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

[DanSchwartzgan]

Yes, if you follow all of the other rules.  There is nothing about a S&T per se that keeps the incoming player from also being a S&T.

Since you asked specifically about Thybulle (and by extension G-Williams), there is an issue here.  Both of those guys will be BYC (so they either count as their old salary or 50% of their new salary as outgoing).  

You won’t be able to use Wood for Williams and stay under the first apron if Williams makes more than the MLE.  This actually applies to any trade, not just Williams.  We are right on the first apron if we use the entire MLE.  So, any trade for someone making more than $12.4mm is going to require us to move salary from the existing books (Wood represents the creation of additional salary).  The exception would be if we followed all the rules that permit us to go over the first apron, but S&T’s and MLE signings are out.

You probably won’t be able to use Wood for Thybulle if Wood makes more than the MLE because of BYC from the Portland standpoint (might be overcome as part of some massive Lillard trade, but seems like a lot of trouble for no real benefit).  If Wood makes MLE or under, Portland should just sign him and Dallas should just sign Thybulle.  As much as I want to make this something fancy, the best/easiest play for either is just to sign them (though I wonder if Boston would prefer a S&T at the MLE level to create a TP).  Anything over that and we have to send something to Boston or a third party.

Not that anyone asked, but I like G-Will better than Thybulle. I can see the day when Lively grows into being an average NBA center and we have:

Center: Lively

Wings: OMax, Williams/Green

Creators: Luka/Kyrie/Hardy

You need more size, but the future tight playoff rotation at Wing and Creator is pretty strong. IF you land Williams, I think we are about one player away from being done for awhile with everyone except Kyrie still with some upside ahead of them.