MAVS NEWS:

[Chicagojk]

1 You cannot combine a NS TE with anything else to take back a player with a larger salary.  Obviously that doesn't work re KD's massive salary.
2 But if the Mavs opt to be a team over the 1st Apron (as it appears they are going to have to do), they can't use their NS TE's they have now anyhow. 
3 Using a NS TE in essence adds that amount of extra salary to your payroll, which is contrary to what the Mavs will need to be doing to cram 15 players under Apron 2.

That having been said, I can fashion a trade that does add KD and leaves a core of talent for 2025, allowing for hard cap room under Apron 2 to fill the roster back up, and the result would look like this. 

Outgoing in KD trade (about $12M of which would have to go to a facilitating 3rd team) would be
Klay, Gafford, Martin, Marshall, Powell, OMax, Hardy, 2025 1st, other draft capital

The 2025 Mavs roster then looks like this:

C -  Lively, minimum, minimum
PF - AD, Edwards (minimum), minimum
SF - KD, PJW [backs up both forwards], minimum
SG - Christie, minimum, minimum
PG - Kyrie, Exum ($7M), Williams (minimum)

You also almost certainly move forward in ensuing years as a team OVER Apron 2, with the penalties that flow from that. And your peak window is probably about 2-3 years.

Thanks for the explanation.    The only push back I would have is that PJ would be moved instead of Klay.  For one, I don't think PHX would have any interest in Klay.  Second, I really think the team is higher than Klay than a lot of us.   

For PHX, picks plus Gafford, PJ and stuff is something maybe they could get Booker to stick around for a bit longer.