Waiting for the panic...

[parson]

... to set in. After Paul's resigning, after Howard's signing with HOU, I'm sure we'll see guys screaming, "We have to give the max to Chris Kaman (or DeSagana Diop, doesn't matter) or we're doomed!!!!!::?????!!"

Seriously, before this season, if I had known we were going to cut ties with Smith, draft a hugely talented Center and a very respected 19 year old PG, I'd be fine. If I had known we'd be in good shape for Asik, I'd have been quite satisfied.

[niffoc4]

The important thingis to not settle for half-measures. Don't use cap space on Al Jefferson or Andre Iguodala (better examples than Kaman IMO), because they won't bring a championship. Either sign someone like Howard, tank, or collect undervalued assets (a la Houston) in preparation to pounce when a superstar is available. I lean towards tanking as plan B, as next year's draft is LOADED, but I can understand the appeal of collecting assets instead.

Also, I agree, Asik would be a solid addition.

[D21]

This is what HOU made last season, they could spend the minimum, but signed Asik and Lin for three years while everybody wanted to keep money for this summer. But they managed to make them look good regarding their contract and now they are ready to trade them, even if Asik looks better than Lin at the same price.

[dms269]

This is what HOU made last season, they could spend the minimum, but signed Asik and Lin for three years while everybody wanted to keep money for this summer. But they managed to make them look good regarding their contract and now they are ready to trade them, even if Asik looks better than Lin at the same price.

The kick is Asik and Lin's salary next year where it is pushing 30M. They were smart because by backloading it they could attract players this year, however next year they will be hurting with the cap when their contracts triple.

[parson]

This is what HOU made last season, they could spend the minimum, but signed Asik and Lin for three years while everybody wanted to keep money for this summer. But they managed to make them look good regarding their contract and now they are ready to trade them, even if Asik looks better than Lin at the same price.

The kick is Asik and Lin's salary next year where it is pushing 30M. They were smart because by backloading it they could attract players this year, however next year they will be hurting with the cap when their contracts triple.

Ken Berger says no. Their salaries will be $15 million each but their cap hit will still only be $8.375 million apiece.

Financial pain to the owners, yes.
Cap pain, no.

Here's a part of Ken Berger's twitter account that refers to this. Remember to read from the bottom up:

Damian Jackson ‏@thedfactor 15h

Good for Rockets =/ RT @KBergCBS: 3rd year of Asik and Lin deals are $8.4M each. $15M balloon only applied if Bulls/Knicks matched.
Details
Michael Dugat Michael Dugat ‏@mdug 15h

@KBergCBS Not 100% sure, but believe salaries still are structured with balloon payments. Only salary cap numbers are avg'd over yrs of deal
Details
Rosh Thomas Rosh Thomas ‏@SomeoneTookRosh 15h

@KBergCBS That seems like such a terrible rule.
Details
The Dream Shake The Dream Shake ‏@DreamShakeSBN 15h

@KBergCBS cap hit is correct. Salary-wise, they get paid 5.3 million next year and 15 the third year.
Details
David Weiner David Weiner ‏@BimaThug 14h

@KBergCBS FYI: Cap hit is $8.37M per. Actual PAYMENT is still $5.225M in 2013-14, $14.898M in 2014-15.
Details
D D ‏@BigCountryDH 13h

@KBergCBS 8.4 on the cap, but the team has to pay 15 that year right?

In another tweet (that I can't find) Berger refers to this article: http://www.cbssports.com/nba/blog/ken-b ... -in-trades
which he says explains the situation. I read it and still have questions, so maybe y'all want to read it for yourselves. The closest thing I see is

If the Knicks (Lin) and Bulls (Asik) had chosen to match the respective offer sheets, they would've had to structure their deals with $15 million "balloon" payments in the third year. But the Rockets only needed to account for the average of the three-year, $25.1 million deals -- $8.375 million per year, a manageable number for a starting center and point guard, respectively.

But that doesn't answer the question of whether a team trading for Asik or Lin would enjoy the same benefits that HOU does.

