Trade & FA 2025-26: Free Agency Starts 5pm CST/6pm EST

[mvossman]

Agree about Gafford's lack of fit here now. I've written often about that. I just wouldn't expect significant cap relief AND "getting assets back." That's my worry. I think whatever method they choose to acquire cap relief, said cap relief will be viewed by all parties as part of the return value, and perhaps a significant part. In other words, I worry you'd be significantly lowering your talent in the exchange, not just your team's age and salary. Maybe you'd get a small something else, but not nearly as much, I don't think, as you would if you were willing to take salary back that extends past this summer. Under those circumstances, you could get better young player(s)...better pick(s), whatever. 

With an AD trade for mostly expirings, all your financial issues just disappear with one, quick nose-pinch of a stinky bite. I don't love that, either, and to be clear I'm not sure it's the way to go, but I do think I'd be considering it if the decision was mine to make. If nothing else, it would concretely clear the way for Gafford/Marshall/PJW/Thompson, whomever, to be dealt for on court basketball reasons, exclusively.

I think expiring contracts are cheap right now.  For example, I think the Hawks would be happy to convert some of their 70+ in expiring salary into players they want instead of messing with free agency.  Expiring contracts in general don't have nearly as much value as cap space that you can simply absorb contracts into.  They are basically trade fodder that provides a small value.  That's why I think its most efficient from an asset standpoint to go that route.

As down as I am on AD, I think he has more on court value to Mavs than Gafford + Klay and its not really close.  If you can't get a significantly better return for AD than those two, you might as well just go with those two.