Trade & FA 2023-24: Stein-Ingram Trade Inevitable| LAL Want Lebron Back On Any Terms

[SleepingHero]

$32,459,438
$34,005,126
$35,550,814

23% of the cap
*23% of the cap 
*23% of the cap

* estimated using hoopshype salary cap projections.

Having your starting center only be at most 25% of the cap isn't bad at all. Lively+Ayton will combine to be less than 40 mil.  Looking around the league lets see what the top 16 teams are spending combined on their center rotation for the next season:
West:
DEN-Jokic(47.6)+*Bryant(vet min)+*Jordan(vet min)= 51,638,790
MEM- Adams (12.6)+Aldama(2.1)+Tillman(1.9)=16,724,881
SAC- Sabonis(22)+Len(5)+Metu(2)= 29,113,575
PHX- Ayton(32)+*Landale(~2.2)+*Biyombo(vet min)=36,668,531
LAC- Zubac(10.9)+*Plumlee(~12)=22,933,333
GSW- Looney(7.5)+*Draymond (~25 mil)=33,306,469
LAL-AD(40.6)+Bamba(10.3)+Thompson(vet min)=52,919,475
MIN- Gobert(41)+KAT(36)+Reid(13)=89,966,600

East:
MIL- *Lopez (~13)+Giannis(45.6)=58,640,084
BOS- KP(36)+Timelord(11.5)+Horford(10)+Kornet(2.4)=60,000,933
PHI- Embiid (47.6)+*Reed (3)+*Harrell(vet min)+*Dedmon(vet min)=54,638,790
CLE- Allen (20)+Mobley (8.9)+*Lopez(vet min)+*Ed Davis (vet min)=32,921,430
NYK- Robinson (15.6)+Hartenstien(9.2)+Sims (1.9)=26,854,835
BRK- Simmons (37.8)+Claxton(9.6)+Sharpe(2.2)=49,728,448
ATL- Capela (20.6)+Okongwu(8.1)=28,725,063
MIA- Bam(32.6)+*Love(~BAE)+*Zeller(vet min)+*Yurtseven(min)=40,617,687

*Estimates/Assumptions made on pending FA's. 

Dallas' spending on the center position under this proposed Ayton trade?- 41,811,618

7/16 teams will be spending much more than Dallas for at least the next 3 years (although those teams have an all-star at the position). Throw in MEM too if you want to count Jaren Jackson as a small ball 5. ATL, CLE, and SAC, are almost definitely going to surpass this amount when their rookies/FA's are up for an extension within the next year. 

Trading for Ayton is not this albatross people are making it out to be. His production is literally right there with the other all-star bigs that put up similar numbers and the Mavs would be right in line in terms of spending properly on the center position.