02-20-2026, 08:57 AM
(02-20-2026, 08:53 AM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: I noticed that Ivey got a DNP-CD last night...his fifth game with Chicago. He started 3 of the previous four and gave way to Sexton in the fourth game. Giddy was out all four, but was back last night and Sexton got the bench role over Ivey.
Isaac at Locked-On has said several times in the last week that he thinks Gafford gets traded this summer. Chicago was one of the rumored destinations. If we don't draft a guard, I wonder if a Gafford for S&T Ivey might be in order. If Dallas stays under the tax next season, the $7.5mm spread applies. If they operate over the tax, but below the first apron, the 125% rule applies. Those infer maximum starting salaries of about $24mm in the first case and about $21.5mm in the second. Either of those numbers solve the BYC issue (as would trading Ivey into the TPE we have and starting him at about $21mm).
What Chicago did at the trade deadline was just strange bringing in so many guards. They don't control Simons (other than Bird rights), but they can extract value for Ivey if they choose to go down that road. Much depends on who the teams draft, but Dallas needs to add a guard if they draft a forward. You have to look beyond the Kyrie years to see the benefit as Ivey is small-ish and you wouldn't want to play them together (the same applies to Acuff, Flemings and Brown). But, Ivey would be a high upside swing and would help with our need for creation from the wing. If the cost was Gafford and I ended up with someone like Ament or even Wagler in the draft, I'd take that swing and try to develop him to become the Kyrie replacement in a couple of years. BTW, Ivey's agent is also Flagg's agent FWIW.
Quote from Ivey last night. Looks like he is not right.
https://x.com/Sam_Vecenie/status/2024820981853012435