Lakers @ Houston

[Joe Joe]

Originally Posted by papabear

Dork/genius Elvis has been able to make moves and get under the luxury tax level the last couple of years....he might not have pulled it off last year, but he got close. Les has also agreed to pay the luxury tax if necessary, so we while we might not have cap room, we should have room in the budget if we aren't paying T-Mac.

Les would be willing to pay the salary, but a team can only go over the salary cap to sign its own free agents. The Rockets are so far over the cap with signing their own free agents and using salary cap exceptions, that even letting McGrady's contract expire and cutting half the team, the Rockets wouldn't be able to get under the salary cap enough to get a max free agent.

Now if the Rockets traded McGrady this season for a player that will be a max free agent, the rockets could sign that free agent as it would be their own. This is what I think the Rockets will try to do with a team like Toronto that knows their soon to be max free agent will leave.