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

[Jason Terry]

There is no way to extend (ie, lengthen the contract of) DJJ to avoid free agency. The Mavs only opportunity will be resign him as a FA.

Right now their commitments project to have them around the tax line, which only leaves room for the taxpayer MLE. That starts at 5.25M and seems way too little.

If they can trim enough 2024-25 payroll between now and July, they can offer the big MLE of 13M, which seems like it should be enough.

I would think the preferred way to do so would be a deadline trade of Holmes for an expiring contract. That would cost a pick, but so long as it isn't a first-rounder, it seems worth it assuming that could create enough room for DJJ.

I would prefer the expiring contract coming back for Holmes be a player who might also have some oncourt utility, such as Olynyk to be the backup center that's needed (he would be a stretch 5 type). His trade price should not be high. And depending on his salary price in the summer, maybe KO could be resigned too? The addition of Lindsey to the front office gives me some optimism that they could pull off something like this.

Several contenders are interested in Olynyk. Rather than trading a couple 2nds i’d move Hardy

Holmes and Hardy for Olynyk 

Another way to think about it is: give up Hardy for: 1) Bad Holmes contract off books 2) Gain ability to re-sign DJJ to full MLE and 3) get a useable backup big for this year 

I think something like this would check enough boxes

Nick Richards is something i like which would be more of a long term solution at probably a bit higher price

Another would be Hardy for Drummond and a 2nd. Get the pick in to use later to move Holmes