Sources: Mavs may waive Finley

[Spurminator]

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/062405dnspomavslede.3c144a68.html

Sources: Mavs may waive Finley

06:50 AM CDT on Friday, June 24, 2005


By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News


Michael Finley's career with the Mavericks could come to an end this summer because of a clause in the new collective-bargaining agreement that could save owner Mark Cuban as much as $51 million.

Two sources said Thursday that Finley, who has been with the Mavericks longer than any other current player, would be targeted if the Mavericks exercise this cost-cutting option.

The new one-time loophole allows a team to waive a player and be relieved of any luxury-tax responsibility attached to that player's contract. Finley is owed $51,796,875 over the next three seasons. Cuban would still have to pay that in salary.

But because the Mavericks' payroll is so high, Cuban also has to pay a dollar for every dollar that they are over the luxury tax. By jettisoning Finley, he could knock $15 million off his luxury tax next season. The Mavericks were well over the $61 million luxury-tax threshold last season. Essentially, the remainder of Finley's $51 million contract could cost Cuban $102 million if they remain over the luxury-tax threshold, which is probable if Finley is retained.

The Mavericks have discussed the issue and are aware of the implications. It represents a chance to take a huge step toward the club being in a better financial situation for future player dealings. If the Mavericks execute this option, they would not be allowed to re-sign Finley for the length of the contract.

Mavericks officials would not comment specifically about the possibility of taking this measure with Finley, who has 8 ½ years of service with the team and has been called the heart and soul of the franchise for many years.

"Under the new CBA, a player could be released and you would save that money off the tax," president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said. "Every team in the NBA has a player who fits that mode."

Finley could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Finley fits the description as a player with a maximum contract and three more years left on his deal. He is coming off his least-productive season as a Maverick, averaging 15.7 points and 4.1 rebounds and shooting 42.7 percent. However, an ankle injury hindered him much of the season and required surgery after the playoffs.

Numerous NBA teams figure to use this loophole to their financial advantage. The New York Knicks reportedly are pursuing the option of waiving oft-injured Allan Houston, who like Finley has a long-term maximum contract.

The process cannot officially start until the new CBA is signed, which isn't expected to happen until at least July 22.

If the Mavericks were to move on the Finley issue, it would mean they could lose the two players who have been with the club the longest in the span of a few weeks.

Shawn Bradley, who joined the team two months after Finley, has begun discussions with the team about a buyout of his contract that would allow him to retire after 12 seasons in the NBA.

"Shawn has been feeling the cumulative effects of injuries to his knees and hip," Cuban said Thursday. "Retirement is something we are talking about, but he hasn't made a final decision yet."

The Mavericks apparently are trying to arrange a long-term buyout of the 7-6 center's contract, which is worth $14.5 million, including $4.5 million next season. Although that money would still count against the salary cap, some of it could be deferred.

Bradley could not be reached for comment Thursday. However, his mother, Teresa, said via e-mail from Utah that her son's retirement was set at the end of the season.

Bradley apparently wants to devote more time to his family. He and wife Annette recently had their sixth child.

When Avery Johnson took over as coach, Bradley was reduced to 12th-man status. With young centers Pavel Podkolzin and D.J. Mbenga on the roster, the 33-year-old Bradley was unlikely to get much playing time next season or beyond. The No. 2 overall pick in the 1993 draft, he averaged 8.1 points and 6.3 rebounds for his career.

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[ducks]

The New York Knicks reportedly are pursuing the option of waiving oft-injured Allan Houston, who like Finley has a long-term maximum contract.

[Kori Ellis]

The new one-time loophole allows a team to waive a player and be relieved of any luxury-tax responsibility attached to that player's contract.

Every owner that can get rid of some luxury tax payment is going to use this loop hole to do it. We are probably going to see a lot of players waived.

[2centsworth]

the question is can a new team pick up those players, and if they can do they have to pay that players current contract or can they pay them less? If they pay them less is the other team responsible for paying the difference between the old and new contract?

[batman2883]

Man thats going to suck for a lot of players who thought they had guranteed bank even if the got injured, look for Finley to get picked up by the freaking Knicks though....they are going after every player not wanted this year.......p.s. when can we get rid of Rasho?

[mavsfan1000]

ncredible article at db.com outlining the new deal's changes, and how it effects the Mavs ...

http://www.dallasbasketball.com/headline_C.asp?pr=

The article contains a 28-item list of changes in the new CBA that is a must read for serious fans.

