Express-News: Finley looms large with amnesty window closing

Finley looms large with amnesty window closing
Web Posted: 08/15/2005 12:00 AM CDT

Mike Finger
Express-News Staff Writer

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...s.85cb781.html

Considering the rule went into effect this summer, few know exactly what to expect with the deadline for the NBA's amnesty provision looming today.

But in the midst of the luxury-tax vagaries and free-agent uncertainty, the Spurs are certain of at least one thing.

"We're not going to use the amnesty rule on Tim (Duncan)," Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said.

So with the reigning NBA Finals most valuable player in no danger of being cut loose, the Spurs will focus on personnel decisions that aren't quite as clear-cut.

Their most pressing issue continues to be filling their opening for another wing player. The race for that spot could become more interesting if the Dallas Mavericks are unable to trade Michael Finley before today's deadline.

The amnesty rule, adopted by the league in its newest collective bargaining agreement, provides teams with a one-time opportunity to waive a player without having the player's salary count against the luxury tax.

If they can't find a trading partner, the Mavericks are widely expected to use the clause on Finley, who had surgery on his right ankle in June to remove bone chips that plagued the two-time All-Star for a majority of last season.

Because Dallas would pay Finley the $51 million remaining on the seven-year, $102 million contract he signed in 2001 even if he's waived, he almost certainly would be willing to sign with another team for less than market value.

With about half of their $5 million midlevel exception and a separate $1.6 million exception remaining, the Spurs figure to be one of Finley's most aggressive suitors, but they haven't stopped exploring other options. They continue to talk with Devin Brown, who has played for the Spurs the past two seasons. Because Brown is a restricted free agent, the Spurs have seven days to match any offer he receives from another team.

"The Spurs hold all the cards," said Brown's agent, Darrick Powell. "Devin's been in San Antonio his whole life, so being there wouldn't be a disappointment. The biggest issue is what (the Spurs) want to do."

Brown made the league-minimum $695,000 last season, but Powell said he is looking for a deal worth more than $1 million per year. Powell said five teams other the Spurs have contacted him about Brown. Utah has had the only confirmed face-to-face meeting with the 6-foot-5 Brown this summer.

Even if Finley and Brown both end up elsewhere, the Spurs have no shortage of other candidates. Sacramento's Maurice Evans, an athletic 6-5 swingman, is a restricted free agent but should be available now that the Kings have added Bonzi Wells and Shareef Abdur-Rahim.

Evans' agent, Roger Montgomery, said his client has been negotiating with Minnesota on a possible deal but clearly has the Spurs on his list. Evans, a University of Texas alum, has a house in San Antonio.

"It's no secret that Mo would love to play for the Spurs," Montgomery said.

Other potential targets for the Spurs include 6-8 Indiana forward James Jones, 6-6 New Orleans swingman Casey Jacobsen and 6-5 Melvin Sanders, who was considered the top defender in the Big 12 at Oklahoma State.

Buford said it may be a while before everything is sorted out.

"The market will close (today)," Buford said. "At that point, I don't think there is a timetable. You're at the mercy of other teams and other players."

I wonder how close Maurice Evans is to a deal with Minny.

I would like the Spurs to get James Jones -- it doesn't seem Indy will have any money for him.

I guess things will start to be settled around the league when the amnesty casualties get cut tomorrow.

yeah James Jones looks promising and now more available since the pacers signed Sarunas Jasikevicius

Top SF Spurs should Look At:(no particular order)
1. Devin Brown
2. Maurice Evans
3. James Jones
4. Gerald Wallace
5. Matt Barnes
6. Melvin Sanders

One possible option about Brown is that the Spurs are waiting for all the players released by the amnesty rule to show up so then there would be less teams interested in Devin and the Spurs could finally sign him for less money.

I say sign brown to the LLE or to the rest of the MLE and then give the rest of the MLE or LLE which ever one we dont use on Brown on either James Jones or Maurice Evans

The Spurs have Devin's early BIrd rights, so they do not have to use the LLE or the MLE to sign him to a higher salary. However, I would guess that a salary at around the LLE rate is what Devin will get.

