He would have had to clear waivers by the close of business today in order for the Blazers to avoid having to pay him for the rest of the season. They didn't waive him, so I guess he's a keeper. I wonder if that says anything about the team's plans to trade Joel.
Good for him! Marks seems like a good guy and a good teammate. He's on a veteran's minimum contract so the league actually pays part of his salary and it doesn't all count against the cap or luxury tax. So, he's cheap, and cutting him if someone better comes a long wouldn't be a big deal. From Larry Coon's Salary Cap FAQ: "When a player has been in the NBA for three or more seasons, and is playing under a one-year, ten-day or rest-of-season contract, the league actually reimburses the team for part of his salary - any amount above the minimum salary level for a two-year veteran. For example, in 2005-06 the minimum salary for a two-year veteran is $719,373, so for a ten-year veteran, with a minimum salary of $1,138,500, the league would reimburse the team $419,127. Only the two-year minimum salary is included in the team salary, not the player's full salary. They do this so teams won't shy away from signing older veterans simply because they are more expensive when filling out their last few roster spots." BNM
