Amnesty won't benefit top teams, as had been expected
The NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement includes an amnesty clause, under which teams will be allowed to cut a player without having his salary count against the salary cap. The waived player will become a free agent, but instead of going straight to the open market, teams operating below the salary cap will be able bid on the player’s services, the Sun Sentinel reports. Teams over the cap would not be able to bid on these players, except those who are not bid on by teams under the cap.
This wrinkle is being put in place so the best teams can’t easily acquire players cut via amnesty.
The Wizards, for example, seem certain to cut Rashard Lewis and the two years, $46 million on his salary (to be clear, Lewis will still be owed the money, but the remaining dollars would be wiped off Washington’s books for salary cap purposes). The Lakers or Heat, under the newly-reported part of the amnesty rule, would not be able to sign Lewis for a minimum salary; instead, the team under the cap that wins the bid would pay a reduced portion of his salary, while the original team would pay the difference.
"That's what the clause is in there for," a source told the Sun Sentinel. "It's so the Lakers can't go in and scoop up all the players."
Other players that figure to be amnestied include Cleveland’s Baron Davis, Portland’s Brandon Roy, Orlando’s Gilbert Arenas, San Antonio’s Richard Jefferson and Utah’s Mehmet Okur.
