Early termination question

[d-train]

Does the CBA address the possibility of a player and a team mutually agreeing to terminate a contract early? I guess it happened between the Jazz and Derek Fisher but I don’t remember the details of what happened in that case. I notice that the Jazz waived Fisher so that isn’t the same as a mutual agreement to terminate because the Jazz were on the hook for any deficiency in pay.

The issue I am specifically thinking about is involving Hedo and the Raptors. Hedo apparently doesn’t want to play for the Raptors and the Raptors might not want him if they lose Bosh in free agency. These circumstances could converge with the coveted 2010 FA market. Hedo could probably get more money in the 2010 FA market than he got in 2009 even after an off year. However, if Hedo and the Raptors are allowed to terminate their contract early that would create the effect of a benefit to Hedo that the CBA specifically disallowed him from receiving and the Raptors from offering.

[FGump]

Buyout for $0. Doable. Legal. Allowed. Unexpected.

[d-train]

It looks like salary cap circumvention if it happens. The Raptors were not allowed to induce a player by offering an early termination but if it happens that is evidence they did. It could easily happen because there is so much FA money available in 2010 and there was so little in 2009. A team with cap space in 2009 could easily attract a player by offering an under the table termination option after 1-year. This would be attractive to Hedo because he could get more money in 2010 backed up by a long-term guaranty and it would be attractive to Raptors because if they lose Bosh, the cap space from Hedo leaving would be more valuable to a rebuilding team than Hedo if he stayed.

[Three34]

Didn't read Gump's response, then?

[Three34]

Also:

Hedo could probably get more money in the 2010 FA market than he got in 2009 even after an off year.

Not even close.

[FGump]

"It looks like salary cap circumvention if it happens."

Only to you, not to the rest of the NBA world. He didn't want to go to the Blazers because he liked the Raptors better, not because there was something underhanded in the deal. Good grief.

Besides, that "if it happens" is not gonna happen, basically because your assumption that "Hedo ...could get more money in 2010 backed up by a long-term guaranty" is a fantasy. If GMs wanted him for more, then they'd readily take him off the Raps hands for value in return (which is better for them than a buyout) ..and instead, he's probably an albatross whose trade would force the Raps to take back something junky.

If a player is signed and worth the money but not wanted by the team, he gets traded. Not bought out. And if he's signed but NOT worth the money, he isn't accepting a buyout for $0 that puts him back into free agency where in his next deal he'll get less.

[d-train]

I doubt the Blazers are too unhappy they didn't get Hedo. I'm sure that fans are very happy he's not a Blazer. The reason for my question is stated in my OP.

I'm not here to argue about how much it would appear to be salary cap circumvention if Hedo and Raptors agree to terminate Hedo's contract after 1-year. I added the appearance of salary cap circumvention in my second post to make sure my first post was understood.

My question is simply asking if anyone is aware of something specific in the CBA that would prevent the Raptors and Hedo from terminating Hedo's contract before the minimum 4 years stated in the CBA for ETO and PO in the case of a 5 year deal like the one Hedo got.

I am surprised at the feedback that doubts the possibility of the early termination because Hedo wouldn’t agree to it on the belief that he wouldn’t get as much money in 2010. Why would Hedo be worth less money in a market flooded with available money than he got in last year’s market when the only team with significant cap space didn’t want Hedo? If nothing else, it would seem that Hedo would get about the same money only he would have more than just 2 teams to choose from as able suitors.

[FGump]

1 If your quest was simply to ask a question ("[is] anyone aware of something specific in the CBA that would prevent the Raptors and Hedo from terminating Hedo's contract") then that was answered several times for you. Clearly. But I'll do it again. The answer is no, nothing in the rules precludes that.

2 If you also want to know WHY "would Hedo be worth less money in a market flooded with available money than he got in last year’s market" ...The obvious answer is: last summer he was coming off a season where he had performed in a way that made teams want him, and this summer he's coming off a season where he's been mediocre. While the money supply may be somewhat bigger this summer, the demand for and value placed on his services has gone through the basement; no matter how much money there is, teams aren't gonna spend it on someone who can't (in their estimation) make them better. (Despite his dissatisfaction, I think of all places Toronto's international ball style system should be the most ideal for his game, and the fact he didn't perform there and wants out is going to make GMs even more leery of him.)

3 One more thing to keep in mind. My analysis and conclusions are easily tested. As much free cap space as there is in this market, if he was truly in demand where his contract will be seen as a bargain this summer, it won't take a buyout. Instead it'll be simple for the Raps to simply give him away to a team with enough cap space to take his contract, for a 2nd round pick or something like that. Do I see that as a possible outcome? Of course not. I don't think he's moving unless the Raps are willing to eat a bad contract in exchange.

[casey]

Hedo wouldn't get close to what he got last year. His scoring dropped 5.5ppg this year. And he was coming off a great playoffs last year. The other part has been answered pretty clearly already, the two sides could agree to a buyout for $0. But that certainly won't happen.

[loserX]

You've gotten the answers you were looking for...Hedo has over $40M remaining on his contract, closer to $50M if he is traded due to the presence of a "kicker".

He knows very well he's not going to see that kind of money in free agency, so he's not going to take a $0 buyout. I doubt he wants out of Toronto that badly.

The Raptors were not allowed to induce a player by offering an early termination but if it happens that is evidence they did

I'm not sure any of that sentence is remotely true.

[giberish]

I guess the one scenario where this could come into play is if a team had cap space and thougth Hedo was worth his current deal, but not his current deal + trade kicker. Hedo could agree to a $0 buyout from Toronto and sign a replacement deal with the new team. This gets around Hedo being unable to waive his trade kicker even if he wants to be traded.

Of course it's hard to imagine an NBA team thinking Hedo is worth even half of his current deal, but I guess it just takes one idiot with money.