From ESPN.com’s Marc Stein:
Players waived by 11:59 PM ET tonight eligible for playoffs w/another team, but ESPN sources say NOH & Chris Kaman still NOT talking buyout
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) March 23, 2012
So... real quick. Taking on the rest of the year for Kaman isn’t bad. He still makes plays (he blocked the ever-loving crap out of Blake Griffin the other night). He can still provide the team with value and it’s better to have the expiring than players of only marginal improvement for longer-term.
The reservation has to come with continued talks of extending Kaman after the season. The Hornets need to go blisteringly young. Kaman’s going to demand a pretty decent salary because he’s tall and can walk and chew gum at the same time. In this league that’s gold. Throw on him actually being marginally talented and you have to think the offers will come rolling in. The Hornets, however, do not need the veteran stylings of one Mr. Chris Kaman. They need the project long-term stylings of one Mr. Andre Drummond (should Anthony Davis and his salvation-by-unibrow not appear through the lottery) or some sort. Even if the move Emeka Okafor, having Kaman on as a transition big man to mentor the young kid is going to be too expensive.
There’s a little too much emphasis placed on cap room these days. Not everyone can have a bajillion dollars of cap space and if they do, they still have to reach the salary floor. Paying players is something that’s worth doing. But it’s hard to see how Kaman is going to work out long-term. For this season, it’s fine, if for no other reason than it helps to get the front office’s respect back as a managing entity under Stern. But beyond this season, unless the Hornets have a massive makeover towards veterans or Kaman is feeling generous about staying in the Big Easy, they need to be very careful with how they proceed.