Re: The Boston Celtics Mailing List Digest V4 #187

[lamphier@m.u-tokyo.ac.jp (Marc Lamphier)]

>Date: Fri, 13 Jun 1997 13:10:30 -0400
>From: pio@edu15.coe.ufl.edu (mark piotrowski)
>Subject: heard through the grapevine
>
>Does anyone know about these things I have heard over the last few days?
>
>1. Someone on the Usenet draft (real fun for draft junkies like me--if
>people want I will post the web site) said that if a team (they were
>talking about Philly) eats (or buys out) a contract (in this case Derrick
>Coleman) it takes it off the cap...is this true, sounds kinda implausible?
>That could have great implications for the celts (bye-bye Pervis, Minor,
>Dana, etc.)
>

This subject came up before, and as I recall the answer was that the salary
would still count against the salary cap. That is, if Philly sends Coleman
to the LA Clippers (which he deserves) and agrees to pay half of his salary
that half of his salary still counts against Philly's cap. Likewise if they
simply cut Coleman (which he deserves even more) they are still obligated
under their contract to pay his salary, and the entire (?) salary counts
against the cap. If Philly decides to shoot Coleman (which he probably
deserves most of all) they still have to pay his family the salary, and it
counts against the cap. However if they merely threaten to shoot him, with
the understanding that he will retire completely from basketball, then the
cap money is freed up.  

These are the options as I understand them, but this information is second-
or third-hand. Maybe someone else is more knowledgable here. 

- -Marc