The Spurs are in pretty good shape in regards to filling out the end of the bench.

Starters
1 Parker
2 Ginobili
3 Bowen
4 Duncan
5 Mohammed

Bench
1 Udrih
1/2 Barry
2 DBrown?
3 ?
4 Horry
5 Oberto
5 Nesterovic

Since the Spurs have DBrown's Early Bird rights, they are free to use their remaining cap exceptions on other free agents. Making a pitch to Evans seems like a good idea, given his ties to the local area and the fact that Sacto can't match an offer above $1.6 mil. Making a run at Finley is a worthwhile effort, it's not like there are more attractive options with the LLE or the remainder of the MLE.

Again, good times for Spurs fans.

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Originally Posted by Kori Ellis

I wonder how close Maurice Evans is to a deal with Minny.

I would like the Spurs to get James Jones -- it doesn't seem Indy will have any money for him.

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Do they have the LLE?

Yes on LLE

I don't think Finley will want the fractional minutes he'll get here. Devin for around $1 million is a no-brainer no matter who else is signed.

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Originally Posted by 2pac

Yes on LLE

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Hmmm...what about the MLE? Have the Pacers used that?

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Originally Posted by ChumpDumper

I don't think Finley will want the fractional minutes he'll get here. Devin for around $1 million is a no-brainer no matter who else is signed.

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DBrown doesn't have much of a choice if the Spurs match. Barry can get some minutes at the 1. Bowen might also see his minutes nicked a little in the regular season.

But yes, Finley can go to the Nuggets and start. He definitely would have to be on board with coming off the bench for limited minutes in SA.

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Originally Posted by Marcus Bryant

Hmmm...what about the MLE? Have the Pacers used that?

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I guess they had to use most of it on Saras.

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Originally Posted by ChumpDumper

I guess they had to use most of it on Saras.

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Good. Then perhaps the Spurs can outbid the Pacers for Jones with what the Spurs' have left of the MLE and reserve the LLE for one of the amnesty 'victims'...

August 15, 2005

NBA
Teams get shot to cut luxury tax hit


By Mark Montieth

Reggie Miller's retirement will become official and final today if the Indiana Pacers follow their anticipated course of action and waive him.

With the arrival of the deadline for the NBA's amnesty clause, teams have one last chance to release a player to reduce or eliminate their exposure to the luxury tax penalty.

Pacers officials have declined to reveal their plan, but the most likely scenario is that they will release the contract of Miller. If so, any chance of his return to the Pacers next season will be removed. The rules of the amnesty clause prohibit players from returning to the team that waived them until after their contract expires.

Miller has one year remaining on his contract, at $6 million. If waived, he could sign to play with another team next season or return to the Pacers after the upcoming season. Both are unlikely scenarios for a player who has been steadfast in his retirement decision and turns 40 on Aug. 24.

The amnesty clause represents a one-time opportunity for teams whose player payroll is over the luxury tax threshold of about $60 million to relieve their tax burden. They still must pay the salary of the player they release, but not the dollar-for-dollar penalty.

A released player can sign another contract with a different team, although part of the new salary will be deducted from the original contract.

Although the amnesty provision generated widespread speculation when it was first announced as part of the new collective bargaining agreement, it will result in the release of few significant players.

Teams under the tax threshold can release a player in anticipation of being over the threshold in the future, but have no real incentive to do so. Of the teams over the threshold, most will prefer to release the contracts of players on their payroll but no longer on their roster, such as the Pacers might do with Miller.

The Pacers aren't likely to try to sign any of the released amnesty players. They already have 14 players under contract for next season, excluding Miller, and claim a priority of re-signing two of their own free agents from last season, Dale Davis and James Jones.

"We're two or three deep at every position," Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh said. "But I'm saying that without knowing (who's available)."

The most intriguing down-to-the-wire amnesty scenario involves Dallas swingman Michael Finley. The 32-year-old has seen his scoring average decline for five consecutive seasons but still is owed $51 million over the next three years.

