SB Nation User Blog: AK1984

Come 7/1/2009, here's an estimated glance at the Portland Trail Blazers financial situation.

AK1984 — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:12:25 -0000

ACTIVE ROSTER

Joel Przybilla ($6,857,725)

LaMarcus Aldridge ($5,844,827)

Greg Oden ($5,361,240)

Martell Webster ($4,319,654)

Steve Blake ($4,000,000)

Brandon Roy ($3,910,816)

Travis Outlaw ($3,600,000)

Jerryd Bayless ($2,413,080)

Rudy Fernandez ($1,165,320)

Nicolas Batum ($1,118,760)

RELEASED

Darius Miles ($9,000,000)

CAP HOLDS

Raef LaFrentz ($19,083,750) {Larry Bird w/ Previous Annual Salary Higher Than League Average Salary = Previous Salary X 150%}

Channing Frye ($9,491,307) {Larry Bird Following Fourth Season of Rookie Scale Contract w/ Previous Annual Salary Lower Than League Average Salary = Previous Annual Salary X 300%}

Voshon Lenard ($7,040,000) {Larry Bird w/ Previous Annual Salary Lower Than League Average Salary = Previous Salary X 200%}

Detlef Schrempf ($2,860,000) {Early Bird = Previous Annual Salary X 130%}

Victor Claver ($1,012,900) {22nd Pick @ Rookie Scale}

Joel Freeland ($824,200) {30th Pick @ Rookie Scale}

Petteri Koponen ($824,200) {30th Pick @ Rookie Scale}

Michael Ruffin ($797,581) {Minimum Salary = Portion of Minimum Salary not Reimbursed by NBA}

Shavlik Randolph ($797,581) {Minimum Salary = Portion of Minimum Salary not Reimbursed by NBA}

Chris Dudley ($797,581) {Minimum Salary = Portion of Minimum Salary not Reimbursed by NBA}

Luke Schenscher ($711,517) {Minimum Salary = Portion of Minimum Salary not Reimbursed by NBA}

Jeff Pendergraph ($0) {Second-Round Pick}

Dante Cunningham ($0) {Second-Round Pick}

Patty Mills ($0) {Second-Round Pick}

Nedzad Sinanovic ($0) {Second-Round Pick}

Frederico Kammerichs ($0) {Second-Round Pick}

Marcelo Nicola ($0) {Second-Round Pick}

Doron Sheffer ($0) {Second-Round Pick}

EXCEPTIONS

Mid-Level Exception ($?,???,???)

Bi-Annual Exception ($1,990,000)

Trade Exception #1 ($2,912,823) {Ike Diogu}

Trade Exception #2 ($874,000) {Sergio Rodriguez}

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After the July moratorium, though, the Trail Blazers will need to clean house a bit by renouncing some cap holds and exceptions to get under the cap. So, in all likelihood, this is what the books will look like come 7/8/2009.

ACTIVE ROSTER

Joel Przybilla ($6,857,725)

LaMarcus Aldridge ($5,844,827)

Greg Oden ($5,361,240)

Martell Webster ($4,319,654)

Steve Blake ($4,000,000)

Brandon Roy ($3,910,816)

Travis Outlaw ($3,600,000)

Jerryd Bayless ($2,413,080)

Rudy Fernandez ($1,165,320)

Nicolas Batum ($1,118,760)

RELEASED

Darius Miles ($9,000,000)

CAP HOLDS

Victor Claver ($1,012,900) {22nd Pick @ Rookie Scale}

Joel Freeland ($824,200) {30th Pick @ Rookie Scale}

Petteri Koponen ($824,200) {30th Pick @ Rookie Scale}

Jeff Pendergraph ($0) {Second-Round Pick}

Dante Cunningham ($0) {Second-Round Pick}

Patty Mills ($0) {Second-Round Pick}

TOTAL

$49,982,722

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With that noted, here's my off-season plan as of this very moment.

