Not many teams using the amnesty?

[DJT]

Finally, thanks to an amnesty clause in the new labor deal, every NBA team can wipe one bad contract off their books and never have to deal with it again. A “get out of jail free” card for NBA GMs. We like to call it the Gilbert Arenas rule. That should lead to a flood of players kicked to the curb, right? RIGHT?

Wrong. More like a trickle.

Because teams have a few years to use it (so long as the player is on the roster pre-lockout they can use it whenever), most teams are putting the amnesty card in their back pocket, reports Howard Beck at the New York Times.

“I don’t think there will be very many at all,” said one team executive, who asked to remain anonymous while the lockout remains in effect.

At most, three to six teams will take advantage of the amnesty clause this year, the executive said — a view that was echoed by others around the league. The reasons are varied and complicated.

Some teams are so far above the cap that removing one player will not provide room to sign free agents. A few teams have such low payrolls that they would dip below the minimum-payroll requirements. At least 10 teams have no obvious candidates for amnesty.

We call it the Gilbert Arenas rule, although the Magic could use it on Hedo Turkoglu and we’d understand. (Remember in all cases the player still gets paid his full contract, it just comes off salary cap and luxury tax numbers.) But that is the exception of having an obvious target to amnesty.

A more typical case might be the Los Angeles Lakers. Sure, they would like to trim some of the $93 million they have in salary next season and to amnesty a player is one way. They could use it on Luke Walton, but he comes off the books the same year the tax goes up so you only really get a short-term boost letting him go. They could let Metta World Peace (Ron Artest) go, he is owed three years and $18.8 million. But wouldn’t the Lakers be better off trying to win with him for another year and then losing him next season (or the season after when the tax goes up)? The Lakers are way over the cap and the luxury tax line, who are they going to pick up that is better than World Peace to fill that role?

Most GMs don’t have an obvious hand to play, so they may sit on their cards and see how things play out. They know when to hold ‘em.

Of course, if they hadn’t given out these contracts in the first place….

 

[RipCity32]

Yeah, probably won't be as many players waived as expected.
I mean they are going to be paying a guy to not even play for the team at the end of the day.

 

[Giantmetfan07]

Amazing. Just a day ago I kept hearing all this speculation about players that would possibly sign for minimum after their teams used the amnesty waive, and now it seems like hardly any of the GMs will use it. Which makes sense if you don't NEED to use it right now. In fact, probably smarter to hang onto it for next off-season. Going to be a much bigger Free Agent class and you never know if someone sucks ass this season, and then you wish you had that Amnesty clause, lol.

 

[Pugz]

i say we waive rip after reading this lol

 

[RipCity32]

I'd still much rather waive Gordon lol.
I don't think Dumars will waive Rip, and really I don't want us to.
Dude is going to have his name in the rafters one day, to do that to a Piston great would be disrespectful.
Plus we know Dumars likes to take care of his players.

I'm starting to think we don't use it at all.

 

[Pugz]

I'd still much rather waive Gordon lol.
I don't think Dumars will waive Rip, and really I don't want us to.
Dude is going to have his name in the rafters one day, to do that to a Piston great would be disrespectful.
Plus we know Dumars likes to take care of his players.

I'm starting to think we don't use it at all.

reason why i dont think we will and why i think dumars should have been fired. he makes a lot of iffy choices because he respects his players too much and has personal relationships with them. sure thats good but it hurts us when he wont get rid of them. i can see him bringing tayshaun back.

 

[RipCity32]

Couldn't agree more.
I REALLY hope Gores has him on a very tight leash.
If he brings back Prince, I will be so unbelievably mad.
Jerebko, Daye, and Singler are all capable of playing SF, we have no use for Tayshaun anymore.

 

[Giantmetfan07]

if he brings Tayshaun back I really feel bad for you guys.

 

[DJT]

Watch them ditch Prince and sign AK47 lol