# Nuggets Have The Greatest Asset Of All



## kingofkings (Jun 9, 2002)

I am talking about salary cap relief. They have 20 million coming off the books this year, in the expiration of Juwan Howard's contract. That itself, would be designed to command even more future draft picks, to teams determined to clear up some salary cap space.

I expect maybe Howard to be moved before the deadline, maybe for a number of future picks, and young players,to a team in desperate need to clear salary cap space.

Of course, the offset of this, is that the Nuggets will also have to take on other guys large salaries just to match Howard's whopping final year paycheck.

But, thinking about it, they have a huge asset here, to any team. They can get some great young talent and draft picks, if they decide to move Howard before the deadline.I know that the Nuggets have some great talent, but need more help in the backcourt.This kind of trade can maybe get them some more studs and just build up a core of great young talent and work from there.

As much as it kills me so say it, Howard is one of the most valuable tradeable commodies, in the entire NBA, just because of the fact that his 20 million salary comes off the books this year.

As we have seen, trades now are for the purposes of clearing cap space and getting rid of guys who eat up significant cap space and this is also a tool to rebuild.

Teams are getting desperate to dump payroll, so the Nuggets are in a solid position, IF they decide to trade Howard. Just something to think about!


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## tay money (Aug 13, 2002)

So what kind of deals can you dream up? I would like to see howard traded as well, maybe for a mid level veteran PG or C (cassell or ratliff maybe) and some solid backup at a position (like Redd that was just signed) that have maybe 2-3 years left on a contract, then add some scrubs to add up to 20 mil, then actually resign howard during the summer for 6 mil or so per. Something like this

PG Cassell, Satterfield, Harrington
SG Posey, (draft choice{lebron, james white, paulding})
SF White, Skita, Bowen
PF Howard, Harvey, C Anderson
C Camby, Nene, Ervin Johnson

My fear is the same that chicago had and got stuck with overpaying Mercer, that you need some players to get players. You can't just have draft picks and expect people to come. The other option is to go for Clipper players. Get Miller and Kandi to come, or QRich and Brand, or some other teammate combo in the league that are both free agents.


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## Devestata (May 29, 2002)

If anything, they need to worry about getting a PG via Free Agency before anything else. THEN, they can worry about what spots they still need to work on during the draft. I am sure Center, Power Forward, and Small Forward are set with White, Tskita, and Nene, but the Nuggets will probably have the worse backcourt this year...


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## Petey (Aug 23, 2002)

I think they should play it out and see what they youngsters are made of...

But if a Howard won't get traded to alot of teams for talent reasons. The Bucks didn't want to go over the cap, yet they resigned Redd. So now why would they trade Cassell, instead of just letting Redd walk before?

-Petey


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## tay money (Aug 13, 2002)

It's my understanding that the Bucks were already over the cap, so it's really just a luxury tax penalty (dollar for dollar). I don't think they would have done this move if they were under, then they lose all the 'redistributed' monies that the league gets in the luxury tax situations. This is the reason orlando did the don reid deal with us, to get under the cap and get money back from the league instead of paying the league. Also, free agency doesn't happen until after the draft, so we would have to trade for a player, then draft, then sign free agents. That's why teams draft in fear of losing a player. The bucks would do this deal if it got them under the cap, and 20 mil would do that. Ray allen alone makes like 14 mil, and maybe they could have Redd start at the 2 if they traded Ray. Besides, the point of bringing up Redd was as an example, I don't necessarily thing he is a great player for the nuggets.


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## Petey (Aug 23, 2002)

Allen is an All-Star, do you think they would trade an All-Star to hand the position over to a guy who is not (yet a very good player) to save money, but making their team that much inferior?

-Petey


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