Salary Cap game (Globe)

[Jeff]

Want to waste 20 minutes of time (well spent)?

Go try to construct a 15 man roster under the salary cap.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/2013/10/25/could-you-configure-ring-winning-nba-team-inside-salary-cap/SpSBhAnzcNwQ4SZKCDmPXO/story.html

Here's what I came up with (lots of guys ending their rookie deals that would be impossible to re-sign next year under the cap, but worth it for one year of this roster)

Your roster
Current payroll
$71,727,018
Money left
$20,982
Players
15
Congratulations, you have 15 players on your roster!
Greg Monroe
C | Detroit Pistons
$4,086,454
Kyrie Irving
PG | Cleveland Cavaliers
$5,607,240
Gordon Hayward
SG | Utah Jazz
$3,452,183
Harrison Barnes
SF | Golden St. Warriors
$2,923,920
Larry Sanders
C | Milwaukee Bucks
$3,053,368
Avery Bradley
SG | Boston Celtics
$2,511,432
Andre Drummond
C | Detroit Pistons
$2,462,400
Anthony Davis
C | N.O. Pelicans
$5,375,760
Derrick Favors
PF | Utah Jazz
$6,008,196
CUT PLAYER
Jared Sullinger
PF | Boston Celtics
$1,365,720
Rajon Rondo
PG | Boston Celtics
$11,954,545
Tim Duncan
C | San Antonio Spurs
$10,361,446
Stephen Curry
SG | Golden St. Warriors
$9,887,642
Patrick Beverley
PG | Houston Rockets
$788,872
Kawhi Leonard
SF | San Antonio Spurs
$1,887,840

[Celtics18]

Rajon Rondo, $11,954,545/Dennis Schroeder, $ 1,617,840/Phil Pressey, $490,180
Gordon Hayward, $3,452,183/Avery Bradley, $2,511,432/Shelvin Mack, $884,293
Kevin Durant, $17,832,627/Nic Batum, $11,295,250/Jeff Taylor, $788,872
Greg Monroe, $4,086,454/Kelly Olynyk, $1,986,369/Quincy Miller, $788,872
Joakim Noah, $11,100,000/Vitor Faverani, $2,000,000/Aaron Baynes, $788,872

Total spent:  $71,577,789

Money left: $170,211

[indeedproceed]

This exercise is a great example of the current structure of the NBA. Value lies in players productive on their rookie contracts. Maybe 1 or two stars worth their contracts, and capable and affordable role players/rookie contracts.

[hwangjini_1]

and here are your 2013-14 world champions...

Congratulations, you have 15 players on your roster!
John Wall
PG | WASHINGTON WIZARDS
$16,000,000
Tiago Splitter
PF | SAN ANTONIO SPURS
$10,000,000
Phil Pressey
PG | BOSTON CELTICS
$490,180
Isaiah Thomas
PG | SACRAMENTO KINGS
$884,293
Avery Bradley
SG | BOSTON CELTICS
$2,511,432
Carl Landry
PF | SACRAMENTO KINGS
$6,500,000
George Hill
PG | INDIANA PACERS
$8,000,000
Paul Millsap
PF | ATLANTA HAWKS
$9,500,000
DeMarcus Cousins
C | SACRAMENTO KINGS
$4,916,974
Tony Allen
SG | MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
$4,494,383
Marcus Landry
PF | LA LAKERS
$788,000
JR Smith
SG | NEW YORK KNICKS
$5,565,000
Miles Plumlee
PF | INDIANA PACERS
$1,121,520
CUT PLAYER
Dwayne Jones
C | GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS
$1,106,941
Chris Smith
SG | NEW YORK KNICKS
$631,238

[hwangjini_1]

or...the cheapest team i could buy that would probably still make the playoffs.

Your rosterCurrent payroll
$29,756,541
Money left
$41,991,459
Players
15
Congratulations, you have 15 players on your roster!
Phil Pressey
PG | BOSTON CELTICS
$490,180
Isaiah Thomas
PG | SACRAMENTO KINGS
$884,293
Pops Mensah-Bonsu
SF | WASHINGTON WIZARDS
$947,907
Tim Hardaway Jr
PG | NEW YORK KNICKS
$1,196,760
Jared Sullinger
PF | BOSTON CELTICS
$1,365,720
Kenneth Faried
SF | DENVER NUGGETS
$1,367,640
Iman Shumpert
G | NEW YORK KNICKS
$1,703,760
Metta World Peace
SF | NEW YORK KNICKS
$1,591,650
Kelly Olynyk
C | BOSTON CELTICS
$1,986,369
Nate Robinson
PG | DENVER NUGGETS
$2,016,000
Andre Drummond
C | DETROIT PISTONS
$2,462,400
Marco Belinelli
SG | SAN ANTONIO SPURS
$2,750,000
Ray Allen
SG | MIAMI HEAT
$3,229,050
Ricky Rubio
PG | MINNESOTA T'WOLVES
$3,678,358
Cut player
Greg Monroe
C | DETROIT PISTONS
$4,086,454

[LatterDayCelticsfan]

Could somebody run the numbers for this squad? STARTERS: Tony Parker, Jimmy Butler, Kahwi Leonard, Kevin Garnett, Omer Asik, 2ND UNIT: George Hill, Jared Sullinger, Matt Barnes, JR Smith, Greg Stiemsma, END OF BENCH, Phil Pressey, Leandro Barbossa, Kenyon Martin, Jason Collins, Chris Babb

[Rondohara]

Here is my 5 times consecutive NBA champion team.

