THE NEW GRIZZ AND SALARY CAP

[boogiesdad]

Now that we are through the Draft and Blockbuster Trades, lets see what we actually have:

SALARIES

Player 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12
A. Walker $9,320,500.00 $10,094,000.00 $10,867,500.00
Darko Milic $7,000,000.00 $7,500,000.00 $0.00
Marko Jaric $6,575,000.00 $7,100,000.00 $7,625,000.00
D. Stoudamire $4,650,000.00 $0.00 $0.00
Greg Buckner $3,759,259.00 $4,018,518.00 $4,277,777.00
Mike Conley $3,630,480.00 $3,883,800.00 $4,913,007.00
Rudy Gay $2,579,400.00 $3,280,996.00 $4,422,782.00
Hakim Warrick $2,119,101.00 $3,021,838.00 $0.00
J. Crittendon $1,381,560.00 $1,447,920.00 $2,275,996.00 $3,245,571.00
Kyle Lowry $1,163,520.00 $2,034,996.00 $2,975,164.00
OJ Mayo $3,875,040.00 $4,500,000.00 $5,000,000.00
Darrell Arthur $977,160.00 $1,100,000.00 $1,250,000.00
Marc Gasol $3,000,000.00 $3,000,000.00 $3,000,000.00

TOTAL SALARIES
$50,031,020.00 $40,888,068.00 $35,739,726.00 $3,245,571.00

(Please note: Salaries are approx. for Mayo, Arthur and Gasol)

Roughly we will have about $8 million in cap room and a Huge Expiring Deal in Walker.

Next year we project at about $20 million in Cap Room with our core intact.



Our Depth Chart Looks Like This:

Conley, Lowry, Jaric, Crittendon
Mayo, Buckner
Gay, Warrick
Arthur, Walker
Gasol, Milic, A. Brown

[boogiesdad]

I got to admit, I love it.

We still need to move Lowry for a F, but this looks better on paper than any team we've ever had.

[grizzleGM]

Did you take into account that Stoudamire will only count about 2.3 million against the cap?

[brock]

So currently the roster has 13 players on it (including Gasol).

C- Gasol/Milicic
Pf-Arthur/Walker
Sf-Gay/Warrick
Sg-Mayo/Buckner
Pg-Conley/Lowry/Crittenton/Jaric

IR-A.Brown

As boogie mentioned 8 mil in cap space.

I really think Memphis should save the money for next year, see how everyone plays out together to determine what the free agent need will be. There won't be a lot of wins, it might not always be pretty, But that young starting 5 could be exciting to watch.

I keep reading that Buckner's deal expires after this coming season, but on Hoopshype the deal goes for 2 more, plus a player option??? any insight?

Lowry and Walker (team option) could always be packaged for a decent front court player.

[SD2042]

http://www.eskimo.com/%7Epbender/contracts

According to this link above, Buckner and Walker have team options for the following summer. Which means the team have the right not to pick up Buckner and Walker's options when next summer hits. However, rumors have been flying that the Grizz may buy Walker outright. I wonder how much game does Walker have in the tank.

[jman3134]

Walker is finished. His contract was included for salary relief.

[boogiesdad]

hard to believe at 31 Walker is done.......he had do much talent

[babythug23]

Bulls fan but from Memphis Area.Thats a fun team to watch. I have to go see Memphis vs Bulls this year. Rose vs Mayo. I think Mayo is lock for ROY though. He will get as many mins as he wants

[grizzleGM]

Bulls fan but from Memphis Area.Thats a fun team to watch. I have to go see Memphis vs Bulls this year. Rose vs Mayo. I think Mayo is lock for ROY though. He will get as many mins as he wants

I was just thinking that Mayo has a good chance of putting up numbers to be ROY. Beasley will have to split numbers with Wade and Marion. Oden is eligible for the ROY this year, so he could put up decent numbers and beat anyone just because of the awe that surrounds him.

[casey]

http://www.eskimo.com/%7Epbender/contracts

According to this link above, Buckner and Walker have team options for the following summer. Which means the team have the right not to pick up Buckner and Walker's options when next summer hits. However, rumors have been flying that the Grizz may buy Walker outright. I wonder how much game does Walker have in the tank.

Walker's contract is fully unguaranteed in 09-10 and 10-11. Buckner's contract is guaranteed for $1,062,398Mil in 09-10 and nothing in 10-11.


The numbers for Mayo and Arthur are a little off. The max Mayo can get is $3,875,040 in 08-09, $4,165,560 in 09-10, $4,456,200 in10-11, $5,632,637 in 11-12. The max Arthur can get is $977,160 in 08-09, $1,050,480 in 09-10, $1,123,680 in 10-11, $2,027,119 in 11-12.

