Report: NBA won't allow Big Z to re-sign with Cavs

[PLamb]

NBA shouldnt change the rule mid year.

I don't think they can

If they stop this, they'll argue they're enforcing an existing rule.  The CBA specifically says that attempts to circumvent the the salary cap / trade rules can result in penalties.  I mean, was there any written rule about the Joe Smith situation with the Twolves?  It's very clear to everyone that the buyout and return to Cleveland is something that was discussed and bargained for.  Trades, followed by buyouts, violate the spirit of the rule that salaries in a trade need to match.

Of course, the NBA can't really act on this without rock solid proof, and unlike the Joe Smith situation, nobody will have been stupid enough to put anything into writing.

Exactly

They could try to stop it using the existing rules in place but would need to get concrete evidence but no one is dumb enough to put that in writing or record a conversation where it was discussed

But I don't think the league can go out and try to input a rule now to try to prevent such things from happening

That's going to take action from the owners in a rule committee hearing or it will have to happen during the next CBA

Right?

[winsomme]

can't someone claim him off of waivers?

Since the majority of his salary has already been paid out by CLE (reportedly something like 75%) isn't there a team that could just claim him?

Hypothetically, if he was waived or bought out by Washington some team could sign him off waivers. The problem is his contract is 11 million+ and a team would need that much cap space, as well, I believe.

he's only owed a very small portion of that. CLE has already paid out the majority of his salary.

[Roy Hobbs]

can't someone claim him off of waivers?

Since the majority of his salary has already been paid out by CLE (reportedly something like 75%) isn't there a team that could just claim him?

Hypothetically, if he was waived or bought out by Washington some team could sign him off waivers. The problem is his contract is 11 million+ and a team would need that much cap space, as well, I believe.

he's only owed a very small portion of that. CLE has already paid out the majority of his salary.

It doesn't matter what he has or hasn't been paid.  To claim a player off waivers, you have to fit his entire salary under your cap, not just that amount that is left to be paid.

[Roy Hobbs]

NBA shouldnt change the rule mid year.

I don't think they can

If they stop this, they'll argue they're enforcing an existing rule.  The CBA specifically says that attempts to circumvent the the salary cap / trade rules can result in penalties.  I mean, was there any written rule about the Joe Smith situation with the Twolves?  It's very clear to everyone that the buyout and return to Cleveland is something that was discussed and bargained for.  Trades, followed by buyouts, violate the spirit of the rule that salaries in a trade need to match.

Of course, the NBA can't really act on this without rock solid proof, and unlike the Joe Smith situation, nobody will have been stupid enough to put anything into writing.

Exactly

They could try to stop it using the existing rules in place but would need to get concrete evidence but no one is dumb enough to put that in writing or record a conversation where it was discussed

But I don't think the league can go out and try to input a rule now to try to prevent such things from happening

That's going to take action from the owners in a rule committee hearing or it will have to happen during the next CBA

Right?

That's how I read the situation.  If it was Roger Goodell, I might think he would simply ram through his will in the best interests of the game.  It doesn't work that way in the NBA, though, at least not with Stern running the show.

[Lucky17]

What was the penalty assessed by Stern the last time it happened, with Stackhouse?

[Andy Jick]

NBA shouldnt change the rule mid year.

I don't think they can

If they stop this, they'll argue they're enforcing an existing rule.  The CBA specifically says that attempts to circumvent the the salary cap / trade rules can result in penalties.  I mean, was there any written rule about the Joe Smith situation with the Twolves?  It's very clear to everyone that the buyout and return to Cleveland is something that was discussed and bargained for.  Trades, followed by buyouts, violate the spirit of the rule that salaries in a trade need to match.

Of course, the NBA can't really act on this without rock solid proof, and unlike the Joe Smith situation, nobody will have been stupid enough to put anything into writing.

i don't know...  this is the Buzzards we're dealing with (my new name for Washington - a combination of Bullets and Wizards)...

[Drucci]

Let's hope the NBA prevents Ilgauskas from re-signing with Cleveland, it would be hilarious and a blig slap in the Cavs (and their fans) faces.

[colincb]

I hope that Cuban buys Z out, but the NBA shouldn't be doing anything on this when it hasn't done anything in the past. They can fix it in the next CBA.

