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Salary Cap Management 101

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Salary Cap Management 101 

Post#1 » by yt_boi » Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:14 am

I'm not going to go into this in a lot of detail, but I do want to get a point across. We can not have a star player or a guy earning $10 Million plus at every position and then also have quality back ups.

This comes from constantly seeing posters mentioning who we should trade for, and who would make us a better team. For example, Dalembert or any player on a team that just beat us.

A GM has to control the salary Cap. One of the greatest examples is the Spurs. Take a look at their salaries
http://www.hoopshype.com/salaries/san_antonio.htm
They have their 3 main guys making their money, and then they surround them with great role players. Look at two of their starters, Bowen making $4 million and after this year he'll be their 4th highest player, then they also have oberto making $3.6 Mill. You gotta get your 2 or 3 main guys making their big dollars ($10 to $16 Million) and then the rest you shouldn't be spending more than $5-7 Million on

The point I'm making there is that we can't just say we want to sign Josh Smith, Deng or AI2 to be our future SF, cus they'll be max or near max players. We have to sign a player like Moon to a smaller deal, but will help us long term. I'd rather pay Moon around $5 Million than Iggy $12 because then we'll have more money to spend on better support. As well, adding stars will take something away from our current star and it'll also take away from the player they're replacing, so in total, their effect on a team may not really be as great as it would seem. The same can go for signing a guy like Delfino, if we can have our 6th man or maybe future SG making around $4, who brings D and all around play then thats a good deal.

Pretty much, we have 15 players and this is how I think we should manage how much we should pay players.

PG $8-10 Million starter / $3-4 back up (yes that means deciding between Jose and TJ (one should be used to get us that 3rd main star) / vets or rookies min for 3rd string

SG - I think this is where our 3rd star should be (yes that means it's not a centre, as we've seen through the years Sam's style is not appreciative to a centre, no I'm not saying trade Bargnani) $8-10 million starter / $4 back up that can also play SF (Delfino) / Vet or rookie min, preferable a combo guard for 3rd string

SF - This is where we save with a defensive presense $5 million Moon / $3-4 for back up, as Sams style works well when we play small ball (preferable a guy who can play the 2 and 4 as well a little bit) / Vet or rookie min for 3rd string

PF - CB4 explains it $14-$18 million / $3 Kris or similar player as won't get much playing time / vet or rookie min for 3rd string

C - $6-8 Million, big men cost money, we pretty much need a guy who will give us 8 and 8 and provide D, Similar to a Varejeo, I just don't see it working having a 2nd scorer as a big, but I can see it from a SG because even though we get scoring from our point guards they are unselfish / $3 for back up, prob won't see much time, preferably a bruiser / vet or rookie min

If you noticed here we're paying big bucks to 3 starters, $5 to $7 for the other starters, then $3 to $5 for the back ups and the minimum for the 3rd strings.

As well, some of you may say, "hey if we do all this you'll be really close to luxury cap" and you're right we will be, but it'll be over time, it all won't happen as once, as well, some of the positions will be reduced if we get a rookie who is in the rotation which will reduce costs, or something similar to how we got Moon.

Pretty much I think this is a good template to follow when trying to manage your salary.

Even if you don't agree with what I say at least take one thing from this analysis. When you propose that we need a certain player try and think of how getting that player will affect our salary cap, not only for now, but also for the future and how it'll affect us in signing new players or making trades. Especially when talking about a player on a rookie contract cus eventually they'll get their pay day.
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Post#2 » by omeloon » Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:32 am

Until we know for sure that BC will decide on one PG, I'm happy getting solid starters like Dalembert.

If we want another star player, we will have to trade Calderon or Ford AND we will have to hope to get lucky by hoping that some good free agent decides to sign for our cap space.

Your plan is to build through free agency... but if we can add good prospects via the draft and free agency (picking up guys like Varejao) we might be able to position ourselves to be able to trade for a star player... sort of like what the Celtics just did, and what the Nets did to acquire VC.

As long as management is ok paying the contracts, we should not be complaining. Clearing up cap space does not guarentee anything, but I agree that it could be a good way to go.
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Post#3 » by yt_boi » Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:41 am

omeloon wrote:Until we know for sure that BC will decide on one PG, I'm happy getting solid starters like Dalembert.

If we want another star player, we will have to trade Calderon or Ford AND we will have to hope to get lucky by hoping that some good free agent decides to sign for our cap space.

Your plan is to build through free agency... but if we can add good prospects via the draft and free agency (picking up guys like Varejao) we might be able to position ourselves to be able to trade for a star player... sort of like what the Celtics just did, and what the Nets did to acquire VC.

As long as management is ok paying the contracts, we should not be complaining. Clearing up cap space does not guarentee anything, but I agree that it could be a good way to go.


My analysis is just to give an approximate number to each position. It can be done through free agency, trades or the draft (I'd prefer the draft the most as they can brought up through our teams philosophy, and then we also know if that player works well on our team before we give them the big bucks)

I think to get that next star it does mean trading one of jose or TJ, it may also mean trading bargnani for that matter.

I actually don't want to do what the Celtics did, they will only be really good this year and the next 2 years, after that they are totally done. I want to do what the Spurs have done and are still doing. I don't want to contend for a title one year and then be a lottery team the next year.
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Post#4 » by omeloon » Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:49 am

Well not exactly what the Celtics did... but we're obviously going to eventually want to trade some of our youth for better and more experienced talent.

You take whatever opportunites come to you. If you can put Bosh and Dwight Howard together, you don't care that such a duo is going to cost you $25 mill.

