Unmovable contract? There's no such thing
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Thursday, September 2
FOR SALE: Injured Shooting Guard with limited passing and rebounding skills and even worse defensive abilities for only $15.9 million.
That was last year.
This year, the asking price for Allan Houston is even higher and, believe it or not, he will become an even hotter commodity next year at this time when his six-year contract worth a total of $100.4 million will have only two years left on it.
That's right.
The best thing Houston has going for him is his expiration date that reads Summer of 2007, when the team paying his salary gets to wipe him off its books to clear space for another shot at the next great 3-point shooter or low-post threat with unbelievable potential and expanding wingspan.
But if you think Houston or any other NBA player with a bloated contract and diminishing skills is untradeable until that final year of his contract, then you are wrong.
There's a taker out there, somewhere, for the expensive Houston.
Somewhere, somehow, there seems to be that special owner or general manager who believes there is some value left in, say, an aging guard who has never had more than eight assists or four steals in a game in his career like the aforementioned guard in New York.
Take, for instance, Penny Hardaway. After averaging 20 points per game for three straight seasons, Hardaway's average fell to 16.4 in 1998 and 15.8 in 1999. He made $8.5 million in his final season in Orlando before being sent to the Phoenix Suns for Pat Garrity, Danny Manning and two future first-rounders.
Despite declining statistics, Penny was supposed to team with Jason Kidd and become Backcourt 2000. A little over three years later, Hardaway's scoring was down to 8.7 points per game while his salary was up to $12.37 million and the Suns were ready to deal him yet again.
This time, the former all-star who had missed 24 games the previous season, was sent to the New York Knicks (along with Stephon Marbury and Cezary Trybanski) for, hold your breath, Antonio McDyess, Howard Eisley, Charlie Ward, Maciej Lampe, Milos Vujanic and two future first-rounders.
Despite declining statistics and an escalating salary, Penny was traded again.
He isn't the only one. In 2002, after averaging 14.8 points per game for the New Jersey Nets and making $10.8 million as a recently maxed-out player, Keith Van Horn was traded along with Todd MacCulloch to the Philadelphia 76ers for Dikembe Mutombo. A year later after averaging 15.9 points per game and making $12 million, Van Horn was traded to Knicks. Midway through the next season after averaging 16.4 points per game and making $13.3 million, he was traded yet again to the Milwaukee Bucks.
At one point in time, the Nets believed Van Horn was their franchise player. When they realized they were wrong, the Nets traded him. As did the 76ers and Knicks. The Golden State Warriors know the feeling: They traded away another player once thought to be a franchise prospect, Antawn Jamison. The Bucks came to the same conclusion when they traded away Tim Thomas.
Shaquille O'Neal made $24.7 million and the Lakers were able to trade him.
In fact, of the 24 top-paid players in the NBA last season, 16 of them have been traded after being awarded max or near-max contracts.
And that list doesn't include Brian Grant, who averaged only 6.9 rebounds per game as a starting center in the NBA while getting paid $12.1 million and was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Or Antonio Davis, who was getting paid $12.9 million last year to average 8.6 points per game for the Raptors before getting traded to the Bulls, for whom he averaged 8.9 points per game.
Overpaid, under-productive players who often get injured while still having multiple years left on their contracts still get traded as a matter of routine in the NBA. Everyone is tradeable; the "untouchable" is a myth.
Players like Shawn Kemp and Juwan Howard were labeled as such until, of course, they were traded. Jamison and Antoine Walker are recent examples. Steve Nash and Erick Dampier could be future ones.
The reason: In a 29-team league last year, there were 45 players who made max or near max-out dollars. In other words, there were 29 teams creating 45 franchise-type players in terms of salary. That's about 1.5 franchise players per team.
And that doesn't include the likes of Lamar Odom or Mike Bibby, who made just under $10 million.
That's simply too many franchise players for any one league. By simple math, it's about 16 too many, meaning that more than half the league is looking to swap bad contracts. Again, of the 24 top-paid players in the NBA last season, 16 of them have been traded after being awarded max or near-max contracts.
Which brings us back to Houston, who missed 32 games last year to injury and will become the third-highest player in the NBA. Only Kevin Garnett and O'Neal will earn more next season. Houston is, perhaps, the second or third-best guard on his own team.
Houston is especially intriguing because -- while he has become a more accurate shooter -- his rebounding has diminished over the years. It's dwindled from a paltry 3.3 per game in 2002 to 2.8 the year after and 2.4 last year. His assists per game have gone from 2.7 per game to 2.0 last year and he actually averaged 0.04 blocks per game. In 1,799 minutes last year in over 50 games, he managed only two blocks.
He shoots the 3 and is automatic from the free-throw line. He is a taller version of Steve Kerr, only less accurate. He is Fred Hoiberg without the hustle. He is Casey Jacobsen with gray hair.
But what if the Miami Heat were to trade Eddie Jones, who can opt out of his contract next year, along with high school phenom Dorrell Wright and 6-foot-10 Malik Allen to the Knicks in exchange for Houston?
The Knicks would get a serviceable guard, young stud and some much needed height while the Heat get the perimeter threat to unleash O'Neal inside and all of a sudden the most untradeable player in the NBA becomes a key component of a championship contending team.
And the bidding for a defensive liability with two years left on his contract will continue.
