Trade & FA 2024-25:

[KillerLeft]

The guys on the Hardwood Knocks podcast brought up THJ to Detroit again today.  It is at least the third time I've heard them say it (THJ and a second to Detroit to clear space for DJJ).  It was kind of interesting that Dan Frivale brought up the term "opportunity cost" in terms of using THJ for space when you might could do something better.  Different "Dan", but same thing I've said almost word for word.

Who knows what a new GM in Detroit wants to do.  They have to hit the minimum salary and he may want to take some time to evaluate what he has.  So, maybe a one year guy who carries over salary space for a year isn't the worst thing (especially if that player also has some ties from his Michigan days).  THJ's expiring salary could also be valuable to Langdon at the TDL.  

Does that cost us a second?  We have Toronto's second next season.  On the same podcast, they did an over/under on free agents and Team Option guys.  I thought it was interesting that they thought Memphis would pick up Luke Kennard's $14.7mm option.  If they would do that for Kennard, is Hardaway really that different at $1.5mm more?

They dealt with DJJ's free agency surprisingly early in the show.  The O/U was set at $12.8mm and both hosts took the Over.  The idea being Dallas would clear the space to offer the $12.9mm exception and if they didn't, someone would.  If there was no returning salary in a THJ outgoing, Dallas could give DJJ the NT MLE and be $5.7mm under the first apron.

I tried to read up on the BA Exception which is about $4.8mm.  I believe we'd also have access to that as long as we stay under the first "tax" apron.  The wording is confusing.  The source I read says that isn't the LT level, it is the first apron (about $173mm).  FG has advocated that we stay about $1.0mm under that apron once all of our dealing is done (which would be the case if we traded THJ for no returning salary, gave DJJ the full NT MLE and spent the BAE at $4.8mm to sign a 15th player.  

The other interesting thing about the BAE is that it can be used in trades this summer.  So, possible uses:

1.  Sign a FA for up to $4.8mm (maybe just use part of it to pay someone more than they'd get at the minimum).  I'm not sure you can "target" someone valuable in free agency.  It is probably more like someone who falls through the cracks (like DJJ and Oubre last summer).  Is someone going to pay Hayward more than $5mm?

2.  Trade for someone already under contract making under the exception amount.  The list is pretty limited here.  Is it a salary dump?  Someone a team doesn't want to go into FA with the next summer?  Can you improve the return by adding the 2025 first?

Long way of saying there may be other ways to get some value out of a THJ dump (other than "just" getting to keep DJJ) through the use of the BAE.

This post was so excellent I moved it to the new thread. I didn't know it would become the thread's first post, so sorry to put it above FGump's fine OP (thanks for starting the new thread, btw, Mr. Gump).