If we traded for Randolph we'd have to tell Sheed to fuck off - you can't have 2 guys like that on the same team ...
Maybe that's why the Iverson Experience failed? Sheed and AI were just too stoned all the time to play at a reasonable level.
If we traded for Randolph we'd have to tell Sheed to fuck off - you can't have 2 guys like that on the same team ...
Maybe that's why the Iverson Experience failed? Sheed and AI were just too stoned all the time to play at a reasonable level.
Quote:
Hornets take advantage of loan program
Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS -- The Hornets have decided to take advantage of an NBA loan program despite having by far their best season at the ticket office since moving to New Orleans in 2002.
"We accepted the loan that the NBA made available to all its teams to keep our options open in case these funds are needed in the future," Hornets President Hugh Weber said in a statement sent by e-mail Thursday to The Associated Press.
The Hornets have sold out 22 games this season, smashing the previous high of 13 sellouts last season, the Hornets' first in New Orleans full-time since Hurricane Katrina. Average attendance this season is 16,977, and the official sellout figure for the New Orleans Arena for Hornets games is 17,188.
Led by the All-Star tandem of Chris Paul and David West, the Hornets also have made the playoffs for a second straight season, which will further enhance the club's bottom line.
"We are experiencing unprecedented success in ticket sales and sponsorships and by no means was this loan acquired to subsidize our daily operating expenses," Weber said.
With the recession hitting the country hard and credit markets freezing up during this season, the NBA lined up a $200 million line of credit with several major financial institutions. Between $13 million and $20 million was made available to teams expressing interest in the funds.
In mid-March, Weber said the Hornets had yet to take the NBA up on the credit offer. He also announced at that time that because the Hornets were playing home games before crowds approaching 99 percent of capacity, the team would not be seeking a subsidy from the state that, under the terms of its lease, could have run as high as $6.8 million if the attendance had been below 80 percent of available seating.
Still, in part because the Hornets' attempted trade of center Tyson Chandler to Oklahoma City fell through, the team could be in danger of having a player payroll several million dollars above the NBA's 2009-10 luxury tax threshold. The luxury tax figure hasn't yet been set but is expected to be lower than this season's $71.2 million figure because it is tied to league revenues, which are expected to slump somewhat during the recession.
The NBA punishes overspending teams by charging a dollar-for-dollar tax on the amount by which they spend beyond the threshold. In the Hornets' case, that could mean a penalty of around $6 million barring major cost-cutting roster moves after the season ends.
Not only have the Hornets never paid a luxury tax, but the club usually receives a distribution of luxury tax money as a reward for keeping its payroll below the threshold.
Meanwhile, if the recession lasts longer than hoped, the Hornets could be challenged to maintain current levels of attendance and sponsorships, though so far Weber has maintained that, based on current renewals, attendance should be strong again next season.
Weber asserted that the loan has much more to do with capitalizing on an unusual opportunity to increase the amount of cash on hand.
"The opportunity to secure this kind of loan during such tough economic times shows the strength and confidence that financial institutions have in the NBA," Weber said.
Learn to write.Quote:
Meanwhile, if the recession lasts longer than hoped
Love him or hate him, Mavs fans are lucky to have an owner like Mark Cuban who is willing to spend to win.
Hopefully, Joe has the ability to employ some of these tactics, too.
http://mavsblog.dallasnews.com/archi...n-a-for-m.htmlQuote:
Getting Chris Paul could be Plan A for Mavs' summer
7:00 AM Thu, Apr 09, 2009
Tim MacMahon
Picture Chris Paul in a Mavericks uniform.
That might make it easier for MFFLs to watch this weekend's home-and-home series with New Orleans if Paul dominates Dallas, as he does most times the Hornets and Mavs meet. But it's also a realistic scenario for next season.
The thought has apparently crossed Mark Cuban's mind. Rumor has it the Mavs brass let the powers that be in the Big Easy know before the trade deadline that they'd take the Hornets' two worst contracts off their hands in a package with Paul. I'd wager the value of Paul's four-year, max contract extension that kicks in next season that the Mavericks will put on the full-court press with that proposal this summer.
Acquiring Paul, a perennial MVP candidate who hasn't even hit his prime yet, and a couple of his overpaid pals would be a no-brainer basketball deal for the Mavs. For the Hornets, such a deal would make sense only because of the dollars.
