Trade & FA 2024-25:

[SleepingHero]

That's not nearly enough salary to satisfy the rules. Mavs are already close to the Apron, so it's probably a 100% trade so that you aren't hard-capped when refilling all the empty roster slots.
 
In round numbers
PG 49

Maxi 11
THJ 16.2
Green 12.6
Hardy 2
TOT 41.8  ....Add Powell and Exum and you're there.

You only have minimums to re-fill the roster. No room to spend the MLE or any TPEs, because even if you DON'T spend the MLE, you're probably right at or over Apron 2.

I just don't see it.

With the fake trade I posted using fanspo and only giving up THJ+Green+Hardy+Maxi (and waiving Lawson because there's no reason why he's on the roster as a NG deal). The numbers worked, but that website might not have the updated rules yet, so correct me if I'm wrong. 

Player                  Salary           Notes
1 Doncic              43,031,940
2 Irving               41,000,000     ULTBE $1,000,000
3 Paul George      48,787,676
4 PJ Washington   15,500,000     ULTBE $500,000
5 Gafford             13,394,160                   
6 Lively                 5,014,560
7 Powell                4,000,000
8 Exum                 3,150,000     Team Option 6/28
9 Omax               2,870,400
10 Morris               2,093,637




Dead                     2,208,856    McGee

Total Salary         181,051,299 

                                               Space Under/(Over)
First Apron          178,655,000      (2,404,299)
Second Apron      189,486,000     8,426,701

Mavs have around 8 mil to fill out 4 roster spots and stay under the 2nd apron. 

If it's just Powell included the Mavs salary is down to 177,051,299. The empty roster spots I assume will be filled with vet mins of ring chasing vets and the Mavs should be under the 2nd apron by about 50k after filling in the final 4 spots. If DJJ does decide to take the 1+1 TP-MLE then we're over the 2nd apron by a hair. 

Truthfully the Mavs are giving up in the aggregate pretty much nothing of note and should make this deal even if it empties out the roster a bit. THJ was as negative of a player in the playoffs as possible. Every minute with him on the court was bad. Maxi was out/played injured for 3/4 of the playoffs. KL highlighted all the positives of Maxi that I agree with, but its hard to get past the fact he's getting up there in age and he will give you maybe 5 points a game when healthy. Green+Hardy, while they had their moments, aren't guys we're going to lose sleep over. Powell doesn't play anymore and if he does something has gone wrong. Exum doesn't have to be added and should be kept due to his fit.

Mavs would be adding a top 25 player right now that basically covers all weakness the top 6 rotation faced during the run, while adding more than all the other players in this deal contributed combined. Absolute no brainer to make such a deal even if it puts them in the 2nd apron for 1-2 years before the cap spikes. They essentially keep the core that made the run and replace DJJ with an all-star. And in order to do so they cut off the last 5 guys of their bench. Seems like a no brainer to me at least.