Do the Lakers still have the MLE?

[Kindergarten Cop]

After signing Fisher to a 3yr/$14M deal last season, and already being well over the cap - did they use the majority of the MLE over next 2 years (3 if you count the 07/08 season) in acquiring him? I'm somewhat familiar with the workings of the salary cap, but I am by no means an expert. I heard some LA fans talking about how they would use the MLE to bring in Ron Artest. Most responded by stating that Artest wouldn't settle for the MLE, but none of them refuted the statement about actually still having the MLE. Thanks in advance for the help.

[ChumpDumper]

The MLE is available in its full amount every year.

[sribb43]

i think its the LLE that teams over the cap can only use every other year

[Kindergarten Cop]

Thanks for the responses. I was thinking that multi-year deals using the MLE would prevent a team from using the MLE during the length of that player's contract, but it appears that every team over the cap can use the MLE every year regardless of how they used it in previous years. Thanks again.

[PlayoffEx-static]

Yeah, but can't you extend the MLE that will be available to you over the next few seasons out? Example: Team A is well over the cap for years to come, but offers a 4yr/$21M deal to a player using the MLE. Wouldn't that keep them from using the MLE, or at least the biggest part of it for the next 4 seasons (or am I not understanding how multi-year deals work using the MLE)?

You're not understanding it. You can sign a player EACH year for however many years to your MLE. Teams rarely use it these days, though. A couple of MCE deals gone bad can murder your cap. See: Knicks, New York.

[PlayoffEx-static]

Which means the Rich will get even Richer...

Buss <> Dolan. He rarely wants to pay the tax, and he's paying it already. Lakerfan looking for an MCE player this summer is Lakerfan disappointed. That MCE player costs the Lakers ~ $11M per year, including tax.

[Kindergarten Cop]

You're not understanding it. You can sign a player EACH year for however many years to your MLE. Teams rarely use it these days, though. A couple of MCE deals gone bad can murder your cap. See: Knicks, New York.

It appears that I was enlightened a minute before your post. Thanks for your input.

BTW, is I've never heard of an MCE (did you mean MLE?).

[PlayoffEx-static]

It appears that I was enlightened a minute before your post. Thanks for your input.

BTW, is I've never heard of an MCE (did you mean MLE?).

I've heard both. MCE = Middle class exception. MLE = Mid level exception. I was actually posting, and my cat unplugged my laptop and it went into standby. I didn't see your enlightenment until after I hit the post button, like 2-3 minutes later, after I figured out what happened and found the end of the power cord.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Am I the only one whose eyes skimmed over this topic a little too quickly and thought the OP was asking if the Lakers had a MILF?

[Dopey310]

I think Buss is only a 51 percent owner of the Lakers. Which means he has just enough ownership percentage to make the business decisions but Phillip Anschutz and his AEG corporations owns the rest of the Lakers I believe. So I'm not sure if Buss personally foots all the bills regarding the Lakers. In any case, the Lakers are the type of team that will pay the luxury if it means their getting quality players that produces in return. Their not the type of team that'll go way over the salary cap for mediocre talent or an underachieving team. I think most owners are like that, no matter how wealthy they are, nobody wants to pay for a crappy product.
The Lakers ownership have been pretty fair to the fans imo, they charge the most lucrative price for tickets but they've always given us a compe ive team to root for.

[TDMVPDPOY]

lakers can afford to spend every year with the MLE

but hey spurs love to stay under the cap and robbed them clowns whose paying the luxury tax, spurs reap 2m