Excluding 3 important questions:
a) whether the Jazz actually want D-Will and/or Bogut for 25 games/playoffs
b) whether the Jazz think they’ll be able to negotiate an extension with Hill or Favors to use their extra cap space (13.6M)
c) whether the Jazz think that extra cap space will come in handy in draft-week trades
Why the Jazz should claim either Williams or Bogut off the waiver wire – they can’t claim both, since the full-season salary, 9M & 11M respectively, is used for cap space calculations:
1) Claiming either saves 1-2M versus the extra they would have to pay for not reaching salary floor (4.2M). They would only be on the hook for either Williams’s or Bogut’s prorated salary (2.4 or 2.9M) instead of the 4.2M.
2) Jazz are almost guaranteed to get the claim. Only a handful of teams are can make wire claims with their cap situations (UTA & DEN for Bogut; those two plus Minnesota, Brooklyn, Phoenix for Williams). Only Jazz have basketball reasons to make the claim.
Why the Jazz should not make a waiver-wire claim, but instead try to negotiate deals post waivers:
1) Better chance to get both if they want both. Jazz’s money can still far beat that of any other contender in free market for both players.
2) Could save money by not being on the hook for full (prorated) previous salary(ies). Can still negotiate more generous deal(s) than other contending teams (with room to spare). For example could beat Houston’s 3.5M for Bogut with a 5M offer and Cleveland’s minimum offer to Williams with a 3.5M offer. That would mean paying 2.3M to the two players together (prorated) and saving almost 2M by avoiding the 4.2M salary-floor tax.
3) Would ensure that the Jazz are getting willing/motivated players. Waived veteran players who think they may have a chance to play for a title may not appreciate being claimed on the waiver wire. Not only does claiming the players through waivers limit their freedom it may also (and surely in the case of Williams, who was waived outright rather than negotiating a buyout) lowers their paycheck. If we claim Williams on waivers, he misses out on the extra he would get paid by negotiating a deal with Cleveland or any other team. We may prefer a player that wants to play for us rather than one who is resentful that the chance to play with Lebron for a title for a little extra money just eluded his grasp.
4) Keeps relationships with agents stronger. I’ve seen (though not been able to confirm) that having an open roster spot is a requirement for making waiver claims. Mack or Withey (for example) would have to be released without a 100% guarantee that the Jazz would win the waiver bidding.
So my preference (if the Jazz want one or both) is probably to try to persuade them after clearing waivers that the combination of money, role, and playoff opportunity is best in Utah. If playing with Lebron or Harden trumps what we can offer, so be it. At least we won’t be getting resentful veterans.
a) whether the Jazz actually want D-Will and/or Bogut for 25 games/playoffs
b) whether the Jazz think they’ll be able to negotiate an extension with Hill or Favors to use their extra cap space (13.6M)
c) whether the Jazz think that extra cap space will come in handy in draft-week trades
Why the Jazz should claim either Williams or Bogut off the waiver wire – they can’t claim both, since the full-season salary, 9M & 11M respectively, is used for cap space calculations:
1) Claiming either saves 1-2M versus the extra they would have to pay for not reaching salary floor (4.2M). They would only be on the hook for either Williams’s or Bogut’s prorated salary (2.4 or 2.9M) instead of the 4.2M.
2) Jazz are almost guaranteed to get the claim. Only a handful of teams are can make wire claims with their cap situations (UTA & DEN for Bogut; those two plus Minnesota, Brooklyn, Phoenix for Williams). Only Jazz have basketball reasons to make the claim.
Why the Jazz should not make a waiver-wire claim, but instead try to negotiate deals post waivers:
1) Better chance to get both if they want both. Jazz’s money can still far beat that of any other contender in free market for both players.
2) Could save money by not being on the hook for full (prorated) previous salary(ies). Can still negotiate more generous deal(s) than other contending teams (with room to spare). For example could beat Houston’s 3.5M for Bogut with a 5M offer and Cleveland’s minimum offer to Williams with a 3.5M offer. That would mean paying 2.3M to the two players together (prorated) and saving almost 2M by avoiding the 4.2M salary-floor tax.
3) Would ensure that the Jazz are getting willing/motivated players. Waived veteran players who think they may have a chance to play for a title may not appreciate being claimed on the waiver wire. Not only does claiming the players through waivers limit their freedom it may also (and surely in the case of Williams, who was waived outright rather than negotiating a buyout) lowers their paycheck. If we claim Williams on waivers, he misses out on the extra he would get paid by negotiating a deal with Cleveland or any other team. We may prefer a player that wants to play for us rather than one who is resentful that the chance to play with Lebron for a title for a little extra money just eluded his grasp.
4) Keeps relationships with agents stronger. I’ve seen (though not been able to confirm) that having an open roster spot is a requirement for making waiver claims. Mack or Withey (for example) would have to be released without a 100% guarantee that the Jazz would win the waiver bidding.
So my preference (if the Jazz want one or both) is probably to try to persuade them after clearing waivers that the combination of money, role, and playoff opportunity is best in Utah. If playing with Lebron or Harden trumps what we can offer, so be it. At least we won’t be getting resentful veterans.
