Tommy Dee’s post about how the Knicks might use a potential amnesty provision on their own roster got me wondering who might shake loose from other teams. There could be a plethora of guys added to this year’s free agent pool (if there’s a season). Not every team seems to need an amnesty cut, but the following salary albatrosses seem like natural choices wind up on the market (keep in mind it is likely that each team will only have the ability to choose one player to cut):
Charlotte:
- Boris Diaw
- Corey Maggette
- Ty Thomas
- Desagana Diop
Cleveland:
- Antawn Jamison
- Baron Davis
- Daniel Gibson
- Ramon Sessions
Denver:
- Al Harrington
- Chris Andersen
Detroit:
- Richard Hamilton
- Ben Gordon
- Charlie Villanueva
Houston:
- Luis Scola
- Hasheem Thabeet
- Jonny Flynn
Indiana:
- James Posey
LA Clippers:
- Mo Williams
- Ryan Gomes
LA Lakers:
- Metta World Peace [1]
- Luke Walton
Miami:
- Mike Miller
Milwaukee:
- Beno Udrih
- Drew Gooden
New Jersey:
- Travis Outlaw
New Orleans:
- Emeka Okafor [2]
- Trevor Ariza
- Jarrett Jack
Orlando:
- Gilbert Arenas
- Hidayet Turkoglu
Philadelphia:
- Andres Nocioni
- Elton Brand [3]
Phoenix:
- Josh Childress
- Hakeem Warrick
Portland:
- Brandon Roy [4]
Sacramento:
- John Salmons
- Francisco Garcia
San Antonio:
- Richard Jefferson
Toronto:
- Jose Calderon
Utah:
- Mehmet Okur
Washington:
- Rashard Lewis
There you have it. Now that I’ve spent my morning putting this list together, rest assured that the amnesty provision will not become a reality.
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[1] Sharp decline in production and several years remaining on contract.
[2] Owed superstar money for a franchise that has trouble paying the bills.
[3] Philly is already slightly under the cap. Cutting Brand, who has 2 years and between $35 and $40 million left on the cap would give them more than max space this summer (or, if they wait to use it, next).
[4] An arthritic knee will likely end Roy’s career well before his contract expires in 2013/2014. That same arthritic knee makes his max contract untradeable. May as well get out from under it while they can.
I like your list but I think I’d take Mike Miller off it. He was hurt last year, but I don’t think he’s done and Miami need depth. Ty Thomas and Luis Scola should also be able to hang around their current teams. Both are probably worth their current salaries. The whole idea is interesting. At this point I don’t care what the rules are as long as they are reasonable. I just want to see some basketball.