TRANSACTION #1

Trade Steve Blake, the draft rights of Patty Mills, a 2010 second-round draft pick (i.e., the more favorable of the pick owed by Chicago and Portland's own pick), and $3,000,000 in cash considerations to the Chicago Bulls for Kirk Hinrich.

The new total salary would then be $55,482,722.

TRANSACTION #2

Sign Jeff Pendergraph to three-year, $2,550,000 contract (2009-2010: $800,000; 2010-2011: $850,000; 2011-2012: $900,000), with the third season non-guaranteed if he's waived before 7/1/2011.

The new total salary would then be $56,282,722.

TRANSACTION #3

Sign Dante Cunningham to a two-year, $1,219,783 contract (2009-2010: $457,588 & 2010-2011: $762,195), with the second season non-guaranteed if he's waived before 7/1/2010.

The new total salary would then be $56,740,310.

TRANSACTION #4A

Trade Travis Outlaw, the draft rights of Victor Claver, the draft rights of Joel Freeland, and the draft rights of Petteri Koponen to the Houston Rockets for Shane Battier.

The new total salary would then be $57,343,210.

TRANSACTION #4B

Trade Travis Outlaw, Martell Webster, the draft rights of Joel Freeland, and the draft rights of Petteri Koponen to the Washington Wizards for Mike Miller.

The new total salary would then be $57,053,193.

TRANSACTION #5

Sign Robert Swift to a one-year, minimum-level contract.

TRANSACTION #6

Sign Anthony Carter to a one-year, minimum-level contract.

TRANSACTION #7*

Sign Ime Udoka to a one-year, minimum-level contract.

*Contingent on Transaction #4B occuring over Transaction #4A.

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Well, that's that.

What kind of contract will Jeff Pendergraph receive from the Portland Trail Blazers?

AK1984 — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:34:07 -0000

Here's what I wrote in an earlier thread regarding this topic:

"Anyhow, it’ll be interesting to see what kind of contract Pendergraph receives from the Trail Blazers. As it is, anything beyond a two-year, minimum-level contract — which’d be worth a total of $1,219,783 (2009-2010: $457,588 & 2010-2011: $762,195) — would dip into either cap space or the mid-level exception.

After viewing contracts of a few high-end second-round draft picks signed the past couple of years, it seems fair to dip into either cap space or the mid-level exception to give Pendergraph an appropriate contract. As a result, a three-year, $2,470,500 contract (2009-2010: $762,500; 2010-2011: $823,500; 2011-2012: $884,500) — which includes maximum annual raises of 8% and the third season non-guaranteed if he’s waived before 7/1/2011 — is what I’d offer him."

http://www.blazersedge.com/2009/6/26/925910/my-favorite-pick-in-todays-draft#17451024

Depending on what the Portland Trail Blazers front office decides to do within the upcoming week and the week thereafter during the July moratorium, the organization will either have a modicum of cap space or a slew of exceptions -- which include the mid-level, the bi-annual, a couple of trade exceptions, and perhaps the Bird rights of Raef LaFrentz that'd bring with it a whopping $19,083,750 cap hold (i.e., 150% of his salary this past season) -- and, in all likelihood, Jeff Pendergraph's contract will dip into those funds.

As is common practice in the NBA today, most high-end second-round picks demand more than the maximum that's allowed without reaching into excess funds -- which, for this upcoming fiscal year, would be two-year, minimum-level contract worth a total of $1,219,783 (2009-2010: $457,588 & 2010-2011: $762,195) -- thus, it'll be interesting to see what kind of deal is agreed to between the franchise and Pendergraph.

As far as I'm concerned, Pendergraph deserves a deal approximate to two guaranteed seasons and team options for the final two seasons -- which is what first-round picks are granted -- at a cost that's worth slightly less than the rookie scale amount for the 30th pick this season (i.e., $824,200); ergo, that's how I came up with my above proposal.

