Trade & Free Agency 2026/2027

[DanSchwartzgan]

I get he is drawing it out to keep the attention on him, but he knows which team he's going to pick. Everyone's rosters are basically set. Cannot wait for this dude to just be gone.

Funny how it is Lebron and Kawhi holding things up.  Back to the Future...the Redux.  The Lebron part is holding up moves for the teams involved who might have to create space for him if he wants the MLE.  Kawhi appears to be holding up Watson and Mathurin (not to mention Ingram and Dick).

I read a theory that at least the Kawhi thing should be over soon as Silver will want a resolution before he faces the media in conjunction with the board of governors meeting.  

It is one thing to have a $20mm TPE, but if you aren't $20mm under the tax, it isn't likely we will use it.  In my continuing efforts to get LAC a center, I noticed we could take back Dick and a Pick and send out Gafford if we were looped into the LAC/TOR deal that also involved Ingram and Kawhi.  LAC has plenty of draft capital including three picks in 2029 plus two each in 31 and 33 following the deal with Toronto.  Swapping out Gafford for Dick and a first puts us far enough under the tax to fully utilize the TPE.  Before everyone complains that Dick isn't any good, he's expiring and the goal here is the pick.

It feels like Watson to LAC is likely to happen as there was reporting it almost happened the other night.  I assume LAC wants to stay under the LT; otherwise they remain in repeater tax hell.  So, the question then becomes whether they can do Watson and keep Mathurin.  Moving Dick to Dallas helps financially and helps them get a much needed center.  But my bigger question is do they really want Mathurin if they have Watson, Ingram and Rui as wings with Wagler also getting some time there as well.  There has been so little talk around Mathurin that I have to think they either already have a deal done or there is already a trade in place (Gafford) and Dallas wants it quiet until it actually happens (since there is so much risk around the Kawhi deal).  It is easy enough to make a Gafford deal work in this framework whether it is just Dick, just Mathurin or Mathurin and Dick coming to Dallas.