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There's a reason, friends, why half the NBA was traded last week in a
72-hour span.
|  | | Dallas' Finley is on the hot list of most-wanted free agents. |
Reason being: It's much more financially friendly to shuffle salaries
already on the books, as opposed to spending wildly in the summer.
That's the way teams think in the new NBA, where every owner not named Paul
Allen or Mark Cuban is openly fearful of the forthcoming luxury tax.
"Spooked" is the word used by Seattle president Wally Walker, and most of
the other words in circulation are unprintable. No one wants to pay the
dreaded dollar-for-dollar tax, which will be assessed to clubs with payrolls
above $56 million.
Mind you, until a leaguewide audit is completed, that figure is just an
estimate. The threshold could wind up a little higher than $56 million, or
maybe a little less. So easiest thing, GMs figure, is to just stay as far
away from the mid-50s as possible. Which could mean splitting up that meaty
$4.5 million salary-cap exception between two players, as opposed to burning
it on one body.
Still, there are roughly 150 free agents out there as of Sunday at 12:01
a.m. ... and the cap-less NHL isn't going to have all the fun. Come July 18,
when the NBA's moratorium on signings and trades is lifted, there's going to
be action. More trades, certainly, to follow those blockbusters involving
Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Elton Brand and Jason Kidd/Stephon Marbury. The few
teams way under the cap -- Chicago, Detroit and LA Clippers -- are eager for
the opportunity to join in the wheel-dealing as third-party facilitators.
So you'll still need ESPN.com's annual Rough Guide to free agency. And here
it is:
Fab Five
Kings forward Chris Webber: Free-agent life isn't as luxurious as it used to
be, thanks to that blasted tax. Apparently no one was waiting with a plane
at midnight Saturday to whisk Webber to a lavish recruiting trip, which
might be because his options seem to be dwindling. The Bulls and Clippers
were never going after him, and even Webber's hometown Pistons don't give
themselves much of a chance. Detroit acquired Clifford Robinson instead, to
serve either as a handy fallback or to give them an extra piece to work with
as a third-team helper in a Webber deal. So, what does that leave? Knicks or
Pacers in a three-way deal, which looms as CWebb's only likely escape route
to the cushy East. Otherwise, he'll be back scanning the stands at ARCO
Arena, taking last looks at the fans who just saw him swept again by the
Lakers.
Mavericks swingman Michael Finley: He might be going somewhere ... on a
recruiting visit or two. Just to remind the Mavs' faithful not to take his
return for granted. But that's as far as it goes. Every other team in the
league does see Finley's return to Dallas as a formality, even if he caused
a nervous heartbeat or two last month by declining to show at a local awards
banquet he historically attends.
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| Mutombo |
Sixers center Dikembe Mutombo: Five games in the Finals against Shaquille
O'Neal merely confirmed what the wise ol' warrior already knew. Which is:
Stay in the East. Stay with little A.I. If only Philly could be so sure
about Larry Brown and Pat Croce.
Raptors forward/center Antonio Davis: The move to Orlando seems so
inevitable that some folks mistakenly assume he has already joined the
Magic. Truth is, though, no one in this upper tier seems as certain to
relocate as Davis -- not even Webber. The Magic are trying frantically to
create the requisite cap space, which means a lucky team with cap space is
about to land Bo Outlaw for nothing more than a second-round pick. You can
hear the Raptors' panic from here.
Knicks guard Allan Houston: It's not quite a Finleyesque formality, but it's
close. No one expects Houston to be sporting anything other than Knicks
colors for the max unless team and player work together on a sign-and-trade.
| |  | |
| Anderson |
Next Five
Spurs guard Derek Anderson: The X-factor believes his name should be
scribbled with those in the tier above. Unfortunately, Anderson averaged
only 11 points on 32 percent shooting in the playoffs -- and we mean before
he was decked by Juwan Howard. San Antonio faces quite the quandary now.
Anderson joined them last summer for a paltry $2.25 million, and now expects
no less than $7 million next season. Trouble is, if Anderson and David
Robinson consume all of their cap space, the Spurs won't be able to recruit
the needed replacements for Avery Johnson and Sean Elliott. It's going to be
awfully tough to stand up to the Lakers if they bring back the same team,
which has the Spurs praying Anderson and Robinson will be reasonable in
their demands.
Sixers guard Aaron McKie: Should the Spurs make the determination that
Anderson isn't worth the cash he seeks, expect them to look here. With his
defensive prowess and toughness -- Finals excepted -- McKie would make a fine
Spur. Lots of teams would like him, actually, but Philadelphia remains
foremost on that list and will fight to keep him.
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| Mason |
Heat forward Anthony Mason: Pat Riley has made it clear that the
free-spending days are over in Miami, so score another one for the luxury
tax. As a result, every big name Heater apart from Alonzo Mourning has been
mentioned as a candidate for exile. Common sense says Riles would rather
part with Mason before he moved Brian Grant or Eddie Jones. Question is, how
much Mase interest will there be beyond the $4.5 exception level? It
probably takes a sign-and-trade to get Mase the money he expects.
Rockets forward Maurice Taylor: Could just be a Webber smoke screen, but the
recent buzz in Houston has the Rockets more excited about retaining Taylor
and lining him up alongside Eddie Griffin than splashing out for the
summer's marquee man. Taylor, for his part, is equally intent on re-signing,
talking confidently about how much more he has to offer. We'll see. Figure
for now that Taylor stays, with judgment reserved on the Griffin
partnership.