Yet, rather than two separate team options for the third and fourth seasons on the contract similar to first-round picks, I trimmed it down to a three-year contract -- which makes sense since second-round picks are restricted free-agents after the third completed season, but unrestricted free-agents after the fourth competed season -- as well as made the final year of the contract a non-guaranteed salary if waived prior to a certain date (i.e., 7/1/2011) instead of a team option for flexibility purposes.

All things considered, a three-year, $2,470,500 contract (2009-2010: $762,500; 2010-2011: $823,500; 2011-2012: $884,500) -- which includes maximum annual raises of 8% and the third season non-guaranteed if he’s waived before 7/1/2011 -- for Pendergraph seems like a fair-market value deal to me.

With the 17th pick in the 1987 NBA Draft, the Portland Trail Blazers selected Ronnie Murphy -- who...

AK1984 — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:10:57 -0000

With the 17th pick in the 1987 NBA Draft, the Portland Trail Blazers selected Ronnie Murphy -- who ended up being a total bust -- as a result, the crowd in New York was electrified, since St. John's legend Mark Jackson fell into the Knicks lap.

Portland has the rights to and cap holds on these four guys.

AK1984 — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 05:31:14 -0000

Portland has the rights to and cap holds on these four guys.

1. Luke Schenscher

2. Voshon Lenard

3. Chris Dudley

4. Detlef Schrempf

6/14/2009 Junk Drawer!

AK1984 — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 09:06:31 -0000

Why do "junk drawers" have topics?

In all seriousness, these things should be random, off-topic threads about anything and everything. Whatever sparks somebody's mind ought to be up for discussion at Blazer's Edge—regardless of the topic at hand.

So, with that noted, I want y'all to write about whatever the heck grabs your fancy—no matter whether or not others are interested in it.

All right, folks, let's do it to it!

In this recent Most Valuable Puppets commercial, the overt message is LeBron James' pending free...

AK1984 — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 04:55:58 -0000

In this recent Most Valuable Puppets commercial, the overt message is LeBron James' pending free agency in 2010.

The underlying message, however, concerns that eastern bluebird in the background, which symbolically flies away to New York at the end.

Raef LaFrentz should make an '09 version of this promo.

AK1984 — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:24:21 -0000

Raef LaFrentz should make an '09 version of this promo.

Mike Dunleavy, Sr. may consider playing Blake Griffin at small forward.

AK1984 — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:04:56 -0000

Mike Dunleavy, Sr. may consider playing Blake Griffin at small forward.

As far as I'm concerned, Blake Griffin will be an abject failure on both ends of the court if he's forced to play the weakside corner. It'll be similar to how Marcus Fizer did miserably with the Chicago Bulls earlier this decade.

Trade Drawer 5/31: KISS = "Keep It Simple, Stupid!"

AK1984 — Sun, 31 May 2009 12:41:02 -0000

FROM PORTLAND & TO NEW YORK

Sergio Rodriguez ($874,000)

FROM NEW YORK & TO PORTLAD

2010 Second-Round Draft Pick
2010 Second-Round Draft Pick (Via The Los Angeles Clippers Through The Denver Nuggets)

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=lsz6du

Regarding Sergio Rodriguez, my opinion is that his trade value is almost next to nil. Whether that's fair or not isn't the question, though—no matter if you're pro-Sergio, anti-Sergio, or apathetic toward Sergio like myself.

What I do wonder, however, is how y'all would react to Rodriguez being dealt elsewhere for such an underwhelming, yet realistic package like the one presented up above here

Although I'd personally like to see Kevin Pritchard hold onto Rodriguez until at least after the July moratorium -- since "Spanish Chocolate" could hypothetically be a throw-in to complete a summer blockbuster -- my gut feeling is that he may be traded on or before 6/30/2009 for financial reasons heading into the NBA's next fiscal year.

Who wants to watch an uplifting story?

AK1984 — Wed, 27 May 2009 07:53:01 -0000

Who wants to watch an uplifting story?