Question about 2010 luxuary tax

[postdiction]

A question for all to answer:

Lets say we sign a max FA next year, for example Bosh, and then we are over the LT, can't we trade Kirk or Deng after that?

I mean people keep saying we should trade Kirk/Salmons so we don't ruin our chances of getting a max FA next year but, why do we have to get that cap space before signing a max FA? Why can't we have Kirk/Salmons on the team.....then sign a max FA go over the cap and then trade them to get back under the cap?

At least that way we would know if we are getting a superstar player before giving away key pieces of our team for cap space.

Thanks for the help,

postdiction

 

[TheStig]

We won't be anywhere near the LT next year. The LT is significantly higher than the salary cap. I think your question refers to the salary cap, the number we are trying to get under (we have never been over the LT). We won't be able to sign a max fa if we don't have salary cap space to do it. The only thing that remotely fits your scenario is if we s&t for a star using one of those pieces. But we will lose a lot of leverage in a s&t because we won't actually be able to sign the star outright.

 

[postdiction]

Thanks for your explanation. I think I understand what you are saying but still not 100% clear.

I will make up some numbers okay:

2010 salary cap: 55 million, LT: 68 million, Max FA for LBJ, Wade, Bosh: 20 million

lets say bulls combined salary after Salmons opts-in 40 million leaving us with 15 million cap space.

In this situation we can't sign a max FA unless we get rid of 5 million first?

Is my understanding correct?

 

[Bullsman24]

that's correct. now in real life a max FA will only cost 16 mil in his first year about. You only have to worry about the first year of his deal when applying the salary cap, not the average. So if LeBron's contract started at 16 and averaged 20, we'd only have to stay within the confines of the salary cap for the first season in question

 

[TheStig]

postdiction wrote:

Thanks for your explanation. I think I understand what you are saying but still not 100% clear.

I will make up some numbers okay:

2010 salary cap: 55 million, LT: 68 million, Max FA for LBJ, Wade, Bosh: 20 million

lets say bulls combined salary after Salmons opts-in 40 million leaving us with 15 million cap space.

In this situation we can't sign a max FA unless we get rid of 5 million first?

Is my understanding correct?

Right, we would either have to work a s&t or dump someone before the deadline. It should be of note that the team with the fas bird rights will be able to give them bigger raises and an extra year. So s&t's will definitely be explored. But if you have max cap space you have all the leverage since they will just sign with you if they wanted to come anyway and you could just consummate the deal with a 2nd round pick.

 

[Shakes]

The existing team has an incentive to make it a S&T if they know the player is going to leave too: they get a big trade exception out of it.

 

[TheStig]

I view the Cavs as the team that wouldn't want anything to do with helping Bron leave unless they get a good young player back. If Bron leaves them, they have max cap space anyway. They can use that to absorb a deal because no one is going there without Bron.