Chris wrote:This was everyone's dream, and I always wondered how possible it really was. I have to wonder, how are the Knicks going to be able to sign two big star FAs in 2010 with the way the salary cap/NBA/economy is shaping up? they can't...right?
Keep in mind the following points:
1. For a player with at least 7 years' experience (which will be the case for Bron, Bosh, Wade, and Amare in 2010), the max contract is 30% of the salary cap.
2. In order to sign a free agent outright (i.e., without using Bird rights, or the mid-level exception, etc.), a team must have that room available UNDER the cap. e.g., if the Cavs want to sign Bosh, then they'll need to clear enough cap space so that they have that room to fit that max deal. Right now, they are way over the cap, so they'd need to renounce/trade a majority of their roster.
3. The Cavs would need to have that cap room INCLUDING LeBron's salary. Before somebody suggests it again, the Cavs CANNOT maintain LeBron's rights without having it count against the cap (that is the whole idea of "cap holds"). So they could not sign Bosh with, then go over the cap (i.e., using their Bird rights) to retain LeBron. They would have to get far enough under the cap to sign Bosh and re-sign LBJ.
4. Under the NBA rules, if you have room under the cap and use it, you cannot then use the mid-level exception to sign another quality player. That exception exists only if you are above the cap in the first place. Continuing this scenario of signing Bosh, the Cavs would have to wait till 2011 to use that exception.
Think very carefully about what points #3 and 4 mean. The Cavs would have to strip their roster almost bare. Based on current salary figures, I think they could keep Mo, Delonte, Gibson, and Hickson, and have the room to sign Bosh and re-sign LeBron. That's it. They would have to renounce their rights to everybody else over the next season and a half -- Varejao, Pavlovic, Z, Wallace, even Tarence Freaking Kinsey. They would not be able to take on any other contracts between now and then, via FA or trade. They probably would have to Sarver their #1 pick in this upcoming draft, as they would not be able to afford that contract while keeping enough cap room open. So in 2010, they'd have a roster of the six players I mentioned (Bron, Bosh, Mo, Redz, Gibson, Hickson) and Nine Guys Named Moe.
The same is true for the Knicks, and explains why having two max players is a pipe dream for them too. If you commit 60% of your available money to two players ... you're not going to have much else with that remaining 40%. Sure, you'll have a couple of marquee players at the top of the list, but can they play two positions at once, 48 minutes a night? Didn't think so.
Bottom line -- Bosh to Cleveland (via FA; I suppose you never know if there could be a trade) is a pipe dream. It ain't happening. And we don't want it to happen, because of what it would mean to the rest of the roster, and thus the team.
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