Trade & Free Agency 2026/2027

[mvossman]

Sure, I supposed PJ for Cam Johnson stands on its own with one caveat.  As discussed before, the $3.25mm salary difference is enough to get Denver under the second apron.  It would temporarily put Dallas over the tax by about $1mm, but that is easily remedied by buying out Klay.  That's the caveat.  Klay would need to be bought out or there would need to be another trade that brought in someone for less money than was sent out.  BTW, the larger trade that involved Mathurin required the same thing.  Dallas moves from $2.3mm under the tax to $6.2mm under the tax if Klay gives up the full vet min contract he would presumably receive elsewhere and either scenario requires that extra space. 

The one thing I don't like about a Klay buyout is it removes a large expiring contract from possibly being used in a mid-season trade.  This deal would replace Klay's $17mm expiring with Johnson's $23mm expiring.

Does an expiring Cam have more value than PJ?  Better shooting for half a season doesn’t move the needle so this would be a purely asset trade.