(04-11-2024, 02:35 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: Oops. You're right.
I did my math without Harden's cap hold. Theoretically they could re-sign Harden to a moderate sized contract in the mid 20s and they'd be under the 2nd apron.
But the pipe dream has gotten even less realistic there.
I haven't been able to properly respond to your Caruso idea from earlier. But just because I'm tinkering with this George fantasy doesn't mean I think it's the best course of action. I think your avenue makes much more sense not only from a cap perspective but also from a chemistry perspective. I'm trying to work up a list of guys who I think would fit your framework and make sense. Hopefully I find the time to finish it soon!
1 They don't even have room for 20M for Harden, because they have to fill the roster and they are at 169M for 11 players. Each minimum salary counts at least 2M for apron purposes, and it's about the whole roster payroll total. They'd want to leave some sort of cushion, with a hard cap to navigate. Apron 2 will be at 190M. That leaves maybe 15M or so for Harden, and since his whole reason for pushing his way out of Philly was money and Morey's failure to pay, I would bet his number lands in the 30s, maybe the 40s.
2 On the Caruso idea, I looked for other options with THJ outgoing, but couldn't find any that make sense to me.
In order for the salary reduction to help with DJJ, part of the salary savings is eaten up in simply being below Apron 1 with enough cushion to navigate a year with a hard cap. I think getting to that point eats up the first $2M of savings from a trade.
Alternate 1 - The idea of Josh Green for Caruso has been floated as an alternate, and that feels like an even swap (no picks needed), with JG younger and also locked in for multiple years, but that basically gains you not enough to be usable on increasing an offer to DJJ (it only gains about 2.5M). And you still have THJ, while I think this summer will be the optimal time to try to trade him.
Alternate 2 - You should be able to give away JG, with no return, and probably get a 1st, and that solves the DJJ contract, but it doesn't solve THJ and it doesn't land you a useful player in return.
Alternate 3 - Maybe you can do JG for Caruso, and then give away THJ for nothing (could that be doable, based on his season?) or even get a low pick? If you can do both of those, that sure works for me.
Giving away Hardy, or including him, doesn't help the money-for-DJJ issue, as Hardy would have to be replaced with a min salary player, who would count the same against the hard cap for Apron 1.
A THJ deal that works has to be a swap with the other team having ability to absorb extra. Some cannot. Sending out THJ, the most you can get in salary reduction would be 7.5M with the right team (other than teams who are well under the cap). But I'd also want it to be a player not only with the right size contract, but also good enough to be useful, with the big hole on the roster being that of a designated shooter, so to speak, who isn't wildly inefficient and bereft of defense.
I am interested in other options, if there are any that make sense, bedsides Caruso. I couldn't find any. I'll be interested to see what you can come up with.