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

[DanSchwartzgan]

If we are making a list, I guess you add L Ball. Also Tyus Jones.

Stein mentioned Ball and Paul early on along with Jrue.  So, those two are still on my list.  v

In other news, Zach Lowe says he's hearing Boston could be a facilitator in a Durant deal with Jrue Holiday going somewhere besides Phoenix.  Phoenix seems to want a center and has been turned down on Poeltl and Ware and probably doesn't want to pay Gobert.   Maybe Gafford ends up in Phoenix, Holiday ends up here and Durant ends up with one of the rumored destinations.  

No matter how you slice it, you eventually need someone in the deal who can take back more salary than they send.  You also need someone far enough below the second apron that they can send out multiple players and stay below the second apron.  That would seem to favor SA, Miami, Toronto and maybe the Clippers over Minnesota or Houston as the Durant destination.   Dallas would still need to get enough salary combined with Gafford to cross over Jrue's $32.4mm number and would need some method of being under the second apron after the deal.

Edit:  In this construct, you have to figure out what else Phoenix wants besides Gafford.  You also have to figure out what Boston wants.  I could see Boston taking back an expiring lesser contract.  For instance, it would make great sense if they ended up with Harrison Barnes for a year.  The Clippers and Miami also have medium sized expiring contracts on useful vets who could step in for Tatum (or Jrue) for a year.  

Under this set of assumptions, Phoenix has Booker, Beal and Gafford as starters.  So, they need more salary from us and more from the KD destination to fill in their rotation.