(06-07-2023, 09:18 PM)F Gump Wrote: For PHX to keep CP3 at minimum salary, and still have big MLE, it takes
1 Forgo any shot at keeping Craig, and
2 Get rid of 10M in salary (such as get someone to take Shamet with no salary in return, or a trade where salary diff is 10M+)
Not impossible, but also not a slam dunk.
Here's the closest I can think of with Dallas:
THJ/Bullock/Green for Ayton/Shamet
THJ/Bullock/Green ($32.6mm) is just enough to trade match for Ayton/Shamet ($40.4mm) before this year closes. But just as important, THJ has a declining salary next year while Bullock and Green have only small raises. So accounting for salary increases for Ayton and Shamet, it clears $9.7mm off of the Suns cap for next season ($42.6mm for DA/LS vs. $32.9mm for THJ/RB/JG). And if that's not enough, finding a 3rd team with space or an unused trade exception to take Bullock or Green would get them well over $10mm.