(07-11-2025, 02:14 PM)F Gump Wrote: Stein said that the Mavs can add Exum as the 16th contract because you can have up to 21 NBA contracts until the season starts. That's true, as it pertains to roster numbers.

But he didn't directly speak to the hard cap issue. That has to be considered too.

On the hard cap, the issue is Team Salary, which is calculated every day, and when you have a hard cap, your Team Salary can never exceed that number, even in the off-season. No exceptions, ever. Certain calculations are different in Team Salary for Apron Purposes. Summer contracts (E10) are not counted before the season starts, as they are almost always just a route to a team's GL squad.

Mavs' Team Salary right now is close to A2, and there is not enough room to add any player, even at the minimum. So while the rules generally would allow them to add up to 6 more players in the off-season, until they make a payroll-clearing move, they can add no one else on an NBA deal. A contract for Exum has to wait.

(07-11-2025, 02:16 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: Right, thanks...let me ask the question a different way. Are the "camp bodies" getting contracts that are less official, and almost setup for them not to make the team?

(07-12-2025, 06:07 AM)Chicagojk Wrote: Kyrie was doing a 24 hour stream, I guess.  Luka called in.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Mavericks/s/Igu5rh2azi

(07-12-2025, 11:50 AM)ThisIStheYear Wrote: Based on contracts signed this offseason, I’d pay PJ under $20 million per and that would be more than his value.  We’re seeing a huge correction in salaries now that there’s basically a hard cap in place.

(07-12-2025, 06:07 AM)Chicagojk Wrote: Kyrie was doing a 24 hour stream, I guess.  Luka called in.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Mavericks/s/Igu5rh2azi

(07-12-2025, 12:26 PM)mvossman Wrote: I feel like we are seeing two markets.  Guys getting extensions are getting paid.  Guys in the open market are not.  My understanding is PJ max extension starts at around 19 mil?  This seems about right, and hopefully they have already agreed to it.

(07-12-2025, 01:28 PM)Smitty Wrote: I’ll keep posting this so that everyone who’s unsure can know the max extension for PJ.



credit: @CBAMavs

(07-12-2025, 12:26 PM)mvossman Wrote: My understanding is PJ max extension starts at around 19 mil?  This seems about right, and hopefully they have already agreed to it.

(07-12-2025, 08:38 PM)F Gump Wrote: PAYROLL NOTES
1  As mentioned before, the Mavs' have a payroll problem looming in 2026 (well over A2) with a PJW extension expected to be ahead.
2 It can be solved by erasing ALL the salaries of Martin, Hardy, and Omax, but only 1 of those has to happen this summer (to get room for Exum). They can wait until next summer for the other 2, keep the extra depth, and see if it turns useful this season.
3  Erasing all of those would enable them to land under A2 while also paying their FRP and having money for a TxMLE.
4 As we have heard before, Omax seems the most likely one this summer, to get room for Exum. They have a decision coming on his year 4 option for 2025-26. It would be for 5.3M, and declining it erases his Bird rights next summer. I can't imagine they want to be obligated to that number.
5 If it happens, getting a taker for OMax is likelier after rosters have settled and some team has a space left over (with cap room or a TE to take his salary and take a chance on him). The Mavs could include cash to cover his 3M salary and be waived, but hopefully some team would want him as a keeper (and he makes barely over minimum salary).
6  A worst-case option they have in their back pocket for getting cap room for Exum would be to waive BW and then sign him back as a two-way, assuming he would agree. One pitfall on that approach is that they would risk losing him, if they did so and he got an offer from another team for a regular 15-man deal. 
... I notice that BW is not on the Mavs SL team. Could that tell us something? For example, are the Mavs avoiding any injury potential, to enable them to waive him with no cost if they need to? (If a NG player gets injured in a game or camp, his NG contract becomes guaranteed until he is healthy, unless it has an E9 or E10 clause, ie a summer or camp contract.)
7  Yes both B Will and Kai Jones are two-way eligible. The question is whether either or both would be interested in such a deal. The Mavs have one slot left. So far they have a PG and a SG/SF filling the 1st 2 slots.
8  Around the league, it seems like players of the caliber of BW and KJ are taking 2-way slots, grabbing them when offered, if they are on the bubble for getting a 15-man deal. More important to note, teams are starting to aggressively use their two-way slots as an avenue to having discount-priced 3rd stringers (since those salaries don't count on your cap), with the hard cap being an issue for many. Those 2-way signees are no longer just long shots who will mostly be in the GL, but teams are looking for players they will be able to use so they can leave their 15th slot open.

