(02-06-2026, 04:05 PM)Mavs2021 Wrote: I have zeroed in on one specific use of the TPE or/and Klay Thompson now.
Given the looming 2027/2028 extensions of Lively, Christie and Marshall, I feel like the Mavs will not have any interest to add long-term money beyond 12 months, maybe 24 months at most with the TPE.
Cleveland will surely look to get LeBron home, but that could also mean to shed some further salaries. Strus is candidate numero uno. Schroeder depending on how LeBron feels about him from the Lakers days. I think they were good, but no idea.
Anyway the Cavs will receive the Spurs 2026 pick, so we could either acquire it outright for taking on 12 months (+small partial guarantee for Schroeder) of either Strus or Schroeder on draft night to further help the Cavs cap structure. Or we could swap trade Thompson + Thunder pick for Strus + Spurs pick. Feels like LeBron would prefer a proven winner like Thompson over Strus.
Getting Schroeder, when we need a back-up guard anyway and being paid a late 1st round pick to do so, could be very smart business. In the unlikely case that Christian Anderson is really there at #28/#30 you immediately have a perfect German buddy for him to learn from.
Shedding salary on draft day does very little for Cleveland. They are currently projected to be some 4 mil under the 2nd apron and 9 mil over the first apron. As a first apron team they could SnT for LeBron, which is basically their only realistic way to get him if he wants to get paid more than vet min (or room MLE). They would need to shed some 25 mil of salary to be able to offer him full MLE, for example.
So the potential opportunity for cashing in on salary dumping comes after the draft at the start of free agency. While LeBron loves the drama and attention, it is unlikely he will be able to drag his decision for a long time if he wants to be paid more than MLE (unless he goes to a team with cap space). Lakers will not be holding his cap hold for a long time.
Lakers could use any kind of SnT, imho. In option 1 they receive a good player, in option 2 they use their cap space and receive a large TE and perhaps a minor compensation. Under option 2 a team like Cleveland would be looking for salary taker in July