James Jones & luxury tax

[Griffin]

I have to bring back this subject, because there was one thing I didn't realize before: Portland has higher payroll than Phoenix.

This season's salaries:

Phoenix: $71,433,780
Portland: $74,151,698

So Portland is paying approximately $2.7M more in salaries.
Coincidently, James Jones' salary this year: $2.9M

With LT at around $70M, Portland will be paying dollar-for-dollar LT on James Jones' contract, just like Phoenix would have. But they also paid Phoenix $3M in that trade. What did they get in return? A player he is shooting 47.5% from 3 and Rudy Fernandez who is costing them nothing playing in Europe.

Now I can understand a team like Seattle making the KT deal, because they could absorb his salary without paying LT. But Portland is in the same financial situation as Phoenix, except that they are not in the running for a title, and still they thought it was a good investment. Say what you will about JR, but I think he would get off the bench more than DJ if he were still here.

 

[ShuHanGuanYu]

They are actually not in the same situation.

Robert Sarver: $400 million net worth
Paul Allen: $18-20 billion net worth

Portland is trying to build a contender around Oden, and will spend to do it. And while the luxury tax does receive consideration, I doubt the Blazers are forced to make moves solely in fear of the luxury tax like Phoenix had to move Dirty Kurt and James Jones and picks. Many Suns fans didn't mind losing JJ, and I'd say that's pretty much because it didn't look like he'd ever begin to approach the kind of shooting percentages he is dropping right now.

 

[joshstmarie]

TBH if it was the western conference finals between us and the blazers and james jones had the last shot, Id be ecstatic...he's mentally soft.