Originally Posted by
MichaelMcNamara
No, I don't think we will use the stretch, because I doubt we want dead money on our books when the salary cap spikes.
A cap hold is what allows you to use Bird Rights on a player. You can't, for instance, use up all your cap space on free agents and then go over the cap by signing Asik. In order to go over the cap with his salary, his cap hold must stay on the books. Asik's cap hold is 12.5 million. Meaning, effectively we will enter free agency next summer over the cap - which is a good thing because it allows us to use the MLE.
Bottom line, we won't have cap room unless Gordon is gone one way or the other by next summer.