The Mavericks are prepared to release him to save $51 million in taxes but prefer to trade him to avoid a repeat of last summer's giveaway. Then, they let Steve Nash go without compensation and watched him become the league's Most Valuable Player in Phoenix.

The end of the amnesty period should lead to a resumption of trades and free agent signings. Teams have been waiting to see who becomes available before committing their available money.

That could bring about a quick resolution for Davis and Jones. Walsh and team president Larry Bird remain hopeful of re-signing them if they can meet their respective market values.

Davis' agent, Chubby Wells, declined to say what salary they are hoping to command but sees a busy market for the 36-year-old. Detroit, Cleveland and Seattle are among the teams with interest.

"We have enough teams (interested) where we'll get close to what we want," Wells said.

Davis and the Pacers maintain a strong mutual interest, according to Wells.

"They said they're trying to make moves to get more revenue," Wells said.

Jones said he has talked with "a good number" of teams but also hopes to return. A second-round draft pick two years ago, he showed promise last season while averaging 4.9 points and hitting 40 percent of his 3-point shots.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dl...TS04/508150390

If the Spurs are lucky, they can use what they have left of their MLE to outbid a team for a young restricted free agent they like (Evans or Jones) and then hold the LLE out there for an amnesty free agent or make a run at another restricted free agent. But it seems like they will be content to re-sign DBrown for a low amount using his Early Bird rights and then maybe use the MLE to offer an amnesty free agent while letting the LLE go unused.

Edit - A nice scenario would be to end up with Jones with what is left of the MLE, re-sign DBrown and then land Finley for the LLE. Unlikely, but Jones isn't exactly established in the league. He can spend plenty of time on IR in SA.

Holy crap. The Spurs could end up with Michael Finley on the bench for peanuts.

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amnesty=nba=trying to get=miami=the championship.

amnesty is going to make miami the favorites.

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Quit being such a dork. The only conspiracy is bailing teams like the Knicks out of one of their bad deals.

I'd much rather the Spurs resign Devin Brown than try to sign Michael Finley.

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Originally Posted by Marcus Bryant

Holy crap. The Spurs could end up with Michael Finley on the bench for peanuts.

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I think that's true in the abstract, but realistically, Finley could get more minutes (and probably more money) while remaining in the title hunt if he goes back to Phoenix.

I think Finley comes to SA only if one or more of the following are true: (1) nobody else among the true contenders has interest enough to offer him anything more than the LLE -- I don't think that will happen; (2) Finley is hellbent on winning a title and doesn't really care what he makes; or (3) Finley would love to smack down Cuban and could accomplish the double whammy by going to the team that Cuban seems to most despise and increasing his title chances.

The latter two reasons give me the most hope that Finley might end up here, but I have no realistic expectation that he'll be with the Spurs in 2005-06.

More minutes in Phoenix, but the Spurs can offer slightly more $ (and that's assuming that the Suns have their LLE).

Yeah, he can play a little closer to his Dallas home (if that matters to him) and, yes, have a chance to beat down the Mavs 4 times a season as well as potential postseason matchups (again, assuming that matters to him).

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Originally Posted by Kori Ellis

I wonder how close Maurice Evans is to a deal with Minny.

I would like the Spurs to get James Jones -- it doesn't seem Indy will have any money for him.

I guess things will start to be settled around the league when the amnesty casualties get cut tomorrow.

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It doesn't sound like much is happaning from MN's standpoint with Evans. Damien Wilkens was the bigger target. I'd rather have Devin Brown than anyone listed here, back problems or not. McHale did say his next objective is a guard.

I see the "more than $1 million per year" quote but realistically, what would it take to pry Brown away from the spurs? The wolves have about 3 million on there MLE left.

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Originally Posted by sickdsm

It doesn't sound like much is happaning from MN's standpoint with Evans. Damien Wilkens was the bigger target. I'd rather have Devin Brown than anyone listed here, back problems or not. McHale did say his next objective is a guard.

I see the "more than $1 million per year" quote but realistically, what would it take to pry Brown away from the spurs? The wolves have about 3 million on there MLE left.

