Ron Paul, Rick Santorum Suggest Foul Play From Romney Campaign
WATCH: Whitney Houston's Biggest Interview Moments
It will be a note reserved for those who look at the fringes of the NBA, but the terms of Memphis's buy-out of guard Marko Jaric's contract have been publicized, with the Spanish newspaper Marca reporting that Jaric gave up only $1.3 million out of $14.7 million owed to leave the Grizzlies for Real Madrid. Given that Jaric is almost completely undesirable in the NBA, it's a smart move for Memphis, who can cross a small but real slice of money off the books.The only way this could have gone better for Memphis is if the team could have reached a deal with another NBA franchise in which Jaric were traded for a player that coach Lionel Hollins would actually put in the rotation, or for a player with a contract expiring this summer. For his gifts (size, handle, a decent jumper), Jaric just isn't at the point where any team with a need for a back-up guard would be willing to cut a $7.6 million check for 2010-11 for his services. It wouldn't happen in normal years, let alone ones in which half the league will be a free agent.
A deal like this for Jaric wouldn't likely be around come February (in advance of the trade deadline), so Memphis essentially had to act now to save any cash on Jaric's deal. Keep that in mind if the dollar savings seem small. There's one more benefit here for Memphis, and that is that the team's salary cap figures for both this season and next will open up just a bit. The Grizz are so far under the cap this season it won't matter, but if Memphis decides to make a free agent splash this summer, general manager Chris Wallace will find an extra $800,000 of breathing room due to this buy-out. (On the book, the buy-out decrease is split over remaining seasons in proportion to those individual season payroll amounts. Basically, more than 50 percent of the buy-out amount in this case is credited to next season, though Memphis and Jaric can actually work out a flexible pay schedule on their own.)
It will be interesting to see if many other players find themselves lured by European contracts this midseason. Darko Milicic, for one, is dead to Mike D'Antoni and has already stated his intentions to flee back to the Old World come summer. There are no cap ramifications beyond this season for a Darko buy-out (his contract expires June 30), but such a deal could shrink New York's luxury tax bill. Any European teams need an angry 7-footer?
Adele Wins Album Of The Year
Greek Protests Continue As Lawmakers Debate Severe Austerity Measures
2012 Grammy Awards: Celebrities Remember Whitney Houston
Mystery Disease Kills Thousands
Country Considers Bills Lifting Gay-Marriage Ban
Updates On Whitney Houston's Autopsy
The Week's 5 Juiciest Apple Rumors
Michael Smerconish: A Response to Sean Hannity
Blogger Faces Possible Death Penalty For Tweets
Costa Concordia Video Shows Crew Reactions To Cruise Crash
GOP Bill Would Strip Workers Of Overtime, Minimum Wage Protections
Mitch McConnell Not Accepting Obama Compromise
Syrian Forces Rocket Homs As Arab League Meets In Cairo
Paul Ryan On Obama's 'Accounting Trick'
Sarah Palin 'Not Convinced' Of Romney's Conservatism
Mitt Romney Once Backed Provision He Now Decries
Some States Using Funds From Foreclosure Deal To Close Budget Gaps
Rick Santorum: GOP Race A 2-Man Contest
WATCH: Nasim Pedrad As Arianna On SNL's Weekend Update
Mitt Romney Wins Maine Caucus
