John Collins...Our Third Star

[DanSchwartzgan]

 Also, barring some MAJOR (and unexpected) development in the playoffs, we should expect that:

1 Josh Richardson exercises his player option, and
2 WCS's team option is exercised by the Mavs

I don't think either of those is a borderline decision, as we sit, so any planning without those in place feels awry.

Local and national writers that I've read are split on the JRich thing.  It is very much an open question whether he will grab the 3/$29 that is likely his value on the market or take $11.6mm and hope there is something at or above the MLE for him a year from now.  Others have pointed a way to clear WCS's room and keep him if both parties are interested in doing so.  IF both work out that way, there is room to sign THJ for almost $17mm and do the Maxi for Collins deal using cap space.

But, lets say you are right on both counts.  It doesn't take some ginormous disruption to the roster to do this.  Using your assumptions any FA signing of substance requires THJ be let go.  All I'm doing is trading Maxi and taking Collins back into space.  No BYC and no Trade Matching required. In other words, there are ways of doing this whether THJ is kept or JRich.

    Player         Cap Cost
1  Porzingis     31,650,600
2  Collins         28,100,000
3  Powell         11,080,125
4  Richardson  11,615,328
5  Luka           10,174,391
6  DFS             4,000,000
7  WCS            4,100,000
8  Burke           3,150,000
9  Green           2,957,520
10 Brunson       1,802,057
11 Terry           1,517,981
12 Player Hold     916,276
                      
                      111,064,278

Projected Cap  112,400,000
Cap Space          1,335,722