Trade & Free Agency 2026/2027

[DanSchwartzgan]

Various notes:
1 OKC has to lose about 7M to get under A2, as mentioned. But they have 16 players right now, so a 1-for-0 or 2-for-1 that reduces salary would not require them to refill the salary slot. If you're keeping score, both Wallace and Jay Williams make around 7.5M. One other possibility is that they kept Dort on TO at 17.7M, but perhaps did that TO because they have found a taker for him in some sort of 2026-27 deal.
2 The idea of Duren chasing offers isn't likely to gain much traction, since the BEST offer he can get is the very same money DET already offered, and he's RFA so they have matching rights. If DET hasn't soured on him, they are certainly holding all the cards.
3 The idea of FVV is good on paper, but the whole equation about such a trade has to be strongly subject to how bad he is injured (still). But if he is healthy enough to be a veteran influence on a Mavs team needing a strong PG to guide them, with potential for more years ahead perhaps, the Masai link would offer a good connection. (Then again, Masai let him walk to HOU as a FA rather than pay him, so there's that.)
4 I don't see Risacher as a valued target. And he is likely to be way overpriced, because "****Overall #1 Pick****" is part of the hype.

5.  It feels like Schmitz's old team has too many PG's and he new team doesn't have enough.