The Hornets are a prime example of a team that might have to make a desperate, cost-cutting deal due to the economy. They play in a small market still recovering from Hurricane Katrina and are in luxury-tax territory. That awful combination led them to trade Tyson Chandler for spare parts in the middle of a playoff race, although Oklahoma City's doctors ultimately vetoed that deal.
Cuban can put together a heck of a bailout package for the Hornets, the bulk of which would consist of the expiring contracts of Jerry Stackhouse, Josh Howard and Erick Dampier.
(Quick contract primer: Stackhouse is on the books for $7 million next season, but he can be bought out for $2 million, making him especially attractive to cost-cutting teams. Howard is due $10.89 million next season and has a team option for 2010-11. Dampier, who didn't reach the incentives to guarantee his 2010-11 salary, will make $12.12 million next season.)
Who would the Hornets want to get rid of so badly that they'd be willing to part with Paul? Peja Stojakovic ($13.39 million next season and $14.26 in 2010-11) would definitely be part of the deal. Chandler ($12.3 next season and $13.2 in 2010-11) probably would be included, too. Morris Peterson (due a total of $12 million over the next two seasons) or James Posey ($19.5 million over three seasons) are other possibilities.
Stojakovic's contract ranks among the worst in the league. He's had a very good career, but he's an oft-injured 40-percent jump shooter these days. But he is the starting small forward for a playoff team.
The Mavs would probably prefer to take Chandler, even with his massive contract, over Peterson or Posey. He'd provide an instant upgrade over Dampier and give Paul the comfort of continuing to work with his pogo-stick pick-and-roll partner. Chandler's athletic, gritty style -- rebounding, blocking shots and finishing -- would be a perfect complement for Dirk's game.
If it's Posey, the Mavs would be getting a savvy role player who has a couple of rings. If it's Peterson, well, that's a small price to pay for the league's best point guard.
Add it all up, including the millions saved by buying out Stack and avoiding the luxury tax (plus the $3 million Cuban seems to toss in with every trade), and this trade trims around $100 million from the Hornets' expenses over the years. That could be tough to turn down for a business-minded owner like George Shinn, especially if New Orleans fans don't pack their arena for playoff games.
For a basketball-minded owner like Cuban, the chance to make Paul a Maverick is worth pursuing.
Cuban has repeatedly said the Mavs will be "opportunistic" in the trade market and are willing to take on salary if the right situation presents itself. This is the kind of deal Cuban is referring to -- actually, this is the best-case scenario of that kind of deal.
"I want to win," Cuban said last night when asked about his willingness to take on significant salaries under the right circumstances. "If I think it puts us over the top, hell yeah. I'll just go get another job at Dairy Queen."
It's not just talk coming from the brash billionaire. Cuban proved with the Jason Kidd trade last season that he's willing to write the necessary checks to significantly improve the Mavs' chances of winning.
OK, so the Kidd deal hasn't panned out as planned. Hey, if Cuban can get Paul here, Devin Harris will be a distant memory.
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMa...tradeId=dm6gww
no matter how shitty the hornets cap situation is, trading cp3 is like giving up their franchise. Chris Paul IS the Hornets. Never going to happen...ever
related discussion: http://wtfdetroit.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12858
If they trade Chris Paul that franchise might as well shut it's doors - the backlash in New Orleans would be huge.
Wasn't there an article that said they were experiencing great ticket sales, sponsorships etc?
Fuck trading Paul - if they wanna cut costs we can give them Amir for Chandler
OKAFORQuote:
Bobcats May Lose Millions
Partners in the Charlotte Bobcats have been told to expect roughly $35 million in cash losses over the next two years, people familiar with the situation told the Observer.
Those sources said majority owner Bob Johnson recently requested about $28 million in a cash call from his partners, and was generally turned down by the group.
Despite the losses, it seems unlikely the Bobcats would consider a move out of Charlotte in the foreseeable future. Team owners would have to pay tens of millions in penalties under terms of the arena lease, and there would be few non-NBA cities in a position to provide the Bobcats with a facility comparable to Time Warner Cable Arena. -- The Charlotte Observer
Cool!
Imagine a starting PF/C pairing of Chandler and Okafor!
With Dice and Maxiell off the bench (Kwame to NO/Amir to CHA)
[mocking]Why would they trade Okey, they almost made the playoffs?[/mocking]