As of 3pm today, Joe Dumars is king (also, NBA teams in financial trouble)

[Kstat]

Disco (Chicago): Chad Ford said the Wizards HAD to get a deal done and yet nothing, why not?

John Hollinger: (3:55 PM ET ) I; shocked and I think they're delusional. really, you want to pay the tax to see if Jamison, Butler and Arenas can go 42-40 and finish 27th in Defensive Efficiency again?At what point do you suppose they'll accept the idea that they aren't contenders and never were? It's going to cost them a lot more to make the same kind of deals this summer once they wake up and smell the coffee -- they may end up having to give Butler to Detroit.

Collin (Syracuse): Im assuming that Richard Jefferson didnt get traded so with him still being in Milwaukee will the Bucks be able to keep both Charlie V and Sessions for the future.

John Hollinger: (3:45 PM ET ) I think that's a really huge question mark. They may have to trade Bogut to somebody under the cap in order to keep both Sessions and Charlie. The only good news is that nobody else has any money either, so they may be able to resign the two at very reasonable dollar figures.

This is just a small example of the leverage he now wields over half the league. There is one and only one bailout option in 2009, and it's Joe Dumars. He can pick and choose the teams he wants to swindle.

And until Joe gives that cap space up, it's going to stay that way until next season starts.

[D's Nuts]

I think people vastly underrated the cap position Joe has placed us in when the trade with Chauncey went down. Would we be better with him, fuck yeah. Would paying him over the next 3/4 years (whatever) give me a hard on versus having flexibility to loot, rape and pillage any other team to my liking? Fuck no.

[WTFchris]

No, I still think we're in a great position by both passing on Ben and moving Billups. I just hope we don't have Orlando part two (when they had all the space and got only Hill).

[Zekyl]

What does Bogut's contract look like? And the only problem I have with Butler is what do we do with Tay? Neither of them are playing the 4, obviously. Does Tay move to the bench? Butler to the bench? Can Butler backup the 2 and 3 and be a super-sub like Rip is now?

[Wilfredo Ledezma]

So did Joe set us up into a potential position like the Clipps had last year? Where we'll be able to take on a decent player's contract (such as Caron Butler) in exchange for a future 2nd rd pick or something...?

[Kstat]

basically.

[shags]

If the 57.4 million figure is correct, only Memphis will have more cap room (about $20 million). The Pistons will be $17 million under the cap. I think Oklahoma City will be next with about $13 million of cap room. And Memphis is notoriously frugal.

It's a great position to be in. For example, if the Wizards win the lottery, the Pistons could offer to take Etan Thomas off their hands for the right to switch 1st rounders with them, and the Pistons could end up with Blake Griffin. It's just one example of the many options Dumars has.

[Pharaoh]

But until he uses that flexibility to actually improve the team it don't mean shit.

[Kstat]

he's gone on record saying he's going to use every asset he has this summer.

[Glenn]

he's gone on record saying he's going to use every asset he has this summer.

I believe you, but do you have a link?

Could it be inferred that saying that means he's putting everything into '09 and saving nothing for '10?

That's how I'm interpreting your post.