A money problem ... will there be another trade?

[Gaddabout]

I'm using Hoops Hype numbers, so correct these where you see fit.

As I understand it, the Suns have six players under contract: Marion, Nash, Amare, Kurt Thomas, Jimmy Jackson, and Barbosa. Figure Voskuhl's back in for about $1.9 million. I'm still adding Eisley's salary in at $6.9 million (until someone wise corrects me and tells me his buyout solved the problem).

That's about $43 million in salary.

Let's give Joe Johnson $8.5 million. That's about $51.5 million in salary for 2005-06. Doesn't that put the Suns at the new cap with about $500K to spare?

Amare's going to get maxed out starting 2006, correct? What's that ... $14 mil start? With accelerators what they are in Nash and Marion's contract, and lesser accelerators in KT's contract and Barbosa's team option, we're talking about $65 million in salary for eight players.

I'm beginning to see the Suns' dilemma. They're looking at giving away over $10 million a year in luxury tax before the season starts. As far as I can tell, that's right around what the Suns took home in net profit this season. I'm guessing the banker scoffed at that.

I'm wondering if Marion is back on the trading block for a salary break up. Gain players who fill needed spots, gain flexibility to trade them off in pieces if you need, maybe gain more flexibility in your MLE.

Before anyone jumps on me, I am not advocating trading Marion. I love the guy, and believe he's the reason the Suns were able to accelerate the program. Without him, the Suns are a mid-tier team last year. I'm just speculating based on what they've done so far (thin the roster, rather than grow it). The current direction of the roster does not look to me like it's etched in stone, and we're just waiting for the signing of free agents. I could be wrong, but I'm not seeing a team ready to unload every last dollar and get ready for another run at the championship. It looks to me like they're willing to take a step back for the perceived long-term financial health of the franchise.

Anyone want to take a stab at this?

 

[Joe Mama]

It's a big problem. HoopsHype has Phoenix at $32.5 million for 2006-07, and that's before JJ and Amare get a dime. Even if we assume their combined salaries will be $19 million that puts the team at $51.5 million with only the starting 5.

Is the luxury tax line going to rise as the salary cap will? I have a hard time believing they will have a salary cap of $47-50 million and a luxury tax line of $55 million.

Joe Mama

 

[Yuma]

Well, trading Marion won't help us. We have to take a similar salary or salaries that are close to his. Plus, if we took guys with expiring contracts, everyone wants them, so there would be more draft picks gone!

Eisley is roughly $6 million, right? He's gone, or his contract is, at year's end, so that will help!

 

[Yuma]

It's a big problem. HoopsHype has Phoenix at $32.5 million for 2006-07, and that's before JJ and Amare get a dime. Even if we assume their combined salaries will be $19 million that puts the team at $51.5 million with only the starting 5.

Is the luxury tax line going to rise as the salary cap will? I have a hard time believing they will have a salary cap of $47-50 million and a luxury tax line of $55 million.

Joe Mama

Under the new CBA, didn't the luxury tax get higher due to new percentages? I don't remember.

Plus, we are hard against the cap, which is what I really care about!

 

[scotsman13]

just a couple things.

first of all eisley contract, i have heard that he was bought out for 10 million. he was going to be paid around 5.6 million last year. that means he should only count as 4.4. ( read somewhere that on a buyout that the first year counts the same and the rest of what buy out only counts for the next or last year of the contact).

amares- new contract wont take start until after this season. so the only thing that counts for this season is his rookie contact. max contract is 25% of salery cap.

jj- if he is resigned will only count as a BYC player (for this year) so you are looking at his salery last year x2

so for salery cap numbers we catch a couple brakes as amare and jj contracts start to count against the cap. first after this up coming season jim jackson and eisley's contracts are gone. after the 06-07 kurt thomas' contact maybe coming off (player opion, i believe for one more year). all in all we maybe a little over the cap but it wont be a big step.

