Trade & FA 2025-26: Free Agency Starts 5pm CST/6pm EST

[Chicagojk]

Whether the Mavs find anything is tbd, but it does appear there are teams who want to be aggressive for this year.  Might be a good opp for Dallas as we get closer to the deadline.

[Smitty]

I think Clev.

I think so also. Don't know why there's a report of them calling about AD though. Seems like Garland for Harden is close to done. Mobley has to be the one in an AD/Giannis trade?

[Chicagojk]

The Kings and Raptors remain involved in trade negotiations for Domantas Sabonis, per @MikeAScotto

A three-team framework being discussed between Sacramento and Toronto:

Sacramento: RJ Barrett + Ochai Agbaji
Toronto: Domantas Sabonis
Facilitator: Jakob Poeltl + draft capital

We may need to relegate the Kings if they trade Sabonis for Barrett.  Barrett would add to Lavine, Derozan and Hunter.  That is just depressing.

[Chicagojk]

I think so also. Don't know why there's a report of them calling about AD though. Seems like Garland for Harden is close to done. Mobley has to be the one in an AD/Giannis trade?

Yeah I have no idea either.  Could this have been before the Hunter trade?  Could Hunter and Allen add up?  Who knows. Seems odd

[Smitty]

Yeah I have no idea either.  Could this have been before the Hunter trade?  Could Hunter and Allen add up?  Who knows. Seems odd

Possible. It was also Windhorst that said it... I just listened to it, and I don't know that he means Harden+AD/Giannis, but rather one of the three. Who knows.

[michaeltex]

How would CLE match salaries for AD? Mobley and Mitchell are the only two salaries even in AD's ballpark and CLE can't aggregate, can they?

[F Gump]

I'd be shocked if Mobley is outgoing.  I think the presumption should be this is instead of Harden, not in addition to Harden.  The outgoing is probably Allen and Garland.  Making the money work isn't hard.  Working with the aggregation rules is more challenging.

Those rules look like a deal-killer to me. The Cavs are apparently over 13M above A2, and unless they end a trade UNDER that line, they can't combine salaries to take back a bigger one. But DAL can't take back more than they send.

MIL can do a deal w CLE, as they do have the ability to take back lots of extra salary (they are about 17M below A1 line). But do they have what MIL might want?

Is there any scenario in which AD/DAL is added to the mix and makes it more doable?

So here's the exercise for AD-to-CLE imo. Can someone create any version of DAL (AD), MIL (GA), and CLE (some package of really good players) doing a deal that includes those star players moving plus MIL absorbing a lot of added payroll that provides major salary reduction to CLE and maybe a bit to DAL?

[DallasMaverick]

I'm not sure AD raises the floor that much with his injury concerns.  He didn't keep this team from being lottery (likely) two years in a row.

He’s definitely a needle-mover.

Record this season without AD: 10-21

With: 9-9

[DanSchwartzgan]

There is not much logic in that Vit/Reath deal would be a precursor to AD to Atlanta trade, imho. With the move Atlanta created a roster spot (when they dump Reath, which is expected). Davis salary would most likely mean Atlanta would be sending out more players than receiving. I don't want to say that Atlanta would not trade for Davis, but I don't think that move had much to do with it.

Besides the extra seconds, the deal also created a little more space under the apron for Atlanta.  There is a $128k difference between salaries and if memory serves, the KP, Kennard, Newell and pick deal that's the agent "liked" missed on the money by $58k.  Post the Vit/Reath deal, it works.  Having more seconds would also be helpful in helping teams "tough" additional teams if this ends up being a multi-team deal.

[Smitty]

Besides the extra seconds, the deal also created a little more space under the apron for Atlanta.  There is a $128k difference between salaries and if memory serves, the KP, Kennard, Newell and pick deal that's the agent "liked" missed on the money by $58k.  Post the Vit/Reath deal, it works.  Having more seconds would also be helpful in helping teams "tough" additional teams if this ends up being a multi-team deal.

What am I missing? The Hawks have $6,908,146 of space below the Tax line.

KP/Kennard/Newell for AD is +$9,157,263 to the Hawks. They'd also need to add a 14th player to the roster.

[omahen]

Those rules look like a deal-killer to me. The Cavs are apparently over 13M above A2, and unless they end a trade UNDER that line, they can't combine salaries to take back a bigger one. But DAL can't take back more than they send.

Can Cleveland even aggregate salaries before getting under the second apron as long as they end up under the second apron after the trade?

If yes, than perhaps a deal is a bit easier. Cleveland needs to send out at least 68 mil of salaries to get Giannis and be under the second apron after the deal. A bit more as they will need to get some more players to get to 14 players minimum. So lets say some 72 mil at least assuming they get a couple of vet min. 

If Mobley is the outgoing young player, it is a bit simpler. It basically takes Mobley, Allen and one of Ball, Merrill or Wade. For example, this trade works:
Mil: Mobley, Rui, Knecht, FRPs from LA and Cle
Cle: Giannis, 2 vet min
Brooklyn: Ball and some SRPs from Cleveland
LAL: Allen (this deal also works if one vet min from Milwaukee is going to LAL and one to Cle)

Cleveland could still do Garland for Harden.