(07-12-2025, 10:08 PM)Smitty Wrote: Just one thing of note. Kai Jones is not two-way eligible.

(07-12-2025, 08:38 PM)F Gump Wrote: PAYROLL NOTES
1  As mentioned before, the Mavs' have a payroll problem looming in 2026 (well over A2) with a PJW extension expected to be ahead.

(07-12-2025, 08:38 PM)F Gump Wrote: PAYROLL NOTES
1  As mentioned before, the Mavs' have a payroll problem looming in 2026 (well over A2) with a PJW extension expected to be ahead.
2 It can be solved by erasing ALL the salaries of Martin, Hardy, and Omax, but only 1 of those has to happen this summer (to get room for Exum). They can wait until next summer for the other 2, keep the extra depth, and see if it turns useful this season.
3  Erasing all of those would enable them to land under A2 while also paying their FRP and having money for a TxMLE.
4 As we have heard before, Omax seems the most likely one this summer, to get room for Exum. They have a decision coming on his year 4 option for 2025-26. It would be for 5.3M, and declining it erases his Bird rights next summer. I can't imagine they want to be obligated to that number.
5 If it happens, getting a taker for OMax is likelier after rosters have settled and some team has a space left over (with cap room or a TE to take his salary and take a chance on him). The Mavs could include cash to cover his 3M salary and be waived, but hopefully some team would want him as a keeper (and he makes barely over minimum salary).
6  A worst-case option they have in their back pocket for getting cap room for Exum would be to waive BW and then sign him back as a two-way, assuming he would agree. One pitfall on that approach is that they would risk losing him, if they did so and he got an offer from another team for a regular 15-man deal. 
... I notice that BW is not on the Mavs SL team. Could that tell us something? For example, are the Mavs avoiding any injury potential, to enable them to waive him with no cost if they need to? (If a NG player gets injured in a game or camp, his NG contract becomes guaranteed until he is healthy, unless it has an E9 or E10 clause, ie a summer or camp contract.)
7  Yes both B Will and Kai Jones are two-way eligible. The question is whether either or both would be interested in such a deal. The Mavs have one slot left. So far they have a PG and a SG/SF filling the 1st 2 slots.
8  Around the league, it seems like players of the caliber of BW and KJ are taking 2-way slots, grabbing them when offered, if they are on the bubble for getting a 15-man deal. More important to note, teams are starting to aggressively use their two-way slots as an avenue to having discount-priced 3rd stringers (since those salaries don't count on your cap), with the hard cap being an issue for many. Those 2-way signees are no longer just long shots who will mostly be in the GL, but teams are looking for players they will be able to use so they can leave their 15th slot open.

(07-13-2025, 09:00 AM)Chicagojk Wrote: Is this with or without Russell?

(07-13-2025, 11:29 AM)mvossman Wrote: I had the same question.  If he has a resurgent season, seems like it would be hard to keep him.  That would create more room, but not enough to avoid dumping Martin.  Given how buried he is on the depth chart it really looks like we are going to have to pay an asset to get off that contract.

(07-13-2025, 07:42 AM)loki Wrote: I believe they'll also be paying the repeater tax. If they extend PJW at the max they can offer and fill out the roster with minimums plus their 1st round pick, they could be looking at a $100M tax bill.

(07-13-2025, 09:00 AM)Chicagojk Wrote: Is this with or without Russell?   Can I already reserve our TXMLE for Lebron next year?   

I found it interesting that Hardy and Omax are both in Vegas and at the games.   I guess they are both under contract and young, but just found that interesting.   Maybe they are fringe guys and now they need to take advantage of every opportunity?