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

[F Gump]

I think we really REALLY need to use the THJ contract to the absolute most. Green+THJ contract lets the Mavs get 1 last semi large trade and they can take back roughly 30 mil of salary with it. 

Now do they target a starting 3/4 that can play off PJ and can hit 3s? Do they break that up and bring in 2 guys that fill different needs?

How they use Green+THJ+Hardy this summer along with the 25+31 will be really interesting to me. That and they have to retain DJJ. I think he's played himself out of the TP-MLE but who knows?

The choices to accomplish what needs to be done (as I see it) are very limited. I agree that they need to find a path to DJJ. I do think, because he's a defense-only guy, he's probably not going to be nearly as expensive as we fear, and he might even strongly prefer staying since his past places have not worked out at all for him, so I'd want to take advantage of such a window of opportunity.

They could certainly put the TxMLE on the table as a 1+1, starting at 5.2M, and perhaps he would say yes, with a plan to be a FA again in a year and get a bigger deal with Early Bird rights. That almost certainly lands them over Apron 1, but also offers no hard cap and some flexibility.

But I'd rather lock him up for 3-4 years instead, which would mean expanding the MLE room by reducing spending elsewhere, so that you can pay him more and still be under Apron 1. The avenue to that is a trade where the Mavs trade more salary for less, without messing with the needed players to keep.

Your idea to package THJ-Green (total salary about $29M) could work that way, where you're only taking back about $21.5M or somewhat more (the limit in salary differential is 7.5M if neither team has cap room and both can stay under Apron 1), but I frankly don't want any of those players who have contracts in that price range. I looked at the list. Ugh. And more broadly, I am still a proponent of a team of MLE-ish players, more or less, as how you pay those rotation guys. That's one of the things I really liked about the trades for Gafford (13.4M next year) and PJW (15.5M next year), the fact that both are not going to cost much beyond a big MLE that should be about 12.9M.

So if in a trade I am PAYING for a guy (with a pick or talent), I want to pay for the rotation guy whose salary is in the 10-15M range, so that he will fit in that payroll plan.

One trade that fits that model would be THJ for Caruso. Caruso is paid ~10M, and he may be available as his contract is expiring (and CHI may fear losing him in a year). He's a 2-way player. And if you did that swap, on the money front you would then create room to offer DJJ a deal starting at about $8-9M, which I think might be plenty to get him to sign for several years, and allows you to stay below Apron 1.

Because it's a path to BOTH Caruso and DJJ, you can justify the risk of Caruso walking, and still offer a FRP. But Caruso is extension eligible for an extend-and trade, too. Doesn't he seem like a guy who would fit well on this team?

Bottom Line ---
(1) THJ + 2025 FRP (lightly protected) for Caruso. Extend Caruso. (The CBA limits on a Caruso extension would be a starting salary of about $14M, which I think is plenty and maybe even too much. That number or less keeps him in that useful price range - and although he would come with Bird rights for when his contract expires, I don't want role players who will be eating up $20M & up out of my available spending room.)
(2) Sign DJJ at 3 yrs 27M.

That's my preferred summer.