 

[Yuma]

just a couple things.

first of all eisley contract, i have heard that he was bought out for 10 million. he was going to be paid around 5.6 million last year. that means he should only count as 4.4. ( read somewhere that on a buyout that the first year counts the same and the rest of what buy out only counts for the next or last year of the contact).

amares- new contract wont take start until after this season. so the only thing that counts for this season is his rookie contact. max contract is 25% of salery cap.

jj- if he is resigned will only count as a BYC player (for this year) so you are looking at his salery last year x2

so for salery cap numbers we catch a couple brakes as amare and jj contracts start to count against the cap. first after this up coming season jim jackson and eisley's contracts are gone. after the 06-07 kurt thomas' contact maybe coming off (player opion, i believe for one more year). all in all we maybe a little over the cap but it wont be a big step.

Also, hoping the cap numbers go up during those years, too!

 

[Joe Mama]

I thought BYC only had to do with trades. I don't think it has anything to do with figuring the salary cap and luxury tax.

Joe Mama

 

[Gaddabout]

Kurt Thomas has an $8 million+ player option for 2007 and I would be shocked if he didn't exercise it.

 

[F-Dog]

If the Suns are getting deep into the playoffs every year, they should be able to afford to skirt the luxury tax line, especially if we're only talking about doing it for a year or two. This isn't El Paso we're talking about--Phoenix is a huge metro area with, to be frank, a lot of front-runners.

If they're spending all that money to suck, they'll have to break up the team, just like they broke up the Marbury group from three years ago.

I don't think they're going to suck, though.

 

[HooverDam]

Since the Suns have to pay Eisely contract but he isnt on the team, doesnt this give us some flexibility in a way? Let me explain...

Eisley is owed X amount this year (I think somewhere in the $5M range), couldnt we sign players until we are up to the luxury tax cut off line and then cut Eisleys deal under the 'oops' clause? I know we still have to pay his salary, just not the tax on it.

The reason I suggest that is because it seems to me like most teams have the money to spend past the salary cap and only the luxury tax deters them. So if the Suns have the money they could spend right up to the cap, and go over a little w/ out having to pay luxury tax. Is this correct....Im just stating this based on a hodge podge of things Ive read, please correct me if Im wrong.

 

[Chaplin]

Since the Suns have to pay Eisely contract but he isnt on the team, doesnt this give us some flexibility in a way? Let me explain...

Eisley is owed X amount this year (I think somewhere in the $5M range), couldnt we sign players until we are up to the luxury tax cut off line and then cut Eisleys deal under the 'oops' clause? I know we still have to pay his salary, just not the tax on it.

The reason I suggest that is because it seems to me like most teams have the money to spend past the salary cap and only the luxury tax deters them. So if the Suns have the money they could spend right up to the cap, and go over a little w/ out having to pay luxury tax. Is this correct....Im just stating this based on a hodge podge of things Ive read, please correct me if Im wrong.

No. The "oops" clause, as you put it, is only valid for this summer. And the luxury tax is determined by salaries from the PREVIOUS season. Next summer that would be possible I suppose, but the clause won't be valid then.

 

[Joe Mama]

Howard Eiseley wasn't waived either. He was bought out. I would imagine that teams can not buy out a guy this summer then waive him from the luxury tax. I would think they are forced to pay the players entire remaining contract.

Joe

 

[devilalum]

If the Suns trade Marion to save money then they are a JOKE.

Like someone else said if your team is losing and you're losing money fine but the Suns are THE hottest team in a league that just settled a new CBA amicably because they are all making money.

What kind of message would it send to not only Suns fans but fans everywhere if the Suns bailed? Its not like Marion didn't just have an incredible year. If his game had fallen off this season the team might be able to sell it but there is no way the Suns are going to get a player of equal value in a trade.

The Suns might still be competitive without Shawn but they would not be as good.

 

[George O'Brien]

I wish Hoopshype's numbers were right, but they are aren't and aren't in a wildly inconsistent way. Some of it has to do with deals that are signed but not registered and sometimes they just get it wrong.

Patricia's contracts is generally pretty accurate, but really hard to read:

Patricia's Contracts

I wish somebody would do a chart like Hoopshype but get it right.