Thoughts looking ahead to the next couple seasons, salaries, etc Options

[Jake]

Rose/Gibson are now our longest term salary commitments. Lu is signed through next year, Booz's contract can be terminated whenever we choose, Jo and Jimmy are through 15/16, Rose/Gibson through 16/17. Teague, if he can stick, will be under team control through 16/17.

Next year, if we brought everyone back, we'd have a salary commitment at about $78M with 8 or 9 players. Drop Rip, you're down to 73. Drop Booz, down to 58 and with a little wiggle room to sign decent FA(s).

Going into the 14-15 season, we have Rose, Taj, Jo, Jimmy, Teague on the books (let's assume we let Boozer go at $17M by that year). That's $43M in salary commitments and we can look to that year as a time to make big FA moves if guys are available.

For next year (13-14), it may just make more sense to keep everyone together, pay the big tax bill, and give it an honest title run. The next season you can shed a ton of salary at once and re-evaluate/reload.


I haven't looked ahead at who is slated to become free agents in the next few years, but if you're willing to wait around two more seasons....that is clearly when we're most able to make a splash. That's a big if, of course. With every coming day and year, Luol becomes more movable as well which could allow us to perhaps make a run at a FA after this season, if there is anyone out there and we could trade Lu without taking on salary.

....winning cures all ills!