LeBron James
SF | MIAMI HEAT
$19,067,500
Rajon Rondo
PG | BOSTON CELTICS
$11,954,545
Kevin Durant
SF | OK. CITY THUNDER
$17,832,627
Chandler Parsons
SF | HOUSTON ROCKETS
$926,500
DeMarcus Cousins
C | SACRAMENTO KINGS
$4,916,974
Greg Oden
C | MIAMI HEAT
$1,027,424
Kawhi Leonard
SF | SAN ANTONIO SPURS
$1,887,840
Greivis Vasquez
SG | SACRAMENTO KINGS
$2,150,188
Danny Green
SG | SAN ANTONIO SPURS
$3,762,500
Jared Sullinger
PF | BOSTON CELTICS
$1,365,720
Damian Lillard
PG | PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS
$3,202,920
Kelly Olynyk
C | BOSTON CELTICS
$1,986,369
+min salary filler


I also tried to assemble an all veteran team, which makes clear the cost-benefit superiority of the rookie contracts:
Current payroll
$70,930,459
Money left
$817,541
Players
15
Congratulations, you have 15 players on your roster!
Rajon Rondo
PG | BOSTON CELTICS
$11,954,545
Tim Duncan
C | SAN ANTONIO SPURS
$10,361,446
Kevin Martin
SG | MINNESOTA T'WOLVES
$6,550,000
Jeff Green
PF | BOSTON CELTICS
$8,700,000
Omer Asik
C | HOUSTON ROCKETS
$8,374,646
Carlos Delfino
SG | MILWAUKEE BUCKS
$3,250,000
Nate Robinson
PG | DENVER NUGGETS
$2,016,000
Kirk Hinrich
PG | CHICAGO BULLS
$4,059,000
Chris Andersen
PF | MIAMI HEAT
$1,679,408
Kenyon Martin
PF | NEW YORK KNICKS
$1,399,507
Ray Allen The Traitor
SG | MIAMI HEAT
$3,229,050
Chris Kaman
C | LA LAKERS
$3,182,700
Metta World Peace
SF | NEW YORK KNICKS
$1,591,650
Andrei Kirilenko
SF | BROOKLYN NETS
$3,183,000
Antawn Jamison
PF | LA CLIPPERS
$1,399,507
 

Could somebody run the numbers for this squad? STARTERS: Tony Parker, Jimmy Butler, Kahwi Leonard, Kevin Garnett, Omer Asik, 2ND UNIT: George Hill, Jared Sullinger, Matt Barnes, JR Smith, Greg Stiemsma, END OF BENCH, Phil Pressey, Leandro Barbossa, Kenyon Martin, Jason Collins, Chris Babb

Barbosa, Collins and Babb unavailable here, but you have 12M remaining, so you can add another 10M player.

Current payroll
$59,065,508
Money left
$12,682,492
Players
12
Tony Parker
PG | SAN ANTONIO SPURS
$12,500,000
Kevin Garnett
PF | BROOKLYN NETS
$12,443,735
Omer Asik
C | HOUSTON ROCKETS
$8,374,646
George Hill
PG | INDIANA PACERS
$8,000,000
JR Smith
SG | NEW YORK KNICKS
$5,565,000
Kawhi Leonard
SF | SAN ANTONIO SPURS
$1,887,840
Phil Pressey
PG | BOSTON CELTICS
$490,180
Greg Stiemsma
C | N.O. PELICANS
$2,676,000
Jared Sullinger
PF | BOSTON CELTICS
$1,365,720
Matt Barnes
SF | LA CLIPPERS
$3,250,000
Jimmy Butler
SF | CHICAGO BULLS
$1,112,880
Kenyon Martin
PF | NEW YORK KNICKS
$1,399,507

[D.o.s.]

This exercise is a great example of the current structure of the NBA. Value lies in players productive on their rookie contracts. Maybe 1 or two stars worth their contracts, and capable and affordable role players/rookie contracts.

Agreed.

Plus its a fun roster toy, especially combined with the various trade machines. I've got to give it that LBJ/Rondo/Durant/Cousins team with Leonard, Lillard, and Vasquez off the bench. That's just a silly amount of "definitely winning it all" in there.