2020-2021 ROSTER TALK: Archived

[DanSchwartzgan]

I think JRich is gone even if he opts in. They will dump him like they did Wright. Carlisle tried to make it work all year, but then he benched him with 3 games left in the season, followed by playing him 17 minutes in the first playoff game. He's clearly given up on the Richardson experiment.

So, let's follow through with this.  BTW, if you assume JRich is nothing more than Finney's backup, then that is a role Green can grow into.

Something I've said when thinking about big dollar RFA's is you have to watch out for BYC.  The sending team only gets to use 1/2 of the outgoing salary, but all of the incoming salary counts.  Hard to bridge the $14mm gap on a $28mm max.  But, if you think about someone making in the mid teens, then JRich matches anything from $13.2mm to $16.6mm.  At $16.6mm, $11.6mm is within range of both $16.6mm and $8.3mm.  At $13.2mm, $11.6mm matches both the $13.2mm and the $6.6mm.

So, to your point, you could work over the cap and get any kind of FA in the $13-$16 million range via sign and trade with JRich (even a RFA) and use the Full MLE to fill another hole.  Something like:

KP/DP/WCS
Maxi/New
DFS/Green
THJ/New
Luka/Brunson

BTW, this would be a way to get Markkanen for more than the MLE if you assume Chicago has a use for JRich...which I think they do.  It adds to salary, but they could buy out Satoransky for $1mm instead of cutting him for $5mm and Dallas would make up that salary by using the MLE on Satoransky.  

KP/DP/WCS
Maxi/Markkanen
DFS/Green
THJ/Sato
Luka/Brunson

This is just an example.  Suddenly, that bench doesn't need KP and Luka to platoon and there is plenty of O among the backups to crush most benches.  This still doesn't make Markkanen a starter, but it does get him some money.  

Personally, I'd rather use the MLE on Theis and do the JRich deal for a better secondary ball handler.  What about WCS and JRich together to Charlotte and bring back Graham.  Or, maybe think bigger.  That combo can get you to the $20mm range of FA's.  The trick is finding the team that thinks JRich and Willie for a year (and maybe a second) is better than losing their guy for nothing.  Norman Powell?  Dinwiddie? Fournier? Gary Trent Jr.?  Portland, Brooklyn, Toronto and Boston could all use guys like that and it would be hard for Duffy to get too mad if you are sending his guy Richardson to a playoff team.