Cap Space?

How's our cap space looking after this season?

Should we make moves to get more of it?

Ed O.

It's looking pretty good. Getting more of it wouldn't be a bad idea either, especially if we have some going into the 2013-2014 season when the new luxury tax rules kick in -- a lot of good players are going to get dumped by teams desperate to shed salary.

who is available this off season that is a top notch talent AND would actually come to Portland?

julius said:

who is available this off season that is a top notch talent AND would actually come to Portland?

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That misses the point. I wouldn't be as interested to see the team go into free agency chasing guys who are about to get overpaid, but being able to take on salary in unbalanced trades could work out pretty well (theoretically).

im working on one of my patented spreadsheets, should be done by tonight

and yes, capspace in portland isnt going to get you any bargains, trades is the way to go

With Roy retiring keeping the amnesty in our pocket will be a nice benefit. We are only guaranteed to have Aldridge and Wes on the roster next season which is about the same as 1 max free agent. We could potentially add two max free agents if we renounced everyone else; Batum, Oden, Felton, with Wallace leaving via free agency or being amnestied. Is it a pipe dream to think CP3 and Howard would both come here to team up with LaMarcus and Wes? Yes, that’s pretty far fetched. But some type of similar huge free agent addition is a remote possibility and worth keeping open as a long-shot option.

The Thunder made good use of their cap space; they didn't hand out any bad contracts but did things like taking on a modest Kurt Thomas contract to get three first round picks. They actually traded cap space for Tyson Chandler but didn't want to hang on to him because of a foot injury (woops!) We should follow the Thunders self restraint in not blowing cap space as other teams continuously do. We shouldn’t be adding mediocre free agents as the Clippers are doing with Caron Butler and the Kings are doing with Marcus Thornton and Chuck Hayes.

This franchise greatly screwed up potential cap space in the PatterNash era by giving out huge contracts to Theo, Zbo, and Miles. We shouldn't overpay for Felton, Wallace, Batum; if that means we risk them walking so be it. Then with our cap space if we can't get one of the top tier free agents, which is what I’d likely expect; I'd like to see us keep most of our cap space for future season by only doing short 1 years deals via trades, such as grabbing Ronny Turiaf from the Knicks right now, until we collect enough assets and build up the talent on our roster. Then when we only need that one last piece to contend we can use our final bit of cap space to bring in a free agent like Brian Grant.

If you do not amnesty Roy by Friday you have no hope of adding any quality player this year. Your stuck with the mini MLE. You HAVE to do it, IMHO.


With Aldridge out hopefully temporary, Oden out maybe the whole year, Camby being fragile and Wallace crashing... all in a short season. You need more quality players. There is no cap space this year as you know. So you need the extra $2 mil for MLE.

I hope we can get cap space soon before what healthy talented players we do have leave or get too old. Good point on re-upping our players. Keep it reasonable in price. Hopefully they got a good deal on Oden after redoing it.

There is no way Portland will amnesty Roy right now. Makes no sense.

Trader Ed said:

If you do not amnesty Roy by Friday you have no hope of adding any quality player this year. Your stuck with the mini MLE. You HAVE to do it, IMHO.


With Aldridge out hopefully temporary, Oden out maybe the whole year, Camby being fragile and Wallace crashing... all in a short season. You need more quality players. There is no cap space this year as you know. So you need the extra $2 mil for MLE.

I hope we can get cap space soon before what healthy talented players we do have leave or get too old. Good point on re-upping our players. Keep it reasonable in price. Hopefully they got a good deal on Oden after redoing it.

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So you are saying Paul Allen should pay an extra 50 million dollars so we can get a 5 miilion MLE instead of a 3 million dollar exception? I wouldn't do it if I was Paul. You better be sure there is someone out there that is worth it. Not to mention that full MLE could hurt us next year in terms of cap space.

Trader Ed said:

If you do not amnesty Roy by Friday you have no hope of adding any quality player this year. Your stuck with the mini MLE. You HAVE to do it, IMHO.

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This season is secondary to the long range plan for the team, so the Blazers don't HAVE to amnesty Roy. Is Carl Landry, or somebody of that caliber, an essential piece to retooling the team? I don't think so. A player like that may help get a few more wins this season, but doesn't fit in any rebuilding scheme.

Trader Ed said:

If you do not amnesty Roy by Friday you have no hope of adding any quality player this year. Your stuck with the mini MLE. You HAVE to do it, IMHO.

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Using the amnesty now will not allow us to use it later on Wallace or if there is an injury to LaMarcus or Wes. A full MLE free agent will want more then a one year deal and that would furture hurt our cap space next off-season, those are the worst free agents to get, overpriced mid-tier talents that shouldn't be starting.

Using amnesty now could turn out to be an extremely bad choice.

I agree with the above on the cap space. It could help us in a lop sided deal where Portland takes back a considerable contract and gives a trade exemption to another team. Who knows maybe even giving a team like new jersey or new York enough cap space to grab a marquee superstar free agent.

Pinwheel1 said:

So you are saying Paul Allen should pay an extra 50 million dollars so we can get a 5 miilion MLE instead of a 3 million dollar exception?....

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PW where did you come up with an extra $50 million from ?

Trader Ed said:

PW where did you come up with an extra $50 million from ?

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If Blazers amnesty Roy, they will have to pay for his contract. If it is a official medical retirement, insurance pays something like 85% of Roy's contract.

Also by amnestieing Roy now, your saving a huge amount on paying taxes. Remember we are already over the tax threshhold!!!!!

WE SHALL SEE COME FRIDAY WON'T WE

and by being below the tax threashhold you can do trades which you can have a higher percentage to deal with 150% vs 125%... thus a potential to lower incoming salary values to clear more salary room.

Even if you trade GW your gonna use that money to pay another player... and if you want a star player or defensive player liek GW your gonna have to pay the piper. But this time you shop better for pirce and less injury history. You can tarde down in slary value to get cap space too with the right deal.

according to Tom Penn's interview by Anna Canzano... they can do both. Clear the money with amnesty this year, and if the medical retireent goes through one year after his lst playoff appearance, then the tab gets picked up by the insurance.

http://annacanzano.wordpress.com/2011/12/09/brandon-roy-explainer/

So why not do it now.. you will save a bundle on paying taxes

Trader Ed said:

Also by amnestieing Roy now, your saving a huge amount on paying taxes. Remember we are already over the tax threshhold!!!!!

WE SHALL SEE COME FRIDAY WON'T WE

and by being below the tax threashhold you can do trades which you can have a higher percentage to deal with 150% vs 125%... thus a potential to lower incoming salary values to clear more salary room.

Even if you trade GW your gonna use that money to pay another player... and if you want a star player or defensive player liek GW your gonna have to pay the piper. But this time you shop better for pirce and less injury history. You can tarde down in slary value to get cap space too with the right deal.

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Chad Buchanan and the Blazer management are carefully reviewing the pros and cons of amnesty right now. You are right there are luxury benefits, some trade advantages, and MLE advantage right now if we amnesty. But I don't see how anyone can blame the team if Paul Allen wants to save $40million or whatever in insurance money by going with medical retirement as well as the other benefits of medical retirement.

Draco said:

Using amnesty now could turn out to be an extremely bad choice.

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I understand your thoughts, but really... the difference between the lower and higher MLE is $2 mil.... that is not going to clog up your cap space significantly. Your gonna have players on the roster anyways. A miniumum of 13 now

and you will make up the difference by not paying the taxes on it. If you amnesty Roy by Friday you save a lot of money on taxes alone. Far surpassing the cost of the max MLE.... and not to mention you will then receive money from tax paying teams rather than paying it.

and you will be more competitive by adding hopefully a better player.

Trader Ed said:

according to Tom Penn's interview by Anna Canzano... they can do both. Clear the money with amnesty this year, and if the medical retireent goes through one year after his lst playoff appearance, then the tabe gets picked up by the insurance.

http://annacanzano.wordpress.com/2011/12/09/brandon-roy-explainer/

So why not do it now.. you will save a bundle on paying taxes

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Maybe this is correct, maybe not. Either way there are still numerous advantages and disadvantages of amnesty vs medical retirement. Yes we shall hear what they decide shortly since the amnesty deadline is not too many days from now.

Draco read Tom Penns interview I linked... you can do both apparently

EDIT: ok... crossing our fingers this week.

Trader Ed said:

according to Tom Penn's interview by Anna Canzano... they can do both. Clear the money with amnesty this year, and if the medical retireent goes through one year after his lst playoff appearance, then the tabe gets picked up by the insurance.

http://annacanzano.wordpress.com/2011/12/09/brandon-roy-explainer/

So why not do it now.. you will save a bundle on paying taxes

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If that is true, then it might make sense to amnesty him to avoid tax this year and have a little more flexibility for a free agent. But it also takes away the amnesty that might be used next summer to add even more cap room. If Allen doesn't mind the taxes, I think they should save the amnesty clause as I don't think there is much to get out there right now. I doubt Blazers are aggressive in getting free agents right now as they will want to wait and see what they got going into the summer with cap space, IMO.

