Ben S.: How about JJ Hickson at PF? Supposedly the Cavs wouldn’t include him in a potential Amar’e deal that could have ultimately led to Lebron re-signing.

Good one! Hickson is the classic parallel if the Clips kill the Paul trade over Bledsoe. Where is Hickson now? (not Cleveland!)

Brian Cronin (@Brian_Cronin):
Matt Geiger has to be the center, because he actually held up a blockbuster trade. His refusal to waive his trade-kicker led to the Iverson to Detroit blockbuster falling apart. Then Iverson goes on to win the MVP that season for Philly.Craziness.

And it was bench warmer Devan George that was holding up the Kidd trade, not Van Horn.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3244818

Conor:
I’ve read, and I don’t know for sure that it’s true, that if you amnesty a guy, it still counts against your salary floor.(Obviously not the cap or tax). But teams don’t have to keep a guy they want to ammnesty just because of meeting the floor.Maybe someone could confirm that?

It’s confusing (and I may be wrong) but it seems to be the case that if you amnesty a player, he doesn’t coun’t against the cap if you’re trying to get under the cap, but he does if you’re trying to stay above the floor.

And yes, that’s weird.

Brian Cronin (@Brian_Cronin):
Matt Geiger has to be the center, because he actually held up a blockbuster trade. His refusal to waive his trade-kicker led to the Iverson to Detroit blockbuster falling apart. Then Iverson goes on to win the MVP that season for Philly.Craziness.

Forgot about that. Yes, Geiger over Mozzie…

C – Matt Freaking Geiger
PF – Mo Taylor
SF – Van Horn (though he didn’t block the deal)
SG -
PG – Eric Bledsoe

Robert Silverman (@BobSaietta): Good one.

C – Moz
PF
SF – Van Horn
SG –
PG – Bledsoe

Keep ‘em coming!

Robert Silverman (@BobSaietta): Good one.

C – Moz
PF
SF – Van Horn
SG –
PG – Bledsoe

Keep ‘em coming!

From The Daily News 2000: The Knicks still may have been able to work out a two-team trade with Seattle involving the 28-year-old Baker and Ewing but that was squashed when free agent Maurice Taylor spurned the Sonics yesterday. Houston is expected to sign Taylor to its $2.25 million exception. David Falk – the agent for Ewing, Rice and Taylor – was said to be trying to buy some time to make the Ewing deal work, but to no avail.

I’d put Mo Taylor instead of Hickson at the 4, since Cleveland denies that rumor.

JK47:
Help me out, capologists: Does it make more sense for Cleveland to simply waive Baron Davis, since they would need his salary to count towards the salary floor?If they waive him rather than amnesty him I would think the chances of him coming here are very, very good.

I don’t think it makes sense for Cleveland to do either. Why would they pay him $30 million to play against them? There is no tax incentive to amnestying him, and unless they have a player in mind to spend their cap space on, then there is no cap incentive either. It would be wiser to keep him, let him re-establish himself as a coveted player, then let him opt out for a long term deal with someone else (or trade his 2013 expiring contract next year).