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Thursday, September 2
FOR SALE: Injured Shooting Guard with limited passing and rebounding skills and even worse defensive abilities for only $15.9 million.
That was last year.
This year, the asking price for Allan Houston is even higher and, believe it or not, he will become an even hotter commodity next year at this time when his six-year contract worth a total of $100.4 million will have only two years left on it.
That's right.
The best thing Houston has going for him is his expiration date that reads Summer of 2007, when the team paying his salary gets to wipe him off its books to clear space for another shot at the next great 3-point shooter or low-post threat with unbelievable potential and expanding wingspan.
But if you think Houston or any other NBA player with a bloated contract and diminishing skills is untradeable until that final year of his contract, then you are wrong.
There's a taker out there, somewhere, for the expensive Houston.
Somewhere, somehow, there seems to be that special owner or general manager who believes there is some value left in, say, an aging guard who has never had more than eight assists or four steals in a game in his career like the aforementioned guard in New York.
Take, for instance, Penny Hardaway. After averaging 20 points per game for three straight seasons, Hardaway's average fell to 16.4 in 1998 and 15.8 in 1999. He made $8.5 million in his final season in Orlando before being sent to the Phoenix Suns for Pat Garrity, Danny Manning and two future first-rounders.
Despite declining statistics, Penny was supposed to team with Jason Kidd and become Backcourt 2000. A little over three years later, Hardaway's scoring was down to 8.7 points per game while his salary was up to $12.37 million and the Suns were ready to deal him yet again.
This time, the former all-star who had missed 24 games the previous season, was sent to the New York Knicks (along with Stephon Marbury and Cezary Trybanski) for, hold your breath, Antonio McDyess, Howard Eisley, Charlie Ward, Maciej Lampe, Milos Vujanic and two future first-rounders.
Despite declining statistics and an escalating salary, Penny was traded again.
He isn't the only one. In 2002, after averaging 14.8 points per game for the New Jersey Nets and making $10.8 million as a recently maxed-out player, Keith Van Horn was traded along with Todd MacCulloch to the Philadelphia 76ers for Dikembe Mutombo. A year later after averaging 15.9 points per game and making $12 million, Van Horn was traded to Knicks. Midway through the next season after averaging 16.4 points per game and making $13.3 million, he was traded yet again to the Milwaukee Bucks.
At one point in time, the Nets believed Van Horn was their franchise player. When they realized they were wrong, the Nets traded him. As did the 76ers and Knicks. The Golden State Warriors know the feeling: They traded away another player once thought to be a franchise prospect, Antawn Jamison. The Bucks came to the same conclusion when they traded away Tim Thomas.
Shaquille O'Neal made $24.7 million and the Lakers were able to trade him.
In fact, of the 24 top-paid players in the NBA last season, 16 of them have been traded after being awarded max or near-max contracts.
And that list doesn't include Brian Grant, who averaged only 6.9 rebounds per game as a starting center in the NBA while getting paid $12.1 million and was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Or Antonio Davis, who was getting paid $12.9 million last year to average 8.6 points per game for the Raptors before getting traded to the Bulls, for whom he averaged 8.9 points per game.
Overpaid, under-productive players who often get injured while still having multiple years left on their contracts still get traded as a matter of routine in the NBA. Everyone is tradeable; the "untouchable" is a myth.
Players like Shawn Kemp and Juwan Howard were labeled as such until, of course, they were traded. Jamison and Antoine Walker are recent examples. Steve Nash and Erick Dampier could be future ones.
The reason: In a 29-team league last year, there were 45 players who made max or near max-out dollars. In other words, there were 29 teams creating 45 franchise-type players in terms of salary. That's about 1.5 franchise players per team.
And that doesn't include the likes of Lamar Odom or Mike Bibby, who made just under $10 million.
That's simply too many franchise players for any one league. By simple math, it's about 16 too many, meaning that more than half the league is looking to swap bad contracts. Again, of the 24 top-paid players in the NBA last season, 16 of them have been traded after being awarded max or near-max contracts.
Which brings us back to Houston, who missed 32 games last year to injury and will become the third-highest player in the NBA. Only Kevin Garnett and O'Neal will earn more next season. Houston is, perhaps, the second or third-best guard on his own team.
Houston is especially intriguing because -- while he has become a more accurate shooter -- his rebounding has diminished over the years. It's dwindled from a paltry 3.3 per game in 2002 to 2.8 the year after and 2.4 last year. His assists per game have gone from 2.7 per game to 2.0 last year and he actually averaged 0.04 blocks per game. In 1,799 minutes last year in over 50 games, he managed only two blocks.
He shoots the 3 and is automatic from the free-throw line. He is a taller version of Steve Kerr, only less accurate. He is Fred Hoiberg without the hustle. He is Casey Jacobsen with gray hair.
But what if the Miami Heat were to trade Eddie Jones, who can opt out of his contract next year, along with high school phenom Dorrell Wright and 6-foot-10 Malik Allen to the Knicks in exchange for Houston?
The Knicks would get a serviceable guard, young stud and some much needed height while the Heat get the perimeter threat to unleash O'Neal inside and all of a sudden the most untradeable player in the NBA becomes a key component of a championship contending team.
And the bidding for a defensive liability with two years left on his contract will continue.
