Kaman is a serviceable center, I think he even has a mid-range shot, so he and Pau will provide some punch. If Oden goes back for a year, maybe they'll get the 8 spot, who knows (if Kobe comes back healthy).
2013 NBA Offseason Thread...
- Thread starter HaventGotALife
- Start date
How much cap room do the Sixers have? Asik has a poison pill in his contract.
--Sran
The Lakers are interested in bringing back Lamar Odom.
--Sran
--Sran
I count about 21 million, but they haven't signed their draft picks yet. That being said, they're trying to both tank and save money for next year so I doubt I would want Asik.
Lots of small tidbits today. The Bucks have traded Luc Bah a Moute to the Sacramento Kings for 2 second-round picks (2016 and 2018). Jermaine O'Neal will be signed by the Golden State Warriors. Chris Kaman is indeed going to the Lakers, and Metta World Peace will be amnestied. He is interested in the Knicks, if he is amnestied. Monta Ellis has narrowed down his search to 4 teams (Atlanta Hawks, Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks, and Charlotte Bobcats). It's amazing to me how active the Kings and Bobcats have been in free agency. A part of the Iguodala deal, the Nuggets are receiving Randy Foye as compensation. You have to wonder who will play backup point guard in Golden State. And my favorite Detroit Pistons, have agreed to contracts with Will Bynum (to play backup point guard to Brandon Knight) and Italian League MVP Luigi Datome, both on 2-year deals. Datome is a small forward, 6-9, who averaged 17 points and 6 rebounds last season. He's a sweet shooter (41 percent from downtown) and he's not bad from the foul line (92 percent). So hopefully, he can spell Josh Smith or start in his stead.
The numbers are in. Buried in this story is the cap and luxury tax threshold for next season.
Paging Mikhail Prokhorov...
The Lakers have spent "lavishly" the last 5 years or so. Soem would say we've spent lavishly for decodes now. However long it's been, no team has been to the Finals more, or won more championships, so although it has't worked out so well in the last 3 years, I'de say it has paid off handsomely overall.
I've heard the rumors about World Peace both ways, he's staying, he's going. On the one hand, he is now overpaid for the value he brings, but on the other hand, he is the team's only small forward right now (Kobe can play the position in a pinch). I think he gets amnestied and we pick up a used part for the position -- 30 million is a LOT of money.
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Y'know, if Kobe really wants to play 3-4 more years, then why doesn't he "redshirt" one year to completely rehabilitate himself, and reenter the fray at full strength the next year...? Seems foolhardy for him to go full tilt starting in December to maybe get to an 8 spot and risk re-injury. Not only that, putting that 30 million on ice for a year would help the books, wouldn't it? Or is that how that works?
When Jordan left to play baseball, he "retired" and his salary came off the books for the years he didn't play in the NBA. At least that was my understanding of it.
It really is not a bad idea except that Kobe will be 35 this August. If he stayed out a year, he'd come back in his 37th year of life. That is up there for a guy with his type of game. Would have worked better if he'd stayed out two or three years ago.
He is going to have to run out the string now, for better or worse.
When you retire, your salary doesn't come off the books in the NBA. There are exemptions, but there are people who retired five years ago who are still getting paid.
Sounds like voodoo economics to me! 
Point taken about Kobe... for better or worse, right.
Point taken about Kobe... for better or worse, right.
Andrew Bynum has signed a two-year contract with the Cavs, per ESPN. Not sure what I think about this move. I wouldn't have given him more than a year unless the second year is a team option. Does anyone know what kind of shape his knees are in? Until he can prove he's able to stay on the court, I don't see why anyone would make a commitment to him.
--Sran
--Sran
The second year is an option year, I think. Even so... I would be really wary of signing him. Even when healthy he's been a bit of a head case. What bothers me the most is how his camp refused to let any team watch him work out. OTOH, he is reuniting with Mike Brown who seemed to coax the best performances out of him
Interesting you'd say that because I remember Bynum behaving badly during his one season under Brown while in LA. His production was better than it was under Jackson, but I don't know that he was really a better player in '11-12. In any event, this only works if he stays healthy. If he misses more time because of his knees or anything else, it's a waste of money.
--Sran
Well, they can have fun with him. He's a high risk high reward player, but he's also practically a team cancer right now. His work ethic never was great. His knee condition is degenerative and will always be a problem (perhaps not as much as last year, but still). He's not worth more than the team minimum right now, imo, until he proves he can ever play in the league again.
I'm surprised he signed so quickly. I know big men are rare, but he refused to even visit teams to work out, so I thought people would be more cautious.
I don't expect him to do much. I look at what happened to Brandon Roy with similar problems and he couldn't play, even though Minnesota ponied up money to keep him. From what's being reported on Yahoo!, only 6 million a season is guaranteed, it is an incentive-laced contract that can pay him as much as 12 million a season. So the Cavs aren't taking much of a risk on him.
As for my hometown Pistons, excuse me while I reminisce over Chauncey Billups re-signing to a 2-year, 5-million-dollar deal.
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tsmR-UEt30[/yt]
Now, the Pistons have Mo Cheeks and Billups to mentor both Brandon Knight and Rodney Stuckey. They have a locker room leader in Billups, one with an NBA Championship, one that wants to be an executive when his playing days are over. If they need him in the final 2 minutes of a game, he will be there. Depending on his health, it may be hard to keep him off the floor. Oh, and Rasheed Wallace is officially his coach.
I'm glad to see he's home.
Yes. I was thinking of the salary cap when I wrote "off the books", meaning a retired player's salary doesn't count against the cap.
Yes, team option in the second year is what I'v been reading.
People forget that that one year was the strike shortened 66 game season and Andrew missed part of that one too, though not for medical reasons.
This is pretty much my take on it too. I think the Cavs have vey little to lose and much to gain. Imagine if Bynum suddenly becomes the player he was 2 seasons ago? The Cavs would just as suddenly become a serious conference finalist candidate. If he doesn't pan out, whether from injury or whatever, they waive him and are out just $6 million. Some big IF's, there.
But if he stays healthy, Andrew can play. As for his being a head case, he is just not that bad. He is young and little rebellious, something we all were in our early 20's, but nothing really terrible like fist fights with coaches or drugs. Andrew is whip smart. It will be interesting seeing how going from being one of the most sought after players, one headed for a max salary slot, to guy with a journeyman's contract will affect him. I think it will make him realize just how fragile it all is and he'll be a better player for it. If not, then maybe he isn't as smart as I think he is.
It looks like Cleveland is being cautious with how they've structured the contract. Only a quarter of the money is guaranteed. The rest comes into play only if Bynum meets a number of incentives in the contract, something I wouldn't bet much money on. He refused to work out for any of the teams he met with, and there's been no published news about what he's doing to get himself back into basketball shape.
That doesn't suggest he's having difficulty, but it's not encouraging either. Were I in Cleveland's shoes, I'd want him to perform a full workout in front of coaches, trainers, and physicians before feeling better about the situation.
--Sran