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If Minnesota made Brown an offer at that level, then the Spurs would wait the entire 7 day period before matching while also using the rest of their MLE to sign Evans. I guess it's up to Brown if he wants to sign with a smaller market team.

:)

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Originally Posted by sickdsm

It doesn't sound like much is happaning from MN's standpoint with Evans. Damien Wilkens was the bigger target.

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Did they sign Wilkens? I know there was a report that he was signing there for five years/$15M, but then I heard that he visited Denver after that.

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Originally Posted by Marcus Bryant

More minutes in Phoenix, but the Spurs can offer slightly more $ (and that's assuming that the Suns have their LLE).

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Yeah, I wasn't aware of Phoenix's exception situation. If that's true, that's another mark in favor of the Spurs. Ultimately, the amount paid out by his next team is essentially irrelevant, since it appears that the Mavericks will get at least some partial discount on Finley's future salaries based on the salary paid by any team that signs Mike. That is, he's not likely to get a windfall if he signs for anything close to the MLE, because Dallas will owe him his 2005-06 salary - that amount. The money is the same for him wherever he goes.

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Originally Posted by MarcusBryant

Yeah, he can play a little closer to his Dallas home (if that matters to him) and, yes, have a chance to beat down the Mavs 4 times a season as well as potential postseason matchups (again, assuming that matters to him).

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I think, ultimately, his decision will depend on the degree of animosity he harbors towards Cuban and the Mavericks and the extent to which he wants to reunite with Nash and feels comfortable in Phoenix. San Antonio certainly makes sense for Finley, but logic doesn't necessarily decide NBA transactions.

I'm torn on whether Finley to SA is a great move for the Spurs.

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Originally Posted by FromWayDowntown

Yeah, I wasn't aware of Phoenix's exception situation. If that's true, that's another mark in favor of the Spurs. Ultimately, the amount paid out by his next team is essentially irrelevant, since it appears that the Mavericks will get at least some partial discount on Finley's future salaries based on the salary paid by any team that signs Mike. That is, he's not likely to get a windfall if he signs for anything close to the MLE, because Dallas will owe him his 2005-06 salary - that amount. The money is the same for him wherever he goes.

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As my aging memory recalls, the relief the Mavs would get from the salary Finley would get from his next team would be on how much his original deal would count against their cap, not necessarily a reduction in the amount of the cash going out.

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I think, ultimately, his decision will depend on the degree of animosity he harbors towards Cuban and the Mavericks and the extent to which he wants to reunite with Nash and feels comfortable in Phoenix. San Antonio certainly makes sense for Finley, but logic doesn't necessarily decide NBA transactions.

I'm torn on whether Finley to SA is a great move for the Spurs.

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If he comes to SA, doesn't gripe about the minutes, plays D and plays the O he's capable of then it would be a coup for the Spurs.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/3892708

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Finley about to become an ex-Maverick
Fort Worth Star-Telegram (registration required)
The Star-Telegram's Dwain Price reports that the Mavericks will likely waive Michael Finley today. Rumor has it that Finley plans to sign with the Heat.

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Steve Kerr with yahoo sports is also reporting a supposed Finley to the Heat.

"....Question mark: Miami Heat
The Heat are supposedly on the verge of landing Michael Finley. After already adding Antoine Walker and Jason Williams, there's no question that Miami has upgraded its roster big time....."

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slu...yhoo&type=lgns

Too bad the Heat can only play the game with one basketball.

I call bullshit.

Last minute desperate attempt to coerce a trade from a team who might be afraid of the Heat signing Finley.

I thought I read yesterday that Finley was considering the Pistons too. I guess we won't know until it all falls out.

yeah I cant wait for next season to come around and watch J Will and Antoine on the court at the same time jacking up 3's and other bad shots

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Originally Posted by Marcus Bryant

As my aging memory recalls, the relief the Mavs would get from the salary Finley would get from his next team would be on how much his original deal would count against their cap, not necessarily a reduction in the amount of the cash going out.

