Best options for 7.3 M trade exception?

by Clipper Oz on Jul 3, 2009 12:51 AM PDT

So after the Randolph for Richardson trade, we'll have exactly one year to use a 7.3 M Traded Player Exception (TPE) before it expires. Assuming that we don't want to take on any players with guaranteed contracts in 2010, below are some teams over the luxury tax (~$68M) that we might be able to deal with (salary figures from hoopshype):

(1) HORNETS ($77.6 M total): Antonio Daniels (6.6M) + Julian Wright (2M) for TPE + Ricky Davis (2.5M). Daniels is useless now but Wright, although he regressed a bit this year, could provide us with a defensive stopper at SF.

(2) LAKERS ($90 M projected w/ Artest & Odom): Adam Morrison (5.3M) + Jordan Farmar (1.9 M) OR Shannon Brown (probably re-signs for 1-2 M) straight up for TPE. Not sure Lakers would do this deal-- but might be something to consider at mid-season if one of the two Lakers PGs falls out of the rotation, and if Taylor and Jones aren't playing particularly well.

(3) WIZARDS ($75.6 M total): Mike Miller (9.9 M) for TPE (only works if we're 2-3 M under salary cap). I'm not convinced that Miller's going to get much playing time, given all of the WAS wing players (Butler / Foye / Stevenson / Young / Crittenton), so Miller might be available fairly early in the season. If we don't re-sign Novak, then Miller could be someone we really need.

(4) JAZZ ($78 M projected w/ Millsap re-signed): Matt Harpring (6.5 M) + #1 draft pick straight up for TPE. Harpring hardly plays any more, and I think Utah has the Knicks #1 in 2010, so they'd probably be willing to give up whichever of their two pick is worse to save $13 M. Also, I think Harpring could be kind of useful on the Clips.

(5) KNICKS (as much as $80M w/ combination of Lee / Robinson / Kidd / Hill): Chris Duhon (6.0 M) straight up for TPE (don't think Knicks will be giving up more #1 draft picks). If Baron doesn't rejuvenate or gets injured again, Duhon might be a decent one-year rental.

(6) NUGGETS (up to $75 M with Anderson/Jones/Kleiza): Stephen Hunter (3.7 M) and Renaldo Balkman (2.0 M) straight up for TPE. Not really sure this is worth our while with Griffin but Balkman would be a pretty good backup PF.

[Actually, the Nugget I most covet is Kleiza-- I think it might be worth sacrificing some 2010 cap space to sign him to the MLE-- after all, if we really needed to, we could renounce Thornton in 2010 if Lebron or Wade came calling. As for 2009, I think Kleiza would be a better starting SF than Thornton.]

I guess if I had to pick the best way to use the TPE, it would be options (1) or (2) so that we wind up with Wright, Farmar, or Brown, each of whom I think could crack our top 8 rotation for several years to come. Mike Miller would be nice, too, though keeping him beyond next year would probably mean that we don't land a superstar in 2010.

Thoughts?

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Comments

huh?

I don’t know why we would take Morrison for Farmar? that’s like paying 8 million strait up for Farmar, and he wasn’t that good last year… I would rather go Nuclear and make a run for Starbury for 4 million on a 1 year contract.

by sqrebck on Jul 3, 2009 6:37 AM PDT reply actions

Mavs don't have a #1 draft pick

and the buyout for Stackhouse is $2 Mil. You could get Stackhouse before Aug.1 and still keep around $5 mil.

by tomkanti on Jul 3, 2009 6:57 AM PDT reply actions

thanks for the info ...

… I removed Dallas from the possible options (since the point was to get a #1, not Stack).

by Clipper Oz on Jul 3, 2009 8:36 AM PDT up reply actions

Good Ideas

The Jazz and Hornet ideas appeal to me most.

I agree we need to be looking for 1 year rentals from teams not wanting to pay the cap.

