Teams Can Steal Cassell While Hes On Waivers...:(

[Matt34520]

Sam Cassell: Potentially Grumpy Warrior or Sun

February 26, 2008 12:29 PM

Reports abound today that Sam Cassell and the Clippers are working on a buyout. The way such things normally go, Cassell and the team would agree to some price, and then the team would waive Cassell, freeing him to join just about any team that wanted to have him (and had some way, given salaries and roster spots).

The story for some time is that Cassell wants to join his friend Kevin Garnett in Boston, and the Celtics could certainly use the veteran guard.

But look carefully at what happens when a player is waived. Before they become free agents, waived players spend a few days "on waivers," which means that another team can claim them by agreeing to take on the rest of their existing contract.

I have no idea if Golden State wants Sam Cassell, but they have a massive trade exception thanks to the Jason Richardson deal, and plenty of room under the luxury tax. They would have to waive someone like C.J. Watson to make it happen, but the Warriors could claim Cassell without any complications from the salary cap. It would cost them whatever it costs to get out of Watson's deal, plus a little under $2 million -- the portion of Cassell's salary that remains to be paid this season.

Similarly, the Suns have a trade exception from that Kurt Thomas deal which gives them room under the cap. They also have open roster space. Phoenix could claim Cassell, too -- although it would cost them much more, as they would be paying luxury tax on Cassell's contract.

Everyone I have spoken to believes Sam Cassell is on rails to Boston, and he may well be. But it is worth noting that getting him there would require several front offices falling in line.

Free Agents and Trades, Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns

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http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-3 ... r-Sun.html


Please God don't let this happen....

[JiriMania]

I'm pretty sure if more than one team tries to claim him neither gets him and he goes to free agency?? or something like that...

I could be wrong too because that sounds wrong now.

Edit:

Also it doesn't really make 100% sense for either team.

The Warriors would have to waive someone. Also Bdavis plays close to 40 minutes a night and Monta is their back up already. So same would be signed on for about 8 million to play about 8 minutes a game. (this is a rough estimate)

Same for Suns, Nash plays almost 40 minutes, and Leandro is the back up leaving cassell with little playing time, and again almost 8 million for very little playing time doesnt make financial sense for Phoenix.

[Matt34520]

The mavericks, warriors, suns and nuggets are going to screw us out of Cassell. Those greedy ******** already have enough depth, we need him damn it!! lol

[cisco]

Is getting waived the same as getting bought out? I don't understand why he would have to go on waivers if he was bought out and not waived. Anyone know?

[JiriMania]

Also doesn't the team have to be far enough under the cap to incorperate the contract? So how would phoenix be paying Lux Tax on Cassell if they are far enough under to incorperate the contract?

[wickerhd]

Not to worry. Golden State is a helter skelter bunch and Sammy doesn't really fit their profile. THey'd also have to worry about chemistry if they force him to a team he doesn't want to go to.

Phoenix is not paying more on the luxury tax for a guy who will only pl[ay 8 minutes a game behind Steve Nash.

[sully00]

Scratch that.

As I understand it now, when a team and player agree to a buyout his contract is terminated. Claiming him off of waivers is meaningless, they no longer have a contract to claim, he is a FA. This came up when Stoudamire was waived.

Even if it isn't it would be a terrible use of TPE to be honest. The Warriors can use their's up until the draft, why use it to block Cassell from going to contender when they may not make the postseason with him? PHX will likely be out of the running for Cassell but even still they made a number of their moves in effort to stay under the Lux Tax adding Cassell's contract would blow that out of the water, and they can also use their exception in the offseason.

[MVP16]

Those teams(Golden State and Phoenix) didn't claim Brent Barry off waivers so I don't see them claiming Cassell. Both of those teams already have great point guards in Nash and Davis so getting a backup isn't much of a need. I don't see Phoenix even thinking of doing this as they are already paying a lot for Shaq and they would have to pay about 4 million for Cassell which their owner isn't willing to do. In Golden State's case, they have Baron and Monta so I don't see Cassell as that good of a fit there. Plus, nobody wants to piss of a respected vet and his agent.

