Another crackheaded idea to make the Warriors better

by Mr. Monday Night on Jun 29, 2008 7:20 PM PDT Comment 10 comments

Now I strongly believe this to be much more realistic than some (well most) of the trade ideas that have been thrown around, but that wouldn't really be saying much... you've read those posts! Now please keep in mind that I'm going to estimate most of the numbers to the nearest million, with a couple of exceptions.

Now let's just say that the NBA salary cap will be somewhere around $58 mil and the luxury tax cap will be around $70 mil (based on the projected increase in revenue, as both caps are based on a % of overall revenue). Please keep in mind that both caps are "soft caps" meaning that teams would be able to exceed the caps. Well the Warriors' team salary is currently at $47 mil, which includes the contracts of Baron Davis, Brandan Wright, Al Harrington, Stephen Jackson, Marco Belinelli and the dead contract of Adonal Foyle. So as of right now, we are approximately $11 mil under the salary cap and $23 mil under to luxury tax cap.

For some reason Hoopshype.com has Elton Brand listed as a free agent, so let's just say that he opted out of the final year in his contract, making him an unrestricted free agent. Well... let's just say that Elton Brand either smokes crack one day or someone from the Make A Wish Foundation asks to see him in a Warriors jersey. He could technically sign for the remainder of space under the salary cap ($11 mil, which is significantly less that what he would be slated to make this season by staying with the Clippers). That would bring the Warrior team salary to $58 mil while leaving them with six players on the roster.

After the hangover of signing Elton Brand, we would still have various options to fill in the remaining 9 roster spots (15 available) even though we're already at the salary cap. First off, we would be able to sign our rookies, Randolph & Hendrix, to rookie contracts at $1.325 mil and $675 k respectively (based on draft position) as per the rookie exception that would allow us to go over the salary cap. Then we would be able to match/resign both Monta Ellis & Andris Biedrins (per the Gilbert Arenas rule and the Larry Bird rights). Let's just estimate their salary at $11 mil and $9 mil respectively. The signing of those four players would bring our team salary to $80 mil, with the team roster sitting at 10 players.

Now we would still have the mid-level exception (approx $5.25 mil; can be used on multiple contracts) and the bi-annual exception (approx $1.75 mil; can be used on multiple contracts) to sign the remaining players. I'm confident in the ability of Mullin and Nelson to find five more players to fill out the roster utilizing the exemptions... possibly devoting a substantial chunk of the MLE ($3.5 mil or so) toward a formidable back-up point guard, using the BAE toward a random, useful veteran (maybe in the form of an Austin Croshere) and the rest of the MLE on D-leaguers and unsigned prospects.

Important note: The signing of Brand would have to occur before any of the rookie signings and resigning of Monta & Beans.

The final product of the off-season would produce the following roster: A starting five of Baron Davis, Monta Ellis, Stephen Jackson, Elton Brand and Andris Biedrins with a bench of Al Harrington, Brendan Wright, Anthony Randolph, Richard Hendrix, Marco Belinelli, and the acquisitions utilizing the MLE & the BAE. This playoff caliber... NAY! CHAMPIONSHIP CALIBER team would be ridiculous to contend with. I don't know about you, but this is a pipe dream team that would be able to compete with the Lakers and the Spurs and the Celtics in the NBA for the championship.

In the end, this would bring this team's salary to approximately $87 mil, approximately $17 mil over the cap. This would in turn force Cohen to pay approximately $19 mil in luxury taxes (as per the luxury tax rules). Now before you shoot it down, think about the potential revenue that this team would be able to bring to the Warriors' owner. I think that the spike in TV, sponsor and merchandise revenue alone would be enough to make paying the luxury tax worth it. Then you figure in the additional revenue from the playoffs, both from the playoff ticket sales and from the league incentives for winning in the playoffs, and this would make for one ridiculous cash jackpot for the owner. Do you think that Cohen would refuse to put together this cash cow of a team? I wouldn't think so either.