We need to see what this team can be together before deciding the next piece to add in 2010.

by DariusN on Jul 3, 2009 8:17 AM PDT reply actions

Great concept and breakdown

Really good work, but it also shows that the Clips have a relatively limited set of options and potential partners.

Still, all you can do is figure out the best ways to fill out the roster, put the best team and rotation out on the floor for the coming year, and look ahead to 2010 and the future beyond it.

Expiring deals and trade exception are pretty tantalizing.

by citizen zhiv on Jul 3, 2009 8:36 AM PDT reply actions

I would be only interested

in Kleiza or Harping.

Morrison is stinks. Don’t really want to the aid the lakers in any way.

by Qlippers on Jul 3, 2009 11:02 AM PDT reply actions

shouldnt it be just

Morrison stinks?

by tomkanti on Jul 3, 2009 11:20 AM PDT up reply actions

Morrison is so bad....

I also believe Morrison is stinks

by BtheKUTA on Jul 3, 2009 11:30 AM PDT up reply actions

as in

Morrison = Stinks

http://lucasnbablog.blogspot.com/

by LJ Hann on Jul 3, 2009 12:35 PM PDT up reply actions

and he has a porno mustache

by andrewexd on Jul 3, 2009 12:59 PM PDT up reply actions

LOL. Where did that come from? LOL

Mike Smith on Eric Gordon: "The Clippers may have found their go to scorer."
On a second note, I want Novak back!

by JackduhSun on Jul 3, 2009 1:03 PM PDT up reply actions

andrewxd

funny stuff, man.

by tomkanti on Jul 3, 2009 1:44 PM PDT up reply actions

I remember there was a promo before the NBA draft

and I think it was portland with the slogan “Fear the stache”

by Qlippers on Jul 3, 2009 2:04 PM PDT up reply actions

ha ha ha.... 70's porn star!!

Should we play best Basketball theme porno name?
1. Space Jam

by sqrebck on Jul 3, 2009 2:23 PM PDT up reply actions

LOL

I actually laughed

http://lucasnbablog.blogspot.com/

by LJ Hann on Jul 3, 2009 2:48 PM PDT up reply actions

Good work

I think Mike Miller would be a great pickup, he got a pretty decent amount of assists in Minnesota last year. But I’m sure the Wiz plan on giving him healthy rotation minutes.

by banandy on Jul 3, 2009 1:08 PM PDT reply actions

I guess we also have to consider Foye, Butler, and Arena's # of injuries each season.

I somehow think Miller could be staying put.

Mike Smith on Eric Gordon: "The Clippers may have found their go to scorer."
On a second note, I want Novak back!

by JackduhSun on Jul 3, 2009 1:18 PM PDT up reply actions

i'm sure that is the Wizards' plan

but a weak perimeter defender like Miller needs to be protected by strong interior D and while Haywood’s okay Jamison won’t be much help (Griffin and Kaman/Camby, OTOH, could be a great fit with Miller). So I’m not sure if Miller’s going to play more than 20 mins/gm— in which case is he really worth 9.9*2 = 19.8 M to the Wizards? (not to mention the money non-taxed teams collect from teams over the luxury tax)

by Clipper Oz on Jul 3, 2009 1:22 PM PDT up reply actions

Can't combine the TPE with one of our players

So lots of the deal will be out.

I don’t see the Jazz giving up the Knicks pick as well. That pick may be golden in a very good draft.

For me the best options are for Korver and Ridnour. Both of these guys would help us and we could get them to throw in a future 1st.

Having Korver would mean we don’t resign Novak, which is fine since Korver is better.

Ridnour would be our backup PG. He’s better than Taylor is and with Baron’s injury history we’re going to need a decent backup.

The best thing is both of these guys are 2010 friendly.

by Hooch20 on Jul 3, 2009 1:09 PM PDT reply actions

Korver can't fill in at the 4 like Novak

by banandy on Jul 3, 2009 1:17 PM PDT up reply actions

Really now,

are both these guys even worth a 1st round pick?

