<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The NBA salary cap is about to rear its ugly head again ... will it keep the Clips from signing Kobe Bryant? The league announced this evening that the cap will be set at $43.87 million. Insider first reported this afternoon that the number would come in at $43.88. The 43.87 million figure is a little more than one million lower than what most teams were projecting and as low as two million below what several teams, including the Suns and Clippers, had anticipated. The lower cap number, up just $100,000 from last season's cap, could deal a debilitating blow to the Clippers, who needed to get $14.175 million under the cap to sign Bryant to a max contract. As it stands now, the Clippers have $11.272 million in cap room. That means that the most the Clippers can offer Kobe is a six-year, $84.4 million contract. The Lakers, on the other hand, can offer Bryant a seven-year contract worth $136.4 million. The Clippers do have options however. They could attempt to trade a player or two to a team with cap space in an effort to get further under the cap. If the team traded Melvin Ely ($1.75 milion) and Chris Wilcox ($2.2 million) to teams with space, they could get far enough under the cap to sign Bryant to a six-year, $106.3 million deal -- the most any other team can sign him too. </div> http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/stor...chad&id=1839094
Phew.. hopefully this salary cap issue will help save the Clippers from the evil and poisonous hands of Kobe!
This is a huge blow to the Clippers. If they aren't able to sign Kobe, that could be somewhat like two fold damage in that they also could lose QRich in their attempts to get Kobe. I believe that's the reason why they didn't offer him anything was because they want to go after Kobe, and, by going after him, they'd have no chance in hell at getting Kobe. But, man, that offer from the Lakers would be hard to put down if I was Kobe. It's worth $50 mil more than what the Clips can offer him. To me, that's way too much more money to say no to. Currently, things are looking very, very bleak for the Clippers. They're going to have to move fast and unload some contracts if they want to make a better run at Kobe, cause, currently, if I were him, I'd be leaning towards the Lakers.
The Clippers can offer him the max now, incase you guys didn't know. The Clippers are trading off Melvin Ely and Eddie House to the Charlotte Bobcats for two future 2nd round picks, meaning they now have the $2 Million more they needed to offer Kobe the max. The Clippers will now offer Kobe a 6 year, $106 million deal, and the chances of Kobe going to them are higher than ever.
isnt that funny how the clippers traded a first round pick + a decent role player for second round picks? they're going for bust or everything.
Kobe is horrible if he signs with the Clippers. This guy just dismantled the whole team, because of how the management treated him Shaq bailed, Phil Jackson left, and because of Shaq, Payton and Malone are out. Then Kobe does all this and ditches the Lakers, and signs with the Clippers leaving the Lakers with Odom and Butler, that would just be horrible. Their won't be too many Laker fans if the team is led by Odom and Caron Butler.
^ well I'll still be a Laker fan no matter who is left on next year's roster. Plus, if the Laker owner is the one saying Kobe had nothing to do with them getting rid of Shaq and Phil he shouldn't have to feel guilty for it. Although it probably did have a lot to do with him, if it wasn't his verbal request to do it it shouldn't effect his decision. The Lakers have obviously done a lot to try to keep him, but if the Clippers are who he wants to go to I wouldn't blame him for anything that has happened. Both the Lakers and Clippers are making trades to sign him, and either way one is going to come out a loser. So eventhough the Lakers have sacrificed a lot for him the Clippers are also willing to make those sacrifices, and already have basically thown away two of their players for nothing. The Clippers are also willing to do whatever it takes to get Kobe, even if it means trading away some starters. Eventhough there is obvious risk involved because of the owner, if Kobe wants to win now he should go to the Clippers. They have more talent, and can probably become a top team in two or three years, if not next season. However if he wants to be loyal to the Lakers he will probably have to wait a few years to win. The Lakers now have to wait for Grant's contract to drop off until they can really go after another big name free agent, and it'll probably take a couple of years to get back to the top.
I was listening to talk radio yesterday, and a caller had an interesting point...If Buss indeed got rid of Shaq and Phil without speaking to Kobe, that puts Kobe in an awkward situation. He may want to be a Clipper, but what Buss has done is pressure him to return as a Laker or face scrutiny for breaking up a team and ditching them...Kobe in essence has become the Lakers' scapegoat...but of course this is assuming Kobe didn't tell Buss to get rid of Shaq and Phil
