Timberwolves Current Finances

shrink · Post #1 » by **shrink** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 8:07 pm

With the additions of Craig Smith and Sebastian Telfair, I have the wolves at these numbers:

$67,952,714 guaranteed salaries for 2008-09 (14 players)

$886,517 qualifying offer out to Chris Richard
--------------------------------------------------------------
$68,839,231

Assets:
$599,254 TPE (Hassell) expires 9/28/08
$1,440,960 TPE (G. Green) expires 6/11/09

SALARY CAP: $58.680
LUXURY THRESHOLD: $71.15
MID-LEVEL EXCEPTION: $5.585

As you can see, we still have wiggle room under the lux for Gomes, and if we wanted, we could match any offer without breaking the luxury threshhold all the way up to the full MLE. I don't think Gomes will get that, particularly this late in the process. We also have enough cap space to sell it off for a player and/or future pick.`

EDITED TO INCLUDE RYAN GOMES CONTRACT AND BUCKNER TRADE KICKER

mayorhoiberg · Post #2 » by **mayorhoiberg** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 8:13 pm

Good to hear that we're still under the lux tax. Yet another impressive feat a focused, competent front office can accomplish when not playing cribbage all summer long.

I'm actually hoping the Wolves don't re-up Richard. I was with the organization at first on that one; I liked his hustle play and his character for sure, but now, I'm beginning to lose grasp on any legitimate reason other than "he's a nice guy" to re-sign him. I would have rather signed Mensah-Bonsu to his deal. At this point, I suppose it doesn't hurt to have him, but does it seriously help anything?

Post #3 » by **Klomp** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 8:14 pm

Wow, I'm surprised we're that far under the luxury tax threshold.

shrink · Post #4 » by **shrink** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 8:27 pm

I should probably list the 13 players we have under contract:

Foye/Telfair
McCants/Carney
Miller/Brewer
Love/Smith/Cardinal/Madsen
Jefferson/Collins/Booth

4ho5ive · Post #5 » by **4ho5ive** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 8:30 pm

Yea I didnt think we were doing as good as we are. Im with mayorhoiberg on Richard. I thought he should get burn last year, but I was just not impressed at all with his SL play from what I saw.

mayorhoiberg · Post #6 » by **mayorhoiberg** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 8:37 pm

4ho5ive wrote:Yea I didnt think we were doing as good as we are. Im with mayorhoiberg on Richard. I thought he should get burn last year, but I was just not impressed at all with his SL play from what I saw.

Exactly!

And I hate to base a personnel decision on SL play, but when we're talking 3rd string big man, I'd really hope he'd give us SOMETHING to see in SL, right? If he fails to do that, I see no reason to extend a contract offer to him.

MilMinMan · Post #7 » by **MilMinMan** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 8:59 pm

shrink, i'm not far off from you, but just wanted to compare notes. i've got:

Al Jefferson - $11,000,000
Mike Miller - $9,128,575
Brian Cardinal - $6,300,000
Jason Collins - $6,200,000
(Juwan Howard) - $5,172,414
(Troy Hudson) - $5,042,400
Kevin Love - $3,163,680
Randy Foye - $2,815,560
Corey Brewer - $2,725,920
Mark Madsen - $2,630,000
Rashad McCants - $2,620,126
Craig Smith - $2,300,000
Sebastian Telfair - $2,300,000
Rodney Carney - $1,655,760
Calvin Booth - $1,147,523

for a total of $64,201,958. where'd my extra $2,990 come in? what source were you going off?

shrink · Post #8 » by **shrink** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 9:40 pm

MilMinMan wrote:shrink, i'm not far off from you, but just wanted to compare notes. i've got:

... for a total of $64,201,958. where'd my extra $2,990 come in? what source were you going off?

Man, my embezzlement was exposed!

I went back and checked my numbers, and they were the same as yours. When I re-added them (I'm not at my normal computer now, so I don't have my spreadsheets handy), I arrived at your total. I'm going to go back and change my total -- thanks for the backstop!

I guess my fingers are just too excited about our front office being so careful with the lux, and now I get to field offers for that Gerald Green TPE!

MilMinMan · Post #9 » by **MilMinMan** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 10:21 pm

shrink wrote:Man, my embezzlement was exposed!

