Chris Kaman's contract

http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/i...ers_have_looming_decisions_to_make_on_co.html

Kaman signed a two-year, $9.8 million free agent contract with the Blazers last summer — but only $1 million of the second year is guaranteed. The Blazers have to decide in less than a week whether they want him back for another season. If is he is waived on or before June 30, the Blazers only would owe him $1 million. If he isn't waived, he would be part of the 15-man roster for one more season at $5 million.

 

Ok, so that's a pretty good trade chip right there.

 

But only till Tuesday

 

There's not a log of quality Free Agent wings out there. Our best option might be to package Kaman's contract and trade to a team looking to cut salary. Bringing back a player like this of course eats into our salary cap, but that's what we would have used it for anyway if a Free Agent was available.

 

Perfect player to use for Indy to get Hibbert.

 

If we use Kaman's salary ($5M) plus the trade exception we received from the Batum trade ($3.3M), we should be able to bring back 150% of the outgoing salary + $100K. A team looking for cap relief could trade us a player with a salary up to $12.45M.

 

But that would eat up 12M of our available 23M (after LMA) so we'd only be left with 11? argh

 

Good point. "Up to" is key though. We're not limited by just the $5M salary of Kaman. Of that $23M, lets use $16.8M on Monroe, and use $7M on a small forward on a trade like this.

 

Yea, I'm just trying to make the most out of the 23M we have, and its actually not that much, even though it looks like a helluva lot

 

Ok thanks for finding that article. I think the Blazers will cut Kaman. I don't think they'll find a suitable trade for him. They won't want to be locked into salary in a trade until they've ironed out deals with free agents.

We might be able to resign Kaman with the room exception or even some fancy scenario with bird rights. While we potentially have a ton of cap room; if by July 9th we are able to construct our free agent acquisitions by sign and trades we can stay over the cap and keep bird rights for potentially any of LMA, Wes, Rolo, Afflalo, Wright, Freeland and yes Kaman. As an example if we agree to a deal with Greg Monroe then are able to talk Detroit into constructing it as a double sign and trade with Afflalo and Pat Connaugton we could stay above the cap. Then resign LMA, Wes, Rolo, Wright, Kaman.