When the clock strikes midnight tonight two months will have passed since the Warriors traded Derek Fisher to the Utah Jazz for Devin Brown, Keith McLeod, and Andre Owens. This gives the Warriors 3 expiring contracts worth over $4.6 million to package along with other players to facilitate a larger deal. Thanks to astute GSoM community member JB for pointing this out in his great diary Brief Window of Opportunity. Because of the NBA's insane salary cap rules and trade restrictions, expiring contracts are a hot commodity, so funny things can happen.
 Expiring contracts don't grow on trees |
Take a closer look at the Warriors salaries on HoopsHype and you'll notice something even funnier. Restricted free agents Mickael Pietrus ($2,535,260) and Zarko Cabarkapa ($2,157,096), 3rd year player Andris Biedrins ($1,986,960), and 2005 2nd round draft picks Monta Ellis ($664,209) and Chris Taft ($664,209) can all come off the cap after this season. Add the Utah contract-dump-threesome to these salaries and the Warriors have about $12.6 million of cap friendly contracts to move to some squad looking to rebuild or shake up their roster. |
Packaging a few of these expiring contracts along with the ridiculous Chris and Rod deals handed to Adonal Foyle and Mike Dunleavy might make them a little easier to swallow for other teams. Normally I wouldn't expect much from the Warriors' awful front office, but things are different now with the always-creative Don Nelson back in town.
Using any number of these very moveable contracts, what kind of realistic trades can you concoct? Try them out on ESPN's Trade Machine and post your ideas in the comments. Make sure to say why the other team would make your trade too. Hey, we'd all make a deal for Kevin Garnett or Allen Iverson, but there has to be compelling reason for the Timberwolves or 76ers to pull the trigger on a franchise-altering trade.
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