02-01-2022, 03:10 AM
(01-31-2022, 10:55 PM)mvossman Wrote: The most obvious answer would be Dragic, although he might end up in Miami. Schroder would be another possibility, but I think the Mavs are out on him. Kemba is another thought, but he looks to be on his last legs and that contract is not going to help the tax situation next year. Not a fan of trading a key defensive piece away for offense.
EDIT: I guess Jeremy Lamb would be another option. He has not been good this year though.
An expiring guy into the TPE is the most obvious way to accomplish this. Absent that, probably the best way to improve the O is to move on from a guy who is bad at it. If you narrow the list to guys who have enough salary to bring back someone making more money than the TPE (for trade matching purposes), then by most measures that means Bullock or Maxi (key defensive pieces as you put it).
When KP, Luka and Brunson are all healthy, in theory there is enough O in the starting lineup. I also think Maxi is pretty integral to the starting lineup working because he fits well with KP. It is the bench that is really hurting for some Juice (as MacMahon put it). Personally, Josh plays D as good or better than Bullock already. So, you can get Bullock's Defensive production elsewhere on the roster and use Bullock's salary (possibly in combination with Burke or Sterling or Moses) to get as high as $17.7 in returning salary.
I don't know if it will be fruitful, but I'd probably do a search for players on bad defensive teams with high payrolls who would be a salary match for Bullock (or Bullock +) but wouldn't fit into the TPE. I'd add Kennard to the names talked about. He and Bullock are a fairly even D for O swap. If the Clipps are ready to throw in the towel on the season, you could also do Bullock/Moses for Kennard/Ibaka and save LA a ton of tax.