02-12-2024, 04:36 PM
My early thoughts re the summer ...
1 NT MLE? It doesn't feel like it would be a practical plan to try to carve out cap room to have it.
2 DJJ? Without NT MLE, I see him as a target, but a real longshot. I expect they offer him the Tx MLE (limits of ~$5.2M starting salary, max 2 years) - all they can offer - and hope for the best. It is a raise. It would take him to a future where he has Bird rights and can be offered even more. But it seems likely he will be offered way more by a team looking for help that starts at 80-100% of the NT MLE and runs 3-4 years, like Thybulle and G Williams last summer.
3 Hard cap at Apron 1 ($178.65M)? I don't think it will come into play. Getting DJJ probably lands them past it, but without him they probably still want to leave an opening for using the TxMLE, and/or the TPE's (about $5M and $4M) and going past Apron 1. So I think they will do things that don't force them to stay under that line.
4 Apron 2? They will stay under the Apron 2 line ($189.5M). You incur real penalties by ending up past it regularly. They can use ALL of the TxMLE and both their TPE's and still be below it.
5 One path to changing all the math and possibilities is a THJ trade, where he is sold for pick(s) and the salary in return is way smaller, or even none. In the summer when cap space is more available, that type of deal has potential. I was hoping for a THJ-Brown trade at the deadline to solve that question.
6 I don't think trading Kyrie will be considered at all this summer. He's too good, injuries and all, and raises the ceiling.
7 With the new owners, I think payroll limits will expand from "stay below the tax line" to "stay below Apron 2" and you can even pass Apron 2 if it's only for a year or two.
8 But even with a higher limit, the money runs out fast. They will still need to successfully target players making MLE money or so, or less, to fill the rotation to complement Luka-Kyrie.
9 Finding more rotation players like Exum and DJJ for minimal outlay, even though it's a longshot, will be crucial to having needed depth. You find them at the end of free agency so it's risky and tricky. Having excellent player evaluation skills is key, and it's also a game where you get such players with minutes to offer (which means you have left a hole in your roster to fill). It's a tricky road to navigate.
10 They need to find a young talent, for the future, even if it's a two-way. I'm guessing that's how pick 58-ish will be used, rather than filling an NBA roster slot at a reduced cost. I like that they are targeting players with length. Having excellent player evaluation skills is key here as well.
1 NT MLE? It doesn't feel like it would be a practical plan to try to carve out cap room to have it.
2 DJJ? Without NT MLE, I see him as a target, but a real longshot. I expect they offer him the Tx MLE (limits of ~$5.2M starting salary, max 2 years) - all they can offer - and hope for the best. It is a raise. It would take him to a future where he has Bird rights and can be offered even more. But it seems likely he will be offered way more by a team looking for help that starts at 80-100% of the NT MLE and runs 3-4 years, like Thybulle and G Williams last summer.
3 Hard cap at Apron 1 ($178.65M)? I don't think it will come into play. Getting DJJ probably lands them past it, but without him they probably still want to leave an opening for using the TxMLE, and/or the TPE's (about $5M and $4M) and going past Apron 1. So I think they will do things that don't force them to stay under that line.
4 Apron 2? They will stay under the Apron 2 line ($189.5M). You incur real penalties by ending up past it regularly. They can use ALL of the TxMLE and both their TPE's and still be below it.
5 One path to changing all the math and possibilities is a THJ trade, where he is sold for pick(s) and the salary in return is way smaller, or even none. In the summer when cap space is more available, that type of deal has potential. I was hoping for a THJ-Brown trade at the deadline to solve that question.
6 I don't think trading Kyrie will be considered at all this summer. He's too good, injuries and all, and raises the ceiling.
7 With the new owners, I think payroll limits will expand from "stay below the tax line" to "stay below Apron 2" and you can even pass Apron 2 if it's only for a year or two.
8 But even with a higher limit, the money runs out fast. They will still need to successfully target players making MLE money or so, or less, to fill the rotation to complement Luka-Kyrie.
9 Finding more rotation players like Exum and DJJ for minimal outlay, even though it's a longshot, will be crucial to having needed depth. You find them at the end of free agency so it's risky and tricky. Having excellent player evaluation skills is key, and it's also a game where you get such players with minutes to offer (which means you have left a hole in your roster to fill). It's a tricky road to navigate.
10 They need to find a young talent, for the future, even if it's a two-way. I'm guessing that's how pick 58-ish will be used, rather than filling an NBA roster slot at a reduced cost. I like that they are targeting players with length. Having excellent player evaluation skills is key here as well.
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