Hedda Gambler
Well-Known Member
Man, how times have changed. From every free agent being able to command near max salaries over the last couple of seasons to almost none this year according to most reports. This recent development puts us in a spot that we could really capitalize on. We have three free agents this summer that all at one time were projected to make major money on their next contract: Favors, Hood and Exum. Now it looks like the market just is not there for them.
Instead of trading any of these three players, we should look to re-sign the bunch of them to long term deals. If we could get these three players for a combined $35 million next year - Favors $15, Hood $12, Exum $8, we would go into next season with a salary bill of $119 million assuming we get pick #16. The luxury tax is projected to be at $123 million. We would be below this and go into next season with 6 expiring contracts - Rubio, Burks, Thabo, Jerebko, Udoh and Neto - that has a combined salary of $41 million. If Favors continues playing well and Hood stays healthy, we would have good players on good deals combined with expiring contracts that will give us the opportunity to either use cap space next summer to recruit our final piece or make a big move.
Instead of trading any of these three players, we should look to re-sign the bunch of them to long term deals. If we could get these three players for a combined $35 million next year - Favors $15, Hood $12, Exum $8, we would go into next season with a salary bill of $119 million assuming we get pick #16. The luxury tax is projected to be at $123 million. We would be below this and go into next season with 6 expiring contracts - Rubio, Burks, Thabo, Jerebko, Udoh and Neto - that has a combined salary of $41 million. If Favors continues playing well and Hood stays healthy, we would have good players on good deals combined with expiring contracts that will give us the opportunity to either use cap space next summer to recruit our final piece or make a big move.