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| Williams |
Raptors forward Jerome Williams: Imagine if Toronto lost its Junk Yard Dog
in addition to Davis. Fact is, it isn't that hard to imagine. Williams is
going to draw lots of feelers from teams that will see him as a
cost-efficient option to the higher-priced rebounding specialists. Vince
Carter could be getting awfully lonely in a hurry.
Generation Next
Raptors guard Alvin Williams: If we're talking about keeping Carter, from a
Toronto perspective, this might be the most important Williams. It's
probably unfair to the Raptors that everyone assumes Antonio, Jerome and
Alvin are all gone, but you'd struggle to find anyone suggesting that
they'll keep all three. Alvin, like the other two guys, is going to attract
serious attention after a fine playoffs.
Hornets guard Eddie Robinson: Here's another athletic prospect on the rise
(Miami's Bruce Bowen is another) who certainly boosted his stock in recent
months. Charlotte's penny-pinching reputation isn't the real roadblock here,
since it can only offer the $4.5 million exception because of cap
constraints. It's the tough competition that has the Hornets worried;
Robinson got calls from six teams Sunday when free-agency season opened and
could be one of the summer's most chased commodities.
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| Mohammed |
Hawks center Nazr Mohammed: Everyone needs a center, and Mohammed played one
in Atlanta after getting traded and getting his chance. Nazr, post-Sixers,
averaged 13 points and nine rebounds. He's going to get some calls.
Warriors center Marc Jackson: Like Mohammed, Jackson is bound to make the
phone purr despite ringing up his success over a short span. Golden State
doesn't think it'll lose Jackson as long as no one offers more than the $4.5
exception. If someone puts a richer chunk of cap space on the table -- the
same circumstances Dallas faces with Calvin Booth -- the Warriors will have
no recourse to keep Jackson from bolting.
Lakers guard Tyronn Lue: Yes, it does seem like every last Jerry West draft
pick pans out. Lue is yet another who, after two seasons of near-silence,
became a factor in the Finals. A tiny one, true, but still a factor. Lue was
dubbed by one L.A. wag as "The Answering Machine" for his efforts opposite
Allen Iverson. He might have done just enough to earn some free-agent money
elsewhere, since the Lakers are fast-approaching the luxury-tax threshold
and will be reluctant to spend on a situational player.
Generation Ex
Spurs center David Robinson: The Admiral heads an array of big names from a
previous life. Were this 1996, or maybe even 1998, there would be an
absolute frenzy surrounding such a dreamy array of Olympians. Not now,
though. San Antonio, for example, is simply hoping Robinson re-ups for two
more seasons and less than half of last season's $15 mil. Gregg Popovich
flew straight to Hawaii once free-agency season started to sell the plan to
Robinson immediately.
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| Stockton |
Jazz guard John Stockton: Raul Lopez is a long, long way away, given that
Utah's first-rounder remains under contract to Spanish power Real Madrid
through 2007. Stock won't last that long, but he'll come back for at least
another year or two.
Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon: Again, if this is really the new plan, Dream
might be right there with Mo Taylor atop the list of Houston targets -- ahead
of Webber. It would certainly be nice, in the spirit of this Cal Ripken-Tony
Gwynn summer, for Olajuwon to go out a Rocket. Especially since Seattle's
Patrick Ewing, another free agent who hit the market a little late, is
headed for his third team.
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| Hardaway |
Heat guard Tim Hardaway: In the potential Riley clearout, Hardaway is a
prime contender, since Timmy won't want to stomach the pay cut Riles has in
mind. The good news? The Mavericks want to reunite Hardaway with Don Nelson,
preferably in a big sign-and-trade swap featuring Howard Eisley. Since Miami
would be reluctant to take on Eisley's huge contract, a straight signing is
more likely -- although Chicago, Hardaway's hometown team, thinks it can
convince him to sign on and tutor all the high school kiddies. There will be
other suitors as well, surely.
Wizards guard Mitch Richmond: Courtesy of his buyout from Washington,
Richmond joined the other Run TMCers -- yeah, Golden State's Chris Mullin is
available, too -- in the free-agent queue. He wants to go to the Lakers or
Heat, but might find that both teams want to give him only part of the $4.5
million exception. As mentioned way up above, there could be a lot of that
going around. Speculation is already spreading that Portland, New York and
Dallas will be the only teams willing to use the whole $4.5 mil. on one
player ... although Minnesota probably has to consider it if Kevin Garnett
is ever going to get some more help.
Fallen ... and they can't get up
Lakers guard Isaiah Rider: Reduced to volunteering for LA's summer-league team
and begging Phil Jackson to give him one more chance. Much as he revels in
these no-hope cases, Phil probably will provide it.
Sonics guard Ruben Patterson: Should have been one of the off-season's most
intriguing free agents. The intrigue now surrounds how many teams will be
willing to add him after Patterson was sentenced May 15 to a year in jail,
with all but 15 days suspended, under a modified guilty plea to an attempted
rape charge.
Cavaliers forward Chris Gatling: The Blazers' Rod Strickland was another
option here, but we couldn't overlook poor Gatling. Yup, you guessed it:
He's on the move again. Cleveland isn't expected to bring Gat back, which
would force him onto team No. 7 in the past two seasons. Told you hockey
can't hog all the player movement.
Marc Stein, who covers the NBA for The Dallas Morning News, is a regular
contributor with ESPN.com.
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