Excerpt from Houston's retirement speech.... "I could still play a couple of year but after watching how Larry "the Weasel" Brown is running this team, I felt it was time to hang it up. He yells at guys and already has hurt a couple of the fellas feelings. I just can't stand by and watch that happen. Lenny Wilkens never yelled at anybody.... I was afraid this might happen after watching how he destroyed the Pistons. Sure he might have turned them into a championship team but at what cost? Smush Parker was a rising star in this League until Larry got a hold of him. I just think it's time for me to go before I get all stressed out"
I agree Smush Parker would be a great lift off the bench. The only reason our players survived LB in my mind is because they are tough, and they have had very tough roads to get here. LB does yell too much.
Houston That was classy move by Isiah giving him the opportunity to step down rather than cutting him using the amnesty clause that was knicknamed after him.
A very classy move I agree Max. I wondered why they didn't use the amnesty clause on him, when everybody knew that even if he came back he was going to be limited.
based on the rules of the amnesty clause, the franchise actually gets a bigger break financially if a player retires. So although Zeke is my favorite player I doubt that this was a matter of class versus "business". Now Zeke has two bloated salaries off the books. On another note, look for an announcement that Allan Houston will be in the broadcast booth shortly. He's a very articulate individual and I would be suprised if he didn't get a television gig.
Houston retired....Isiah didn't use the amnesty clause....am I right? If so his salary of 20 million stays on the books for next year. "Any money paid to a player is included in team salary, even if the player has retired. For example, James Worthy retired in 1994, two years before his contract ended. He continued to receive his salary for the 94-95 and 95-96 seasons, so his salary was included in the Lakers' team salary in those seasons. It is at the team's discretion (or as the result of an agreement between the team and player) whether to continue to pay the player after he has retired. " (Larry Coon cap faq)
"Houston still is owed just under $40 million on the final two years of his contract, but insurance will pick up about $24 million of that amount. The Knicks could save another $40 million in luxury tax if the league decides the injury leading to Houston's retirement was suffered more than a year ago. At the very least, the final year of Houston's contract, valued at $20.1 million, will come off the salary cap next season." http://www.newsday.com/sports/basketball/knicks/ny-spknotes184474514oct18,0,4871682.story?coll=ny-knicks-print
2nd part of Basketbills reference There is one exception whereby a player can continue to receive his salary, but the salary is not included in the team's team salary. This is when a player is forced to retire for medical reasons and a league-appointed physician confirms that he is medically unfit to continue playing. There is a waiting period of two years (if the injury or illness occurred between January 1 and July 1) or until the second July 1 following the injury or illness (if it occurred between July 1 and January 1) before a team can apply for this salary cap relief. If the waiting period expires mid-season (on any date prior to the last day of the regular season), then his entire salary for that season is removed from the team's team salary. For example, Luc Longley suffered a career-ending injury in March 2001. In March 2003, the Knicks were allowed to remove his entire 02-03 salary from their books (and since the luxury tax is based on the team salary as of the last day of the regular season, the Knicks avoid paying any tax on Longley's salary). There is also some luxury tax relief associated with disabled players -- see question number 15 . So can anyone make any sense out of this? And do we even know that the knicks will continue to pay Houston? And what changes are in the new agreement? At any rate Isiah spared Houston the embarrasement of using a clause named after his expensive contract and his medical reasons for not being able to fullfill it.
And to all of you that wanted to pick up Allan because he was ex. Piston, you need to come in here and admit you didn't know what you were talking about. The guy has been broken down for years and you wanted his lame ass here. And at 20 mil. a pop. The guy left Detroit so fast after 3 years he didn't even close the screen door.
Leaving the Pistons Yes but in all fairness it seemed at the time that he was mainly leaving Doug Collins than the Pistons. Collins at the time was both the coach and GM.
Was Collins that bad? At the time I was more mad at NY for stealing our talent. NY has a way of making most towns it development squad.
Yes He had a hard time with player relations. Most guys brushed it off but Houston and Otis Thorpe both had problems with him. Houston once stated during his final year that he would never play for Collins again so it was no surprise to me when he left. It sucked but I saw it as more getting away from Collins than the Pistons.
Collins had that team playing well right up to the last 2 weeks then the bottom fell out. I think we got blown out in the first round.
