With fire sales and nuclear options being all the rage these days, CSTH asked in a comment earlier today how much space, exactly, the Sixers would free up if they made a big move or three. After the jump, I'll break down what the Sixers would be left with if certain guys were dealt by the trade deadline.
For sanity's sake, I'm going to keep this as simple as possible. The scenarios below assume the Sixers take nothing but expiring contracts in return for the players sent out. If they do take a player back, you can just add his 2010-2011 salary to the number you see and that would be the team's financial commitment. Also, keep in mind that the salary cap has been rumored to be anywhere between $50M and $56M next season, meaning the luxury tax would be somewhere between $59M and $67M.
Here we go:
- If the Sixers trade Iguodala alone for expiring contracts, they will be left with $56M+ committed to 11 players (including their first-round draft pick) for 2010-2011. They will most likely be over the cap, possibly with enough room to afford a full mid-level exception for a free agent.
- If the Sixers trade Iguodala and Dalembert for expiring contracts, they will be left with $43M+ committed to 10 players (includin their first-round draft pick) for 2010-2011. So they could have anywhere from $7M to $13M in cap space, probably somewhere in the middle.
- If the Sixers trade Iguodala and Brand for expiring contracts, they will be left with $40M+ committed to 10 players (including their first-round draft pick) for 2010-2011. So anywhere between $10M and $16M in cap space. Still not enough for a max contract, but getting closer.
- If the Sixers trade Iguodala, Brand and Dalembert for expiring contracts, they will be left with $27M+ committed to 9 players (including their first round draft pick) for 2010-2011. So anywhere between $23M and $29M in cap space. Enough for one max contract and then some.
- If they trade Brand alone for cap space, they will be left with $52M+ committed to 11 players (including their first-round draft pick) for 2010-2011. They would be able to afford an MLE-level signing and stay under the luxury tax.
- If they trade Dalembert alone for cap space, they will be left with $55M+ committed to 11 players (including their first-round pick) for 2010-2011. They'd be over the cap and it's questionable as to whether they'd be able to afford an MLE-level contract.
Here's the two-year outlook to each trade. Assuming no free agent was signed this summer, this is how much money they would have committed heading into 2011-2012 (two first-round picks are factored in):
- AI9 alone - $37M+ committed to 8 players.
- AI9 + Sam - $37M+ committed to 8 players.
- AI9 + Brand - $20M+ committed to 7 players.
- AI9 + Brand + Sam - $20M+ committed to 7 players
- Dalembert alone - $51M+ committed to 9 players
- Brand alone - $34M+ committed to 8 players
If I had my druthers, the Sixers would find a way to move Lou and Brand by the summer of 2011, which would leave them with Jrue, Iguodala, Thad (as a restricted free agent), Jason Smith (as a restricted free agent), Speights and two first-round draft picks for $29M+. Unfortunately, it would take a minor miracle to rid yourself of Brand and Lou without taking a dollar of long-term money back in a deal, if you could move those two at all without including another piece.
This is off topic but I just read this from a Steven Smith article
Eddie Jordan says: "I believe in what we're doing," but he's a nice guy who personifies class, so what do you expect him to say?
I can't stand steve smith.
He's a moron. He and Eddie deserve each other.
what about getting rid of kapono, green, and brand?
3 guys with tons of trade value around the NBA
Thanks Brian.
Follow up question, what are the odds of these scenarios?
I love the Dallas deal where they take both Brand and Iggy. Is that real or are we smoking blunts to think that will happen? The iggy and sam move doesn't really do much for us. 10m is not going to get us an impact player. Right? If you are going to move Iggy, brand has to be attached. No? You can always move Sam next year when he is an expiring.
so it seems clear that this must be our position. If you want Iggy, you rid us of Brand's deal. We suffer through next year, "developing our young core", with a new coach, then we bag a big name in the summer of 2011.
That's the move, right? That is the move.
Otherwise you save on the luxury tax but it is not a basketball move and if we are looking to save Comcast money there is better things for us to do with our time.
If you're rebuilding or blowing it up, it has to be Brand and Iguodala. No two ways about it. Sam and Iguodala is masturbation, at best.
I still don't want Ed Stefanski making a single decision for this franchise until he fires Eddie Jordan.
One more thought, what does a breakout game look like for Jrue?
I thought he played the best 2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist 30 minutes i had ever seen last week against Chicago and i am kind of wondering if that it's just me with my Sixers "hope for the future" beer goggles on.
What does next level look like for Jrue?
