Poll: Will the TPE be used this season?

The biggest factor to be determined is..."what do we use it on?"

The Warriors, if they re-sign Ellis, Azubuike, Barnes (or replacement) and Biedrins (again, see payroll chart), will be right up against the tax or slightly over it, depending on the dollar figures for the new contracts.

That means they do not have room to add, with the TPE or otherwise, any player with any sort of contract going through next year. They will have to add someone that is an EXPIRING CONTRACT.

The pool of expiring contracts is limited; the players expiring and also useful to the Warriors if probably even more so. If you look at those guys and then look at who we could realistically get that would fit our team, then the options are pretty much exhausted. Artest with his opt-out clause is the only "rental" that would make an impact for us, and he is not assured of opting out, so there is for us an economic risk.

On the flip side, if you're willing to let one of your free agents go next year, then you have the ability to add someone this year that is on a multiyear contract. The question then is which FA do you wanna let walk, and who do you wanna add now that will effectively take his salary slot for next year.

The most logical choice is Ellis, because he will demand the most expensive or second most expensive deal. Theoretically he's easy to trade because he makes no money. We could send him to a team for nothing in one deal, and take back something with the TPE with another. With him gone, the need to pay him next year is gone, meaning we can pay someone else. Easy as pie on paper.

The problem is everyone knows Ellis is a FA next year, which caps his value, despite any 30 point outbursts. The bigger problem is that it's too early to say who's on the market for us to get in return, which moots so much of what I'm saying.

Now, if you insist on keeping Ellis and insist on bringing someone in, that guy better be a Barnes and/or Azubuike replacement, cuz those guys would then be squeezed out.

Again, check the payroll chart. Look at how much money is tied up in Ellis and Biedrins given their projected extensions. Now see how much room we have this year and next year under the luxury tax.

Really, think of our situation as a dinner table with limited spots. If you want to add someone with the TPE (we'll call it the invitation), then you're gonna have to boot someone from his seat to do it.

So should we use the TPE? Well, then we need to find someone that's more useful than Ellis or Barnes or Azubuike or Biedrins. Otherwise, he better be an expiring contract.

Then look at whatever prospective player you wanna bring in and how much space he's gonna take up. If he comes in, one of our FA's would have to go.

24 > 23

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AIM: Jetforze