If Garland is the outgoing, than it would take Allen and either two of Ball/Merill/Wade or Strus to get to at least 72 mil.

[KillerLeft]

I'd be shocked if Mobley is outgoing.  I think the presumption should be this is instead of Harden, not in addition to Harden.  The outgoing is probably Allen and Garland.  Making the money work isn't hard.  Working with the aggregation rules is more challenging.

The emboldened was my assumption, for sure, for financial reasons alone. But also, I don't think trading Mobley would or should be anywhere near their radar...though I would be thrilled of course if it turned out Tyler had the right of it.

[mvossman]

He’s definitely a needle-mover.

Record this season without AD: 10-21

With: 9-9

My point was injury concerns.  Look at the number of games this season without AD vs with him.

[DanSchwartzgan]

Those rules look like a deal-killer to me. The Cavs are apparently over 13M above A2, and unless they end a trade UNDER that line, they can't combine salaries to take back a bigger one. But DAL can't take back more than they send.

MIL can do a deal w CLE, as they do have the ability to take back lots of extra salary (they are about 17M below A1 line). But do they have what MIL might want?

Is there any scenario in which AD/DAL is added to the mix and makes it more doable?

So here's the exercise for AD-to-CLE imo. Can someone create any version of DAL (AD), MIL (GA), and CLE (some package of really good players) doing a deal that includes those star players moving plus MIL absorbing a lot of added payroll that provides major salary reduction to CLE and maybe a bit to DAL?

I don't have the time to search for a deal that works with Milwaukee...or the time to plug all of this in right now.  But, from a methodology standpoint, I wonder if something like this would work:

Dallas would need to send out someone like Gafford to a team with space or a TPE to get below the first apron.  Cleveland needs to do something similar with Ball.  These probably need to be stand alone deals.  That won't get Cleveland under the second apron, but if Dallas is far enough below the first apron, maybe they can take back enough salary that Cleveland ends up below the second apron after the actual AD to Cleveland deal.

[RasheedsBigWhiteSpot]

There's a lot of overlap in play styles of Mobley and PJ. If Mobley winds up here I'd expect PJ to be moved in the off season.

[RasheedsBigWhiteSpot]

Would you rather wind up with Mobley or cap space + the Pelicans pick?

In other words, moving Mobley or the players received for space and picks.

[Tyler]

Those rules look like a deal-killer to me. The Cavs are apparently over 13M above A2, and unless they end a trade UNDER that line, they can't combine salaries to take back a bigger one. But DAL can't take back more than they send.

...

So here's the exercise for AD-to-CLE imo. Can someone create any version of DAL (AD), MIL (GA), and CLE (some package of really good players) doing a deal that includes those star players moving plus MIL absorbing a lot of added payroll that provides major salary reduction to CLE and maybe a bit to DAL?

For the first part of the deal, a relatively simple 3-way trade with Cleveland, Charlotte, and Brooklyn can quickly shed $20mm for Cleveland to get them well under the 2nd apron. Allen and Highsmith to Charlotte (Allen is the C they want, and Highsmith is expiring), Sexton (expiring) and a draft tip to Brooklyn, and no salary to Cleveland.

Do that, and aggregation for other deals is back on the table.

[Mavs2021]

IF this Garland for Harden trade goes through and the Cavs are projected to move under the 2nd apron, I`m at least sitting on AD until the summer. I work under the assumption that LeBron will sign with the Cavs for an exemption/minimum and will then push for AD for his final ALL-IN. At that point I´m telling the Cavs: AD for Mobley straight up.

[omahen]

Lets say Cleveland actually does all the wheeling and dealing and ends up with Giannis and Harden (for Mobley, Garland, Allen and Ball). That would be still one interesting and very deep team. Although a bit weak at center depth and on a very short timeline:
Harden, Schroeder
Mitchell, Ellis, Merrill
Tyson, Strus
Wade, Tomlin
Giannis, Bryant

[KillerLeft]

Would you rather wind up with Mobley or cap space + the Pelicans pick?

In other words, moving Mobley of the players received for space and picks.

Cap space + the Pelicans pick, for the reasons of overlap you describe in the PJW post above. Doesn't matter, because I doubt either choice will truly be available. 

And incidentally, I think the issue with both PJW and Mobley is that they both overlap with Flagg too much. For that reason, I kind of expect PJW to be moved over the summer no matter what happens at this deadline. Maybe it will take them until next year's TDL to figure it out, not sure. 

But, in this hypothetical, Mobley can plausibly exist at the 5 for long stretches of meaningful games against good opponents, perhaps even more so with a guy like Flagg next to him, in a way PJW really can't, so he'd definitely be an add worth jumping on if it were truly possible. Ultimately though, I think I'd prefer that Pelicans pick as an asset in the Mavs shoes, because I'm not 100% sure there's an ideal fit between Flagg and Mobley, despite the possibility it could work being more than intriguing enough to want to try.