2021 FREE AGENCY: Markkanen wants out of CHI | DAL "definitely interested"

[DanSchwartzgan]

The simplest explanation is that we should probably spend some time talking about potential Maxi/Powell trades.

Yeah, that is where my mind went also.  Just speculating here on the assumption KP stays and Holmes is signed with space:

I think Maxi stays in that scenario as he can play with either KP or Holmes in a rotation.  I think Powell is part of the outgoing and WCS either stays or is replaced (or brought back) using the rMLE (any KP team needs four bigs to mitigate injury risk).  If you sign Holmes for $18mm with JRich opted in and let go of the WCS TO, you have about $6.7mm left to outbid teams offering either of the smaller MLE options ($5.9mm for the TP MLE and $4.9mm for the R MLE).  Could that get you Holmes and Batum?

If you package Powell and an opted in JRich, you can bring back a $28.4mm player.  

Toronto comes to mind after reading through the exercise done in The Athletic yesterday.  They need a C and Powell going home isn't the worst idea.  There is also some value to JRich backing up Trent and Anunoby at the 2 and the 3.  

This works less well with Utah and Conley.  A year of JRich would be useful, but Powell is more expensive than Favors.  A third team would be needed.  

Something else that works financially is Boston for Smart and Thompson.  But, it doesn't help them sign Fournier and stay under the LT and adds $11mm to their 22/23 cap.  

I could see a Portland deal if Norman Powell selects Dallas here.  They need a Kanter replacement and you could probably clear DJJ off of their books if NPowell starts in the area of $19mm.  Of course, if you can do NPowell for $19mm, there are ways of doing Holmes and THJ also.  I think NPowell has a bit more off the bounce and a bit more as a passer.

There is always the possibility of adding a third team.  There are some teams that would take DPowell or JRich with the right incentive.  If we are getting these kinds of names after adding Holmes and some smaller dollar addition, that all works for me.