I was thinking 12-14 points, 10 dimes, 5 boards, 2 steals and the lockdown on every point in the league.
How far out is that? Is 10 assists realistic? He doesn't seem to penetrate all that well.
Another benefit of the nuclear option is to see what Jrue looks like when he needs to be the man as opposed to trying not to make a mistake so he can watch Willie Green play his minutes.
Ahhh. i hate eddie jordan.
Also, what should we expect from Jrue for the remainder of the season. At 20 minutes per night, he should have better numbers, no?
The problem with the nuclear option is, if Eddie Jordan is still our coach, he won't give Jrue enough minutes to be, "the man."
I'm not so concerned with Jrue's numbers this year. They don't always resemble how well you've played. I just want him to play and begin to see some consistency. I think it's best if he has a mentor, but I don't really see anyone on the team fitting that role. Also, I want to see him work with a shooting coach over the summer.
I think if nothing happens this year, they need to make a move next year to get rid of Dalembert and hopefully Kapono (I know, I know).
Within the next two years I hope they can draft a good center and use the extra money to solidify their bench.
If we're talking about development, and there's really a market for him out there, by all means trade Lou and free up minutes for Jrue.
If Jordan is still our coach, how much do you want to bet those extra minutes would go to Ivey?
I honestly see no point in trading Dalembert at this point, especially if he is alone in the deal or with Iggy. First off, we have zero other options at center. Dalembert has actually played pretty well, (even last year, he was servicable), and I don't believe we should experiment with Speights at center. Also, Dalembert's value will only continue to increase. At next season's trade deadline, a contender will definitely be interested in a 12 million dollar expiring contract, who can play 25 mpg and keep up with the best offensive centers. Not to mention, (knock on wood), Dalembert has managed to stay incredibly healthy the last 4 seasons (hasn't missed a game..), and that's something that is very rare among centers with his athletic ability. If we wait till next year to trade him, we will probably get some talent back along with an expiring contract. I'd also like to see him play alongside Speights for more than 3 minutes a game.
David Aldridge of NBA.com says Iggy is a goner:
"By the 18th, Indiana's Troy Murphy and Philly's Andre Iguodala are certain to have new addresses as well, though those teams may well go right up until the 3 p.m. deadline to max out their suitors' offers"
http://www.nba.com/2010/news/features/david_aldridge/02/08/morning.tip/
I've always trusted DA more than most - just a personal thing
Yeah, he is just a nice classy guy.
I could listen to him talk about hoopball all day. He's basically basketballs peter gammons.
Never like Gammons, too much boston fanboy (i lik keith law, snarky but insightful) - i was bummed when ESPN canned Aldridge for the blowhard smith
As long as he sticks to hoops. His baseball work is laughable during the playoffs on TBS. To be fair, that's not his thing, but he sometimes would say the exact opposite of what was going on.
I hear what he's saying. I just don't understand what it helps. We lose a good player - not a superstar but a good player - and all we really get in return is the ability to dodge the tax if we sigh a mediocre player with the MLE. I don't care about Comcast's money. Just sign the right mediocre player if he can help fill a need. What this post shows is that a salary dump does nothing unless it includes Brand.
i would love trading away brand and lou for nobody, just expirings. those two contracts off the books, thad, jrue, iguodala, speight, two first rounders (this is assuming they don't re-sign j. smith because he is terrible) and a shit load of money to spend in 2011 sounds awesome to me. Would it be at all possible to do that? maybe give away a pick or thad/speights (not both) to make teams want those 2. my guess would be probably not because that sounds way too good to be true.
i would love trading away brand and lou for nobody, just expirings. those two contracts off the books
I would love lucy liu and portia dirossi to serve me naked...i think that's just as likely
i figured but what if we did throw in speights or thad or a pick or a combination of those 3.
Serving you breakfast is the most Portia would do, she plays for the same team.
The scary part about whether we deal Iggy or not is the Un-benchable Willie Greene has once again cemented his spot as a starter.
Isn't she with Ellen ?
Yes sir, I think that there married.
Gay or straight, she's hot.
I'm not going to deny that...
Spoke with Stefanski today and he again insisted he's not looking to dump guys for expiring contracts and is looking for talent in return.
Don't take this the wrong way Mr Moore, I know you have to go with what they say, but do you really believe if Stefanski DID think that say Howard/Damier Iguodala/Brand (basically a salary dump) was the best deal he'd tell you?
I don't believe anything they say right now, it's all pre-emptive spin
Things could change, but Stefanski hasn't lied to me yet.