(04-16-2026, 09:41 AM)michaeltex Wrote: So....
OKC is going into this draft with (pre-lottery) with #12 (could be higher), #18, and #37. Rich get richer. But they may be facing some tough decisions in the offseason.
All 15 currently on the roster are either signed for next year (SGA, Holmgren and Caruson add up to >$100M!) or are on TOs. So something has to give. Hartenstein, Dort, K Williams, Wallace and Topic are key TO guys.
BTW, in the next season (26-27) SGA+Caruso+Holmgren+J Williams add up to >$190M just between themselves. So they, OKC, are about to get into serious salary management and apron issues. I'm guessing they will count on the FRP pipeline to sustain them into the future, but that means shedding some of your proven contributors as you move forward and counting on green talent.
If you claim a TO in it's last year, does that affect FA status at the end of that year? If you don't sign them to an extension before the TO expires are they then UFA?
Does enacting a TO then trading count as a SnT, with possible hard cap implications?
Does trading away a key guy like Hartenstein or Dort send the wrong message to the rest of the team?
I don't see Presti just letting anyone walk without getting something in return, probably to keep the draft pipeline full, but there will have to be salaries involved as well.
I guess I could see where Presti might want to move somewhere (like DAL) where he could stay in team building mode rather than have to deal with salary administration decisions. But I don't really expect him to call in the moving trucks any time soon.
Yes OKC will be in a salary crunch, and they won't keep all their good players. Counting the draft picks, they are staring at about $45M over Apron 2, and $65M over the tax line, which is an impossible payroll (about 275M of tax). It's an interesting exercise to try to figure out what they will do. They MIGHT use some of the picks as bait. They MIGHT decline some options, but then use Bird rights to re-sign the player at a lower salary. They MIGHT use some of the 2026 picks (or recent draftees, or future picks) as bait to trade away a bigger salary for a smaller salary. Many possibilities, like a bit of this and a bit of that and some things we don't expect.
QUESTIONS
If you claim a TO in its last year, does that affect FA status at the end of that year?
The TO must first be exercised to be able to trade the player. His situation will be the same with the new team as with OKC had he had his TO exercised but not been traded -- you can extend if eligible, re-sign using Bird rights, etc.
If you don't sign them to an extension before the TO expires are they then UFA?
If OKC trades them, the TO must have been exercised to do so.
Does enacting a TO then trading count as a SnT, with possible hard cap implications?
No. It's a player who has one year left on his deal, and will be a FA at the end (if not extended beforehand).
Does trading away a key guy like Hartenstein or Dort send the wrong message to the rest of the team?
Hard to say, but we can't assume either will necessarily end up being traded. There are many possibilities, lots of moving parts in play.