The Lakers opted to keep Steve Nash for this season. (USATSI)
When the Los Angeles Lakers were looking to possibly bring in a big free agent or two for the 2014-15 season, Steve Nash's contract was a bit of a hurdle for the organization to overcome. He's due $9.7 million in the final year of a three-year contract with the Lakers, and without being able to trust his body will hold up one more season, the promise of improving the top end of the roster meant he was a candidate for the stretch provision.
This past weekend the deadline to use the stretch provision for this coming season passed, guaranteeing Nash won't be stretched for salary cap flexibility in possibly his final season in the NBA. The stretch provision would have paid Nash the money owed this season over the next three years instead of the $9.7 million this year. It would have lopped off roughly $6.5 million from the Lakers' cap for 2014-15. From the LA Times:
The deadline for the Lakers to use the "stretch" provision on Steve Nash passed over the weekend.
The 40-year-old point guard is heading into his third year with the team, earning $9.7 million for the 2014-15 season.
Had the Lakers waived Nash prior to September, they would have been able to stretch his salary over the next three years at around $3.2 million annually.
Because the Lakers missed out on the big name free agents like Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James this summer, there wasn't a need to use the provision on Nash. They used their salary cap space on acquiring Jeremy Lin, re-signing Nick Young, and claiming Carlos Boozer off of amnesty waivers. They did their best to put together a competitive roster of veterans next season while leaving flexibility for big free agents in 2016, like possibly the pursuit of Kevin Durant.
Nash has been fairly brittle since leaving the legendary training staff with the Phoenix Suns and joining the Lakers via a sign-and-trade in 2012. He missed 32 games in the 2012-13 season and missed 67 games in 2013-14. He had only missed 10 or more games once in the previous 12 seasons prior to joining the Lakers, when he missed 20 games in 2011-12. Nash turned 40 years old in February.
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Petteri Koponen, seven years after getting drafted in first round, still planning jump to NBA
Earlier this summer, the Mavericks were pressed to create cap space to sign Chandler Parsons and Devin Harris.
They renounced Vince Carter and Shawn Marion, but that still left everything tight. Another way to gain cap room would have been renouncing Petteri Koponen, the No. 30 pick in the 2007 draft who has yet to sign in the NBA and whose rights Dallas holds.
Thankfully for the Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki accepted a below-market offer – even further below market than the below-market deal that was initially reported.
That allowed Dallas to keep Koponen, who represents a $911,400 cap hit (not actual money he’s paid but that counts against the cap).
Will it ever pay off with an NBA player?
Marc Stein of ESPN:
Finnish point guard Petteri Koponen hopes to be playing in the NBA by the 2015-16 season.
Here at the 2014 FIBA World Cup, Koponen told ESPN.com he intends to make the jump to the NBA after completing the final season on his contract with BC Khimki in Russia.
"I always said my dream is to play in the NBA," Koponen said. "Every summer we talk a little bit with Dallas to see what the situation is and what they think. I’ve got one more year left on my contract in Russia and then of course I would like to come over. I hope I get some options to go there and show I can play at that level."
Team sources say that the Mavs have not ruled out importing Koponen themselves in the future, but there was no discussion of doing so for this season with four point guards already on the roster: Devin Harris and Gal Mekel as returnees and Jameer Nelson and Raymond Felton as the newcomers.
Harris, Mekel, Felton (player option) and Nelson (player option) all have guaranteed contracts for 2015-16, so Koponen won’t necessarily fit any better in Dallas a year from now.
The Mavericks might look to trade Koponen’s rights – a task made easier by his comments here. If Koponen wants to jump to the NBA, Dallas might extract an asset from another team in a deal.
For now, Koponen remains an answer to a trivia question. Who are the only first-round picks prior to this season actively playing outside the NBA without ever signing in the NBA?
In addition to Koponen, the other two: Livio Jean-Charles (No. 28 in 2013 by Spurs) and Fran Vazquez (No. 11 in 2005 by Magic).
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