Chicago Bulls Salaries and Analysis

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CHICAGO BULLS

2013-14

Draft Picks Coming: 2014 first round (Charlotte, protected 1-10); 2014 first round (Sacramento, 1-12); 2015 first round (Miami, 1-10; Cleveland, 1-14, right to switch); 2015 second round (Portland); 2016 second round (Portland)

Draft Picks Going: None

Trade Exceptions: None

Over/Under: Over the cap, under the tax

Amnesty Provision: Available

Stretch Provision: Used on Richard Hamilton

SALARIES

PLAYER 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18
Derrick Rose $17,630,000 $18,860,000 $20,090,000 $21,320,000
Carlos Boozer  $15,300,000 $16,800,000
Joakim Noah $11,100,000  $12,200,000 $13,400,000
 Taj Gibson  $7,550,000 $8,000,000  $8,550,000 $8,950,000
Andrew Bynum $6,000,000  
 Kirk Hinrich  $4,060,000
Mike Dunleavy $3,180,000  $3,330,000
Tony Snell $1,410,000 $1,470,000 $1,540,000
  $2,370,000  $3,390,000
Nazr Mohammed $1,400,000
 Jimmy Butler $1,110,000  $2,010,000  $3,180,000
D.J. Augustin $1,030,000
T. Shengelia $790,000
Erik Murphy $490,000
Richard Hamilton $340,000  $330,000 $330,000
TOTAL SALARY $71,390,000 $63,000,000 $47,040,000 $32,640,000 $3,390,000

Player Option Team Option Qualifying Offer

ANALYSIS

For the second straight season, the Bulls were projected to be a tax-paying team. And for the second straight season, they were without Derrick Rose for an extended stretch. So they decided to change their finances.

After Rose went down, the Bulls traded impending free agent Luol Deng to the Cleveland Cavaliers for the dumpable contract of Andrew Bynum and three draft picks, including one in the first round. The trade allowed the Bulls to get under the luxury tax threshold, which has impacted their ability to fill out their bench the last two seasons.

Two years ago, the “Bench Mob” included Omer Asik, Kyle Korver, C.J. Watson and Ronnie Brewer. All were let go last summer and replaced by the likes of Richard Hamilton, Marco Belinelli, Nate Robinson and Nazr Mohammed.

Mohammed is back on a one-year veteran’s minimum deal. But Hamilton was waived – saving $4 million – and Belinelli and Robinson are gone in search of more money in multiyear deals.

The Bulls did use their taxpayer exception smartly on Mike Dunleavy, who will provide some outside shooting and veteran savvy.

One way to create some flexibility would have been to use the amnesty provision on Carlos Boozer, which would save $32 million against the cap and tax over the next two years and activate the mid-level and bi-annual exceptions. However, owner Jerry Reinsdorf was reluctant to take on that much dead money, especially with the rights to Nikola Mirotic and a likely lottery pick from Charlotte coming. 

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Charlotte Bobcats Salaries and Analysis

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CHARLOTTE BOBCATS

2013-14

Draft Picks Coming: 2014 first round (Portland, protected 1-12); 2014 first round (Detroit, 1-8)

Draft Picks Going: 2014 first round (to Chicago, 1-10); 2016 second round (to San Antonio, 31-55)

Trade Exceptions: None

Over/Under: Over the cap, under the tax

Amnesty Provision: Used on Tyrus Thomas (2013) 

Stretch Provision: Available

SALARIES

PLAYER 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18
Al Jefferson $13,500,000 $13,500,000 $13,500,000
Ben Gordon $13,200,000
Gerald Henderson $6,000,000 $6,000,000 $6,000,000
 M. Kidd-Gilchrist $4,810,000  $5,020,000  $6,330,000  $8,260,000
Luke Ridnour $4,420,000
Cody Zeller  $3,860,000 $4,030,000 $4,200,000
 $5,320,000  $7,010,000
Gary Neal $3,250,000  $3,250,000
Bismack Biyombo $3,050,000  $3,870,000  $5,480,000
Josh McRoberts $2,650,000 $2,780,000
 Kemba Walker $2,570,000 $3,270,000  $4,680,000
Brendan Haywood $2,050,000
 Jannero Pargo $1,400,000
Anthony Tolliver $1,030,000
 C. Douglas-Roberts $950,000
 Jeffery Taylor  $790,000  $920,000
TOTAL SALARY $63,520,000 $42,640,000 $40,190,000 $13,580,000 $7,010,000

Player Option Team Option Qualifying Offer

ANALYSIS

It took a while under owner Michael Jordan, but the Bobcats are finally starting to act like a real NBA team.

