Trade & Free Agency 2026/2027

[omahen]

Actually there are plenty of examples that prove teams are still willing to spend around 12% of the cap for their 4th or 5th best player.
ATL: Daniels (15.2%)
CLE: Watson (12.4%)
DEN: Braun (13.1%)
HOU: Jabari (14.3%)
IND: Nembhard (11.9%), Neismith (11%)*
MIN: Dosunmu (11.7%)
NOP: Herb (12%)*
NYK: Hart (12.7%)
ORL: WCJ (11%)
OKC: Hartenstein (14%), Caruso (11.9%)
POR: Camara (11%), Sharpe (12.2%)
SAS: Vassell (16.7%)


Well, that's a 10-men depth chart, 
Sasser and Biberovic are end of the bench players at the moment, the fact that they are new signings doesn't automatically mean they will have guaranteed playing time. I mean, they won't get it even if Dallas trades PJ for nothing. After all, the same applies to all the Lakers' new arrivals: not everyone of them will make the rotation when all healthy. 
And, as I’ve already said, Lively needs to prove he is physically healthy before he can be counted on.
When everyone will be available, I think it's Gafford the odd man out, more than PJ.

Also we are acting like injuries don't happen, I mean over the past two years all of Gafford, Lively, Washington, Aldama and Irving averaged less than 60 games per season
57 Washington 
56 Gafford
54 Aldama
25 Irving (58 games if we count the two seasons before ACL)
22 Lively

Some of those examples are coming from times when aprons didn't yet hit in full extent. Braun, WCj, Vassel. More importantly, majority of the guys you listed were very young with a lot of potential at times when they signed their current deal. Daniels, Vassell, Watson, Jabari, Nembhard, Herb, Camara, Sharpe for example. 

I think this summer has seen a drastic shift as I listed in the original post. Watson and Dosunmu are rare examples of contracts above MLE for players that are not stars. Watson is 23 and had a great season. Dosunmu is perhaps a lone example of a veteran "role player" getting serious long term money this summer. He had great season, but is still like fourth or fifth player on a good team. Minny will have problems, as they are very top heavy in their salaries. With their picks mostly traded away, it will be very difficult for them to sustain depth behind the top 5 guys. I think they might regret that contract. Unless of course they win it all  

How many of those contracts you listed would you see as having a positive value? Daniels at 25 mil when he can't shoot at all? Braun we all agree is one of the worst deals in the league based on his last season. Herb at 20 mil after last two seasons? Great defender but injured a lot and doesn't provide much more than defense. Sharpe, one of most inefficient players with no defense? Vassell is a perfectly good wing, but at 26 mil?