Trade & Free Agency 2026/2027

[F Gump]

Actually all the players I listed signed their contracts after the new CBA had already come into effect (July 2023), Vassell/WCJ/Braun included. Younger for sure but many of them are less proven too.
Well, the question was whether teams still felt comfortable allocating 12% of the salary cap to their fourth- or fifth-best player—not whether they would regret it later—and, in fact, that is precisely the case. Teams are still doing it even in the most recent years (Ayo, Watson, IHart, Coby, Allen, Turner, Braun, Camara, etc) 
I think it said more about the lackluster quality of FA nowadays. Both IHart and Coby signed contracts well above the MLE and they are not star players, maybe a bit more impactful overall than PJ but they also make more money than him.
Also value ain't static, some of the players I listed could improve their value over the course of the season.

And back to the PJ topic, how could questionable draft compensation and end-of-the-bench players help the Mavs this season..?

Your point is great, and well-proven. Thank you. And the claim that we don't have a real view of how teams want to work a payroll under the 2nd apron limits is utter nonsense - this is year FOUR of this CBA and as you wisely note, most deals on today's payrolls were made since then. 

I've written a lot about payroll limits, but to me the problem deals are the ones where you pay a non-star the max, or most of it, when he's clearly not that caliber and doesn't have realistic potential to get there. When you can pay a solid starter role with a salary within MLE + 20%, I think you're GM-ing in the right ballpark financially. Just have to be smart and selective.