[kw10]

Players getting bought out and go back to their old team, this happens every year.

But I personally don't like it, it's just a way of getting around a trade of "giving help to a contender and dumping salary immediately for a lottery team".

That kind of defeats part of the purpose of the trading rules.

[Fan from VT]

NBA shouldnt change the rule mid year.

I don't think they can

If they stop this, they'll argue they're enforcing an existing rule.  The CBA specifically says that attempts to circumvent the the salary cap / trade rules can result in penalties.  I mean, was there any written rule about the Joe Smith situation with the Twolves?  It's very clear to everyone that the buyout and return to Cleveland is something that was discussed and bargained for.  Trades, followed by buyouts, violate the spirit of the rule that salaries in a trade need to match.

Of course, the NBA can't really act on this without rock solid proof, and unlike the Joe Smith situation, nobody will have been stupid enough to put anything into writing.

Exactly

They could try to stop it using the existing rules in place but would need to get concrete evidence but no one is dumb enough to put that in writing or record a conversation where it was discussed

But I don't think the league can go out and try to input a rule now to try to prevent such things from happening

That's going to take action from the owners in a rule committee hearing or it will have to happen during the next CBA

Right?

That's how I read the situation.  If it was Roger Goodell, I might think he would simply ram through his will in the best interests of the game.  It doesn't work that way in the NBA, though, at least not with Stern running the show.

Well, i don't think that teams are responsible for what the media says. just because every media person was writing about it constantly doesn't mean the teams ever discussed it...so while it appears obvious to us, that may just be because of how frequently people wrote about it, and not whether it was previously discussed. And if there wasn't an explicit agreement, i'm not sure what there is to enforce.

[Roy Hobbs]

NBA shouldnt change the rule mid year.

I don't think they can

If they stop this, they'll argue they're enforcing an existing rule.  The CBA specifically says that attempts to circumvent the the salary cap / trade rules can result in penalties.  I mean, was there any written rule about the Joe Smith situation with the Twolves?  It's very clear to everyone that the buyout and return to Cleveland is something that was discussed and bargained for.  Trades, followed by buyouts, violate the spirit of the rule that salaries in a trade need to match.

Of course, the NBA can't really act on this without rock solid proof, and unlike the Joe Smith situation, nobody will have been stupid enough to put anything into writing.

Exactly

They could try to stop it using the existing rules in place but would need to get concrete evidence but no one is dumb enough to put that in writing or record a conversation where it was discussed

But I don't think the league can go out and try to input a rule now to try to prevent such things from happening

That's going to take action from the owners in a rule committee hearing or it will have to happen during the next CBA

Right?

That's how I read the situation.  If it was Roger Goodell, I might think he would simply ram through his will in the best interests of the game.  It doesn't work that way in the NBA, though, at least not with Stern running the show.

Well, i don't think that teams are responsible for what the media says. just because every media person was writing about it constantly doesn't mean the teams ever discussed it...so while it appears obvious to us, that may just be because of how frequently people wrote about it, and not whether it was previously discussed. And if there wasn't an explicit agreement, i'm not sure what there is to enforce.

Well, Big Z is already talking publicly about "going home" to Cleveland, even before his agent says he's had talks with the Wizards about a buyout.  So, it's not just the media that's speculating here.  It's glaringly obvious what happened here.  I still don't expect a return to Cleveland to be barred, but if it is, I'll applaud Stern for taking a stand.

[PLamb]

NBA shouldnt change the rule mid year.

I don't think they can

If they stop this, they'll argue they're enforcing an existing rule.  The CBA specifically says that attempts to circumvent the the salary cap / trade rules can result in penalties.  I mean, was there any written rule about the Joe Smith situation with the Twolves?  It's very clear to everyone that the buyout and return to Cleveland is something that was discussed and bargained for.  Trades, followed by buyouts, violate the spirit of the rule that salaries in a trade need to match.

Of course, the NBA can't really act on this without rock solid proof, and unlike the Joe Smith situation, nobody will have been stupid enough to put anything into writing.

