Re: trade and salary cap implications

[Kim Malo <kimmalo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 04:20 PM 10/20/2003, Ken Kokubo wrote:
> OK...this is a real quicky look so please chime in for accuracy sake, but 
> here goes...
>
> According to Patricia's and hoopsworld sites and based on 2003 salaries...
>
> We were carrying a team salary of $52,423,200 after the trade $48,650,030 
> with a league cap predicted to be around $43mil

I'm pretty sure you're using last season's 2002-2003 salaries. We're higher 
than that, across the board. Hoopshype 
http://www.hoopshype.com/salaries/boston.htm has the current amounts, which 
bring us closer to 60MM after the deal (they don't have Walter and Blount's 
amounts listes for some reason, so I'm using about 3MM for the two combined).

> The end of this year Eric Williams and Chris Mills come off the books and 
> combine for ~$11mil in salary, which would put us at ~$37mil, giving us 
> about $6 mil to sign a free agent. If we hadn't done the trade we would 
> have no available money to sign a FA (making the assumption that Antoine 
> would most definitely not have opted out of a max contact). $52mil minus 
> Eric Williams @ $5mil = $47mil = over cap and no FA signings.

Nope, next season we will be in the 52MM range without their salaries. You 
have to not only subtract them but add in everyone else's increases. What 
that may do is keep us below the luxury tax threshold with maybe space to 
sign a FA because of that.

Bottom line cap wise is that we no longer have 3 maximum contracts, since 
LaFrenz isn't cheap but he's not 15MM either. While that doesn't give us a 
lot of flexibility, it gives us more than we were ever going to have with 3 
contracts eating up the entire cap.

As to the rest of it, first I'm really surprised that nobody on this 
usually conspiracy rich board has said anything about a connection between 
Danny bringing on his pet source for what makes a winner vs an athlete and 
Walker's departure. Which I think is the essential point in his departure, 
as people from MJ on have tried to tell him - it's his head that gets in 
the way of all the good things he can bring. And as to the equal talent 
thing, there's really no such thing. What you try to do is get someone who 
you think will make us better, and if LaFraenz can be the player he once 
looked like he might. He should fit better in a running game, and maybe 
just as important, is less likely to inhibit anyone else's development. I 
like a lot about Antoine, but I also agree with the thought that I'm not 
sure how much better we can get or implement any major changes with him 
here with the bad habits so firmly set. If his first two pro coaches had 
been someone other than ML and Pitino that might not be true, but....

Kim