Amar'e before the deadline because they want to get something in return for him. Does anyone think we'd be willing to offer:

Lopez+Dragic+Richardson+Clark+2firsts for Wade+Jones+Quinn?

Nash/Quinn
Wade/Barbs
Dudley/Jones
Amar'e/Frye
Chandler/Amundson

I'm 99% sure they take it unless OKC is willing to give Green+Harden for him, or someone giving something of such sorts. Yes, we give up a total of 4 firsts + Richardson and Dragic for him, but if it means being able to keep Amar'e here and retool and compete at the same time with 2 major stars, I'm all for it. Hell, we could afford to give Nash the 28/2 extension this summer if we get Wade + Amar'e to extend before (although that would make up about 50mil of space). We would basically just need small role players a la Barbs/Dudley/Amundson (a few more of those of course) to be real contenders with our 3 stars leading us.

I dont see us moving dragic or lopez, or even if miami would want them.

And isnt there some rule where you cant sell consecutive draft picks? As in, since we already sold 2010 we could only offer 2012 and 2014?

[NashtyNas]

Yeah, we could only offer 2012/2014. And you really think Kerr is that (Please Use More Appropriate Word) to give up such a deal just so he could take his chances on Dragic & Lopez? :| Lopez will be a defensive center in this league maybe, and Dragic a decent Steve Blake type player, but you don't give up the chance to get Wade for the possibility of them to be Chandler/Nash. You take your chances and you get Wade and you win that chip

[DirtyDez]

Yeah, we could only offer 2012/2014. And you really think Kerr is that (Please Use More Appropriate Word) to give up such a deal just so he could take his chances on Dragic & Lopez? :| Lopez will be a defensive center in this league maybe, and Dragic a decent Steve Blake type player, but you don't give up the chance to get Wade for the possibility of them to be Chandler/Nash. You take your chances and you get Wade and you win that chip

Dwayne Wade? Coming to the Suns?? What are you smokin' and where can i get some??? I do like the optimistic attitude though

[thamadkant]

You gots to be joking about the Wade bit...

Seriously, some here needs a dose of reality.

29 other teams out there can provide a BETTER offer. MUCH MUCH BETTER...
Not only does the Suns have expensive players at the moment, but no lottery picks for next year... why am I even justifying it...

[NashtyNas]

Tell me who can offer a better offer than

Richardson/Clark/Dragic/Lopez/2 firsts for Jones/Wade/Quinn. They won't want Jones if Wade is gone, so we take his crap contract. They get a good prospect backup for Chalmers in Dragic, they don't need Quinn at all. They NEED a big young project center, that's when Lopez comes in. Clark will be their starting SF of the future and Richardson a good scorer for them, plus they make out the 2 firsts.
Trust me, there's barely a few other teams that could acquire Wade, especially since he would say no to go to teams that would not contend when he got there (Ie. if you give you all your major talent, your gonna suck, and if he wanted to suck, he'd just stay in Miami). So, if he asks for a trade, we could make a decent offer.

[JMac1]

Resign Nash for 8 million per 2yrs
Resign Amare

Nash/Dragic
Jrich/LB
Dudley/Clark
Frye/Lou
Amare/Lopez

Start Amare a center, slide him to the 4 and bring Lopes off of the bench, no way we pay Chandler for an extra year with JRich on the payroll.

[NashtyNas]

Apparently, the cap next year will drop to a terrific.... 50million dollars. That means something, something very important.
A) As we all know, we can offer Amar'e the longest and most lucrative deal of any team there is because we have his rights, therefore we get the edge on that end.
B) Since the cap drops, teams are going to need a salary less than 35mil to sign a max FA, and less than 18mil to sign 2. Without Amar'e, we would be at approx 29mil. With him, around 48. That leaves us with Dudley/Dragic/Lopez/Richardson/Amar'e/Clark/Barbosa (7 players) + 2.5mil cap hold for the 5 spots he need to fill, therefore we'd be right at the cap and would not be able to sign any big deals. This is without dealing Wallace for Chandler. So now, our only option is to trade Richardson for an expiring if we want to acquire Chandler, or want a max FA.

[Frank Lee]

A memo went out to teams suggesting that the 2010/11 caps #s will go down even further per ESPN Broussard. He speculated 2010 will not be quite the extravaganzish FA signing yr. Teams will find it more difficult to add to their rosters. Especially multiple big names as NY was intending to do when wooing LeBron.

In our boat, this could greatly effect Sarver's desire for Chandlers extra 12 mill on the books. We may be better THIS yr... but TC's long term effect is a big chunk added to the bottom line. Especially with JRich too. Apparently, those hesitation rumors are true.

JMacs line up may be a realistic scenario. Just add a FA C for depth..... or .... light the fuse

The pinch is on... and expect the player's union to grumble.

editPS... yeah, kind of what he said above...though not sure on the salary math.

[rsavaj]

So no Chandler, no MLE, only vet mins.

Meh.

[Cash]

A memo went out to teams suggesting that the 2010/11 caps #s will go down even further per ESPN Broussard. He speculated 2010 will not be quite the extravaganzish FA signing yr. Teams will find it more difficult to add to their rosters. Especially multiple big names as NY was intending to do when wooing LeBron.

In our boat, this could greatly effect Sarver's desire for Chandlers extra 12 mill on the books. We may be better THIS yr... but TC's long term effect is a big chunk added to the bottom line. Especially with JRich too. Apparently, those hesitation rumors are true.

JMacs line up may be a realistic scenario. Just add a FA C for depth..... or .... light the fuse

The pinch is on... and expect the player's union to grumble.

editPS... yeah, kind of what he said above...though not sure on the salary math.

I certainly don't blame the Suns for being hesitant about acquiring Chandler - I'd only do it if my training staff said they could fix him.

Regarding the shrinking cap, it doesn't have to work against us (although it probably will). First, the lower cap makes another team signing away Amare and/or Nash less likely, which is a good thing no matter what we do. Second, it's possible that the Suns may see a projected cap of $50-53mil and decide that there's no way to be big players in free agency no matter what. If that happens, the Chandler trade would be very good, because it saves money this year, wins basketball games (if Chandler's able to play) for the next 2 years, and potentially (along with JRich's deal) gives us cap room in 2011, when the cap may go back up. That's the way I'm looking at it.

Even if the Suns disagree with me (and I think they do), there's still a possible bright side. The Suns may feel they *have* to move J-Rich in order to be players next year, and move him in a straight salary dump. I think such a move would be helpful in the long run, and wouldn't cost us a ton in terms of wins next year.