Now that my wet dream is over, can the olympics get here so I can have some televised hoops in my life?

This FanPost is a submission from a member of the mighty Golden State of Mind community. While we're all here to throw up that W, these words do not necessarily reflect the views of the GSoM Crew. Still, chances are the preceding post is Unstoppable Baby!

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Only if we had a different owner

Nicely broken down, but i cant see it, clippers would know what they were going to create and i doubt they would help us.

by X0HennessyX0 on Jun 29, 2008 8:16 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

It would be Elton Brand's choice...

It’s completely out of the question, but it would be Brand’s choice should he choose to opt out.

by Mr. Monday Night on Jun 29, 2008 9:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Because of the

generosity and kind heart of Adonal the Advocate for Peace, Reading, and Higher Learning Foyle, I believe our cap number is actually

$43,925,290

Hoopshype has Foyle on the books for $9.75 where as his buyout stipulated a 66.6% cut of his salary which would be $6.435mm for 2008/2009.

So your dream scenario of surpassing the luxury tax would be in an even better situation. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love Brand too. I’m the one advocating we send Rocky Jr. to deliver the crack ourselves. Brand is at the point in his career where

1. He’s looking to win a ring
2. He’s looking for the most money

I think he’s better suited finding 1 while simultaneously achieving #2 in the East, which is why he’s intrigued with the possibility of going to South Beach.

Him or any other high-profile FA or pending FA would probably only come to Oakland predicated on B-Dizzle signing an extension.

You never know. Maybe Yi was the answer to our problems. (not talent or production wise) But maybe if he had come here instead of Batman, we would’ve had more sellouts, a more higher revenue, and Cohan would’ve been able to produce our dream team.

I’m kidding. Maybe not. Or am I? Is it tuesday yet?

by phiLthyphiL on Jun 29, 2008 8:31 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Scratch the..

“a more higher revenue”

I’ve been reading and studying all day so words don’t mean the same as they normally do right now.

by phiLthyphiL on Jun 29, 2008 8:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Impossible.

Even unsigned, Ellis and Biedrins and the draft picks take up cap space. The first rounders immediately cost the team what they were to get based on draft position, so signing them late doesn’t give us room to go after Brand. Biedrins and Ellis presently cost the team 300% of their last year’s salary until signed or released. Those numbers matter as it’s the difference between having cap room and not having cap room.

by jae on Jun 30, 2008 9:54 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs

signing them late doesn’t give us room to go after Brand

So how could we get Brand? What’s your best plan?

by Skeptic con Urquell on Jun 30, 2008 10:04 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

A couple possibilities

1. S/T involving BD.
2. We find a team willing and able to absorb $10-15M in contracts (say, Harrington/Jack or Harrington/Belinelli) for picks.

Since #1 kinda defeats the purpose, and #2 isn’t going to happen, I’m pretty sure the answer to your first question is “we couldn’t.”

Sign ^^^^ !!!

by Sleepy Freud on Jun 30, 2008 10:41 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

and that's the way the cookie crumbles

Big ups to Jae on pointing out that resigning players late don’t give us room to go after Brand. I distinctly remember hearing that scenerio (for another team) somewhere on either the radio or tv, but those analysts are just as good as anyone on TMZ.

by Mr. Monday Night on Jun 30, 2008 11:38 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

How about

Signing Montay and dris then trading them for signed brand and livingston? We’d be taking a big chance on their health but the payoff could be great? Then work out something with Sacto for Ronron
( maybe involving TNMT and Bellylaugh). We end up with Baron,livingston,Jax,ronron,brand, our twotall skinny kids, bukkake, barnes, maybe pietrus, chroshere, cj watson and some other scrubs?

by Skeptic con Urquell on Jun 30, 2008 2:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe we could sign Jason Williams

Chris Webber, trade for Bill Walker, and rename the team to “The Walking Wounded”. Let’s try to avoid trading our young assets for players who’ve had bad injuries.

by Dubs fan in Boston on Jun 30, 2008 2:54 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs