If you know it's inevitable that they are going to be helped by someone and you know of a deal that will be made with another team if you don't do it. And you also know that acquiring that player Houston is trying to rid themselves from would only help your cause. Would you then do the deal?
Lopez's contract became fully guaranteed the moment the blazers traded for him. you didn't look very hard did you? took me two minutes to find this info. 2012-13: $4,899,293. 2013-14: $5,119,761. 2014-15: $5,340,229. 2015-16: UFA. source. http://www.rotoworld.com/recent/nba/1494/robin-lopez
Your link does not show anything about his contract being guaranteed. After looking more it does seem that his contract became guaranteed in 2013 as of July 3. Sportrac and Hoopshype both show his contract as non guaranteed for this season but I have found enough to suggest otherwise. Furthermore, trading him would have been similar to the Jamal Crawford situation a few years ago in which he would have to accept his player option to be dealt. Thank you to everyone who posted reasonable responses to this thread.
I do not think you understand there is a difference between non guaranteed money and having a team option. Hoopshype also says it is a team option and not a player option. Add this thread to your growing list of classics. It is not very often you see anyone trying to recreate Boozergate.
http://www.spotrac.com/nba/portland-trail-blazers/robin-lopez/ Very clearly says 2014 non guaranteed. While that number would matter if he was waived prior to his contract becoming guaranteed my idea was based around Houston being able to decline his team option after trading for him. With that not possible this whole trade is not viable.
Because the idea isn't actually possible, I'd suggest just locking the thread, instead of it being a spot for bickering and insults.
Always use Storyteller's site. Huge Blazer fan. http://www.storytellerscontracts.info/resources/13-14salaries.htm
Here is your scenario where you thought his money was not guaranteed. Under that assumption, Houston would have to waive Lopez. If they waive him, we could not resign him, which I already provided a link in the cbafaq's outlining that. That also assumes someone just does not claim him if waived after July 1st. You then are trying to treat non-guaranteed money and a team option as the same thing. They are two different classifications having different rules.
My favorite is this spreadsheet. Shamsports does a great job too. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AodNvAy3ZYZmdDRGZHQ2b2c5M3dZaktPMXlGV0V1dnc&gid=27
Is Story still updating his site? I thought he'd decided he had too many other things going on to keep doing it?
Did he find somebody to continue updating the website for next season? Looks like BBert asked the same question.