ballocks

i was wondering how players get paid once they retire- is it the FULL contract that's remaining to them?

i was thinking of hakeem olajuwon in particular. to my knowledge, he is being paid every cent that he signed on for in 2001 as part of a 4 year- 16 million contract. is this true?

if it is, what's stopping shaq or kobe or kg, when they become free agents, to sign a long-term max deal (with bird rights) and retire the next day (or soon thereafter)? anything at all?

is that seen as a loophole in the cba? i don't know. it just doesn't exactly seem like the fairest of propositions.

last, what are the salary cap implications for said players? i know olajuwon is held against the cap until he is checked out medically by a league-appointed physician. is that the only exception?

if kobe retired the day after signing a 7 year- 110 million dollar deal, and the lakers couldn't free cap space for those 7 years, i would think that the franchise would crumble under such ridiculous circumstances. there must be some special considerations... i'm just not sure what they are.

peace

pound me

I think a retired players' salary doesnt count against the cap

ballocks

no, i'm sure that it does. olajuwon was held against the cap this past season and he will be again next year. the league just recently came up with an action plan against that situation, when they added the wrinkle that players who retire due to injury (like olajuwon) need to get checked out by a league-appointed physician.

after the examination, and after the doctor affirms that the injury caused the retirement, the contract comes off the cap. this caveat to the cba will be introduced next year, i believe.

anyway, going back to the original post, does NOBODY have any idea?

peace

Dan Rosenbaum

The salaries of retired players do count towards team salary for at least the first two years after they retire.

http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#50