since we matched MIN's contract, Nic has to consent to any trade (though he'll get ~$6M for doing so) and cannot be traded to MIN.
As far as Roy's contract goes, it's probably more valuable at the draft. Someone can use a player for the playoffs who would keep them over the lux tax (or cap), and then trade him for Roy at the draft, cut the guarantee and basically reduce their cap by about 5M immediately.
He was almost traded to BOS for Lee. As Brian said his deal makes it better to trade him at the draft though. That is assuming he doesn't retire by then.
To be fair, Kahn was probably talking about trading Roy to the Blazers for Hickson's and his Bird Rights. Then Stern told him a) he can't send him to Portland for the length of the contract amnestied, and he wouldn't get Hickson's Bird Rights anyway. But at least the dollar signs were close enough to work this time. Progress, Davey!
But his old buddy Dwight Jaynes said he could do that trade. Dwight also told him that Batum wants to tear up his contract and sign with the Wolves this summer.
Still wonder if that offer sheet by Batum was signed in a) crayon, b) invisible ink, or c) glue & glitter
Actually, Kahn thought he was trading for Hickson and the rights to Larry Bird. Why not? He signed a guy who had retired with two bad knees for $10.4 million and got a whopping 5 games out of him. I bet Larry Bird, bad back and all, would be good for at least 6 games - and he'd probably be their best player for those 6 games. BNM
As Carl Sagan put it, maybe they laughed at Galileo, laughed at Copernicus, laughed at Darwin - but they also laughed at Bozo the Clown.
Khan did that to get back at blazers. Signing Roy took away the insurance. But guess what?! Roy only played for 6 games and needs to play for a minimum of 20 games for the insurance to be lifted. Double whammy for that cock sucker!!!!
