83%, AK is the weakest link

[SaltyDawg]

Hey, someone making sense.

They signed AK to a max deal during the season when they could have waited.

They didn't trade him for Shawn Marion when offered.

They talked him into coming back to Utah when he essentially told the franchise screw you I'm going back to Russia.

Now, after all that, people around here think Utah is just going to dump his contract simply because it's expiring and may present some sort value to other teams.

People need to stop dreaming. Like it or not, this franchise has bent over backwards to keep AK, warts and all, in Utah. Unless The Jazz collapse next season you can bet he'll play out his contract just like they did with Boozer last year.

Keep in mind, the reason the Jazz did all that stuff to keep AK was because Larry Miller personally wanted to keep AK. KOC had several deals worked out to get rid of AK (Marion, Carter, etc) and Larry Miller rejected them.

With Greg Miller running the show now, it's far more likely that something could get done to move AK. However, it's also pretty likely that his contract just expires because Greg Miller wants the savings.

Letting his contract expire does not mean we just lose him for nothing though. He could very well be signed and traded (even for a TPE) like Boozer was.

 

[Stickler]

Or, he could even be kept, signed to a fair contract, and continue to help us win games for years to come. Just an insane thought.

 

[r_u_s_t_b_u_c_k_e_t]

With Greg Miller running the show now, it's far more likely that something could get done to move AK. However, it's also pretty likely that his contract just expires because Greg Miller wants the savings.

does NJ still have the cap space to absorb AK's ridiculous salary? we all know he's certain to be traded there... right?

Letting his contract expire does not mean we just lose him for nothing though. He could very well be signed and traded (even for a TPE) like Boozer was.

that TPE would not be anything like the Boozer TPE. what do you all think he'll sign for next year? mid-level?

 

[Archie Moses]

I am willing to trade myself to the Jazz to replace AK.

 

[GVC]

We have no MLE next year

eh?

 

[SaltyDawg]

does NJ still have the cap space to absorb AK's ridiculous salary? we all know he's certain to be traded there... right?



that TPE would not be anything like the Boozer TPE. what do you all think he'll sign for next year? mid-level?

I don't know how much cap space New Jersey has, but I know they have some (a lot) and they are probably interested in AK...

The TPE may not be of Boozer proportions, but it would likely be better than the TPE we got for Harpring (which is good enough to get us Gortat right now).

 

[billyshelby]

eh?

Kenwood could probably clarify this, but my amateur reading of Coon goes like this (rough numbers): If AK walks, the Jazz are at 51/52. Cap this year is 58, just say it stays the same. That puts them 7 under. Exceptions (Bi/Mid/TPE's) are added to the Cap figure which would put them over. In that scenario, the Jazz would technically have 7/8 mil in Cap Space, but would only be able to use their MLE/Bi/TPE's, not the Cap Space + those exceptions. Alternately, they could renounce the exceptions and have their full Cap Space. That's why I'm wondering, not stating as fact, that extending AK at the 7 gives us AK + full use of our Exceptions.