Trade & FA 2024-25:

[F Gump]

If the goal is THJ/Maxi/Green for Grant/Thybulle, there MIGHT be a way to split it up and make it work.

You do THJ/Maxi for Grant in 23/24.  Then you do the Green for Thybulle part in the new season.  Each deal would need to satisfy both teams on a stand alone basis in terms of draft compensation in case something happened with the second deal.  You could also put Green in the first deal and Maxi in the Thybulle deal, but it makes Dallas a taxpayer in 23/24.

I say “might” because there are a few potential issues.  Fanspo shows the first trade putting Portland within $260k of hitting the tax for the current season.  I imagine Fanspo doesn’t have every single penny of spending accounted for, so some minor tweaks might have to be made.   Portland does not have a 2025 first round pick.  So, I suspect part of the compensation for the THJ/Maxi for Grant part of this (or the THJ/Green for Grant part of this) would be our 2025.  It wouldn’t shock me to see Dallas get back one of Portland’s 2024 seconds in such a deal.

The other issue is when all is said and done, our three players for their two players adds some salary.  When you account for a Vet Minimum to get back to 14 players, it puts us about $650k over the first apron.  

But, we don’t have to make our 14th a vet min.  It can be a second rounder.  Last year Portland paid their two second rounders $1.1mm each.  That saves you more than the $650k needed to stay under the apron.    

Once we are under the apron with a legal roster, I believe we can spend the TP MLE and go over the apron as we’ve not done anything at this point to hard cap ourselves (or I don’t think we have).  Those who think DJJ will sign a 1+1 at $5.2mm were always going to put us above the first apron with that signing (given how close we are to the apron without it).  So, whether than $5.2mm goes to DJJ or some other player, you’d have the ability to spend it if you wish.

Lively, PJ, Grant, Kyrie, Luka

Gafford, OMax, Thybulle, Hardy, Exum ($5.2mm Exception player)

Some pertinent details
1 Other than trade kickers paid, post-season trades in June do not impact a team's tax, as tax numbers are already determined, as of the last day of the regular season.
2 If you are not hard-capped at Apron 1, you do not have to do things to stay under that number.
3 "You do THJ/Maxi for Grant in 23/24. ".....THJ-Maxi for Grant in 23-24 is more than 100% for DAL (and oddly, for POR too) so it creates a hard cap.
4 Obtaining a 2024 2nd rounder has the potential to help on the salary front, but is only useful if there's a player you can get that is actually worth having on your roster. If not, your roster is effectively only 13, which is problematic if you also lack the ability to spend and add when injuries occur.
5 Getting below the hard cap by a sliver probably isn't a solution that any team would embrace. You need a decent cushion.