Question About Combo Trades

[George O'Brien]

It has been well established that teams cannot combine their own player and a trade exemption to create a salary match for a trade. However, it seems as if the application of trade exemptions in multi-team deals work differently, but I am not clear what they can or cannot do.

Here's what I have in mind. The Warriors want to get Al Harrington, but the Hawks don't want to take on any salaries and just want picks. The simpliest process would be for the Warriors to trade one or two players worth $3.7 million to the Hawks who would in turn trade them to the Suns for the trade exemption. There would have to be some other teams involved in the process to get the money up to what Harrington wants, but it would cover at least part of deal.

I'd like to get Biedrins and Pietrus.

 

[Errntknght]

I don't think there is a problem theoretically. The Hawks sign Harrington for 10 mil/year and trade him to GS for some lower cost players so a TE is created for them. Then they trade the players to us in exchange for another TE. They would have two smaller TEs rather than one large one, which they probably wouldn't like too well since they could not combine the TEs to get one player. The biggest hang up with your plan is GS giving up Biedrins and Pietrus. Did you even check to see if their combined salaries are under 3.7 mil?

 

[overseascardfan]

I don't think there is a problem theoretically. The Hawks sign Harrington for 10 mil/year and trade him to GS for some lower cost players so a TE is created for them. Then they trade the players to us in exchange for another TE. They would have two smaller TEs rather than one large one, which they probably wouldn't like too well since they could not combine the TEs to get one player. The biggest hang up with your plan is GS giving up Biedrins and Pietrus. Did you even check to see if their combined salaries are under 3.7 mil?

Both in in rookie deals but weren't Pietrus and Biedrins lottery picks? I am guessing they combine for more than 3.7 million.

 

[cly2tw]

And Hawks would be stupid not to take these players in the trade!

 

[George O'Brien]

You are right, Biedrins is $1.9 and Pietrus is $2.5. However, the Suns also have a TE from the Brian Grant deal.

Pietrus is an RFA next summer. I'm not sure either would be a great fit on the Suns, although I've been after Biedrins for while. Pietrus is simply not a particularly good shooter and Biedrins is awful from the foul line. Still, they would be great for depth and would have future market value.