[Zin5]

If he does go through waivers, which I'm not sure if he does or not, I'd only see him getting claimed by one of those teams (Mavs, Warriors, Suns, etc) if he were rumored to go to an Western Conference team. That said, I don't think any of them would take the cap hit (especially someone like Phoenix) just to block him from coming to Boston. Yeah, he'd help the C's and could hurt whoever doesn't block it in the finals, but they have their own conference they need to worry about first.

[floyd]

This seems to suggest he needs to clear waivers before they can do the buyout:

http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#59

[LA_33]

Per Coon's FAQ, a TPE can be used to claim a player off waivers, but I think the chances of either the Warriors or the Suns doing so are small.

They have the technical means to claim him, but the article neglects to mention the luxury tax when calculating what Cassell would cost.

Yes, the pro-rated portion of Cassell's $6M salary is only about $2M, but teams' lux tax bill will be calculated based on the entire annual total of all the players on the roster at the end of the season.

Both the Suns and the Warriors would be over the tax line if they claimed Cassell, meaning they'd pay the dollar-for-dollar tax on all $6M, in addition to the $2M that'd pay him in actual salary. There is zero chance that happens.

[reggielewis]

Per Coon's FAQ, a TPE can be used to claim a player off waivers, but I think the chances of either the Warriors or the Suns doing so are small.

They have the technical means to claim him, but the article neglects to mention the luxury tax when calculating what Cassell would cost.

Yes, the pro-rated portion of Cassell's $6M salary is only about $2M, but teams' lux tax bill will be calculated based on the entire annual total of all the players on the roster at the end of the season.

Both the Suns and the Warriors would be over the tax line if they claimed Cassell, meaning they'd pay the dollar-for-dollar tax on all $6M, in addition to the $2M that'd pay him in actual salary. There is zero chance that happens.

suns seem to be in a cost cutting mode so i dont see them taking on any more salary. besides they are the supposed "from runners" for brent.
I dunno about the wariors, they are a possibility and now witht he rockets and yao they may feel like thats a smarter move now with the possibilty of the rockets season turning around now. they were rumored to be in the gary payton camp too so it is not unlikely they target cassel. well, i guess we will wait and see

[heathmalc]

However.... Cleveland has a 2.3 and a 1.8 million exception, and their owner doesn't care about the luxury tax.

That being said, I'm not sure the Cavs need him, and they probably wont claim him just to stop him from going to Boston...that isn't how Ferry does things.

So, he will prolly be in the green within the next week or so.

[LA_33]

However.... Cleveland has a 2.3 and a 1.8 million exception, and their owner doesn't care about the luxury tax.

That being said, I'm not sure the Cavs need him, and they probably wont claim him just to stop him from going to Boston...that isn't how Ferry does things.

So, he will prolly be in the green within the next week or so.

Those exceptions aren't enough to claim Cassell, though. While the real-dollar cost of Cassell's remaining salary is pro-rated, claiming him still requires a exception (or cap space) in the amount of the full, $6M salary.

The fact also remains that Sammy would cost $8M in real dollars to any team that claims him and is over the tax line, and there is no way he's worth that much to anyone.

[gpguy25]

WTF does Streal mean?

[Gant]

WTF does Streal mean?

It means the same thing as Hreist, Thrieve, Lroot, or Prilfer.

[Matt34520]

WTF does Streal mean?

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!My bad, its was a spelling error....




GOD PLEASE LET SAM CASSELL COME PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hiphop1]

JA Adande reported on espn that Cassell will be bought out and join Celts when he clears waivers.

[jjwalker]

Stern will "Make this right" and Sam will be a Celtic. Stern owes the Celtics.

[celtsfan0254]

I believe that waivers work with last years final record...so if that's the case, we would be the second team that can choose to claim him. Whether we would or the numbers work (we have a Trade exception, no?) is another story.