Question about trading players who opt out of their contracts

[Admin]

Obviously I'm thinking about Dwight Howard here, but it could apply to any player who opts out of their contract. So here is my question, in 2 parts, about a player who has opted out of their contract.

1. Does the team still hold that players bird rights, so that they can give the player the extra year and dollars, and then trade that player to get something back for him?

2. If a player who was opting out of his contract at seasons was traded mid-season, would the team acquiring him also acquire his bird rights and then be able to trade him for something while giving him the extra year and dollars?

My thinking is that let's say that we do make a trade for Dwight Howard for player(s) X. Dwight finishes the season in Atlanta but then decides that he wants to play in NJ or LA or Dallas. Obviously player(s) X would have to be decent players to be able to get Dwight so we'd be giving up valuable players and only getting a half season of Dwight, but if we're able to trade him after he opts out then we could get a good player in return. From NJ we would start with Lopez. From LA we'd start with Bynum or Gasol. From Dallas we'd probably start with Beaubois and Odom. So basically we wouldn't be giving away player(s) X now and be left with nothing at the end as we'd obviously be able to get some quality pieces to add to what we'd have left on our roster.

[MaceCase]

From Coon's article in ESPN

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/CBA-111128/how-new-nba-deal-compares-last-one

• 2005 CBA: Six years with 10.5 percent raises for Bird free agents; five years with 8 percent raises for other players. Maximum salaries are approximately 25, 30 or 35 percent of the salary cap, depending on the player's years of service.

• 2011 CBA: Five years with 7.5 percent raises for Bird free agents; four years with 4.5 percent raises for other players (including all sign-and-trade transactions).

Now the new CBA has actually not been made official so there might be changes but according to that....

There is truly no reason for Dwight to bother with a sign and trade because it doesn't offer him any benefits like the old CBA, it would be treated like just a normal free agent signing. There would also be no reason for a team with cap space to offer a sign and trade So Brooklyn would not have to deal with us and neither would Dallas if they shed contracts like they claim they can.

So basically yes we could sign and trade him but that's at Dwight's and the other team's discretion thus why Dwight would prefer to be traded to one of his preferable free agent destinations now so that they'd have Bird rights on him for an extension.

[Admin]

Thanks for the very informative response Mace! Definitely ends the discussion for me as to whether I'd trade anything of value for a non-extended Dwight.

BTW, if we were to re-acquire Jamal, which I don't expect to happen but you never know, what would your username become? MaceCaseToCrawfulToCrawsomeToMaceCaseTo[....]

[MaceCase]

Thanks for the very informative response Mace! Definitely ends the discussion for me as to whether I'd trade anything of value for a non-extended Dwight.

BTW, if we were to re-acquire Jamal, which I don't expect to happen but you never know, what would your username become? MaceCaseToCrawfulToCrawsomeToMaceCaseTo[....]

Well loosen up the waiting period of a year for a name change and you'd find out

[Admin]

Well loosen up the waiting period of a year for a name change and you'd find out

Become a Hawksquawk Supporter and change it monthly

[MaceCase]

Become a Hawksquawk Supporter and change it monthly

I would but I heard the funds go to this Kony character that the internets are telling me not to support or something like that....

That and the badge just ruins the fung shui of my avy.

[Admin]

I would but I heard the funds go to this Kony character that the internets are telling me not to support or something like that....

That and the badge just ruins the fung shui of my avy.

Oh man that's even being talked about on here now??

For you I'd even consider making a custom badge!