RealGM

kobe?

Unless we cut salary like madmen, it is doubtful that we will have more than $10m. If Jose is on the books for, say, $8m that season, we're looking at $45m committed to only six players. The cap will probably be at ~$59m, but even $14m is not enough to get a max contract player. Plus, 1st rounders have to be factored in to the equation.

guys honestly, can you uh say kobe?

with wade+bosh+calderon there is no need for a center.

Our first rounder this year will probably be on the books for $1.5-2m, and a similar amount for the next year's pick...even if you chose not to sign a draftee early, their 'cap hold' is equal to that of their draft slot, so it can't be circumvented by simply waiting 'til after the S&T to sign the pick.

A sign-and-trade is not impossible, but very difficult...Miami would have to be utterly over a barrel, and I would imagine that we would have to pony up quite a bit, or another team would.

Just look at the chart below, and come up with a strategy to keep jose and delfino... and aproximate the new bodies we will need as well... and that means no Wade.




http://www.hoopshype.com/salaries/toronto.htm

Plus, Hoopshype doesn't include Homefries' extension, which is on the books for $3 million in '09/'10. The dual Humpono signings really killed any chance to make a big splash in free agency, though we do have a buffet of expiring contracts next season.

Don't forget the money that Moon will be entitled to after this year. He's going to want years and a pretty big pay raise. He's definitely deserving at this point in time. That projected extension willl also impact the cap room available in 2009-10.

I'm not trying to open TJ vs Jose again, but it makes no economic sense to have two eight-million dollar point guards on one team. something will have to give.
I'd like to know what you guys think of Kapono's future with the team. I didn't think his salary was outrageous when his signing was announced but he's highly paid for the amount of work he's getting and he's a tradeable asset.

yeah. we must move one pg eventually. this two headed pg thing is cool for now because our ability to beat you up with the second unit hides deficiencies at other areas but two starting pgs is just not necessary, especially since neither gives you much of a defensive look.

i do think it'd be better to sign up calderon and then try to trade him or tj for an equivalent player of similar salary rather than let calderon walk in order to preserve further cap room in the distant future. the thing is that good pg's are pretty scarce in this world. if ukic turns out to be nba calibre, we'll be in a pretty good bargaining position.

I disagree that we should get rid of half of Forderon. I think Forderon is worth $16 million, which is what we'd pay for a PG in the Steve Nash mould. This year Forderon is averaging 11.3 assists and 17.9 points in 42 MPG with zero effective dropoff when one replaces the other. Steve Nash delivers 12.1 assists and 17.0 points in 34.1 minutes, and I suspect there is a much bigger dropoff when he's not in the game. Plus we'll get more out of Forderon a) when TJ is back full time B) as they develop (they're both young). Not to mention that playing 24 minutes a game takes less toll on their bodies.

Schadenfreude wrote:Unless we cut salary like madmen, it is doubtful that we will have more than $10m. If Jose is on the books for, say, $8m that season, we're looking at $45m committed to only six players. The cap will probably be at ~$59m, but even $14m is not enough to get a max contract player. Plus, 1st rounders have to be factored in to the equation.

Generally correct, but I think your allocation for first rounders is a bit high. If we draft at, say, 20 this June, we're talking closer to $1 million. We could also trade the pick in a package, or sell it for cash as a quid pro quo for paying a moderate amount of luxury tax. Now $14 million will get you a max free agent coming off rookie scale, but not Wade who will be entitled to a max of $18 million. I'm more inclined to think we'll peddle expiring contracts this summer to improve the team, so I do think the cap situation in 09 will prove to be moot.

If a player like Wade or Kobe expresses interest, we will likely able to make room by simply giving away Kapono and/or Delfino. Both of them should be on reasonable contracts and should have solid value. That's what Colangelo did in the year where he freed up the cap to get Nash and Qrich.

Or in a sign-and trade situation for a guy like Wade, we could create room by giving up one half of Forderon.

Essentially, if a superstar is available and expresses interest in coming here, we are virtually guaranteed to be able to create the cap room for him.