So next year you got Jaric at $7.10Mil, Milicic at $7.54Mil, Conley at $3.88Mil, Gay at $3.28Mil, Crittenton at $1.48Mil, Lowry at $2.03Mil, Mayo at $4.17Mil, Arthur at $1.05Mil, Buckner at $1.06Mil. So $31.59Mil committed in those guys, plus Gasol and Warrick and draft picks next year.

[m23uza1hem36]

That's some nice money to have...

[GrizzMan]

I vote that we hold onto our cash for 2009! We have the potential to sign a max-type of player! That would truly put the Grizzlies back on the map...

[farzi]

Add Brand or Boozer in next years FA market and that team is scary good

[grizzleGM]

Add Brand or Boozer in next years FA market and that team is scary good

I would LOVE to add Boozer to this team next year. It would cost the Grizz probably a 5 year deal worth about $85million to add him.

Can you imagine the lineup?

Conley
Mayo
Gay
Boozer
MGasol

plus whatever player we draft in the top 5 next year!!! Add THabeet or Budinger??? WOW!

[grizzleGM]

Edit Correction to my correction...
Assuming the salary cap for the 09-10 season will be $60 million
a max deal for Boozer could start at $18million with $1.44mil raises each year.
$18mil '09
$19.44mil '10 extend Gay and Milicic this year
$20.88mil '11 extend Conley and Critt this year
$22.32mil '12 extend Mayo, MGasol and Arthur this year
$23.76mil '13 I would want this year to be a TO
$104.4mil total

That would be a huge commitment to one player, knowing that you will most likely have to offer max deals to Mayo and Gay down the road.

I would hope Boozer would take a deal like this:
$17mil '09
$17mil '10
$17mil '11
$17mil '12
$17mil '13
$85 million total

[brock]

Am I the only one that thinks signing a Boozer or Brand type would be a bad idea for Memphis?

A max player on there second (too much) max contract. For me, when you give that second max deal to a player going into there 30's seems like a recipe for disaster,

Plus as grizzle GM mentioned a total cap of 85 mil, with a cheap owner paying out 20 mil extra in salary cap fines for being over the cap. I don't think the Memphis market can support that much pay-roll and pretty soon, the "grizzlies" will be back in the Pacific northwest.

I personally think Memphis would be better off sitting out of the free agent frenzy this summer, and let guys like Josh Smith, Okafor, etc etc take there teams qualifying offer so that next summer they can become unrestricted free agents, when Memphis can offer a competitive offer next summer and still be cap conscious.

Also guys like Boozer and Brand will be hard to get to a market like Memphis (not exactly a free-agent hot-bed) when David Lee of all people are refusing to play there. Brand/Boozer want to play with established stars in places like Miami, Boston, LA, places that have won..Don't get me wrong, the kids in Memphis will be exciting and "in time" help to lure more attractive free agents..

Save the money!!! no 15-20 mil contracts to players that at that time will have peaked and are only looking to bump up there retirement plan

[grizzleGM]

See this is what sucks about the media. One false report comes out that David Lee would not sign an extension here, and everyone jumps on that and doesn't forget it.

Actually Boozer would just be 27 in the summer of '09. Just getting to his peak 3-4 years for a championship run. I would not be willing to make the same offer to Brand who would be 30 next summer.

[brock]

I hear what you are saying re: Boozer...

But I still can't see Michael "where's the same sox for 2 days" Heisley wanting to carry a payroll of 60-85 million and pay luxury tax..Memphis didn't support the team when they were:

2003/04- 6th in the west (52-32, 0-4 playoffs) ranked 25th in attendance, 15,084 avg
2004/05- 8th in the west (45-37, 0-4 playoffs) ranked 19th in attendance, 16,892 avg
2005/06- 5th in the west (49-33, 0-4 playoffs) ranked 26th in attendance, 15,793 avg

2006/07- 15th in the west (22-60, no playoff) ranked 30th in attendance, 14,654 avg
2007/08- 14th in the west (22-60, no playoff) ranked 29th in attendance, 12,770 avg

(source: ESPN)

I hate to say it (i like the grizz, not a hater, just a realist) but it will be hard to attract a player like Boozer, when Miami (where he reportedly lives in the off-season) has the likes of D-wade, Beasley, Robyn Williams and the birdcage, and South Beach

3 things I think they should do:

1.) Grizz should save the cap space for 2009, Offering Okafor, Smith, or Biedrins will only be matched by there teams. Wait until they are unrestricted or work out sign and trades.

2.) Let the kids play!!, i think that should be the slogan. Let Gasol, Athur, Gay, Mayo, and Conley play, and play alot to develope and gel together.

3.) Try to acquire a Pf or C still in his rookie contract with the idea of extending him, ie: Al Jefferson.

[grizzleGM]

I don't disagree, but that will most likely mean moving Conley to accomplish #3.

[memgrizzlies]

I got to admit, I love it.

We still need to move Lowry for a F, but this looks better on paper than any team we've ever had.

yea, this team looks like a very good young team.