Wizards Sign Martell Webster

[Dat2U]

Webster gets surgery, out for the year and the Wizards apply for an injury exception to replace the roster spot. At the end of the season we stretch Webster for the remaining $2.5 mil. That seems like the best option going forward.

I would use the extra spot to find a wing shooter/defender out of the D-League.

[Ruzious]

You probably know what I'd do with the roster spot - Sign Robert Upshaw. The Lakers cut his NBA contract, but he's signing with their D league team. Still, I don't think that gives the Lakers any NBA rights to him, so I believe he's an NBA free agent.

If Webster could have had the surgery in the offseason... he bleeped himself.

[JAR69]

Partially torn labrum in his hip. If he has surgery, out 4-6 months but J. Michael said he could be out for the entire year. No player would ever go for it, but I wish his contract was structured in a way where he could get a guaranteed deal for the first 2 years and have options the rest of the way. He's got 0 trade value, stretching him makes the most sense.

It was my understanding that it made sense to wait until this summer to stretch him so that his 2016 contract is less. That way, we'd only be stretching the guaranteed portion ($2.5M) of his 2016 money, so effectively, we'd be paying him $5.8M, $0.83M, $0.83M, $0.83M over the next 4 years respectively.

If we stretch him now, we'd have to spread out the remaining $8.25M he is owed over the next 5 years. That would mean paying him $1.65M over each of the next 5 years. The end result is that his cap hit in 2016 would be $1.65M instead of $0.83M.

So the question is: is our need for an extra roster spot right now worth having to account for an extra $.82M in salary next year?

I'll have to dig through the CBA to see if his injury affords us any additional flexibility. I don't think it does. There's a long history of injured players with dead weight contracts weighing down teams for years.

Another option would be to sacrifice an asset in order to trade him to some other team who would then cut him and absorb the cap hit.

My take on it is that if we cut Webster now, we would pay him $5.8M now, and the final year would be stretched (at least once we get past game 12). We discussed this over the summer in the Other Team's Moves thread (page 53), but I'm not good enough to link to it, so here is our conversation:

Possible option 5: As I read the CBA FAQ, if we waive Webster on or after September 1 of this year, his salary for this year would be paid normally, and his final year stretched. From the FAQ:

If the player is waived from September 1 to June 30, then the current season is paid per the normal payment schedule, and any remaining years are stretched over twice the number of years remaining plus one as described above. For example, if the player is waived on December 1 with two seasons remaining on his contract at $10.2 million and $10.5 million, respectively, then the current season (at $10.2 million) is paid normally, and the final season (at $10.5 million) is stretched over three years (one season times two, plus one) and paid in even amounts of $3.5 million per year.

I'm not sure how the vesting option plays into this, but my perhaps it would be treated like an unlikely bonus? If we can do it, then we could waive Webster on September 1, pay his $5.8 million this year, stretch the guaranteed $2.5 million ove three years, AND have a roster spot to be filled by a minimum salary, fit into a TPE, or the remaining part of the MLE. (This assumes we aren't at the luxury tax level, and I don't think we are.)

Does this seem right?

Interesting.

However, if we waived him on September 1st, he would be owed the full portion of his remaining contract (the $5.8M owed this year and the $6.3M owed next year). I guess if we tell him that we were going to sit him out for 12 games and then cut him in December so we'd only have to pay him $2.5M in 2016, he might agree to a $5.8M + $2.5M buyout on September 1st.

I did a little more digging, and while I'm not certain, I'm more convinced that if we waive Webster after September 1, we only owe him $2.5 million for 2016-17 that could be stretched.

According to CBA FAQ #65, "The waiving team continues to pay the guaranteed portion of the terminated contract (see question number 64)."

CBA FAQ #64 isn't 100% clear, but it does say: "Some salaries are only partially guaranteed, and/or the guaranteed amount can change based on certain conditions. For example, the salary in the final season of a player's contract might be unprotected for lack of skill, with the protection changing to full if the team has not requested waivers on the player (see question number 65) prior to the team's first regular season game of that season. The protection can even be tied to performance benchmarks -- for example a player's guaranteed amount might increase if he played 1,600 minutes the previous season. However, in practice these types of performance-based guarantees are rare. "

According to press reports (http://www.bulletsforever.com/2015/7/8/8912863/washington-wizards-salary-cap-kevin-durant-bradley-beal-nba), and first reported here by rockymac52 in a colloquy with fishercob (http://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=1330603&start=80#start_here), Webster is guaranteed $2.5 million in 2016-17. As I read the reports, the other $3.3 million is not guaranteed. It only becomes guaranteed if either (1) Webster is not waived before July 1, 2016, or (2) he plays in 180 games between the 2103-14 and 2015-16 seasons. It is hard to know if those are the exact terms of the contract - perhaps there is a clause that pro-rates the number of games played in earlier seasons to deal with the possibility of Webster getting waived before the 2015-16 season. But taken at face value, it seems to me that if the Wizards terminate Webster's contract on or after September 1, they only owe him the guaranteed $2.5 million.

So, if I'm right, our cap hit from cutting him would be $5.8M this year, and $0.83M for the next three years.

[nate33]

So, if I'm right, our cap hit from cutting him would be $5.8M this year, and $0.83M for the next three years.

If you are right, then I'd be in full support of cutting him immediately and acquiring a young, rim-protecting big. Ruzious' suggestion of Robert Upshaw seems like a pretty good idea. The guy has real talent. However, he has been kicked off of two college teams, and was cut from the Lakers too. We would definitely need to do our homework. Are his personality issues ones that can reasonably be expected to improve with maturity?

