ASG and the Luxury Tax.....this has to account for something.

[HawkItus]

7. Luxury Tax Corner

The full impact of the NBA's new/escalating/suffocating luxury tax system won't start to be felt before the 2013-14 season, when the revamped and ramped-up scale of penalties for teams that stray into tax territory agreed to in December by the league's owners and players will finally be phased in.

However ...

Teams are clearly already making decisions with an eye toward lowering their payrolls sooner rather than later, thanks to the looming implementation of that more punitive system, which will charge clubs a

progressive penalty for every $5 million they go beyond the tax threshold and cost repeat taxpayers even more.

The proof?

In this first season of the new labor agreement in which teams are still only being charged $1 for every $1 over the tax line they sit, we're already down to six teams on course to wind up as tax teams. And only one of those six teams -- Kobe Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers -- is looking at a tax bill that strays beyond the $10 million mark.

You'll recall that as recently as last season, Orlando, Dallas and the Lakers finished the season with payrolls in the range of $20 million past the tax line.

The following are the estimated dollar-for-dollar tax amounts, after all of this month's trade business, for the six teams over the $70.3 million tax threshold in effect in 2011-12:

• L.A. Lakers: $15.1 million after donating Lamar Odom's $8.9 million contract before the season started to gets their payroll down.

• Boston: $9.1 million

• Miami: $7.6 million

• Dallas: $5.6 million

• San Antonio: $2.9 million

• Atlanta: $1.2 million

Ps. The total pot of paid taxes is thus poised to land in the $41.5 million range at season's end, but sources say that money will not be distributed to the 24 non-taxpaying teams after this season as in past seasons. The tax money, sources say, is earmarked for the league's new revenue-sharing system.

Right now I would only say that LA, Miami and San Antonio are clearly better than us.

[AHF]

I've ragged on the A$G before as being most likely the smallest tax penalty in the history of the league. I also failed to realize they gave up what is likely to be one of the smallest tax rebates in the history of the league. So the net impact of their luxury tax should by far and away be the smallest in the history of the NBA. Yay for meaningless gestures!

It isn't a big gesture but it does underline the fact that this ownership group is not among the worst as far as the resources they have put into the team. Being penny-wise and pound foolish with the scouting, coaching, etc. investments definitely rings much more true to me.

[Swatguy]

Selecting LD as coach may well be the best buy in the league. To host a playoff series when many predicted them to not make the playoffs is remarkable.

[MaceCase]

I've ragged on the A$G before as being most likely the smallest tax penalty in the history of the league. I also failed to realize they gave up what is likely to be one of the smallest tax rebates in the history of the league. So the net impact of their luxury tax should by far and away be the smallest in the history of the NBA. Yay for meaningless gestures!

They already sold a 2nd round pick at the deadline to cover any stray debt on their meaningless gesture. If we get Boston in the first round they'll even end up making some profit but of course all of this highlights how they'll be doomed in 2 years when they'll be forced with trying to retain 3 key free agents from the current team yet alone trying to improve the roster. The gesture then would have to be quite meaningful.

[AHF]

To host a playoff series when many predicted them to not make the playoffs is remarkable.

Only the Moroningers didn't think this was a playoff team.

[Admin]

Only the Moroningers didn't think this was a playoff team.

Many people here thought we were done when Horford went down.

[MaceCase]

Many people here thought we were done when Horford went down.

I'm sure the more sensible saw it as more of an opportunity to pull a San Antonio/Chicago to add a sure fire cheap prospect to the playoff core that would push the team to the upper echelon.I won't lie, I was one of them (although 2013!!! Is still my drop dead date) but upon realizing right away just how crappy the East was I changed my mind that a playoff round would be better than looking rather pathetic trying to obviously out-tank the likes of the Bobcats.

[NineOhTheRino]

never fun when your favorite team never out-anything anyone.