Beijing time on November 24, this year’s offseason, the Trail Blazers acquired Covington and Kanter through trades, then signed Jones and Giles Jr., and completed the renewal of Anthony and Hood, totaling Six players were introduced. What people did not expect was that even after so many signings and strengthening the team's shortcomings in various positions, the Trail Blazers had not triggered the luxury tax.
The Trail Blazers have signed 14 players, and their total team salary is still below the luxury tax line of $600,000. According to Blazers general manager Orsi, the team will not sign the 15th player for the time being because they plan to keep the team's salary below the luxury tax line in the new season.
Logically speaking, if a strong team wants to do tax avoidance operations, it will cause fans to complain and criticize. For example, the Rockets have always made trades to avoid tax at the trade deadline for so many years (the only tax avoidance failure in the Harden era was caused by Motel Yunus being returned by the Pistons), which affected the team’s compensation. Strong, was criticized and wasted the peak of the player.
However, the Trail Blazers have proved through practical actions that if they can have a management who is good at operation, sometimes even without paying high luxury taxes or even paying taxes, they can also help the team to strengthen. In this case, instead of criticizing the team's operations, fans will be proud of saving money without delaying signings.
What's more, the management of the Trail Blazers wants to save money and avoid taxes, and they will say it plainly. Unlike the Rockets boss Fertitta, who promises to pay a luxury tax every year for Harden to find better Helpers, but in the end, they do tax avoidance transactions every year. Always talk like this is nothing, not only fans will be disappointed, I am afraid the players will also be chilled.
So this year’s offseason, Harden and Westbrook both filed trade applications, especially Harden, even if the Rockets offered him a two-year contract extension of 103 million, he was reluctant to stay. Fertita's operations over the years are directly related. And through this matter, Fertitta should also understand that the boss wants to save money is not a sin, but can not find a good manager, and love to write bad checks, then don't blame the fans for complaining, the players want to leave People.