This summer, the Bobcats made the biggest free agent signing in team history, inking Al Jefferson to a three-year, $41 million deal. Given Charlotte’s lack of offensive firepower, it is not silly to suggest that Jefferson could be a 20-10 guy this season.

The Bobcats became willing to admit mistakes as GM Rich Cho used the amnesty provision on Tyrus Thomas, taking on up to $18 million of dead money over the next two years. It remains to be seen whether Jordan will spend that money.

The Bobcats also have handled their own free agents relatively smartly. They did not make a qualifying offer to Byron Mullens, an odd-skilled player they aren’t good enough to slot. The made a qualifying offer to Gerald Henderson, allowing the market to set his price before re-signing him at the fair price of $6 million per year. And they re-signed Josh McRoberts – a tougher version of Mullens – for just two years at a manageable number.

Jefferson’s signing could impede the development of first-round pick Cody Zeller but it is possible the two could play together for stretches. 

Even with Henderson back in the fold, the Bobcats desperately needed more shooting and tired to address that late in free agency with the signing of Anthony Tolliver.

Next summer, the contracts of Gordon, Ramon Sessions and Brendan Haywood come off the books, providing cap room for extensions for Kemba Walker and Bismack Biyombo. 

The Bobcats also have two extra first-round picks coming in one of the next three drafts to offset the pick they surrendered to Chicago in the Thomas deal.

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Oklahoma City Thunder Salaries and Analysis

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OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

2013-14

Draft Picks Coming: 2014 first round (Dallas, protected 1-20); 2014 second round (Philadelphia, 31-50, 55-60); 2017 second round (Memphis, 31-55)

Draft Picks Going: 2014 second round (to Toronto)

Trade Exceptions: Eric Maynor ($2,340,000), expires Feb. 21, 2014; Kevin Martin ($6,500,000), expires July 11, 2014

Over/Under: Over the cap, under the tax

Amnesty Provision: Available

Stretch Provision: Available

SALARIES

PLAYER 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18
Kevin Durant $17,830,000 $19,000,000 $20,160,000  
Russell Westbrook $14,690,000 $15,720,000 $16,740,000 $17,770,000
Serge Ibaka $12,350,000 $12,350,000 $12,350,000 $12,350,000
Kendrick Perkins  $8,730,000 $9,400,000
Thabo Sefolosha $3,900,000
Nick Collison $2,590,000 $2,240,000
Jeremy Lamb $2,110,000 $2,200,000  $3,030,000 $4,180,000
Steven Adams $2,090,000  $2,180,000  $2,280,000 $3,140,000 $4,320,000
Derek Fisher $1,400,000
Reggie Jackson $1,260,000  $2,200,000  $3,400,000
Hasheem Thabeet $1,200,000  $1,250,000
Perry Jones $1,080,000 $1,130,000 $2,040,000 $3,040,000
Andre Roberson $740,000 $1,160,000  $1,210,000 $2,180,000 $3,210,000
TOTAL SALARY $69,970,000 $68,830,000 $61,210,000 $42,660,000 $7,530,000

Player Option Team Option Qualifying Offer

ANALYSIS

Thunder GM Sam Presti said he had no intention of using his amnesty provision on center Kendrick Perkins, who has two years and $18.1 million left on his deal. Apparently, he meant it.

Here were the arguments for releasing Perkins via amnesty: His salary already has directly influenced the decisions to trade James Harden and not re-sign Kevin Martin, the primary chip in the Harden deal; his offense is non-existent and his value as a low post defender and shot-blocker is marginalized by a league filled with teams playing small ball; and letting go of him gives Presti the ability to use his cap exceptions without approaching the luxury tax.

Here were the arguments for not releasing Perkins: No center is more of a pain in the neck to Dwight Howard; the center duo of Hasheem Thabeet and rookie Steven Adams is a scary thought; and owner Clay Bennett probably looks at releasing Perkins as dead money rather than more room below the tax threshold.

Presti never really replaced Harden. Can he afford to not replace Martin? People say nice things about Jeremy Lamb – another piece in the Harden trade – but he played 147 minutes as a rookie. It is doubtful that he is ready to be a double-digit scorer off the bench.

In Lamb, Perry Jones, Reggie Jackson and the expiring contract of Thabo Sefolosha, Presti has pieces he could trade for a backcourt scorer. Or he could use a portion of his mid-level exception or his bi-annual exception to bring in someone like Aaron Brooks. Instead, he took back a trade exception for Martin.

