MAVS NEWS:

[F Gump]

Waiving Powell now would not open up space for anyone given that his contract his guaranteed and still counts against the cap for this season.

For next season, the remaining 4 million owed to him would be stretched across 3 years, so it would carry a hit of 1,333,333 per year for the next 3 years of dead space.

That almost alone counts for a vet min deal. So there is no tangible benefit for stretching Powell.

Powell doesn't make sense financially as a player to waive, both for the financial hit that would ensue as you note, but also for the fact that he can serve as cap filler in an offseason trade (which would then remove his salary entirely). I expect there will be a trade, and his salary will be needed. Their payroll really cannot afford to be clogged with dead money.

HOWEVER -- the idea that waiving Powell (or some other player) can't open up a way to sign an extra player is NOT correct. They only have a sliver of spending room as is, but that's all they need.

Using Powell as an example, if he was waived, their payroll would stay exactly the same. BUT - their issue is a lack of roster slots for more than 1 player, and waiving a player then opens up that slot to allow them to sign someone - to the extent they can afford to do so under the hard cap.

As I have mentioned elsewhere already, they have enough money for 4 days at the minimum. That would allow 2 games (which is 3 days) for 1 player into the existing open slot, and leave 1 day pay left over. If they free up another space, they can then sign another player to the 15-man for that 1 day, plus postseason play. Both of those deals could be for up to 4 years (counting the small contract this year as the 1st year) with various possibilities as to money length, guarantees, option year, etc and would also make the player eligible for postseason play.

IMO the only player that might make sense to waive would be Exum, since he is injured and his contract is expiring. However, he might be available at some point if there's a playoff run. Waiving him also comes at the cost of removing his Bird rights, if they intend to try to resign him, which could create a problem in that regard. There could be a workaround, they could have Tx MLE to serve that purpose (to the extent it does not pass the Apron 2 hard cap line).

The benefit to be gained would be to lock up Jones as well as Williams on favorable deals for several years. There's also the angle that if you don't get a favorable deal (paying minimum salary), you don't do one at all, because their future cap won't support it so why bother (especially with Jones, who won't be that needed this season once both Gaff and Lively return, and with Powell as an available emergency backup).

Roster slots next season then become an issue, but a trade can solve that, and the common idea mentioned is a 2 or 3 player package for Ball.