The new CBA ushered in many new rule changes, exceptions and money-savers. The amnesty clause is certainly one of the most popular CBA changes.

The amnesty clause allows any team to buy out one player's contract (before the year begins) and have 100 percent of that contract not count against the salary cap or luxury tax.

This means that guys like Gilbert Arenas, Rashard Lewis and Charlie Villanueva won't bog down their respective teams with two to three years of undeserved paychecks (harsh, but true).

Recently, there have been a lot of people putting Baron Davis' name into that amnesty list, sometimes going beyond and speculating which team will claim him after he is cut.

I understand that Baron Davis is 32 years old, 33 in April, and his good days are behind him. I get it.

He has the BMI of the people watching him. I get it.

His play is not indicative of a $14-million player. I get it.

But his worth is.

Something that isn't true but will be repeated is that Davis was not, and is not, motivated in Cleveland.

Aside from Anderson Varejao, Baron Davis played with the most heart of any Cavs player this year. When he came to the Cavs, he quickly showed that he was the best point guard on the roster.

111101966_crop_340x234 Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

 

 

 

The Cavaliers with Baron Davis played their best basketball since the very beginning of the season, and that team was healthy. With Davis, the Cavaliers went 7-9, that isn't very good for an average team; but for a team that went 26 games straight without winning, that's impressive.

 

 

One of these seven wins included a huge win at home against the Miami Heat. The emotional leader of the Cavaliers was none other than Baron Davis.

He played like Dan Gilbert would have in the heat of his comic sans letter.

After that game I realized that Baron provides the Cavaliers with something that they lacked, an emotional leader; Jamison isn't vocal, and Andy leads more by example.

Not only is Davis an emotional leader, he is also a leader when it comes to understanding Byron Scott's style of play.

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Davis knows Scott's system better than anybody on the team because he played for Scott in New Orleans. In New Orleans they had their differences, but Davis let Scott know before arriving in Cleveland that he was on board.

They were obviously on the same page, because the Cavaliers with Davis looked sharp, poised and smooth.

 

 

The veteran point guard with a firm understanding of Scott's system would serve as a great mentor to everyone on the team, especially number one pick, Kyrie Irving, the rookie point guard.

 

Because of his past with Scott's offense, Davis is the perfect person to show Kyrie the ropes.

By keeping Davis, this makes Ramon Sessions expendable, a player they could really cash in on. Keeping Ramon and releasing Davis doesn't reap the same benefits.

Also, if Davis is released before this season, the Cavaliers still are not far enough below the cap to sign a very good player. There is always after this season to release him, there is no reason to rush.

To all Cavs faithful and Cavs management, keeping Baron means a better Kyrie Irving in all respects, a more motivated team, and whatever Ramon Sessions can get you.

Is he worth the money now?

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