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

[DanSchwartzgan]

The idea of a "prove it" deal with Oladipo, and the Mavs getting Bird rights to use after a year (in case he proves it and they need to offer him a new deal with a massive raise), is not solved by a sign-and-trade.

-- Issue #1 is Bird rights. They only convey, for use on the next deal, if the full 3+-year contract is played to its end. So there's no way for VO after year one to turn that SNT deal into a new, bigger deal after he proves it (if he does).

-- Issue #2 is contract commitment. Oladipo would not commit to 3 years at a small MLE-like "prove it" salary in the first place. 

If VO wants a one-year reduced salary "prove it" deal, it's way more likely he'll either take someone's one-year MLE offer (perhaps with a PO for year 2), or re-sign with MIA on a deal like that, and then go back in the FA pool in 2022.

Personally I'm not all that enamored by Oladipo. He had a good stretch until he got injured a few years ago, and while it would be great to get THAT player, that was then, not now. That player no longer exists, unfortunately.

First, thanks for the post.  I learned something.  BTW, this concept of Bird rights not conveying came up in the Kyle Lowry Mock Free-Agency story in The Athletic yesterday and I probably would have missed it if not for this post.

I'm not enamored with Oladipo either, but when a guy (especially a Jordan Brand guy) signs with Excel days before becoming a Free Agent, I think it is worth exploring.  My original statement  was that I wouldn't want Dipo on a one year MLE deal.  The issue is it doesn't provide a way for Dallas to retain him in year two absent space.  The concept of a S&T had two benefits in my mind:  

1.  Ability to pay what we need if he turns out to be close to what he used to be at his peak (which turned out to not be cap-legal)
2.  Ability to leverage outgoing salary.  

The idea behind #2 is that we spend all available space on one player and leverage up the salary to get a second player using the trade spread instead of space.  If JRich opts out, there are probably easier ways to create the extra space.  But, it could really help if he opts in.  

In either case, the outgoing deals I suggested would have allowed a fairly large contract to come back.  If the idea is to have a chance to keep him (if he happens to "prove it") and since you won't be able to rely on Bird rights with only one year guaranteed, then the best way to keep him past a year (again absent space) is to pay a number large enough that 120% of it would satisfy him next summer.  

Unless I'm missing something (again), I think a S&T could have value in the sense of getting you to a non-Bird retention strategy (especially with a JRich opt-in).  As I said in my post...I fully expect to be surprised (as in disappointed) by how much we might pay Dipo on a one year deal.  I'm not sure I care as long as he is the second FA brought in and doesn't impinge in any way our ability to land our primary target.