02-21-2022, 09:27 AM
New Danny Leroux article out looking at Summer 22 cap room. Dallas is one of 10 teams (1/3 of the league) that is into the tax and can only spend the TP MLE of $6.3mm. Doing so is VERY expensive for most of these teams, none of which is close to the tax line that a small move would get them under it.
Cap Space Teams include:
DET: $30-$35mm depending on pick and TO's on Diallo and F. Jackson. He mentions "elite RFA's like Miles Bridges" as a target
ORL: Up to $30mm in space depending on what they do with Mo Bamba. His Cap Hold is probably more than he's worth.
SA/POR: Both can get to $35mm if they say goodbye to talented contributors like Nurkic, Hart and Walker IV. More likely they spend modestly.
IND: New to the game after Sabonis deal. Can get to $20-$24mm if they let TJ Warren Walk. More likely to stay over the cap and us the MLE.
MEM: $16-$18mm if they move on from K. Anderson and Tyus Jones. The only solid playoff team with room.
He projects 8 teams to be over the cap, but have enough wiggle room under the tax to offer the full $10.3mm MLE including ATL, HOU, MIN, NYK, OKC, SAC, TOR and WAS. It isn't a great year to be a FA.
Probably the most interesting note had to do with OKC:
"The Thunder technically have until July 1 to use $31 million in salary-cap space for signing players or making trades before the league year turns over, including draft night. As my colleague John Hollinger detailed, Sam Presti still has the ability to take on a huge contract like Tobias Harris — or even Russell Westbrook — in an imbalanced trade, presumably for a massive return. That said, a move like that probably pushes the Thunder temporarily into the 2022-23 luxury tax, though Presti would have the time and resources to get under it before that actually matters."
Dallas could take this approach with THJ and our 22 pick after the draft but before 7/1. They could also do this after 7/1 with Detroit or Orlando or any team with $19.6mm in cap room. Too bad that last year isn't a TO. Removing THJ and the pick from the roster leaves Dallas at 14 players and $1.98mm under the tax (enough room for a Vet Min and still be under the tax). I say that mainly to illustrate the numbers. Such a move does generate a TPE, but it would be VERY expensive to use.
Given the tight finances around the league, I suspect a lot of player movement will be by trade. My hope, given that other teams had interest in THJ for four years last summer, is that he's still an asset for three years at $19.6mm, $17.9mm and $16.2mm. Adding a pick to an asset should yield a better asset.
https://theathletic.com/3136578/2022/02/...offseason/
Cap Space Teams include:
DET: $30-$35mm depending on pick and TO's on Diallo and F. Jackson. He mentions "elite RFA's like Miles Bridges" as a target
ORL: Up to $30mm in space depending on what they do with Mo Bamba. His Cap Hold is probably more than he's worth.
SA/POR: Both can get to $35mm if they say goodbye to talented contributors like Nurkic, Hart and Walker IV. More likely they spend modestly.
IND: New to the game after Sabonis deal. Can get to $20-$24mm if they let TJ Warren Walk. More likely to stay over the cap and us the MLE.
MEM: $16-$18mm if they move on from K. Anderson and Tyus Jones. The only solid playoff team with room.
He projects 8 teams to be over the cap, but have enough wiggle room under the tax to offer the full $10.3mm MLE including ATL, HOU, MIN, NYK, OKC, SAC, TOR and WAS. It isn't a great year to be a FA.
Probably the most interesting note had to do with OKC:
"The Thunder technically have until July 1 to use $31 million in salary-cap space for signing players or making trades before the league year turns over, including draft night. As my colleague John Hollinger detailed, Sam Presti still has the ability to take on a huge contract like Tobias Harris — or even Russell Westbrook — in an imbalanced trade, presumably for a massive return. That said, a move like that probably pushes the Thunder temporarily into the 2022-23 luxury tax, though Presti would have the time and resources to get under it before that actually matters."
Dallas could take this approach with THJ and our 22 pick after the draft but before 7/1. They could also do this after 7/1 with Detroit or Orlando or any team with $19.6mm in cap room. Too bad that last year isn't a TO. Removing THJ and the pick from the roster leaves Dallas at 14 players and $1.98mm under the tax (enough room for a Vet Min and still be under the tax). I say that mainly to illustrate the numbers. Such a move does generate a TPE, but it would be VERY expensive to use.
Given the tight finances around the league, I suspect a lot of player movement will be by trade. My hope, given that other teams had interest in THJ for four years last summer, is that he's still an asset for three years at $19.6mm, $17.9mm and $16.2mm. Adding a pick to an asset should yield a better asset.
https://theathletic.com/3136578/2022/02/...offseason/
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