DAL - MIN

[Krapinsky]

The Mavs could probably find a better deal for Haywood.

Haywood
Age 32- $7,624,500
Age 33- $8,349,000
Age 34- $9,073,500
Age 35- $9,798,000
Age 36- $10,522,500 (team option....partially guaranteed?)

IMHO Dallas is more likely to amensty him than get a better deal for him.

There certainly is a better deal out there for them, IMO. There are a bunch of contenders who could use Haywood's services, IMO. Dallas would at least find a deal in which they don't have to give up their 1st rounder.

Contenders don't have cap space. Dallas will be looking for cap relief, not more contracts. If they could spend the $, they'd probably prefer to keep Hayward over what they'd get in return.

[shrink]

Tolliver wouldn't be a bad fit in DAL either. Cheap, big, good attitude, willing to accept a role.

[Klomp]

Tolliver wouldn't be a bad fit in DAL either. Cheap, big, good attitude, willing to accept a role.

Good call. Certainly an upgrade over Brian Cardinal.

2k12 has made me want Fernandez on the team. What if we drop the first for Fernandez, and add Tolliver?

Pekovic, Hayward, Tolliver for Haywood, Fernandez. If necessary switch Hayward for Ellington

[cpfsf]

I don't feel it would be a big enough improvement to warrant that type of risk. His combination of age and contract really doesn't fit on a young team like Minnesota, which has a core of guys that are 24 or younger.

I'd welcome some age on this team. Our young core is too bloated as is. We need to blend in solid vets around Beasley, Rubio, Williams, Johnson and Randolph, not more inexperience. Regardless, we're not going to be adding any more major young pieces going forward, especially considering we won't have a lottery pick next year. More so, I think we need a veteran to lead our defense though before we make any great leaps in the win column. We don't have anyone on our roster that can do that.

I agree we need to add an established vet. I've warmed up to the trade quite a bit, but I think of him as more of a bandage. We can only hope Haywood's playing at the level that he is now in a few years from now when Johnson, Rubio, and Williams begin to reach their potential. My fear is that he just brings Minnesota to mediocrity land. As a last resort maybe, but I'm thinking we can snag someone useful in FA.

I still don't understand the logic in picking up Hayward's contract option.

[Klomp]

I'm thinking we can snag someone useful in FA.

Do we have the cap space for that?

[cpfsf]

I'm thinking we can snag someone useful in FA.

Do we have the cap space for that?

save us shrink

[shrink]

I'm thinking we can snag someone useful in FA.

Do we have the cap space for that?

save us shrink

We don't quite have it, but we're so close that we could easily get it.

We have several small contracts that we could swap for cap space, sometimes getting a bit more, sometimes giving up a little bit. However, I think almost everyone on the team could bring cap space from some team.

So until we start talking about finding $14 mil for someone like Marc Gasol, I'm just going to give a hand-waving, "sure."

[younggunsmn]

Depends on where they set the cap. We're at 52.58 million with Derrick Williams's cap hold.
If it's held at 2011 levels (58.044 mil) we'd have 5.45 million before amnestying anyone.
If it's set according to the BRI change (57<50) the cap would be about 53.3 million.

So with the sunniest outlook (amnesty + higher cap) we are looking at a little over 10 million in raw cap room. Realistically we are probably better off just using the MLE.

2011-12 Salary On Books Max Cap Room
1 Michael Beasley 6,262,347 6,262,347
2 Martell Webster 5,256,000 5,256,000
3 Darko Milicic 4,779,125 4,779,125
4 Brad Miller 4,752,000 4,752,000
5 Derrick Williams 4,746,480 3,955,400
6 Kevin Love 4,609,701 4,609,701
7 Nikola Pekovic 4,595,000 4,595,000
8 Wesley Johnson 4,006,080 4,006,080
9 Luke Ridnour 3,680,000 3,680,000
10 Ricky Rubio 3,480,120 3,480,120
11 Anthony Randolph 2,911,231 2,911,231
12 Anthony Tolliver 2,050,000 2,050,000
13 Wayne Ellington 1,154,040 1,154,040
14 Lazar Hayward 1,097,520 1,097,520
15 Malcolm Lee 0 0
Total Salary 53,379,644 52,588,564
Cap Room (58 mil cap) 4,664,356 5,455,436


Nice little wrinkle in the Owner's proposal allows teams under the cap a 2.5 million exception to sign a player. Under the previous deal, teams under the cap would have to renounce all of their exceptions to use raw cap space in a signing. (would lose MLE and any TPE's).

This would allow the wolves use of a 2.5 mil exception PLUS the MLE, PLUS any TPE's we would have accumulated (sadly we have none).

I haven't heard anything about the bi-annual low level exception, I assume that this replaces it in the owners' proposal.