With Serge Ibaka’s contract extension kicking in, the Thunder look like the Heat with training wheels as they try to fill in around three stars consuming 80 percent of the team’s cap room. Future drafts will help; OKC doesn’t owe any first-round picks. 

But if the Thunder want to be a championship team instead of a “sustainable team,” Bennett is going to have to loosen the purse strings at some point. That’s just business as usual in the NBA.

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Philadelphia 76ers Salaries and Analysis

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PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

2013-14

Draft Picks Coming: 2014 first round (New Orleans, protected 1-5); 2014 second round (Houston); 2014 second round (Brooklyn); 2014 second round (Cleveland); 2014 second round (Memphis); 2015 second round (New Orleans); 2015 second round (Golden State); 2016 second round (Denver); 2018 second round (LA Clippers) 

Draft Picks Going: 2014 first round (to Boston, protected 1-14); 2014 second round (to Memphis, 31-50, 56-60); 2014 second round (to LA Clippers, conditional); 2016 first round (to Orlando, 1-14)

Trade Exceptions: None

Over/Under: Under the floor

Amnesty Provision: Used on Elton Brand (2012)

Stretch Provision: Available

SALARIES

PLAYER 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18
Danny Granger  $14,020,000
Thaddeus Young $8,850,000  $9,410,000  $9,970,000
Jason Richardson $6,200,000  $6,600,000
Earl Clark $4,250,000 $4,250,000
Nerlens Noel  $3,170,000 $3,320,000  $3,460,000  $4,380,000 $5,850,000
Kwame Brown $2,950,000
M. Carter-Williams $2,200,000 $2,300,000 
 $2,400,000   $3,180,000 $4,360,000
Eric Maynor $2,020,000 $2,110,000
Royce White $1,720,000    
  
Tony Wroten $1,160,000 $1,210,000  $2,180,000  $3,200,000
Arnett Moultrie  $1,090,000 $1,140,000 $2,050,000
 $3,040,000
Byron Mullens  $950,000 $1,060,000
James Anderson  $920,000  $980,000
Elliot Williams $920,000
Henry Sims $790,000
Hollis Thompson  $490,000 $820,000  $950,000  $1,020,000
Brandon Davies $490,000   $820,000 $950,000   $1,020,000
Lorenzo Brown  $490,000  
TOTAL SALARY $52,680,000 $28,710,000 $21,960,000 $15,840,000 $10,210,000

Player Option Team Option Qualifying Offer 

ANALYSIS

New GM Sam Hinkie appears to be following the tanking rebuilding blueprint of his former boss.

While in Houston, Hinkie helped GM Daryl Money acquire young players and draft picks that were packaged for James Harden and shed payroll that was used to sign Dwight Howard. A similar plan looks to be in place in Philadelphia, where Hinkie showed no interest in re-signing Andrew Bynum and on draft night traded All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday.

That cleared about $25 million off his cap. Even with the contracts due lottery picks Nerlens Noel and Michael Carter-Williams, the 2013-14 payroll is well below the salary floor.

The roster is being filled with players on one-year or non-guaranteed deals to preserve the cap space until next summer. If Hinkie does not make a qualifying offer to Evan Turner, he could have enough cap space to sign two top-tier free agents in a good class.

Hinkie also will have two likely lottery picks in a loaded draft next June – his own, because the Sixers are going to be awful, and one acquired with Noel in the trade with New Orleans, which is only protected through the top five picks.

And the Sixers won’t be anywhere near the tax line, which will make new owner Josh Harris happy.

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Bernucca: Will the $30 Million Player Become Extinct?

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Jordan_by_Lipofsky_16577Like three to make two, the 10-second violation and low-top sneakers, the $30 million NBA player may become a thing of the past.

A handful of stars have approached and even crossed the magical monetary mountaintop, which is something when you consider that the collective bargaining agreement has a maximum salary restraint.

Michael Jordan – who else? – was the first player to make $30 million in one season, negotiating about an 800 percent raise after the 1995-96 season. That was Jordan’s first full campaign after returning from his first retirement, when he led the Chicago Bulls to a record 72 wins and was MVP of both the regular season and NBA Finals.

Jordan took a 10 percent raise to $33.14 million for the 1997-98 season, his last before retiring again. Since then, both Shaquille O’Neal and Kevin Garnett easily could have crossed the threshold had they not reworked their deals to take less money over more years.

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