Exactly

They could try to stop it using the existing rules in place but would need to get concrete evidence but no one is dumb enough to put that in writing or record a conversation where it was discussed

But I don't think the league can go out and try to input a rule now to try to prevent such things from happening

That's going to take action from the owners in a rule committee hearing or it will have to happen during the next CBA

Right?

That's how I read the situation.  If it was Roger Goodell, I might think he would simply ram through his will in the best interests of the game.  It doesn't work that way in the NBA, though, at least not with Stern running the show.

Well, i don't think that teams are responsible for what the media says. just because every media person was writing about it constantly doesn't mean the teams ever discussed it...so while it appears obvious to us, that may just be because of how frequently people wrote about it, and not whether it was previously discussed. And if there wasn't an explicit agreement, i'm not sure what there is to enforce.

While bloggers and columnists might speculate, beat writers can't

They are held to a somewhat higher set of rules of confirming stuff before being able to publish it

Beat writers have been saying that part of the rumored trade of Ilgauskas had to be Big Z getting bought out and returning to Cleveland for quite some time across multiple trades

They had to have heard that somewhere before being able to report it

But just because their multiple source, which they can protect to the end, can confirm this doesn't mean if question by the NBA would come forward and admit as such

To think that the buyout of Ilgauskas wasn't talked about with several teams as a contingency of a trade with Cleveland is just turning a blind eye to the situation

Many beat writers across the country in different locales reported, with probable confirmation, that part of a trade with Cleveland was the buyout of Ilgauskas and his return to Cleveland

Will any reveal their sources, of course not, they would cease being beat writers if they did

Would any team rat out Cleveland as doing this, of course not because they were also a part of it and because every team does it

If an investigation happens will the league find any solid evidence that these discussions were held, once again, of course not

[gabegreen34]

I don't care. I like buyouts. We got a championship because PJ was bought out. If Big Z wants to go back to Clev, so be it. They can only play 5 guys and I just don't see him getting much run if he does go back.

Not entirely true, PJ was free agent and he wasnt playing with any team. He was kinda retire

[Fafnir]

Well, Big Z is already talking publicly about "going home" to Cleveland, even before his agent says he's had talks with the Wizards about a buyout.  So, it's not just the media that's speculating here.  It's glaringly obvious what happened here.  I still don't expect a return to Cleveland to be barred, but if it is, I'll applaud Stern for taking a stand.

Big Z's own words might be what scuttles his return, Stackhouse's big mouth is what messed up the initial trade that Dallas was trying.

[housecall]

NBA shouldnt change the rule mid year.

I don't think they can

If they stop this, they'll argue they're enforcing an existing rule.  The CBA specifically says that attempts to circumvent the the salary cap / trade rules can result in penalties.  I mean, was there any written rule about the Joe Smith situation with the Twolves?  It's very clear to everyone that the buyout and return to Cleveland is something that was discussed and bargained for.  Trades, followed by buyouts, violate the spirit of the rule that salaries in a trade need to match.

Of course, the NBA can't really act on this without rock solid proof, and unlike the Joe Smith situation, nobody will have been stupid enough to put anything into writing.

Exactly

They could try to stop it using the existing rules in place but would need to get concrete evidence but no one is dumb enough to put that in writing or record a conversation where it was discussed

But I don't think the league can go out and try to input a rule now to try to prevent such things from happening

That's going to take action from the owners in a rule committee hearing or it will have to happen during the next CBA

Right?

That's how I read the situation.  If it was Roger Goodell, I might think he would simply ram through his will in the best interests of the game.  It doesn't work that way in the NBA, though, at least not with Stern running the show.

Well, i don't think that teams are responsible for what the media says. just because every media person was writing about it constantly doesn't mean the teams ever discussed it...so while it appears obvious to us, that may just be because of how frequently people wrote about it, and not whether it was previously discussed. And if there wasn't an explicit agreement, i'm not sure what there is to enforce.

Well, Big Z is already talking publicly about "going home" to Cleveland, even before his agent says he's had talks with the Wizards about a buyout.  So, it's not just the media that's speculating here.  It's glaringly obvious what happened here.  I still don't expect a return to Cleveland to be barred, but if it is, I'll applaud Stern for taking a stand.

and don't forget Big Z was video taped chest bumping,high fiving,etc.with Lebron at Lebron's favorite barbershop,both excited about Big Z's returning.lol