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

[DanSchwartzgan]

Person 1: And then the framework of that move just has happened, multiple times, actually. 

Person 2: Exactly. 

Person 1: So yeah, I would lose my shit. I would build a statue.

Person 2: I'd be a hypocrite

Person 1: I've already started to turn 3 weeks ago. 

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End of convo

I'll bite.  The "framework" has happened multiple times part is probably a big name salary dump from a team in second-apron hell.  The "hypocrite" part means either losing someone Person 2 likes or taking on someone she doesn't like (and then Person 1 says he started to change his mind on this person 3 weeks ago).  The timing could just be a figure of speech.  

I looked at some of her tweets (man, she is prolific).  She LOVES her some THJ.  I suspect this is more about him being part of the outgoing than being a hypocrite about who is incoming.  So, Timmy out and salary dump in.  She likes Ayton, so this could just be getting Ayton with so little outgoing.  I realize some don't like the idea (and certainly wouldn't build a statue), but if you like the idea of Ayton and suddenly it can be done without sending out Josh or a first, then that is pretty good work (as an aside, Utah just took on a massive contract that pushes their #9 pick to the bench for several years, but Dallas can't with #12?).

Other possibilities might be AD or PG.  She's done with Dame and he doesn't make sense here anyway.  Ditto LaVine.  Once you get past that, it is hard to see the realistic salary dump that a team might need to make (so not Thompson or Curry or Gobert).  I think it is Ayton super cheap.  There are versions to be had this week and versions that add this to the open Bertans trade.  I suspect they'd like to at least agree to something soon so they could hit 6/30 knowing where they stand.

BTW, if this is part of the open Bertans deal, THJ plus Bertans outgoing = $34.9mm.  At 1.25% + $250k (since the outgoing is over $29mm), that is $43.875mm  Reduce that by Holmes to Dallas and this misses a trade match by either $.6k or $2.4mm depending on the TK for Holmes.  From there, there are a hundred things you could do to get this across the line.

Something I've not noticed before...Ayton has a one year no-trade clause that expires mid July.  Not a big deal as Phoenix can just wait, but Ayton had the ability to block June trades to destinations he doesn't like.