Dead Money and Cap Ballast

[The Walker Wiggle]

Chris Sheridan has a great piece up on the Summer of 2009's Top 15 Dead Money Players, particularly bittersweet in the wake of the Ainge's decision not to make Powe a ONE year qualifying offer of $1,030,189.

Three former Celtics make the list.

1. Darius Miles ($9 million against Portland's cap)
Miles was pulled over in mid-May in the St. Louis suburb of Fairview Heights, Ill., for failing to use a turn signal. Police ticketed him for driving with a suspended license, and a search of the car after it was towed allegedly uncovered a misdemeanor amount of marijuana in a bag. The Memphis Grizzlies already have stated they have no intention of re-signing the 27-year-old, who had to serve a 10-game drug suspension before being allowed to play last season, and it already was clear Memphis' main motive in signing him was to affect the Blazers' cap flexibility - in part to keep them from being the type of under-the-cap trade facilitator the Grizzlies and Clippers were last season.

4. Mark Blount ($7.97 million against Miami's cap)
Back when Pat Riley thought Ricky Davis would help the Miami Heat get back into title contention, he agreed to surrender a first-round pick (the one the Wolves used on Ty Lawson last week) and take on Blount's monster contract in order to get the deal done. The Heat, despite Blount's ballast, still would have been major players in free agency this summer had they not dealt Shawn Marion to Toronto for Jermaine O'Neal, who is on the books for the upcoming season at a whopping $23.016 million.

14. Marcus Banks ($4.5 million against Toronto's cap)
NBA veteran Malik Rose once told me a story about how NBA players had a term for players who stopped producing immediately after signing a big contract. They called it "signed and retired," and Banks embodies that. And no Banks entry can exclude the story of how Phoenix gave him that four-year, $18 million contract the same year they drafted Rajon Rondo and traded his rights to Boston. Rondo will make just $2.1 million next season, while Banks will be on his third team since then, unless Toronto somehow manages to move him.

Malik Rose gets a TP from me for the "Signed and Retired" line. And I'd only argue with Sheridan over the inclusion of Nick Collison; $6.25 million doesn't seem grossly out of proportion for a 40 game starter.

[kozlodoev]

Chris Sheridan has a great piece up on the Summer of 2009's Top 15 Dead Money Players, particularly bittersweet in the wake of the Ainge's decision not to make Powe a ONE year qualifying offer of $1,030,189.

Contrary to what you might think, this probably has nothing to do with money, it's about the roster spot.

As I mentioned some place else, we need 3 functional backups: a PG, a SF, and an inside player that's taller than 6'10.

Well, we don't have the 3 roster spots if we resign Powe -- and that's assuming that we drop Pruitt to sign Hudson.

You probably might think it's not fair to do this to Powe. I will ask you again, is it fair to Paul Pierce to back him up with a tag-team of Giddens, Walker, and Allen just because we chose to be loyal to a player who might or might not give us 30 games next season?!

[Reggie's Ghost]

Chris Sheridan has a great piece up on the Summer of 2009's Top 15 Dead Money Players, particularly bittersweet in the wake of the Ainge's decision not to make Powe a ONE year qualifying offer of $1,030,189.

Contrary to what you might think, this probably has nothing to do with money, it's about the roster spot.

As I mentioned some place else, we need 3 functional backups: a PG, a SF, and an inside player that's taller than 6'10.

Well, we don't have the 3 roster spots if we resign Powe -- and that's assuming that we drop Pruitt to sign Hudson.

You probably might think it's not fair to do this to Powe. I will ask you again, is it fair to Paul Pierce to back him up with a tag-team of Giddens, Walker, and Allen just because we chose to be loyal to a player who might or might not give us 30 games next season?!

Just because you're right doesn't mean it doesn't suck...

[kozlodoev]

Just because you're right doesn't mean it doesn't suck...

It sucks big time, and there can't be two opinions about this. But everyone should have seen this coming when it became clear that Powe will need another reconstructive knee surgery.

[The Walker Wiggle]

Well this discussion is happening in earnest on the front page, and probably deserves it's own forum thread as well. (Whereas I intended this thread to be for the Marko Jaric jokes...)

But sure, I'll repeat my response to your argument K:

If Ainge can't put together a nine man rotation with fourteen roster spots, that's also on him.

It used to be twelve.

[PosImpos]

Hopefully we'll trade away TA+Scal for one guy (Nocioni? ) and only take on Hudson or Pruitt (not both) and that will free up a couple roster spots.  Then we can sign Powe for the minimum (doubtful any other teams are gonna take a risk on him these days).

[Roy Hobbs]

Chris Sheridan has a great piece up on the Summer of 2009's Top 15 Dead Money Players, particularly bittersweet in the wake of the Ainge's decision not to make Powe a ONE year qualifying offer of $1,030,189.

Contrary to what you might think, this probably has nothing to do with money, it's about the roster spot.

As I mentioned some place else, we need 3 functional backups: a PG, a SF, and an inside player that's taller than 6'10.

Well, we don't have the 3 roster spots if we resign Powe -- and that's assuming that we drop Pruitt to sign Hudson.

You probably might think it's not fair to do this to Powe. I will ask you again, is it fair to Paul Pierce to back him up with a tag-team of Giddens, Walker, and Allen just because we chose to be loyal to a player who might or might not give us 30 games next season?!

Well, who will have a better NBA future, Powe or Hudson?  Also, I think you're doing the math wrong, because if we keep our current non-free agents, sign Powe, sign Munson, and sign a C, SF, and PG, we're at 15 players.