The beauty of the trade exception: patience.

by 3.3seconds on Jul 9, 2009 8:08 PM EDT

So we have a reported $8 million trade exception, which we received in the recently announced Hedo Turkoglu sign-and-trade. There's a lot of speculation about what we're going to use it for, but let me point out again: we have it for a whole calendar year. Which means to me...

At the moment, we're in the free agent market. We are signing up free agents, and filling out the team. At this point, if we used the trade exception to get an $8 million dollar player who wanted to leave his team, we'd have to pay him $8 million dollars. Or more, given the luxury tax. Are we going to do this? Unlikely! We might get a cheap guy for cheap money, but we don't want any $8 million guys.

But consider this: It's the trade deadline. Maybe two thirds of the way through the season. The Magic use their $8 million exception, pursuing an $8 million dollar guy who has an expiring contract. Maybe they throw in a draft pick or something; maybe the guy is on a team deep in the lottery, he wants to go, the team is glad to deal him so as to lose more games. Either way, we've got an $8 million player... and we're paying him at a pro-rated salary, because he didn't spend most of the season with the team. Maybe he gets $3 million from us -- we're over the tax, of course, but even doubled, it's simply not that much money. And he's here for the playoffs, which is where we really need that extra boost over the top.

I'm not speculating on any individual names, because I don't quite understand the full details of the exception, and I don't know which teams will be out of the playoff picture in February. I'm just saying... if we don't see that trade exception move in the next couple months, don't panic. As far as cost-benefit ratios go, it's more valuable to us in the early days of 2010...

This FanPost was made by a member of the Orlando Pinstriped Post community, and is to be treated as the opinions and views of its author, not that of the blogger or blog community as a whole.

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very well said...good point

by GoMagic on Jul 10, 2009 1:52 AM EDT reply actions

...it is a virtue, after all...

…watch…

this will prove to be valuable come allstar break time…currently and assuredly in years to come, success in the nba will be less about which "names" you have on your roster and more about financial management of you roster…the nba is big business after all and our ownership group has certainly proven to their honorary 6th man that they are about winning…..

you have to continue to put your team in a position to have talent year in and year out…without desperately throwing money at free agents…

we will be fine…while other teams are trying to match their rosters to compete with us…WE ARE US…….we are the eastern champs

here’s the deal…we have 2 allstars (albeit 1 perennial and one on the rise) at the 2 most important positions….the point and the center……and dwight is arguably, if not the undisputed best big man in the game….add a "young" seasoned veteran rashard lewis who has all but changed the power forward position as we know it and now vince carter…yeah he ain’t the same as he used to be but he’s still top 10 at his position…

now take a look at these "great" free agent signings that have been going on….. all past their prime and most of them wayyyyy overpaid…..

not to worry…all we need is 6 fouls at the center postion…i mean how many minutes of rest does dwight need and if he goes down…does it really matter who have behind him? Season Over……..these guys can be had for cheap: J.Smith, R.Nesterovic, Jamaal Magloire, Theo Ratliff, Aaron Gray, Sean Marks – all still wanting to keep their passports at home, if you know what i mean, see starbury…..(i haven’t checked the status of every center still out there but you get my drift)

i know we need another big also….D.Gooden? B.Bass?….if not then Chris Wilcox, Shelden Williams….or ahem even fillers like: Maceo Baston, Malik Rose, Stromile Swift?

unfortunately i have been watching the summer league… if we can pick up a couple of those guys (hendrix, powell, robinson) and get one or two second tier free agents… hey, c’mon…we are still the team to beat

Just one man's opinion...

"mark my words...we will draft 2 corners within the first 4 picks", hwyatt3 said with confidence prior to the draft
Projection: White and Turner - each will have at least 3 to 5 TD's this year...watch!

by hwyatt3 on Jul 10, 2009 3:19 AM EDT reply actions

You say unfortunately as if watching the Summer League is bad, hah.

I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.

"Never hate your enemies. It affects your judgement." - Michael Corleone

by erivera7 on Jul 11, 2009 2:07 PM EDT up reply actions

I went every year in vegas when I lived there

It is great..

I went to the one in LA when Bosh and Carmelo were rookies..

"No matter where you go, you are what you are playa"-Jay Z

by Wmillion on Jul 11, 2009 2:38 PM EDT up reply actions

im a total geek.........ive loved every minute of it

hey…….i joined phinsider during the 1-15 offseason…..and loved it

i checked you guys out over here during the season a few times but really jumped on after the finals…..mostly reading………but now that ive got my feet wet im here to stay………

you and ben run a great site………you both show great knowledge of our team and the sport…….easy to read……..and frequent posts…….love it…….

Just one man's opinion...

by hwyatt3 on Jul 11, 2009 4:42 PM EDT up reply actions