(01-20-2026, 12:11 PM)Smitty Wrote: $16,985,418.
Ending this season as a tax team would make them a "repeater tax team" next season.
The Mavericks were taxpayers in 2022-23 and 2024-25. They will be taxpayers this season (2025-26)
They would become repeater taxpayers in 2026-27 (because that would make 3 of the prior 4 years over the tax line).
Not sure if these are your numbers, but Spotrac shows the Mavs at 201,669,202 actual salary, which leaves an even smaller number to shed than 16,985,418 to get under the tax line. (You may have been accounting for the cost to refill the emptied slot(s) to satisfy roster minimums).
Using that number, here's an intriguing (to me) salary-clearing trade idea. Would you? If so, what in assets (cash, picks) would you be willing to pay to do it)?
Simple trade concept:
Mavs send Martin, Russell, and (a "tip" for the help)
BKN sends (air)(only enough to technically make the trade possible)
It does put the Mavs under the tax line, with enough room to convert Nemby when the time comes. Probably also have enough room left to convert Cisse into the other emptied slot. But if no other moves, DAL is a taxpaying team again next season.
I would do that deal all day long, if the price being paid isn't too exorbitant. But what is worth it? How would Dumont answer that? It's all outgoing, it costs something in assets, with nothing of value incoming except a massive decrease in taxes being paid.
* Dumont reportedly "has no problem going into next year with a healthy AD and a healthy Kyrie with Cooper Flagg and seeing what it looks like."