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

[omahen]

Yeah, I get the situation. But I don't see how this really is a path that saves OKC money. It's a premise of players on min or very small salary who have value, right? (Because, if it's not, how can you fit 2 into the McGee salary slot). But if they have value but almost no salary, can't OKC alternately just give them away, reducing their disposal cost to $0? 

Then there's the simple math. If DAL is doing it to reduce salary, how can OKC swap with the Mavs and reduce salary too?

If we're saying they have use for JM, yeah that's a diff story. Veteran center, traditional rim protector, lots of plus athletic traits (7', 7-6 wingspan, mobile, can jump through the roof), has won rings, great for chemistry, etc etc and maybe OKC wants to use leftovers to add one of those.

Yes, we are speaking about small salary players.  Of course, those guys are end of bench guys. They didn't get much minutes and mostly didn't perform well when they got the chance. But they are all very young and perhaps there is something to uncover in some of them. Mavs were once interested in Garuba. Wiggins had nice stats in his minutes. No idea if he is on the "cut" list, but his deal is not guaranteed, so less costly to cut. Robinson is sort of a stretch big. The rest of possible cut candidates are small PG and SG, don't see much interest there. 

OKC needs to dump those players. Either they cut them (it costs them money) or they trade them. Perhaps there aren't willing takers for those end of bench guys. Houston for example paid to dump Washington and Garuba. Both might be on the OKC "cut" list, both still on multiyear rookie deals and both first round picks. Atlanta than again paid OKC a SRP to take those two. And everyone knows OKC has to cut players, so unless some very interesting players would be put on the table, the bidders will likely not compete to do a service to OKC without getting paid. Imho, OKC must either cut them which costs them money, or use some minor assets to trade them. 

If OKC just takes McGee, they will have another body to cut. So, if Dallas takes two of them for McGee, OKC likely does save some money or minor assets. Dallas interest would be to have a look at some young guys, which is more valuable than looking at McGee for two more years. If of course there is someone, they see as uncovered potential.

OKC doesn't need to reduce salary. They would still be paid to take McGee. Here is what I think:

Without McGee: cut 2 players costing them roughly 5 mil
With McGee (lets say Mavs add cash and SRP): They send away those 5 mil (if not, another young player would have to be dumped), but receive 12 mil they cut. So the net cost for them is 7 mil, for which they are adequately compensated. 
With McGee, but they don't send any players to Mavs: receive 12 mil and still have to cut 5 mil worth of players. 12 mil of additional salary they cut. Would perhaps demand more than just cash and one SRP.