[dodgydave]

Just to clear something up...

Lin's contract is NOT a massive hit for Houston in year 3 (2014-15 season). For Houston's cap considerations the (approx) $25mill contract is split evenly over it's three year lifetime (or $8.33mill per season).

The 5/5/15 split (the final year spike making it known as a "poison pill contract") only applies to the player's original team (in this case the Knicks) looking to match the contract as Lin was a restricted free agent. (Houston also did exactly the samed with Asik to pry him from the Bulls. Incidently Harden also has a posion pill contract too for what it's worth). The reason Houston structured the contracts like that is under the collective bargaining agreement Lin was only eligible to be offered an "average player salary" for his first year with a 4.5% increase on this salary in year two. However, there are no restrictions on the third year — hence the massive jump.

For the Knicks (or Bulls in Asik's case) their cap hit will be in 5/5/15mill lots over the three years. The giant third year makes matching difficult if they already have significant long term contracts that will drive them over the cap and/or into the luxury tax costing them significant money and limiting future free agent signings.

For Houston's cap each contract is split evenly over the contract lifetime so no third year spike.

I'm a big Rockets fan and I'm on the fence about the Howard signing. I think it can work if Howard brings the right attitude.

If he shows up wanting to rebound, defend and run the pick and roll with Harden he can be a beast. If he decides to demand the ball in the post and want the offense to run through him, like he did at times in LA, then it is going to mess up Houston's offense. Either way he should improve their defence.

I think he rounded in to form by the end of last season reasonably well considering he was coming off back surgery which is not an insignificant procedure to undergo.

I'm not sure what to think of the rumours of adding Josh Smith. Paired with Howard he'd form an amazing defensive front court but he isn't an ideal fit for Houston's offense (essentially you score at the rim or from three and avoid mid range jumpers). Smith can definitely score at the rim but teams are going to be happy to let him shoot threes all day. The Rockets really need a stretch four so teams can't risk sagging off to help on the pick and roll. In an ideal world someone like Ryan Anderson would be Houston's four but even with being able to offer up Asik in trade that's never going to happen. (Though incidently an Asik to Atlanta, Anderson to Houston, Smith sign and trade to Pelicans would work with a few minor additions — ah, I can dream!)

Edit: Ha, after all that theorising I just looked at ESPN and it seems Smith is going to sign with Detroit.

[vgqv]

So that's how the new CBA is structured for team's free agents? Doesn't sound at all friendly for the "home" team trying to resign their FA. Opposing teams that are under the cap can come in and offer these "poison pill contracts", that's pretty wild. Right after ESPN announced Dwight chose Houston, reporters were saying how Asik was demanding a trade and that he didn't want to play with Dwight. I wonder how true that was and why?..

On a side note, Detroit has some front court in J-Smoove/Monroe/Drummond

[dodgydave]

Poison pill contracts only apply in a couple of main situations off the top of my head.

1) When a player is coming off his rookie contract and has signed a new larger contract extension by his current team but is then traded before that contract comes in to effect. Teams trading for him then have to be able to fit his new larger contract under their cap not his smaller rookie contract. This is the poison pill contract Harden had for example.

2) When a player is a restricted free agent and is coming off his first contract after one or two years (usually second round picks) and their current team holds their early bird rights or non bird rights. There is a provision named after Gilbert Arenas that is meant to allow their current team an advantage to sign them as a (restricted) free agent and limit what other teams can offer. Teams offering the player an offer sheet are only allowed to offer a salary up to or equal to the mid level exemption or Early Bird Exeption for the first two seasons of the contract. However, there is no restriction on third or subsequent seasons, hence, the team can offer a contract which jumps up wildly after season two. The team making the offer is only limited by the fact that the AVERAGE salary across all contract years must fit under their current cap. This is what happened in the cases of Asik and Lin.

Poison pills do not apply for unrestricted free agents as their are no offer sheets or contract matching.

[JMarchand1981]

I always thought the GIlbert Arenas provision had something to do with pulling a gun on a teammate, getting shipped to a team going nowhere, and then turning that into a career going nowhere and then playing in the D-League? I guess my interpretation of that provision was wrong.