meekrab wrote:BruttoNostra wrote:I mean, how Ian Mahinmi is not denounced yet? No way.
Anyway, Clav, thanks again for the thread/s, it's always a great read!
The word is "renounced" and it's because the Wizards haven't been below the salary cap since before they drafted John Wall.
Free agent cap holds stay on your books until you explicitly relinquish the right to sign the player.
Thanks. I wouldn't lie, it's not an autocorrect, just forgot the word and didn't check it online
But I got an excuse - it's my 4th language.
And yea, I know how the cap holds work, just totally surprised they still have one for a player retired 4 or 5 years ago at $23M. And I'm totally shocked they didn't make any free cap space maneuver "since before they drafted John Wall". Wait, not even once? I totally get it for a contender like Denver (and even they have only a bunch of min wage cap holds, including a 45yo Richard Jefferson
).
It's hilarious for Wizards, especially considering their record ever since. I mean, I can understand not renouncing, say, Brogdon, so you might want to resign him using whatever Bird Rights even without having any cap space. But Ian Mahinmi? He's def not playing again in the league.
So is it for the sake of having another HUGE contract filler in a case of emergency? I mean, they have his Bird Rights, so they might be able to sign him for over the vet minimum even when they are over the cap - up to the max salary.
Theoretically, they can sign him for a 1y max and trade for, say, Podcast P - Philly get salary relief (after 1 year), Was get themselves a bad long contract, but a 25% chance for a healthy contributor.
Nevermind, seems like I just answered myself:)
I still asked ChatGPT:
In the case of the Washington Wizards and Ian Mahinmi, despite Mahinmi's contract expiring after the 2019-2020 season and his subsequent retirement in 2021, reports indicate that the Wizards still have a cap hold for him in the 2024-2025 season, amounting to $23,175,077.
The continued presence of Mahinmi's cap hold could be due to several administrative or strategic reasons:
Administrative Oversight: It's possible that the cap hold remains due to clerical errors or delays in updating the team's financial records.
Strategic Flexibility: Teams sometimes retain cap holds to maintain certain rights or for potential strategic moves, although in Mahinmi's case, this seems less likely given his retirement.
It's important to note that while the cap hold appears in financial summaries, it doesn't necessarily mean the team is actively reserving that cap space for Mahinmi. Teams often have multiple cap holds listed, especially for players with whom they had significant contracts.
and
If the Washington Wizards still have Bird Rights on Ian Mahinmi, they theoretically have the ability to re-sign him for up to the maximum salary, regardless of their current salary cap situation. The Bird Rights allow teams to exceed the salary cap to retain their own free agents.
✅ How Bird Rights Work:
Full Bird Rights (after 3+ years with the team) allow a team to offer:
Up to the maximum salary based on Mahinmi's experience.
Annual raises of 8% of the first-year salary.
Contract length of up to 5 years.
✅ In Mahinmi's Case:
Last Contract: 4 years, $64 million (signed in 2016).
Cap Hold (if unrenounced): Approximately $23.2 million — based on 150% of his last salary.
Maximum Salary Potential:
If Mahinmi were to unretire and play again, the Wizards could, in theory, offer him a contract up to the max salary allowed for a veteran with his experience (likely over $40 million per year, depending on the salary cap).