[Ruzious]

Re Upshaw, Draftexpress.com had an interview posted on his page on their site - probably still there. Sounds like a reasonably articulate kid who understands he screwed up and insists it won't happen again. Also, he's lost a bunch of baby fat and looks in better shape than he was in college. From video I've watched, he's surprisingly good at pick n roll plays. He didn't do particularly well in preseason games for Lakers, but that's hardly unusual for a rookie big.

[FAH1223]

You probably know what I'd do with the roster spot - Sign Robert Upshaw. The Lakers cut his NBA contract, but he's signing with their D league team. Still, I don't think that gives the Lakers any NBA rights to him, so I believe he's an NBA free agent.

If Webster could have had the surgery in the offseason... he bleeped himself.

I'd take a shot on him.

I wish we had a D-League Team

[LyricalRico]

I would use the extra spot to find a wing shooter/defender out of the D-League.

Anderson will be back eventually, so we'll already be adding a 3&D guy mid-season. I'm more inclined to agree with nate...

If you are right, then I'd be in full support of cutting him immediately and acquiring a young, rim-protecting big.

If what we saw Wednesday is any indication of what we can expect from Nene and if Randy won't give Blair a chance, we HAVE to go big IMO.

[payitforward]

Webster is probably done as a player, tho of course he'll try to maximize what he can get out of his contract -- can't blame him for that!

He is such a smart, articulate, funny and personable fellow -- has a big future in the media if he wants to go there.

[AFM]

Webster is probably done as a player, tho of course he'll try to maximize what he can get out of his contract -- can't blame him for that!

He is such a smart, articulate, funny and personable fellow -- has a big future in the media if he wants to go there.

Did you miss this or something?

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2s0c35ptvY[/youtube]

[sashae]

I like Martell but he's d-u-n done. This team needs more working pieces to really make noise.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Webster gets surgery, out for the year and the Wizards apply for an injury exception to replace the roster spot. At the end of the season we stretch Webster for the remaining $2.5 mil. That seems like the best option going forward.

I would use the extra spot to find a wing shooter/defender out of the D-League.

I'd rather see them pick up a huge space eating big, and one who plays forcefully. (Too bad somebody snagged your guy Whiteside already.)

Through two games the perimeter defense has been stellar. They've got wing defenders but no one big making life tough for long opponents.

Webster I hope gets replaced by a mobile, long, defensive big.

Jarrid Famous?

[dckingsfan]

I think both Webster and Blair are done. Two not very good signings - so EG. I haven't been all that impressed with Neal - guess if Anderson wasn't hurt it would be a moot point. Still, gets pretty think when you are starting the season with 12 players. And with Oubre not playing (no rookies for Wittman) and Temple getting 1 minute per game, you are quickly down to 10 players.

[nate33]

I think both Webster and Blair are done. Two not very good signings - so EG. I haven't been all that impressed with Neal - guess if Anderson wasn't hurt it would be a moot point. Still, gets pretty think when you are starting the season with 12 players. And with Oubre not playing (no rookies for Wittman) and Temple getting 1 minute per game, you are quickly down to 10 players.

Why do you think Blair is done? I think he is what he is...a 5th big. He's not going to play in the regular rotation unless Gortat or Nene gets hurt. He's probably about as good as the 5th big on most teams though.

[FAH1223]

I think both Webster and Blair are done. Two not very good signings - so EG. I haven't been all that impressed with Neal - guess if Anderson wasn't hurt it would be a moot point. Still, gets pretty think when you are starting the season with 12 players. And with Oubre not playing (no rookies for Wittman) and Temple getting 1 minute per game, you are quickly down to 10 players.

Blairbis still young. 26 years old. He's lost a lot of weight and looks like he's in great shape.

He obviously has no knees, but as a 5th big I have no problem with him on the roster

Replacing Webster we need a younger big worth a damn

[dckingsfan]

Sorry, I think he is done with Wittman... don't think he is going to play. I think Webster has a better chance of getting minutes.

[keynote]

Sounds like Martell's gonna have plenty of opportunity to get some studio time in over the next 4-6 months (or is it 8-10?).

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wizards-insider/wp/2015/11/18/martell-webster-to-undergo-hip-surgery-friday/?postshare=9411447848693072&tid=ss_tw

Though it is another discouraging turn in a career that was marred by three back surgeries in four years, Webster insisted the procedure will not end his basketball career and said he could return in time for the playoffs. Webster said he expects to be sidelined 4-6 months, but a person with knowledge of the situation said it usually is an 8-10 month recovery for such surgeries.

“Hell no,” Webster said when asked if it could be a career-ending operation. “I hope not. Doc said 85 percent chance [of returning]. I’ll take that.”

The Wizards, currently maxed out at 15 players on their roster, have the option to apply for a disabled player exception to replace Webster before Jan. 15 and will make the decision after the surgery, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

[pcbothwel]

Too bad, though two positives come out of this:
1) The certitude of him being waived and stretched at the 800k rate
2) The Disabled player exception will allow us to sign someone for 2.6M (Half Martell's salary) or trade for someone with 2.7M (half + 100k)

That could net us Dorell Wright (When CBA season ends), Greg Smith, Henry Sims ... IDK

[nate33]

I'm actually a bit surprised to hear his passion about returning to play. I thought from interviews last year that he had one foot out the door toward retirement and didn't really expect to play ball after his contract was up. Maybe the new CBA is getting him to reconsider. There's a lot of money floating around out there. that said, I don't think anyone gives him more than the vet minimum until he proves he can play at an NBA level again.

[jivelikenice]

With the exception (if granted) they should call Houston and see if either of their young bigs are available. Jones in particular is worth a 1st IMO because of his low cap hold and the ability to re-sign him this offseason. Not sure if they have desire to move him though. Any color on Donatas' back injury?

[pineappleheadindc]

.

Yup, official. Wizards finally formally announce Webby out for the season after surgery.

Be cool, Martell. We hardly new ye.