Now, I'm not arguing for acquiring Lin.

[PandaKidd]

Anyone hear the big rumor going around that Rockets are pursuing S&T of Asik for Josh Smith...........

Big 3 would be D12, Harden, Josh Smith.

Id love to get Asik, we do need a C and that would make Horford happy.

[parson]

Anyone hear the big rumor going around that Rockets are pursuing S&T of Asik for Josh Smith...........

I'd love it, as well. But do you have a link?

[Jamaaliver]

This is what HOU made last season, they could spend the minimum, but signed Asik and Lin for three years while everybody wanted to keep money for this summer. But they managed to make them look good regarding their contract and now they are ready to trade them, even if Asik looks better than Lin at the same price.

The kick is Asik and Lin's salary next year where it is pushing 30M. They were smart because by backloading it they could attract players this year, however next year they will be hurting with the cap when their contracts triple.

Ken Berger says no. Their salaries will be $15 million each but their cap hit will still only be $8.375 million apiece.

Financial pain to the owners, yes.
Cap pain, no.

Yeah, the new CBA does not allow back loading or front loading of a contract. The salaries are evenly distributed over the life of the contract.
Making HOU even more brilliant.

[PandaKidd]

Anyone hear the big rumor going around that Rockets are pursuing S&T of Asik for Josh Smith...........

I'd love it, as well. But do you have a link?

no real SOURCE, just all over the forums im on. Supposedly inside sources are saying that the Rockets contacted Hawks about a S&T for Smith.

I suspect they know they have D12 in the bag, probably sold him on our plan, having Josh Smith. Trading Asik makes sense for both parties.

lets assume this happens.

We now have our big center, Horford goes to natural position. What is our next move?

Korver is supposedly in the bag going to Brooklyn (reported this morning). So if we lose Korver............

We are going to need SF like crazy.

With Asik do we resign Zaza?

I say if we get Asik we are planning on going with a small, targeted payroll, there will be no major transactions (meaning kiss Al Jeff goodbye, no OJ, no Iggy etc)

[Jamaaliver]

The important thingis to not settle for half-measures.

Agreed. But sadly, the new CBA requires us to spend most of our cap room every season. We HAVE to pay someone

[D21]

This is what HOU made last season, they could spend the minimum, but signed Asik and Lin for three years while everybody wanted to keep money for this summer. But they managed to make them look good regarding their contract and now they are ready to trade them, even if Asik looks better than Lin at the same price.

The kick is Asik and Lin's salary next year where it is pushing 30M. They were smart because by backloading it they could attract players this year, however next year they will be hurting with the cap when their contracts triple.

To be exact, they didn't offered something special, it was just the rule making that their offer would pay Lin and Asik 5-5-15 in real money but count them as 8-8-8 against the cap, while it would have counted 5-5-15 against cap of NYK and CHI

Regarding Horford, we are not sure that he would produce more at PF than C, last season numbers even show the opposite.

[niffoc4]

The important thingis to not settle for half-measures.

Agreed. But sadly, the new CBA requires us to spend most of our cap room every season. We HAVE to pay someone

But we don't have to sign someone to a long-term deal. We could go the Mavs route, and sign veterans to one year deals, or go the route of a bad expiring off a luxury tax team's hands in exchange for a sweetener. I think something like a late first paired with Jefferson or Biedrins in exchange for a heavily protected 2nd round from us would work.

[td00]

Say D12 goes to Houston......Say DF says sure, we'll take Asik for Josh...give us a #1 too.

Then we can 'risk' a chance with Bynum and have plenty of money to do it with.

Add a SF which is a huge void here....perhaps Rudy Gay comes here for Al and gives us a serious scoring threat?

Bynum
Asik
Gay
Teague
Lou

That's not a bad lineup for anyone. We haven't even tried to add a SA player yet, so another area to look at.

[dms269]

The important thingis to not settle for half-measures.

