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

[SleepingHero]

What team has a distressed player that is making around 14.1 mil AND would either need a backup center in McGee at a lower contract, OR needs to shed the difference of McGee's contract to get below the tax line/1st apron?

Current teams right near the 165 tax line: Pelicans

Teams between the 1st and 2nd apron: Nuggets, 76ers, Celtics, Heat, and Bucks

Teams hopelessly over the 2nd apron: Warriors, Clippers, and Suns.

Of those teams the only ones that make much sense to me in a deal where the Mavs are trying to land Capela are all of them but the Suns, Celtics, and Warriors. The Clippers, 76ers, and Miami are all trying to do blockbuster deals, so it's tough to conjure up trade matches for them given that they have other priorities so lets strike them too. That leaves: Pelicans, Nuggets and Bucks.

Players on said teams that qualify for that 14.1 mil contract and are *distressed:
NOP: Nance Jr., Valanciunas
DEN: N/A
Bucks: Portis, Connaughton, Allen

Pelicans to me makes the absolute most sense. Mavs could create a 3-way where:

Pelicans: Patty Mills+McGee+2nds
Hawks: THJ+Valanciunas
Mavs: Capela

Pelicans are 38k above the tax line with this deal. Mavs and Hawks stay below it. The only players that make sense are Naji Marshall or Trey Murphey to Dallas as they both fit into the TPE and the Mavs remain under the tax line with either of them, but their inclusion to me makes it a bit imbalanced unless the Mavs were to throw in a 2027 FRP and then we're at a massive overpay.