I went back and checked my numbers, and they were the same as yours. When I re-added them (I'm not at my normal computer now, so I don't have my spreadsheets handy), I arrived at your total. I'm going to go back and change my total -- thanks for the backstop!

I guess my fingers are just too excited about our front office being so careful with the lux, and now I get to field offers for that Gerald Green TPE!

Just wanted to calm my salary cap OCD. That was a close one!

deeney0 · Post #10 » by **deeney0** » Fri Jul 25, 2008 12:11 am

MilMinMan wrote: where'd my extra $2,990 come in?

That must be mine. I'll get you my address, you can write me a check. Or I'll take PayPal.

Carpe Diem · Post #11 » by **Carpe Diem** » Fri Jul 25, 2008 2:29 pm

Do Hudson and Howard come off our cap following the 09 season?

MilMinMan · Post #12 » by **MilMinMan** » Fri Jul 25, 2008 2:43 pm

Those two come off following this (08/09) season.

Carpe Diem · Post #13 » by **Carpe Diem** » Fri Jul 25, 2008 10:26 pm

Very interesting. We should be approximately $7 million under the cap if we don't resign Gomes following next season. With all those #1's, we should be able to generate some interesting moves.

deeney0 · Post #14 » by **deeney0** » Fri Jul 25, 2008 11:49 pm

$7 mil under the cap is nothing. 2010 is the target, when they could be far enough under for REALLY interesting moves.

Carpe Diem · Post #15 » by **Carpe Diem** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 7:46 pm

Sure, I understand 2010 we could be way under the cap. But I don't see a premium FA coming to MN. Has it ever happened? Not a question.

I guess I see us being in position to facilitate things in the 09 off season as well as in the 10 off season. The $7 million includes a salary hold for McCants, which would add another $3 to the pile. Offering Cardinal and some of those stock piled picks could just as easily get us someone with 3 years remaining on a contract from some team that A. thinks they have a shot at a premium FA in 10; B. wants to shake things up; or C. the player wants out or they want him out.

I guess my point is that we are in a solid position to be able to add important pieces.

deeney0 · Post #16 » by **deeney0** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 7:48 pm

Wolves have never had the combination of a good team and cap space before. The space can also be used in a trade (Jason Richardson and Rashard Lewis are examples). Or two non-marquee FAs. Lots of options.

shrink · Post #17 » by **shrink** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 6:18 pm

The storyteller site

http://www.storytellerscontracts.info/r ... laries.htm

.. has a little addition cap space applied to us for Greg Buckner, with the following information

2008-09 250,746
2009-10 62,398

Amount is for $250,746 in 2008-09 and $62,398 in 2009-010 for 'trade kicker'

Anyone know if this is legit? I haven't been including it.

4ho5ive · Post #18 » by **4ho5ive** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 7:13 pm

Wow excellent catch shrink! I didnt have that on my cap sheet either.

after a little digging: http://hoopus.withawhy.org/category/gregbuckner?page=1

Buckner, on the other hand, has four years left on his contract. As reported in the Star-Telegram, Buckner had a 5% trade kicker in his contract........So the $563,889 trade bonus gets prorated $250,746 to 07/08, $250,746 to 08/09, and $62,398 to 09/10. That makes the new cap hits as follows: 07/08 is $3,750,746, 08/09 is $4,010,005, 09/10 $4,080,916, and the 10/11 player option stays at $4,277,777.

Looks like indeed we are carrying that on the cap.

shrink · Post #19 » by **shrink** » Fri Aug 1, 2008 6:17 pm

Anyone got further information on Craig Smith's contract?

I have $2.3, which is the same as storyteller and canis hoopus. However, ESPN and sham have $2.5.

Anyone have definitive info on this?

MilMinMan · Post #20 » by **MilMinMan** » Fri Aug 1, 2008 10:06 pm

I'm not convinced that Trade Kickers work as Storyteller has them, but I'm on vacation so I'll research it when I get back.

Re: Craig, Zgoda's blog post at the Strib is the only source I've seen, so that's what I go with. Sham is pretty-damn reliable, but I'm not sure where he got $2.5 million from. Also, ESPN sometimes has really good info, but they're not an official source by any means. They just have people researching it like the rest of us.