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I cannot elaborate on how I am aware of this information, so please don't waste everyone's time asking me to...

In any event, not that it will come as a shock to anyone, but I can confirm without a shadow of a doubt that Senator Kohl is not willing to break the luxury tax threshold for the 2009-2010 season. This is not a theory or a guess. That is Senator Kohl's current intention.

This only "big" news in the sense that I had been keeping alive the unrealistic dream that Senator Kohl might be willing to break the lux tax threshold and pay a modest amount of lux tax, along the lines of the theory europa has posted. That dream is now dead.

The good news is that the Bucks are very aware that hardcore fans like us would be accepting of giving up some assets to position ourselves better financially. That was also made clear.

I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for now and see how things play out.

Not shocking. When are you going to have the exact amount available GAD?

So if no salary relief trades are made, that means the decision has been made to let Villanueva walk, correct GAD?

GAD I guess this doesn't matter - but does that mean they won't go over it at any stage, even to come back down? What I'm thinking is, say we have $6m left to spend and a team gives CV an offer sheet of $8m, is it bye bye Charlie or would they consider matching and then moving $2m before the deadline, for arguments sake.

europa wrote:So if no salary relief trades are made, that means the decision has been made to let Villanueva walk, correct GAD?

And the first rounder. We are around $5.6M under the lux tax right now if no salary is cleared, barely enough to even bring Session back. Wow, that would be depressing to lose CV and the 1st rounder just to keep RJ.

umm

are they using "assests" in the same sense that we are?

i think whether or not hardcore fans are accepting of moving assets for that reason, depends drastically on which assets they're referring to

As I've been posting for awhile now, I expect the first-round pick to get traded, Luke. I think there was a strong chance of that happening regardless of the luxury tax implications for next season.

europa wrote:As I've been posting for awhile now, I expect the first-round pick to get traded, Luke. I think there was a strong chance of that happening regardless of the luxury tax implications for next season.

Doesn't mean it's a good move just because it might happen. I will take CV and our first rounder over two more years of RJ any day of the week. I'm guessing most fans would.

LUKE23 wrote:

europa wrote:As I've been posting for awhile now, I expect the first-round pick to get traded, Luke. I think there was a strong chance of that happening regardless of the luxury tax implications for next season.

Doesn't mean it's a good move just because it might happen. I will take CV and our first rounder over two more years of RJ any day of the week. I'm guessing most fans would.

Except that the point of trading the first would be to package it with Gadz for an expiring, therefore freeing up some money for CV, wouldn't it?

Except that the point of trading the first would be to package it with Gadz for an expiring, therefore freeing up some money for CV, wouldn't it?

Yes, but I'm operating under the assumption that no moves are made until I'm proven incorrect on that.

europa wrote:So if no salary relief trades are made, that means the decision has been made to let Villanueva walk, correct GAD?

Thoughts on this based on what you've heard GAD?

Letting CV walk would be a monumentally horrendous decision.

LUKE23 wrote:Not shocking. When are you going to have the exact amount available GAD?

The EXACT amount?
July 8th, 2009

It is possible things get finished a day or two early and it leaks out then.

europa wrote:So if no salary relief trades are made, that means the decision has been made to let Villanueva walk, correct GAD?

Possibly.

They definitely have SOMETHING in mind, I just was unable to ascertain what, exactly. But I got the distinct impression there is some kind of fairly specific plan.

I didn't expect Herb to pay the lux tax next season. If the team was good (rather than "OK"), it might be a different story, but that's moot.

Anyway, is Herb at least willing to nose right up against the lux tax again? I hope so, or else the team will have a lot of problems next year.

LUKE23 wrote:Letting CV walk would be a monumentally horrendous decision.

If they had already made the decision to let him walk they'd presumably be shopping him like crazy right now.

If they're not trading RJ and they want to keep RJ, Villanueva and Sessions then they must be exploring deals involving other players - and I think the most likely candidates are Ridnour, Gadz, maybe Bell, Damon Jones' expiring deal and either next year's first or Alexander.

Would you agree with that, GAD?

If they had already made the decision to let him walk they'd presumably be shopping him like crazy right now.

You would hope and think so.

Could there be off-season trades that will produce some 'flexibility' in the financial structure?

paul wrote:

LUKE23 wrote:Letting CV walk would be a monumentally horrendous decision.

If they had already made the decision to let him walk they'd presumably be shopping him like crazy right now.

Based on everything we've been told they have been. But maybe nobody is offering anything of value for him. Maybe it's time to go back to the Rockets and see if the Landry deal can be revived.

MILILL wrote:Could there be off-season trades that will produce some 'flexibility' in the financial structure?

No. After the deadline it's salary for salary in the offseason. Any salary-clearing moves have to be made by a week from today.