Agreed. But sadly, the new CBA requires us to spend most of our cap room every season. We HAVE to pay someone

Like niffoc said we have to sign someone, but that doesn't mean hand out bad deals to average players (ala Lin). Sign guys to 1 year deals. Most guys would rather take a 1 year deal worth a lot and hope to prove themselves for a bigger contract.

[Jamaaliver]

Most guys would rather take a 1 year deal worth a lot and hope to prove themselves for a bigger contract.

Only the Tyreke Evans and OJ Mayos of the world. Most players value long term security. Especially the really good players and the marginal players.

Usually just players with something to prove or who can't get better offers sign one year deals.

[dms269]

But with teams gearing for 2014 as well, a player might be more willing to take a 1 year deal worth more over a 2-3 year deal worth significantly less and hope to cash in off of the teams wanting Bron.

[parson]

Usually just players with something to prove or who can't get better offers sign one year deals.

Or players you overpay. I'd rather pay way too much for one year than commit to a long-term deal that stifles our FA searches.

[theatlfan]

Couple of items here:

1st, the HOU SNT. I can't see our ownership signing off on acquiring both Lin and Asik. Can't remember where I saw it, but the Hawks are in a lot of debt - like 90% of the value of the team type debt. Basically, the bank owns us. Sure, their cap hits are each ~$8.3M, but for a team in as much debt as we are, that ~$29M next year for 2 players will loom large. I think we'd do it for one of them - just not both. If a SNT happens and HOU insists on including Lin with Asik, then I'm thinking the deal would have to be structured like this: we get Asik + a player from team C on an $8M expiring; team C gets Lin, cash to offset the savings on Lin's y1 contract, and perhaps value from HOU or us depending; HOU gets Smoove. I really don't see it working otherwise.

2nd, if we're offering bloated one year deals, then look for us to be resigning our own - Korver, Zaza, Smoove, etc. We can keep their Bird Rights and they get a big payday. The lone exception here would be a "special case" type (ala a Bynum) who already knows that the team he played for simply isn't looking to help him at all. Another point here is to remember we can always offers guys declining contracts. Now it can't decline by too much, but if we do it in an astute manner, we can get over the floor this year yet still make room for the max next season and then have even more room the next.

3rd, the penalties for not hitting the salary floor is that you lose the LT share and that you have to pay the player on your team the balance at the end of the season. You'd prefer to be over it, but if things don't roll the right way, it won't be the end of the world to be paying the guys an extra $1M or 2. Consider it a bonus...

[Jamaaliver]

Another point here is to remember we can always offers guys declining contracts. Now it can't decline by too much, but if we do it in an astute manner, we can get over the floor this year yet still make room for the max next season and then have even more room the next.

I was under the impression that contracts can no longer be front loaded or backloaded. The total salary is distributed evenly over the life of the contract for salary cap purposes.

3rd, the penalties for not hitting the salary floor is that you lose the LT share and that you have to pay the player on your team the balance at the end of the season.

I did not know that....sweet.

[theatlfan]

Another point here is to remember we can always offers guys declining contracts. Now it can't decline by too much, but if we do it in an astute manner, we can get over the floor this year yet still make room for the max next season and then have even more room the next.

I was under the impression that contracts can no longer be front loaded or backloaded. The total salary is distributed evenly over the life of the contract for salary cap purposes.

The contract can decline the same amount you can give someone a raise. For someone with Bird Rights, that's 7.5% of the 1st year's salary while guys we sign off other teams would be limited to 4.5%. You're right in that we probably wouldn't be able to get back to being able to offer the max next year, but OTOH, players that we sign to these types of contracts would be easier to move since the acquiring team would be getting the player at a discount of the overall contract... especially when the player was worth the same (or slightly less) AAV on an ascending contract.

3rd, the penalties for not hitting the salary floor is that you lose the LT share and that you have to pay the player on your team the balance at the end of the season.

I did not know that....sweet.

Actually, now that I'm looking at it, you may not even lose the LT share. I think I saw that before, but it's not in Coon's CBA FAQ, so I don't know any more.