FA's and teams' cap space in 2003

[hcsilla]

Big Free Agents (10-15 mil)

Tim Duncan (PO)
Jason Kidd (PO)
Jermaine O'Neal


Hot commodities (7-10 mil)

Elton Brand (TO)
Karl Malone
Gary Payton
Jerry Stackhouse (PO)
Brad Miller
Andre Miller (TO)
Michael Olowokandi


About the mid-level guys(4-7 mil.)

Lamar Odom (TO)
Richard Hamilton (TO)
Gilbert Arenas
Juwan Howard
PJ Brown
Reggie Miller
Radoslav Nesterovic
Corey Maggette (TO)


Mid-Level Guys or less?

Keon Clark
Scottie Pippen
Kenny Anderson
Antonio Daniels
Tyrone Hill
Elden Campbell
Steve Smith
Jim Jackson
Adrian Griffin
Darrell Armstrong
Derrick Coleman
Speedy Claxton
Donell Harvey
Jon Barry
Shammond Williams
DerMarr Johnson
James Posey (TO)
Kenny Thomas (TO)
Robert Horry (TO)
Brian Skinner
Charlie Ward

---probably not opt:

Tom Gugliotta (PO)
Ron Mercer (PO)
Anthony Carter (PO)

Maybe Retire?

John Stockton


Teams & Space (with expected cap of 39 mil):

DEN: 16 mil.
LAC: 0-12 mil.
MIA: 2-5 mil.
NOH: 0-3 mil.
SAS: 11-28 mil.
UTA: 0-15 mil.
WAS: 4-12 mil.

The cap spaces are based on hoopshype.com's salaries but they are modified by Don Jones's remarks and my memory.
The salaries of this year's 1st round picks and the penalty for the remaining roster spots (366.000 $ for each spot) are included in this calculation.

 

[JS22]

Call me crazy, but Id like to possibly see Phoenix getting Coleman, Nesterovic, Campbell or Daniels at the mid-level. The three big guys would probably be better at C than anything the Suns have right now, and Daniels would be a good backup at the PG and a tweener at SG. I know his numbers arent that great but I wonder what a change of scenery would do for him.

But im a little confused. Can a team sign a mid-level each year? Im not sure how it works.

 

[elindholm]

Hot commodities (7-10 mil)

Karl Malone

I don't think anyone except Utah will offer Malone more than the mid-level exception. He's worth more, but everyone will be concerned about his age. And he'll accept less to have a chance at a championship, if he leaves Utah

About the mid-level guys(4-7 mil.)

Lamar Odom (TO)

Odom will get more. He isn't worth it, but someone will offer him more. Either that, or he rolls the dice and takes the one-year qualifying offer.

PJ Brown

No one will give P.J. Brown the mid-level, except maybe the Hornets. Money is too tight, and he doesn't do enough on offense. I like him as a player, but he's exactly the kind of player that teams would rather get cheaply.

Thanks for posting the list.

 

[elindholm]

Can a team sign a mid-level each year? Im not sure how it works.

Yes, but no one does, because of the luxury tax. The Suns won't sign a mid-level next off-season, unless Gugliotta walks away for zero. Even then they probably won't!

 

[SirStefan32]

Fate,

To the best of my knowledge, if a team is over the cap, they can use a mid level exception every year. The problem is that because they are over the cap, they have to pay a dollar for dollar tax, so a mid level exception costs you as much as a max contract.

I'd go after Nesterovic, and Daniels would be nice addition, but he is definitelly not worth $4.5M.
Nesterovic could really make a difference in Phoenix. He would be a terrific complement to both, Marbury and Stoudemire.

I'd also go after Juwan Howard, Jon Berry, and Jimmy Jackson (who is not on the list for whatever reason.)

Stefan

 

[SirStefan32]

Sorry Eric, didn't realize you already answered.

 

[hcsilla]

Originally posted by elindholm


I don't think anyone except Utah will offer Malone more than the mid-level exception. He's worth more, but everyone will be concerned about his age.

I disagree.
Malone is still a dominant PF and teams could offer a one-year deal for him.
But you are right that the contender teams couldn't offer more for him than the mid-level.

And he'll accept less to have a chance at a championship, if he leaves Utah

I agree.

Odom will get more.He isn't worth it, but someone will offer him more.

Who?
I highly doubt that Odom will get more than 7 mil. considering his injuries and drug-problems.

No one will give P.J. Brown the mid-level, except maybe the Hornets. Money is too tight, and he doesn't do enough on offense.

I definitely disagreee.
A lot of contender teams (especially in the East) would happily offer the mid-level for Brown.For example PHI,ORL,DET,MIL or even LAL or HOU.

 

[hcsilla]

Originally posted by elindholm
Can a team sign a mid-level each year? Im not sure how it works.

Yes, but no one does, because of the luxury tax.

There will be a significant gap between the luxury tax limit and the salary cap (probably about 12 mil.).
So a team over the cap can easily use their mid-level in consecutive years without paying the tax.
DET probably will do that.

 

[elindholm]

Sorry, "almost" no one does.

 

[hcsilla]

Originally posted by SirStefan32

I'd go after Nesterovic, and Daniels would be nice addition, but he is definitelly not worth $4.5M.
Nesterovic could really make a difference in Phoenix. He would be a terrific complement to both, Marbury and Stoudemire.

