Trade & FA 2025-26: Free Agency Starts 5pm CST/6pm EST

[SleepingHero]

This team has no business operating over the 2nd Apron. What’s it take to get below that Apron and bring in a decent guard?

Quite a bit actually. 

Just extending Kyrie at 38 a year, a number lower than he is currently making, puts the Mavs ~5 mil away from the 2nd apron with a roster spot to give. Any vet min signing essentially puts them right at the 2nd apron.

Stein has already mentioned that Kyrie's injury hasn't deterred the Mavs from being motivated to keep Kyrie. They also value him heavily. Lets assume they keep Kyrie on another 3 year 120 mil deal, which to me is the realistic floor as Kyrie takes a small paycut by opting out this year, but gets an additional 80 mil then next 2. 

So hard numbers in this scenario: That puts the Mavs at $202,502,096 in roster salary, 5,321,904 below the 2nd apron, and 14 roster spots filled. 

They still need a guard. (Exum is the only guard they'd be able to offer above the vet min.) If they want to make a trade, they have to follow 1st apron rules which are:

• Can't use more than Tx-MLE
  
• Can't use more than 100% trade matching, 
  
• Can't acquire a player via a SnT
  
• Can't use a TPE that was created last season. 
  

Which leaves the Mavs making trades ONLY where they take back less money for what they send out. Given the minimum needed roster constraints, any trade would have to be the same amount of players out vs. in. And it'd have to be a salary dump.