Player Movement Thread (Was Free Agency Thread)

[bebopdeluxe]

TGP:

I think that Ed - like the entire universe - is waiting on the Clippers.  If they do not choose Iggy, then there are two possible choices:

1) Give Iggy a fair, but not ridiculous offer (I say the total contract value will start with a "6"...but not much above that), or...

2) Iggy signs the one-year qualifier.

At least, that is my call...

[tk76-]

If the Clips are stupid enough to offer Iguodala a deal starting at 12M with full raises then Ed is in a bind.

The financial issue is more the tax than the cap.  With Brand's yearly raises, and the money we will pay Lou, the team won't have much over the MLE available next summer whether they sign Iguodala for 12M or Gordon for 8M.  Even after renouncing Miller's 10M, they would only have between 2-6M left over, which is at or below the MLE anyway.  The bigger issue is if they resign or trade Miller for a similar salary, then they might be getting close to the tax.

So basically the Sixers won't be using a large chunk of cap space to sign a FA anytime soon.  The best they can do is swap Miller's 10M expiring for another player.  Future acquisitions will have to be with trades or MLE type signings.  Iguodala's contract effects his tradability and how close the team is to worrying about the tax- which could cloud the judgement about how to resign/replace/trade Miller and Sam over the coming years.

The Math:
With Brand + 10M cap hold of Lou and Iguodala the team is currently at the cap.
Lets say Lou signs for 4M and Brand's contract includes a 1M raise.  
If the team pay Iguodala 12M (13M the next year) the team next summer would be 5M over the cap (or 5M under if the renounce Miller.)  
If you sign or replace Miller's 10M and use the 6M MLE you are 11M over the cap.  That puts you close to the tax.  probably over the tax to fill out the roster.

Going with an 8M player like Gordon would leave you a few Mil more under the cap next year if you renounce Miller (but not the full 10M of Millers contract), and would give the team a bit of breathing room regarding the tax.

I can't say Comcast's feeling about going above the tax.

[bebopdeluxe]

tk:

This is the Clippers we are talking about here.

I think that if they offer Iguodala $70 mil over 5 years - $5 million more than Baron Davis is getting - at a position where it could be argued they already have roster coverage (Gordon, Thornton, Mobley), there may very well be some grumbling on the roster - particularly if the Clips don't set the world on fire next season.  At least if they offer that money to somebody like Smith, they are going after a guy who plays a position of need (PF), and Davis probably won't get bent about that.

[tk76-]

Skates makes a valid point.  Wade and Lebron will getting 8th year max (30% of cap) contracts starting at 17-18M in 2010.

Iguodala would be making 14M, so there is a difference.  However I would think Iguodala for 4M less than Lebron isn't much of a consolation prize.  however, Iguodala in 2 years at 14M isn't as far out of line as you might think.  14M would make him the 20th highest salary this year.  I would guess 14M in 2010 will be around the 30th highest NBA salary.

[tk76-]

tk:

This is the Clippers we are talking about here.

Exactly- that's why I'm worried that they might do something stupid.  Overpaying might be out of character, but so would making the shrewdest move.  We should have know getting Baron and Brand signed in the same offseason was beyond their ability.

[Skates]

Skates makes a valid point.  Wade and Lebron will getting 8th year max (30% of cap) contracts starting at 17-18M in 2010.

Iguodala would be making 14M, so there is a difference.  However I would think Iguodala for 4M less than Lebron isn't much of a consolation prize.  however, Iguodala in 2 years at 14M isn't as far out of line as you might think.  14M would make him the 20th highest salary this year.  I would guess 14M in 2010 will be around the 30th highest NBA salary.

Plus he will only be on the hook for three more years at that point, all of which should be years in his prime.  Presumably any contract put together by the Clips for any RFA will be front loaded.  This is a double-edged sword since it makes this year costly, but reduces his actual cost, if not his cap number, down the road.  In a year with lots of teams having cap space (2010) his actual cost may be a bigger incentive in a trade than an inflated cap number, of course, it would also mean really overpaying for the first two years that he is here on a per year basis.

[tk76-]

I would sign Iguodala to a front loaded contract in a second. Its the 12M starting and then 8% yearlly raises that gets dicey when dealing with future moves/tax implications.  The team is going to end up over the cap either way.

[Skates]

A declining contract like Hinrich has would indeed be ideal for Iggy.

[tk76-]

Ed should offer Iguodala the Max, and then have it decline ever year.

He can call it the "Phill Max."  Sorta has a nice ring to it.

[TheGuiltyParty]

Ed should offer Iguodala the Max, and then have it decline ever year.

He can call it the "Phill Max."  Sorta has a nice ring to it.

That would actually be the smart move. Since we aren't close to the tax this year, I would say to put as much as money as you can into this year so that Iguodala's deal becomes much more friendly as time goes on. Hinrich's contract is a great guideline for what Ed should be doing.

[tk76-]

It probably would help all parties.  Let Iguodala have the money now, and open up cap flexibility laster.  I wonder how common a practice it is?

[tk76-]

 

Thank you Denver, you cheap bastards.  They just saved the Sixers aboout 10M of bargaining position for Iguodala.

All is good.  the greatest Sixers offseason in recent memory continues.

Now we just need to steal Crit for Smith.

[TheGuiltyParty]

Even though we should get Iguodala for a much smaller number (and a more accurate one), I would still like to see us frontload his contract with a declining salary.We do have the room under the tax to do it so I don't see a downfall to doing it that way.

[tk76-]

I agree.  I hope Ed is working on a frontloaded deal.

[TheGuiltyParty]

I just noticed that Marcus Camby also has a contract that declines like Hinrich's. If you have the room under the tax, I don't see why you wouldn't do this.

Now that the Camby trade has happened (oh how terrible it must be to be a Clipper fan), I imagine we'll see Smith sign in Atlanta, Okafor in Charlotte, Deng in Chicago, and Iguodala here. My guess is Ben Gordon and Josh Childress take the one year offer.