Certanly not Korver, and Ridnour could probably be brought in for less. (In the future, the Clippers might not even win anything big in 2010. We still might be in the lottery… )

But who knows, futures been looking a bit brighter, so I can’t complain.

Mike Smith on Eric Gordon: "The Clippers may have found their go to scorer."
On a second note, I want Novak back!

by JackduhSun on Jul 3, 2009 1:20 PM PDT up reply actions

The opposing team would be giving us a future 1st. By getting Korver from Utah, the Jazz would save his salary @ 5.3 million I believe and then would save another 5.3 in luxury tax money. Them giving up Korver and a future 1st to save 10.6 million and the ability to resign Milsap would be huge to them.

by Hooch20 on Jul 3, 2009 1:24 PM PDT up reply actions

I hate the idea only because

we’re trading away our pick for Utah’s pick and Korver. More than likely, we’re more likely to be in the lottery than Utah. So we can get anything from the 25’s as compared to 10 or so.

I guess it really depends in what you see in Korver. Korver just seems like a SG of Novak. I like giving Novak my chances. Novak never fails to impress me. (:

Im starting to think LJ Hann is to Battier as I’m to Steve Novak… Awkward.

Mike Smith on Eric Gordon: "The Clippers may have found their go to scorer."
On a second note, I want Novak back!

by JackduhSun on Jul 3, 2009 1:30 PM PDT up reply actions

not to confuse the issue

but under no circumstances are we giving up a first round draft pick in the above scenarios.

for the Korver deal, I think it’s highly doubtful utah throws in a #1, since Korver’s value is relatively high

Harpring, OTOH, now has fairly little value, so they’d have to give us a #1 to get us to take him.

by Clipper Oz on Jul 3, 2009 1:41 PM PDT up reply actions

Trust me

Im… closer… to battier

http://lucasnbablog.blogspot.com/

by LJ Hann on Jul 3, 2009 2:50 PM PDT up reply actions

didn't realize TPE can't be combined

but if we wind up 2-3 M under the ~$58 M cap then options (1) and (3) still might be viable. Of course, not getting rid of RD makes them less appealing and cost effective, but they still might be worthwhile.

I was suggesting that the Jazz might be willing to give up their own pick, not the Knicks’

I would love Korver but I think he has too much value to the Jazz— he played 24 min/gm, whereas Harpring just 11 min/gm. I bet they re-sign him to the MLE next year.

I would also like Ridnour but I don’t think the Bucks are currently over the luxury tax, so I don’t see why they would want to risk going with Brandon Jennings as their main backup to Ramon Sessions.

though if the Bucks sign Josh Childress, then that might push them over the luxury tax threshold and make them willing to deal.

by Clipper Oz on Jul 3, 2009 1:36 PM PDT up reply actions

i did a little digging

on Larry Coon’s salary cap FAQ (http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#Q68)
and I think that we can still do option (1) by setting up two simultaneous trades:
e.g., TPE for Daniels in one trade, and Wright for RDavis in another

by Clipper Oz on Jul 3, 2009 2:09 PM PDT up reply actions

Novak is no existent everywhere except the 3

Korver can move without the ball and isn’t nearly as bad on defense. Korver not playing the PF means nothing to me with 4 legit bigs on the team. Thornton can and has played PF before.

by Hooch20 on Jul 3, 2009 1:22 PM PDT reply actions

On the future 1st

There’s no way that we give up a pick.

I think Utah would jump at giving up Korver and a future 1st. They were hoping he would leave anyways. Him leaving would save them 10.6 million. First rounders at a max can be sold at 3 million. Sure we would get a great shooter and a future 1st, but Utah would save a ton of money and they in turn would easily be able to afford Milsap.

by Hooch20 on Jul 3, 2009 1:46 PM PDT reply actions