Re: More GM deep thoughts

[Joe Hironaka <j.hironaka@unesco.org>]

DJessen33@aol.com wrote:

>  I thinking maybe the player is Fortson instead of
> Battie. You could get Fortson to agree to whatever salary necessary to make
> the trade go down. However, the trade will never work because both teams are
> over the cap and can only take back less than what they are trading away in
> salary. Am I missing something here?...

I thought it was less or equal salary (but I'm no capologist). Otherwise it would
literally be impossible for a Portland to even think about trading any player,
since they are several gazillion dollars over the cap from now to eternity.

p.s. I seriously doubt even Paul Allen would give Fortson over four million just
for the opportunity to move Jermaine O'Neil. Also he'd want to make the call on
what happens with the number eleven pick, even though the trade won't be
official. It is pretty tricky in other words.  Moreover, you also have to wonder
why the Blazers would seem so anxious to move O'Neil for anything other than a
true future starting center prospect, given Sabonis' age and O'Neil's purported
youth and upside.

pps I can't recall seeing O'Neil play for any long stretches of playing time. He
just wasn't someone I ever put on the radar.  Same is true of this Michigan
pointguard Crawford, and frankly many other lottery prospects who didn't get much
TV team during the NCAA tournament. So please take anything I say with a grain
silo of salt.

Go Celts!

Joe