Understanding the Cavs cap situation:

• hoops23

  

  Free agency doesn’t start until July 1.
  
  There are some fallacies out there regarding the Cavaliers’ bulging salary cap.
  
  The Cavs have several players who can be free agents on July 1, including forward LeBron James, center Shaquille O’Neal and center Zydrunas Ilgauskas.
  
  Those players have something that is called a cap hold, an amount of money charged to the Cavs’ salary cap even though those players won’t be under contract.
  
  O’Neal, for instance, has a cap number of $22,050,000 — 105 percent of his previous salary.
  
  That cap hold remains until the player is waived or he signs with another team.
  
  If a player retires — when he actually submits the official paperwork to the league office — his cap hold expires.
  
  But many players don’t retire until they’re eligible for their NBA pension. That way, they can be used in sign-and-trade deals as salary filler years later.
  
  That is probably why players such as Wally Szczerbiak and Lorenzen Wright still have cap holds on the Cavs’ salary cap. Szczerbiak’s cap hold is massive — $18,928,700 (even though it will be adjusted once the 2010 maximum salary is calculated).
  
  In all, the Cavs have about $66 million in cap holds for the 2010-11 season.
  
  On July 1, the Cavs’ other cap holds will be guard Christian Eyenga ($850,800), guard Sebastian Telfair ($5,000,000), Ilgauskas ($1,110,000) and forward Jawad Williams ($1,029,389).
  
  Obviously, the cap holds will eat up much of the Cavs’ salary cap.
  
  If these free agents sign — with the Cavs or another team — their cap holds will expire.
  
  If they sign elsewhere, the Cavs could have some cap space.
  
  But it’s not as cut and dried as many think.
  
  Since the Cavs are over the cap, they will have their mid-level exception at their disposal.
  
  Of course, the Cavs will exhaust all efforts to re-sign James. But if he decides to play elsewhere, they likely will want to use him in a sign-and-trade.
  
  Their worst-case scenario is to receive a hefty trade exception for James.
  
  The Cavs aren’t expected to re-sign O’Neal or Ilgauskas.
  
  More salary information
  
  If guard Delonte West is on the roster by Aug. 3, his $4.5 million contract is guaranteed. If he is waived before that date, which might happen, they only owe him $500,000.
  
  July 8 is the first day free agents can actually sign contracts.

  Pairing Bassie, AP, and Delonte give you 10 million in trading chips, plus a young talent like JJ.
  
  The roster has some flexibility and the money to make something work.
  
  We'll see what happens though.
• wes_mantooth

  

  long story bro
• Footwedge

  wes_mantooth wrote: long story bro

  Long story..but an educational one...at least for me.
• thavoice

  NBA has what is considered a soft cap and is so much more confusing than the NFL.
  
  I dont try to udnerstand itmuch...but then again i dont really follow the NBA but for those who do that is an interestin read.
• End of Line

  

  ^^Yeah it is.
  
  I think the easiest Salary cap to understand is the NHL's.
• SQ_Crazies

  

  Of course you do.
• sleeper

  

  So basically the Cavs are f'd.
• SQ_Crazies

  

  Not really, pretty much any other team in the league would love to be in the Cavs spot right now. Don't assume that LeBron will leave, they're still in position to sign him so that counts for A LOT. And they have quite a bit of flexibility. You don't have to have open cap space to make some serious moves.
• sleeper

  

  Well yeah, you keep Lebron and you're set. But I think in order for Cleveland to remain the favorite in retaining him, they are going to have to make a move. And let's be honest, there aren't many pieces that other teams would want besides Hickson and maybe Mo/Delonte/Jamison.
• SQ_Crazies

  

  I agree, they should make a move.
• devil1197

  That's why Ferry and Gilbert have stated they won't sit around and let other teams get better to get LeBron.
  
  I knew about West's contract situation, but the cap holds are new to me so that is a good thing to hear.
  
  I'd really like to see Cleveland go hard for a solid point guard that will handle the ball more.
• SQ_Crazies

  

  A floor general, not a scorer. No need for a PG like Mo when you have LeBron and Jamison. Especially when their scoring goes to crap in the playoffs.
• KR1245

  

  SQ_Crazies wrote: A floor general, not a scorer. No need for a PG like Mo when you have LeBron and Jamison. Especially when their scoring goes to crap in the playoffs.

  Chris Paul
• devil1197

  SQ_Crazies wrote: A floor general, not a scorer. No need for a PG like Mo when you have LeBron and Jamison. Especially when their scoring goes to crap in the playoffs.

  I was fine with Mo when he was scoring consistently, but when he was inconsistent once again in the playoffs he needs to go.
  
  His defense put Cleveland in poor situations and when he isn't scoring, he is worthless.
  
  I know its a huge name, but I'd really like to see Cleveland do all they can get to CP3. I know it won't happen, but NO has a good young PG behind CP3 and its difficult to run two small guards together in the NBA. Send whatever you can to NO to offer cap relief, young talent, and picks.
• SQ_Crazies

  

  Yeah well CP3 is a scorer and a floor general and he plays defense--so yeah, that would be awesome. That is the absolute best case scenario for the Cavs to get a replacement PG.
• hoops23

  

  That was the biggest rumor from W&G on RCF. He said the team was expected to go VERY hard at CP3.
  
  With NO's financial situation, we can offer 3 expiring contracts and a young talent in JJ.
• KR1245

  

  I'm assuming that the Cavs might have to take on one of the Hornets bad contracts as well
• devil1197

  hoops23 wrote: That was the biggest rumor from W&G on RCF. He said the team was expected to go VERY hard at CP3.
  
  With NO's financial situation, we can offer 3 expiring contracts and a young talent in JJ.

  I'd offer whatever it took outside of LeBron and AV. Not saying that AV is untouchable but we at least have to have a big man after Shaq/Z retire or aren't re-signed.
• hoops23

  

  devil1197 wrote:

  hoops23 wrote: That was the biggest rumor from W&G on RCF. He said the team was expected to go VERY hard at CP3.
  
  With NO's financial situation, we can offer 3 expiring contracts and a young talent in JJ.

  I'd offer whatever it took outside of LeBron and AV. Not saying that AV is untouchable but we at least have to have a big man after Shaq/Z retire or aren't re-signed.

  I agree.
  
  But if it took Andy to get CP3, then good bye lol.
  
  We could use the MLE to get a Center and we'd have to find a 2 (maybe J-Moon who would be a freak with that lineup)
• SQ_Crazies

  

  Agree, probably can't keep JJ in that sort of deal--and bringing in CP3, you'd like to keep JJ or AV. Either one would play just as well off of CP3 as they do off of LeBron.
• devil1197

  Well, you have to keep one of them and NO probably would want JJ.
  
  You cannot trade both AV/JJ along with not re-siging Shaq and Z retiring. That leaves Jamison as the only big that touched the floor last season lol.
  
  The MLE will only go so far and if you are replacing four big men, you can barely get two quality big guys from the MLE.
• SQ_Crazies

  

  Yeah now that I read my post over again that came out wrong. You gotta keep one of them for sure, by "you'd like to keep one of them" I meant either one would be fine. But I'd imagine NO would want JJ too because of his youth. But Andy is the better player.
• IggyPride00

  

  But I'd imagine NO would want JJ too because of his youth. But Andy is the better player.

  Andy has one of the worst contracts in the NBA. Alot of years and alot of money for a guy that is a good defender off the bench.
• SQ_Crazies

  

  No.
  
  He earned that contract and he earns his check every time he takes the floor.
• like_that

  

  Can someone please show a link where it shows the cavs are pursuing CP3?