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I'm finding, as time passes, that the vagaries of the amnesty rule have been reported with less and less certainty. I have to say, now that I think about it, that your understanding sounds much more likely to me than mine, since I can't imagine the players being cool with allowing an outright waiver and a net zero gain for any of the waived players. I take back my earlier statement.

The Miami thing sounds fishy to me, unless he's just decided that he wants to play with Shaq, in the East, or in a glamour market. He's going to get fewer minutes in Miami than anywhere else and fewer touches in those fewer minutes. That team would be strong on paper, but I'd be shocked if that group of egos could coexist for very long.

So if Finley signs with the Heat Ferry gets his PG, Damon Jones.

Finley to SA would be great. He would be a great backup to Bruce Almighty. Finley to Miami would be great too, but on paper only. That team doesn't scare me. It will take them a long time to get it going as far as chemistry goes and as far as learning how to play with one another. Too many guys on that team who will want the ball. Shaq would be option #1 followed by D-Wade then what? A. Walker? Finley (if he goes)? J-Will? Come on.

I read today on rumors and trades on ESPN that Spree might be headed to Detroit. I wonder how all that will play in these trade rumors for Finley.

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Originally Posted by Dos

I read today on rumors and trades on ESPN that Spree might be headed to Detroit. I wonder how all that will play in these trade rumors for Finley.

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Does DET have their MLE?

HERES SOME STUFF ON AMNESTY






Now you want to know how it works.


Herewith, then, is an FAQ to explain every aspect of the rule.


Q: What is the amnesty clause?


A: This new provision grants teams a one-time exception to waive a player without paying any further luxury tax on the player's contract, regardless of how long or how rich the contract is.


Q: What is the deadline for capitalizing on this provision?


A: The window for releasing an amnesty player opened when the new labor agreement took effect Aug. 2 and ends Monday at midnight. At the urging of the union and various teams, the deadline was brought forward to Aug. 15 from Oct. 1 so amnesty players aren't shut out of the free-agent market all summer and left scrambling for a new team two days before training camps start.


Q: Can teams save this one-time exception for later in the season or future seasons?


A: No. NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com that multiple teams have pushed for the rule to be tweaked to allow teams to be able to save the one-time provision for use during any of the six seasons in the new labor agreement. The league, however, refused to budge.


Q: Do teams have to waive a player?


A: No. The league-wide consensus actually suggests that fewer than half of the NBA's 30 teams will make use of the amnesty provision.


Q: Does the contract of an amnesty player drop off a team's payroll?


A: No. And the provision provides only luxury-tax relief, with no salary-cap relief. So a team can't release a player to gain cap space.


Q: But any player on a team's roster can be released?


A: Yes. Any player who appears on a team's 2005-06 payroll list is eligible -- except those acquired after June 21.


That includes players who are no longer with a team but whose salary still appears on the payroll. One prominent example is Alonzo Mourning, whose contract was bought out by Toronto for an estimated $11 million in March. Mourning has since signed with the Miami Heat, but the Raptors can still make Mourning their amnesty player to avoid paying the luxury tax on what they still owe him.

Boston (with Vin Baker) and Phoenix (Howard Eisley) are also expected to use the amnesty clause in this manner.


Q: Can a team re-sign its own amnesty player at a later date?


A: No. Amnesty players are strictly prohibited from re-signing with the team that released them for the life of the terminated contract.

The league also snuffed out the possibility that teams might try to trade around this stipulation by including the June 21 deadline for players to be eligible to be released via the amnesty clause.


Let's say Dallas wanted to trade Michael Finley to Toronto in exchange for Jalen Rose, with the Mavericks and Raptors agreeing to use their amnesty slot to release each player so both could sign back with their original teams at a reduced price. Because such a trade couldn't be completed before June 21, neither player could be released with amnesty, meaning that the Mavericks and Raptors would get no tax break from such an arrangement.


Q: Can one team sign multiple amnesty players?


A: Yes. Let's say, hypothetically, that Derek Anderson and Brian Grant both wanted to sign with Detroit. Both would become unrestricted free agents after being released by the Blazers and Lakers, so the Pistons would indeed have the right to sign both.


