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**HKF** · 10-27-2003, 04:26 PM

Hey Dan,

I have a question for you. With Kobe looking to opt out. Can you give me a rundown of who is looking at any kind of money in the max range that would be able to sign him to a long term deal.

Thanks in advance.

Edited the thread title to make it more descriptive.

**Storyteller** · 10-28-2003, 12:04 AM

I'm not Dan(obviously!), but here's what my figures show. If everyone stays put, the only teams that look to possibly have MAX room next summer are Denver (they'll be very close to having MAX room, depending on what the salary cap figure becomes) and Utah (who will have an ungodly amount of cap space).

If, however, a team that figured to be at or just above the cap figure (like Golden State or Miami for example) was able to trade for someone like Rasheed Wallace and his $17 million expiring contract and was willing to let him walk next summer, that team could conceivably clear enough cap room to sign a MAX contract.

Hope that helps.

**HKF** · 10-28-2003, 12:18 AM

Thanks So Cal. I appreciate it very much.

**Dan Rosenbaum** · 10-28-2003, 04:14 PM

The Clippers, Spurs, and Bobcats probably could clear enough space as well for a MAX contract. The Clippers and Spurs, as well as Denver, might need a small trade or two to clear enough space, however. It is a good thing Minnesota locked up Garnett, because Utah could have offered max contracts to Kobe and Garnett. The following lineup might have been attractive.

PG: Arroyo/veteran pickup
SG/SF: Kobe/Harpring/Pavlovic
PF: Garnett/Kirilenko
C: Collins/Borchardt

With a trade or two that would have championship-level team.

But as SCBF mentioned, there are a handful of other teams who through a trade could clear enough space to go after Kobe.