Trader Ed said:

according to Tom Penn's interview by Anna Canzano... they can do both. Clear the money with amnesty this year, and if the medical retireent goes through one year after his lst playoff appearance, then the tab gets picked up by the insurance.

http://annacanzano.wordpress.com/2011/12/09/brandon-roy-explainer/

So why not do it now.. you will save a bundle on paying taxes

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Well Tom Penn would know. I am a little surprised. Yesterday still using the amnesty on him was my first thought. But the more I thought about it the more I doubted the rules would allow you to both. If you can then I agree that it would be best to do it.

The only other player I can see saving the amnesty for would be if Wallace's skill for some reason took a nose dive this year. His player option of 11.4 is a lot. But we have seen no reason to think his skills will deteriorate that quickly.

Pinwheel1 said:

The only other player I can see saving the amnesty for would be if Wallace's skill for some reason took a nose dive this year. His player option of 11.4 is a lot. But we have seen no reason to think his skills will deteriorate that quickly.

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If Paul Allen was willing to eat the luxury tax this year amnesty could be great long-term insurance for Wesley and Aldridge. No I don't expect either to be injured, but heck with our recent luck I almost feel like its 50/50. Wes was quite limited by an ankle injury last season and LMA just had surgery on his freaking heart.

If you have the amnesty next summer and all the big contract players are keepers, you could even use it on a player like Nolan Smith if he doesn't work out. Are those contract a 1-2 million. Does Babbit have another season guaranteed? Not much but it could end up making a difference.

But reading through this thread, TE may have changed my mind with the idea that insurance pays no matter what. If amnesty Roy, that prevents the possibility of Roy getting that itch and trying to come back putting the Blazers on the hook for the salary (like Darius right).

In the end I believe there will be a lot of good will between Roy and Blazers, Roy will retire with dignity and as a Blazer. (medical retirement while not being waived)

Good Points TE

Wallace crashing? Are we fearing that will happen or willing it to happen?

Draco said:

If Paul Allen was willing to eat the luxury tax this year amnesty could be great long-term insurance for Wesley and Aldridge. No I don't expect either to be injured, but heck with our recent luck I almost feel like its 50/50. Wes was quite limited by an ankle injury last season and LMA just had surgery on his freaking heart.

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I thought of LMA, but if his heart fails.......he will either be dead or would have to retire. But I guess you are right his contract is 4 more years. Anything could happen.

I am flip flopping all over the place on this one. I guess it still comes down to who could they could get this year with the full MLE. I guess holding on to it would be a safer bet.

Is Landry any better for us than Murphy? I still have high hopes for Freedland next year. He should be a consideration in this decision.

Treaty_of_Batum said:

If you have the amnesty next summer and all the big contract players are keepers, you could even use it on a player like Nolan Smith if he doesn't work out. Are those contract a 1-2 million. Does Babbit have another season guaranteed? Not much but it could end up making a difference.

But reading through this thread, TE may have changed my mind with the idea that insurance pays no matter what. If amnesty Roy, that prevents the possibility of Roy getting that itch and trying to come back putting the Blazers on the hook for the salary (like Darius right).

In the end I believe there will be a lot of good will between Roy and Blazers, Roy will retire with dignity and as a Blazer. (medical retirement while not being waived)

Good Points TE

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Can you really use it on Smith. I don't think his contract was in effect before the lock out.

Pinwheel1 said:

Can you really use it on Smith. I don't think his contract was in effect before the lock out.

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I don't know, haven't really studied it. Now that you bring that up, it doesn't sound like it. Just overall, nice to have an amnesty with luxury tax becoming harsher, was my thinking. Roy would never try to come back, right?

Unless we're chasing CP3 (if available) or Deron next summer I say we do two things:

1) Re-sign Nicolas Batum to a long-term deal
2) Trade(s) to bring back in a legit PG

Treaty_of_Batum said:

I don't know, haven't really studied it. Now that you bring that up, it doesn't sound like it. Just overall, nice to have an amnesty with luxury tax becoming harsher, was my thinking. Roy would never try to come back, right?

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Smith signed his rookie contract yesterday... so no, you can not use Amnesty on him