Q: Who does this rule benefit the most?


A: Teams with extremely high payrolls. New York and Dallas can save roughly $40 million and $50 million, respectively, in luxury-tax payments by releasing Allan Houston and Finley if they wish. But it's not bad for those players, either. Finley, for example, would be guaranteed every penny of the $52 million left on his Mavericks contract -- albeit spread out in annual installments of less than $5 million -- while also becoming an unrestricted free agent who can sign a separate long-term contract.


Q: Is there a reduction in a team's financial obligation to an amnesty player once he signs a new contract with another team? Or can a player double-dip?


A: The union fought to make double-dipping permissable, but the league held firm and won the right in the end to apply the usual set-off provision for players released with money owed to any amnesty player's new contract. That means a percentage of the player's new salary will go back to the team that released him.


Q: Can a team that doesn't have a payroll exceeding the luxury-tax threshold exercise the amnesty option?


A: Yes. Even if a team isn't on course to pay luxury tax after the 2005-06 season, it can elect to make an amnesty waiver if it anticipates a tax-paying situation down the road. A team could determine that a amnesty move now would save money later, but the decision has to be made this month with the amnesty option only available through Aug. 15.


Q: Why was this rule adopted and what are teams really gaining if releasing an amnesty player results in no cap relief and doesn't stop the player from collecting all of his checks?


A: Taxpaying teams have long complained that the NBA's financial system offers no mechanism for teams to undo or recover from a contract mistake. This is a one-time chance for teams to at least free themselves of the tax consequences of what is deemed a bad contract.


Sources indicate that some of the league's smaller-market (and more fiscally responsible) teams fought the implementation of the amnesty clause, arguing that the league's big spenders already have big advantages when it comes to player acquisition. Those appeals were denied.


Q: New York's Allan Houston has been mentioned so frequently as an amnesty candidate since June that some refer to this clause as the "Allan Houston Rule." Why have the Knicks reportedly decided not to waive Houston?


A: Houston has a close relationship with Knicks owner James Dolan and, according to NBA front-office sources, has convinced Dolan that he plans to retire if his arthritic knees prove unstable in training camp this October. Should Houston retire, New York wouldn't need to waive him now to come away with some substantial savings. Releasing Houston on Monday would spare the Knicks nearly $40 million in future luxury-tax payments, but if Houston is forced to retire because of health reasons, insurance would pay the bulk his remaining salary. Dolan would prefer not to release Houston if he doesn't have to and the fact New York has other amnesty options -- such as forward Jerome Williams (due $21.3 million over three seasons) and the leftover $18 million still owed to the bought-out Shandon Anderson -- helps Houston's cause

Don't be surprised if the Detroit Pistons, under new coach Flip Saunders, signs Timberwolves free agent Latrell Sprewell.
-- St. Paul Pioneer-Press

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...nba/index.html

According to Dallas radio, the Mavs have said that Finley will almost definately sign with Miami if waived...

Beno Udrih blows and i am sick of you people including him in the roster.

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Originally Posted by SequSpur

Beno Udrih blows and i am sick of you people including him in the roster.

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i bet my 4$ that he is better than you

Am I missing something here? All these strong rumors of Finley going to Miami...Up until a few hours ago Finley was still part of the Dallas Mavericks and therefore cannot negotiate or have any team negotiate with him, right?

The Grizzlies waived Troy Bell? Isn't he still in a rookie contract? Nice pick Logo. :lol

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Originally Posted by Kori Ellis

Did they sign Wilkens? I know there was a report that he was signing there for five years/$15M, but then I heard that he visited Denver after that.

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No, it was a false report. Two days after that came out there were reports contradicting that.

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Originally Posted by Marcus Bryant

If Minnesota made Brown an offer at that level, then the Spurs would wait the entire 7 day period before matching while also using the rest of their MLE to sign Evans. I guess it's up to Brown if he wants to sign with a smaller market team.

:)

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I'm not 8 years old. I understand how it worked. What i'm asking is at what price does Devin become a question mark for the spurs, regardless if the wolves can offer it or not.