Our off-season salary cap situation

[Stifle Tower]

(edit: you can ignore the following, my understanding of how qualifying for MLE works was flawed, Primetime's numbers should be better representation of the situation)
Right now yes, because we are under cap. But what if we get above(or right under) the salary cap? Then we can use the standard non-taxpayer MLE(which is about 5.45M this year). My idea relies on us being able to postpone the decision about Booker past free agency. For example, if the deadline for extending Booker is August 1 and FA starts on July 10, we have 20 days to sign free agents and get above the soft salary cap. At which point we can get the 5M MLE and sign Booker with it. I don't know if that makes sense.


(edit: you can ignore the following, my understanding of how qualifying for MLE works was flawed, Primetime's numbers should be better representation of the situation)
Again, I'm relying that we would be close to or past the salary cap, at which point we can sign our rookies using the rookie exception. And I'm relying on signing them AFTER we are done with whatever free agency activity we have.

In general the plan is:
1. Go into free agency with 66.3M cap and about 50.3M tied in contracts.
2. Sign free agents for about 16M(so yah, my bad, it's not 18M, it's 16M)...
3. Activate non-taxpayer MLE and use it on Booker
4. Activate rookie exceptions and sign the new rookies with the rookie exceptions.

This whole thing relies on us being able to postpone giving Booker his contract until after we are done with free agency/trades. If not, we will have about 11M to spend in free agency if we extend him and about 16M if we don't...

Nope. Can't do it. We're technically pretty near the cap with all the exceptions and the rookie salary hold for our 1st rounder. There also have to be 12 players figured in the total. So even if you had ZERO players under contract and renounced the rights to everyone, your cap hit would include the slot for your first rounder and about $515K for each player up to the 12 (plus your exceptions).

WITH Booker and Millsap, a cap hold of $2M for our 1st rounder (just my guess as to where we finish), and an additional spot for that 12th contract, we'd be at about $55M. renounce Booker and that saves $4.3M (have to add back in a minimum salary hold). Renounce Millsap and save about $400K (again, his salary less the add back for a roster spot). So we could get down to about $50M. However, to have the entire amount available under the cap of $16M (given a $66.3M cap), Utah would need to renounce their exceptions. The only one that remains after doing that is the room MLE, which is about 1/2 the non-tax payer MLE. So that COULD be used to turn around and re-sign Ingles and Millsap for $1M each.

I doubt we're going after any max-level FA's. And I'll bet DL picks up the option for Booker. He's too valuable to let go. As mentioned, Ingles and Millsap could be renounced and re-signed if DL needs to squeeze every dollar of space to sign FA's. Certainly you kick the tires on Matthews. But I think DMC is a more likely target given his close relationship with Quin Snyder.

 

[green]

Why is your math different than my math? What am I missing? If you look at all the players you've listed that we have under contract next year, it comes out to 46 million. The cap is expected to be 66.

That's 20 million in cap space. Yeah, we will have to sign our pick, but that will be 2-3 million, leaving us with 17 million in cap space.

Where am I off? I'm using your numbers here.

 

[QuinSnydersHair]

I think it's more likely the Jazz use Booker in a trade to a team looking to shed salary to sign free agents than use their space to sign a significant player themselves. The guarantee date on Booker's contract is 7 days after the July moratorium ends (when players can actually sign), and he comes with only a $250k buyout. The Jazz could then use their remaining cap space to bring over Pleiss, Tomic or both to fill out the bigs rotation.

Losing Kanter and then Booker for these two clowns would be a monstrous downgrade.

 

[GVC]

Losing Kanter and then Booker for these two clowns would be a monstrous downgrade.

It all depends on what the Jazz get back in the trade, no? You wouldn't trade Booker+ for an upgrade on the wing?

 

[QuinSnydersHair]

Why is your math different than my math? What am I missing? If you look at all the players you've listed that we have under contract next year, it comes out to 46 million. The cap is expected to be 66.

That's 20 million in cap space. Yeah, we will have to sign our pick, but that will be 2-3 million, leaving us with 17 million in cap space.

Where am I off? I'm using your numbers here.

Those 10 guys come to $52,150,669. Your math was off.

 

[green]

Those 10 guys come to $52,150,669. Your math was off.

Makes sense. I'll go recheck

 

[QuinSnydersHair]

It all depends on what the Jazz get back in the trade, no? You wouldn't trade Booker+ for an upgrade on the wing?

What sort of wing are we talking about? Give me a hypothetical.

 

[green]

Damn. You're right.

 

[GVC]

What sort of wing are we talking about? Give me a hypothetical.

No idea. It's pretty obvious that DL structured Booker's contract that way to potentially create opportunities this summer. That, plus what I figure is a slim chance at signing any of the top free agents this summer, is why I made the post.

It's just something to think about. It's too bad this summer's free agency doesn't look like it will be that exciting; Booker's contract would/could be pretty valuable in a better/more active free agency period.

 

[green]

So, my mistake is that I didn't count Booker's deal. If we cut Booker, Millsap and Jerrett, we will have roughly 20 million in cap space. DL has said that Miller has allowed him to go up to the tax limit.

So, if we cut Booker, we have 20 million, minus the 1-3 million for our draft pick. So, that leaves us 17 million.

Let's say we sign someone for 16 million. That would give us 8 players for 66 million and put us right at the cap. What the rules for signing additional players? Is this where the exceptions come into play?

