I am thinking that the first 2 would be the normal MLE, with the final being a big one. Then the salaries would have to average out as the min. Similar to how Asik left Chicago..
Two interesting bits about him. McDaniel is a RFA. http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on...mcdaniels-earn-this-offseason-as-a-free-agent And to explain the maximum amount that he can make, I first must explain the Arenas provision. Named after Gilbert Arenas -- who used the old rules to sign with the Washington Wizards in 2003 after his second NBA season -- the Arenas provision (supposedly) makes it easier for incumbent teams to re-sign restricted free agents, restricting the maximum amount that another team can offer McDaniels in the first season to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. Also, it restricts the second year of McDaniels' deal to a 4.5 percent raise off of that first-season (the typical raise on mid-level exception NBA contracts). After those two seasons, the third and fourth years of the deal can be the maximum amount a team can offer a player prior to their seventh season of service time, but a jump can only be made if the first two seasons are for the full non-taxpayer mid-level amount. Basically, this means McDaniels is limited in what he can make the next two seasons, but not the third and fourth years. Let's put some numbers to the words I just threw at you. If McDaniels is to sign an offer sheet with someone else, the maximum that the first season can be worth is $5.46 million (the mid-level exception for 2015-16), and the maximum the second season can be worth is $5.7 million (the mid-level exception plus 4.5 percent). If a team chooses to give him that much money in the first two seasons, they will then have opportunity to give him a much bigger salary jump in the third season. The team offering him the contract would then be able to sign him to a max salary in the third and fourth seasons if they so chose (or anything between $5.7 and the max). This year, that max was $14.7 million, so let's use that as an estimate, then use a fourth max year as $15.4 million, a 4.5 percent raise off of the third-year salary. So therefore, a team could conceivably sign McDaniels to a four year, $42 million deal with annual salaries of $5.46 million, $5.7 million, $14.7 million and $15.4 million. If that looks a bit confusing, it gets a bit more convoluted here: the cap hit for the team that signs McDaniels for each of the four seasons would then be the annual average value of the contract, which in this case would be about $10.5 million. However, if the 76ers matched, they would be on the hook for actual salaries each season as a cap hit instead, meaning near $15 million cap hits in the final two years (which is where the rule becomes disadvantageous for the incumbent team despite its initial goal). So a team must be under the cap enough to offer McDaniels the average over the life of the deal.
I think that's what most of us are thinking. I believe this was the same way we were able to get Matthews.
Here's the thing. If you offer 5+5+15+15 for him, you have to use up $10M of cap space each of 4 years. For Houston, they get to match the first 5 with MLE, and get 5,5, then 15,15 against their cap.
Pretty sure we just offered him a full MLE with a signing bonus. http://www.spotrac.com/nba/portland-trail-blazers/wesley-matthews/
Just to be clear: The first-year salary in the offer sheet cannot be greater than the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level exception (see question number 25). Limiting the first-year salary in this way enables the player's original team to match the offer sheet by using the Early Bird exception (if applicable -- see question number 25), or Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level exception (provided they have it and haven't used it already)1.
Ah, I now see my error. The part I quoted referenced teams above the luxury tax apron, which does not apply to Houston--yet. However, with the deal they've agreed to with Brewer, and Josh Smith's cap hold, I believe they would have to renounce Smith in order to match a MLE+ offer on McDaniels.
So for Houston to match an offer sheet, they just the MLE, it doesn't matter what the average contract amount is. I guess that means we're not getting KJ unless they decide to use the MLE for something else.
I'm pretty sure the Rockets can offer Smith 120% of the $14M he earned last season. They don't have to sign the contract with Brewer until that deal is done, but it seems like he signed for only $1M/season more than his previous deal? If so, they're at least $5M under the LT.
It wouldn't just cost us cap space this year; it would cost us cap space next summer and the summer after and the summer after that. We'd be stuck with his contract until 2019. As is we could sign two max free agents next summer. Or 1 max player and two solid starting level free agents. Stick Kanter here and it removes half of our flexibility next summer. Why do you think Utah gave him away for expiring contracts? They had a big need for a 3rd big man and wanted nothing to do with this guy.
EVERY team in the league has cap space next summer. Look what Portland was able to do with $40 million in cap-space this summer. What did that get us?
