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

[mvossman]

Yes the amount of ground to cover is smaller this season. But it's about 17M now, so still a fairly big leap (for example, some team takes ALL 3 of Martin, Hardy, and Exum and sends back no one). 

But I don't follow your other points, and wonder if they aren't backwards.
1 Don't expiring contracts help NEXT season not this one? For example, you could trade for KP (or McCollum) and that 30M is still on the payroll this season, but gone next year if you just let him walk. 
2 Isn't there much more cap room in the summer than right now, before rosters are filled and cap room is spent? A team can also take a player using their MLE etc.
3 I also wonder if the roster limits right now make it harder to find a taker in a salary dump (or 3).

Crap, that was a total brainfart.  It will be very hard to get below the number for this year.  I do think it will be easier to clear cap for next season this TDL as opposed to in the offseason.  Depending on TDL options, they may have to attack from both angles (clear some at TDL and finish in offseason).