If that's the case, then by waiving Booker, we do have max space. Booker is a really nice piece, but he's not worth keeping if we can bring in a max guy.

 

[Coach Ellis]

Those 10 guys come to $52,150,669. Your math was off.

This right here is the main reason that I would have held off on the Burks extension. Not because I don't think that he'll earn it, but because I wish the team had more salary cap flexibility this upcoming offseason than the next. I've always felt that 2016 was when they were building toward making moves, but that Gobert's development pushed up that time frame.

Had they not extended Alec, what's the difference between his salary and what his cap hold on his RFA tender would have been? It would have been nice to have extra cap space to work with, but the flip side is that he likely wouldn't have agreed shut it down this season and tried to play through the injury instead of just getting healthy. Or he could have proved himself out of Utah by playing well in the new hierarchy under Snyder.

 

[GVC]

So, my mistake is that I didn't count Booker's deal. If we cut Booker, Millsap and Jerrett, we will have roughly 20 million in cap space. DL has said that Miller has allowed him to go up to the tax limit.

So, if we cut Booker, we have 20 million, minus the 1-3 million for our draft pick. So, that leaves us 17 million.

Let's say we sign someone for 16 million. That would give us 8 players for 66 million and put us right at the cap. What the rules for signing additional players? Is this where the exceptions come into play?

If that's the case, then by waiving Booker, we do have max space. Booker is a really nice piece, but he's not worth keeping if we can bring in a max guy.

The numbers in the OP look right to me. They (presumably) also include roster charges for having fewer than 12 players under contract.

The Jazz effectively have to choose between the cap space and the MLE and bi-annual exception. If the Jazz use their cap space, they would then only be able to sign players using the Room MLE, $2.814mil next season, or players at the minimum salary.

 

[GVC]

Had they not extended Alec, what's the difference between his salary and what his cap hold on his RFA tender would have been?

If Hoopshype is right about his salary next season, the Jazz would only have freed up ~$1.6mil.

 

[Siro]

Simply trading our draft pick would get us close to the max. I think that's a good route since we have an assload of young players and that allows us to sign a max-level vet.

 

[Coach Ellis]

If Hoopshype is right about his salary next season, the Jazz would only have freed up ~$1.6mil.

Then never mind. The risk that he'd earn more than what he signed for was higher than the value of the cap spaced saved. If he improves and develops under Snyder like others have, it was the right call to extend him. Thanks for the info.

 

[vegas]

So the the most cap space competition looks like this (millions of dollars):
39.6 Sixers The question is, do they want to go crazy in free agency, or keep facilitating salary dumps for assets.
31.2 Lakers doesn not include Hill 9 PO, Nash, Lin, Boozer and others
27.4 Magic does not include Ben Gordon, Ridnour
27 Hawks does not include Millsap, DMC, Antic
26.7 Knicks does not include Bargnani
26.8 Pistons includes Reggie Jackson 3.4 QO, does not include monroe and others.
25.9 Celtics does not include Bass, Jerebko will they go after a free agent during a rebuild? Might free up for someone else though.
18.3 Nuggets will have to waive W. Chandler 7.2 NG and Foye 3.1 NG, doesn't include Trob, Arthur Nelson 2.9 PO
17.2 Raptors does not include Johnson, Fields, Hayes, Hansborogh, Williams
12.8 Jazz renounce Ian Clark, QO to Ingles, does not include Evans, includes Booker

Teams with space they will likely use in retention:
43 Trailblazers does not include LMA, Afflalo, 7.5 PO Mathews, R Lopez, Kaman 5 mil non guaranteed, Steve blake 2 mil PO
38 Mavs does not include Chandler, Rondo, Monta, Felton, Aminu, Amare and others
32.1 Spurs does not include Duncan, Manu, Kawhi, Green and others
24.3 Grizzlies does not include M. Gasol, Koufus, Jeff Green 9.2 PO
*Pacers have lots of space if Hibbert and West opt out.

The above are probably not exact and do not include draft picks, but it should give us an idea. Info from each teams page on www.basketballinsiders.com

Another consideration is a player/agent may sign a 1 yr contract or even better, put a player option in a multi-year deal. I expect to DL to pursue a player that is likely to stay past the 2017 jump.

I don't have time to do the analysis to consider the competition, and guess what chances the Jazz have at one of the names being thrown around on Jazzfanz.

 

[NAOS]

Seriously, the mods should sticky this thread. Really good one. Every option to trade or sign a player on draft day or in free agency will run though the numbers and rationales outlined in this thread.

pls sticky.

 

[stitches]

Am I crazy to think that Booker might end up a victim of the numbers? DL has allowed for some extra flexibility and he seemed to specifically aim at adding even more of it in the Kanter trade by including Novak's contract in it. It really looks like he's setting up for a big move(or series of small moves?!?).

 

[NAOS]

If I understand correctly, then Yes, Booker will be a victim of the numbers IF A BIG DEAL PRESENTS ITSELF.

 

[stitches]

It all depends on what the Jazz get back in the trade, no? You wouldn't trade Booker+ for an upgrade on the wing?

I kind of doubt that we can get an upgrade at the wing for about 7M in a trade. A wing better than Burks for 7M is crazy good deal with the coming cap jump and I doubt anybody would let that go. We might be looking for an upgrade to Hood... but I kind of want to see what he can do when he's not constantly injured.

In a way it looks like the we might be better off aiming at signing 3 players at about 5M(making our bench better, in which case Booker probably stays) than going after one at huge deal(making our starting lineup better).