I'd also go after Juwan Howard, Jon Berry, and Jimmy Jackson (who is not on the list for whatever reason.)

Stefan

Neterovic would be a fantastic addition for the Suns.
But unfortunately MIN would definitely match with Suns' offer sheet not to mention that SAS or DEN probably will offer more for Nesterovic.

Maybe signing of Daniels isn't that unrealistic if he is ready to sign about 1 mil.
I don't really see the point of signing Barry or Jackson with Penny,Johnson,Marion and Jacobsen at SG and SF.

I edited the list because of Jackson.Thanks for pointing out.

 

[SweetD]

You also forgot to add PHX free agents

Ford
Voskul
Brown
Williams
Langi

I hope PHX signs Voskul and Maybe Laghi and Williams(If no other C/PF is available or Googs stays)

 

[Joe Mama]

Here's my $.02.

Lamar Odom won't get a maximum contract, but he will get significantly more than the midlevel exception. Otherwise he'll accept the one year tender.

Nesterovic will get more than the midlevel exception. Minnesota will probably re-sign him.

Right now I'd be surprised if P.J. Brown doesn't get the midlevel exception from somebody. This year he's averaging over 11 points on 54% shooting and 9 rebounds in 34 minutes per game. He's a good defender with the size to play center against smaller lineups or bigger lineups if somehow the Phoenix Suns signed him. He's also a model citizen, so you can't really compare him to Keon Clark who would have been paid more if he wasn't a pot smoking lazy ass.

If Miami can "buy out" Anthony Carter's contract they'll have more like $8 million to work with. There was some rumblings that that was a realistic possibility.

Around the trade deadline I read a quote from Bryan Colangelo where he said that they would not be making a deal at that time, but they might try to make some moves this summer because of the luxury tax. I'm not sure what they can really do, but they've surprised me before (Luc Longley to New York). I also think they would use the midlevel exception if there was someone available that was just too good to pass up.

I'm not sure what the Suns would be willing to spend to keep Jake Voskuhl around, but I really doubt it will take much. I think he'll be here next year.

I don't think Antonio Daniels is a great fit here. He says much shooting guard as he is point guard, and the Phoenix Suns already have two shooting guards who are as good at distributing the ball as him. I seriously, seriously doubt they would blow the midlevel exception on a player like Daniels.

Joe Mama

 

[boisesuns]

it's hard to say what the suns will do. i think the c's are smart enough to know the needs and ways to acheive them, but it's probly not realistic to acheive soem of them becuase of current salries and teams not willing to trade.

i really like the youth movement, but i think experience needs to be intermixed. i think keeping penny will be good for the team. yes, he isn't what he used to be and is overpayed, but what else could we get for him? not many people would want him, and i think his basketball smarts will help him fit in with the team, as long as he's not too whinny. he has experience and basketball knowlegde, and we are still trying to teahc that to the younger members of the team.

all that being said, i'd love it if we could adress our center needs. it takes players a few years to develop, and i think there's still an outside shot big jake can be effective, but it's hard to say. i think if we could get something proven, it would be nice. it's hard to develope as a center in the west sometimes.

i think more imprtantly, we should try to bring in some veteran leadership. marbury is the team leader, not that marbury can;t do this, but we need someone who can model work ethic and contribute at the same time. i think someone to back up marion would be nice. pippen maybe? he is a solid player and could really provide us with some help. his versatility, could benifit us as well. obviously we have marbury, joe, casey and penny, but i think a player like pippen coud fit around them better and fill in any position that needed help. joe johnson is still developing and is showin some good signs, but a veteren shooter would be nice as well.

guys i would take (if it was possible) from the list. any of these might be decent fits for the suns. depending on what position we draft.

PJ Brown: probly too expensive. would help though
Reggie Miller : shooter, might be older but could help develpoment and still get shots. especially if we get in the "three mode"
Radoslav Nesterovic : probably will sign for more
Scottie Pippen : would be a good fit, veteran leadership
Derrick Coleman : getting up there, but can hit some shots, draw ceters away, and pass decently
Speedy Claxton : backup marbury. can hit some buckets. joe seems to be a sg.

 

[jbeecham]

I was going to say that I like Speedy Claxton for 1-2 million. He really isn't getting a chance to play behind Bibby & Bobby Jackson so I think he'll be looking to go somewhere where he can at least be a 2nd option. I don't think anyone will make him a starter. He's pretty much the only FA I can see the Suns going after.

 

[hcsilla]

Originally posted by jbeecham
I was going to say that I like Speedy Claxton for 1-2 million. He really isn't getting a chance to play behind Bibby & Bobby Jackson so I think he'll be looking to go somewhere where he can at least be a 2nd option.

Claxton plays in SA.
I like him but he is a SG in PG body.

 

[hcsilla]

Originally posted by Joe Mama

If Miami can "buy out" Anthony Carter's contract they'll have more like $8 million to work with. There was some rumblings that that was a realistic possibility.

Joe Mama

It wouldn't have been exactly a buy-out.

The idea was release Carter this season and then he would lose the right of excersizing of his option next year and MIA would get more cap room.
CLE made the same with J.R.Reid.

But Riley already categorically refuted that MIA would do this move what would totally destroy the reputation of MIA's management.