If adding salary makes us better without sacrificing any cap space or youth, we should definitely look into the move. I don't believe the Dalembert rumors, but if we can get him for anything less than Bosh, Bargs, Ford, and Calderon, we have to do it. Then we can worry about trading Bargs for SG or SF help while hopefully getting rid of another not so needed contract.
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Post#5 » by yt_boi » Mon Jan 21, 2008 4:11 am

omeloon wrote:Well not exactly what the Celtics did... but we're obviously going to eventually want to trade some of our youth for better and more experienced talent.

You take whatever opportunites come to you. If you can put Bosh and Dwight Howard together, you don't care that such a duo is going to cost you $25 mill.

If adding salary makes us better without sacrificing any cap space or youth, we should definitely look into the move. I don't believe the Dalembert rumors, but if we can get him for anything less than Bosh, Bargs, Ford, and Calderon, we have to do it. Then we can worry about trading Bargs for SG or SF help while hopefully getting rid of another not so needed contract.


AHAHhaha thats for sure there. Imagine that duo...WOW

And I agree with you, if there is an opportunity that is too great to turn down then you have to take it. Doing a move like the Dalembert move would mean that we'd for sure have to have someone like Moon at SF and then Delfino at SG...and if we pay more than that we'll for sure be taking a big hit on our bench, which I don't think we should do, as we've all seen this year how big our bench has been
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Post#6 » by omeloon » Mon Jan 21, 2008 4:29 am

Not neccessarily... depends on how cool management is with paying a couple of big contracts.

Just for argument's sake, lets say we were able to swing some sort of Dalembert deal, while leaving Calderon and Delfino still on the roster. There's nothing holding us back from paying Calderon and Delfino decent pay checks.

That leaves us with ending deals (Parker + Garbo + Maceo) and tradeable assets like Bargnani and/or Ford. That would be enough to land us a star wing player if any were available.

We'd have Calderon, close to star player, Moon, Bosh, Dalembert, Delfino, and Kapono. We'd also have at least one of Parker, Garbo, Bargnani, or TJ Ford... and the MLE to sign someone half decent. And salary wise, we wouldn't even be that much more expensive than we are right now. Our bench wouldn't be hurting at all, and our starting five would be greatly improved.


My whole post of course relies on the assumption that we could get someone like Dalembert or Mike Miller for relatively little in return... which is def. far from a given
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Post#7 » by juucer » Mon Jan 21, 2008 4:57 am

I can't believe Matt Bonner is making $3,000,000 per year.

It makes me feel so... insignificant. :(
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Post#8 » by yt_boi » Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:02 am

This is exactly what I wanted out of this tread. Thank you

Yes, add players that will help us, but think of the salary cap implications while making decisions on who to add. Which you have obviously done.

I just can't stand it when someone is like, lets add Josh Smith, lets add Deng, Lets sign Arenas over the summer. Cus they don't consider that first we have to give up something good to get anyone of them since we're not under the cap, and then if we get them how will their salary affect future decisions. It's not a 1 year plan people, its a 5, 10, 15 year plan.
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Post#9 » by ilikecb4 » Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:14 am

Bargniani just signed a big extension paying him 6-7 mil a year...

he needs to at least live up to his contract...

we have ONE good player that could start on the Pistons..that's Chris Bosh..nobody else on the team could start for them...

we just need to decide what to do about Bargniani, and what to do with tj/jose, we can't afford to keep them both..

either jose/tj, star player, moon/however else, bosh, whoever
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Post#10 » by rise of raptors » Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:19 am

I totally agree that signing for someone like Arenas is a ridiculous, not to mention impractical, idea. Unless management is absolutely sure that Agent Zero and CB4 = championships then the Raps will have no flexibility in the future. That is why I believe Orlando shot itself in the foot with the Lewis signing.

The Celtics shouldn't be a case to imitate. The stars really aligned for them. Its not every year that you can acquire 2 unselfish stars for youth.
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Post#11 » by omeloon » Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:40 am

I don't know... you guys have to realize the beauty of the roster Bryan has set up. I want no part of Arenas, but we could probably obtain him and still come out looking real good if we wanted to...

We'll be in position to make some pretty decent deals next off-season. If we could convince Arenas to want to play for us, we offer Ford, Humphries, and Parker for Arenas for $14 mill/year about. We include the draft pick if we have to, but even that shouldn't be neccessary with the type of package we would be offering.

We'd still be left with

Bargs, Rasho
Bosh, Garbo, Maceo
Moon, Kapono, Graham
Arenas, Delfino
Calderon, Arenas
+ MLE + maybe 2008 1st pick

We'd still have ending contracts (Rasho + Garbo = $11 mill), and some talented players to dangle in trades if we wanted to.
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Post#12 » by Double Y » Mon Jan 21, 2008 9:46 am

In terms of contract, then, Ford would actually have more value than Calderon. If we're trading one of our PGs, we're obviously going to be looking for a good player back in return. In terms of salary cap implications, it'll likely be closer to TJ than to Jose....

Unless we're looking at trading Jose for a player on a rookie salary scale.
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Post#13 » by omeloon » Tue Jan 22, 2008 12:24 am

IF WE'RE GOING TO TRADE JOSE we should probably do it now... while he can be packaged with Rasho. Our next chance will be in a sign and trade, but we won't have the same leverage. After that he will be BYC, and it will be pretty hard to trade him. If I was BC I wouldn't have the guts to trade Calderon though, and I rather keep him than trade him.
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