Pollin would pay penalty to win

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By Mike Jones

NEWSMAKER INTERVIEW:

Washington Wizards owner Abe Pollin says he is ready to dig deeply into his own pocket to win the NBA championship that has eluded him for three decades - even if it means incurring stiff financial penalties by exceeding the league's salary cap for the first time.

"I'm sure [team President] Ernie Grunfeld and his staff will make sure that we take advantage of any potential opportunity that presents itself during the offseason," Mr. Pollin, 85, said in an interview conducted this week via e-mail.

"With that said, I also believe NBA teams need to be financially responsible and the luxury tax is a well-designed penalty/reward system. The penalties are severe. While I will say that I don't want to go over the luxury tax threshold, I also will not rule it out."

NBA teams are penalized dollar-for-dollar for the amount they spend over the limit. The limit this season was $71.5 million. The Wizards, by re-signing stars Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison this past offseason, left themselves about $1.5 million under the salary cap to spend on additional players. Because Mr. Pollin remained firm that the team not exceed the luxury threshold, Washington couldn't match the Spurs' two-year, $7.3 million offer to Roger Mason Jr. Thus the Wizards' most improved player took his services to San Antonio, where he has started 59 of 67 games, averaged 11.9 points and hit four game-winning shots for one of the NBA's best teams.

The Wizards, meanwhile, have experienced a free fall, going from the fifth best team in the Eastern Conference to the second worst in the NBA in less than a year. Instead of vying for playoff seeding, the Wizards own a 16-53 record and are in a race for the top pick in this summer's NBA draft.

Mr. Pollin, who was setting up his franchise to contend for an NBA championship this season, instead has seen little return on his investment from the offseason, when he signed franchise cornerstones Arenas and Jamison to contracts totaling $161 million.

"It's been a difficult year for all of us," Mr. Pollin said. "We certainly had high hopes for this season, but injuries to key players have made it nearly impossible for us to have any consistency. This has been as frustrating as any season I can remember."

The frustrations began even before the preseason. In September, Arenas - who two months earlier had signed a six-year, $111 million deal - underwent his third knee surgery since April 2007. He has yet to return. In training camp, starting center Brendan Haywood tore a ligament in his right wrist, underwent surgery and remained out.

Last season, Washington - fueled by Jamison, forward Caron Butler, Haywood, backup point guard Antonio Daniels and Mason - overcame Arenas' absence and reached the playoffs. But Haywood's injury and Mason's departure left the Wizards severely short-handed.