At the end, this list of how the Mavs did well with the deal:

But for the Mavs, this deal appears to offer quite a few sizable benefits and few minuses, as follows:

1. With the Mavs far over the cap, and Cuban’s willingness to spend on talent, the change in cap calculation effectively makes no difference to the Mavericks.
2. There was a stated desire by the NBA to obtain an even stronger luxury tax (200% or more, instead of the current 100%) in this deal, to impose on teams like the Mavs who are far over the cap, but that was scrapped. (Instead, the tax impact was lessened!)
3. Since the Mavs will now get back a share of escrow and tax money, the Mavs will pay less net tax than before, even with the same payroll. That decreases the Mavs net expenditures - which may make Cuban more amenable to adding payroll going forward, when needed.
4. The easing of tax restrictions on permanently disabled players (such as Eschmeyer) or one-time buyouts (Abdul-Wahad, perhaps) will reduce the Mavs potential future tax liability even farther.
5. The added ease in trading players will make it even more advantageous to have a huge pile of trade chips, like the Mavs typically do.
6. The reduction in max raises and max contract length, along with the increased advantage to the current team in the available terms, will make it easier for the Mavs to retain their premium players whose contracts will expire in the next few years such as Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard. (A max length/max raise deal with a 50M cap, under the old CBA, required a team to commit over 144M to a player. With the new CBA, the max/max with the current team is down sizably to about 113M - and that is now 30% more than an outside team can guarantee the same player.)
7. The ability to utilize the NBDL will allow the Mavs to speed the development of Mbenga and Ppod, and more quickly determine if they can make a sorely needed impact as backup big men.
8. With the Mavs ongoing status as one of the better teams in the league, the added flexibility in contracts for first-round picks will allow them the ability, when picking low, to select a player and groom them for 2 years in the NBDL if needed, and then cut them without penalty if they don’t pan out - rather than being stuck with them for 3 or 4 years as under the old deal. The old deal, with its longer guarantees to low first-rounders of uncertain ability, made those draft picks as much a disadvantage as an advantage - but the new deal offers a less risky opportunity for the Mavs to find and develop kids to add to the mix.
9. While the Mavs are obviously out of the premium free agent market this summer, the increased money available due to the jump in the cap will raise spending on those players. This will mean that the Mavs rivals who are looking to keep their own free agents or add others will have to choose between spending huge sums or getting outbid, if they want to retain and/or improve their talent base. The less talent they can afford, the better for the Mavs.

[Spurminator]

the question is can a new team pick up those players, and if they can do they have to pay that players current contract or can they pay them less?

They can pick up the new player for any amount. The former team is still liable for the remainder of the contract, but does not have to pay the Luxury Tax on that salary. So Finley could be resigned somewhere else for $3 million and he would make that on top of his remaining $50 million.

[T Park]

Man.

How nice would Michael Finley be on the Spurs??

Nah no thanks.

[Spurminator]

Finley circa 2001? Great.

Finley now? Waste of minutes.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Finley would be great off the bench for cheap.

Given he and Bowen's history, don't see it happening though.

This begs the question, what's going to be out there in the discard pile?

Finley
Allan Houston
Mutombo
Jalen Rose
Latrell
Damon Stoudemire
?

(Yeah I know some of these guys have contracts up this summer but I'm too lazy to look it up).

[ChumpDumper]

MutomboHe's affordable now after his buyout, and JVG would be an idiot to give him up.

It'll be interesting to see which of the waived players goes looking for a championship on the cheap though.

[whottt]

Sign Allan Houston to a max deal.

[Spursdaone]

I say if the spurs get Finley it is all over for all the other teams. Finley in limited time would be a spark plug for San Antonio. We could get him for the minimum and he would torch his old team in Dallas.

[Bubb Rubb]

Pick Em Uppp!!!

[JMarkJohns]

I would imagine that Finley would like Phoenix if he was going to sign for cheap. They have a need (after the trade), have the tempo and have Nash.

That's the trifecta.

If it comes down to money, though, Phoenix will likely bow out.

[TDMVPDPOY]

lets just hope suns dont pick either one of these players :( , or we are fuckd

[ShoogarBear]

This whole waiver thing is going to be very interesting.

Not much was made of it initially, but it could change the landscape of the current NBA more than any other single thing in the new CBA.

[Vashner]

lets just hope suns dont pick either one of these players :( , or we are fuckd

Uh no... get the fuck out of here man... we beat there ass down this year and we will do it again.

[ChumpDumper]

I think one of those waived guards will find his way to Denver.

Just a hunch.