2020-2021 ROSTER TALK: Archived

[mvossman]

I'm just so interested in seeing what the plan is now. Well hopefully there is a plan. Just a lot of waiting and hoping from the MBT lately.  

Operating under the cap, I feel like moving KP with as little salary coming back is required to improve the roster in a meaningful way. Over the cap with a Cuban willing to spend luxury tax I would have been more fine continuing the KP gamble. 
But we're not in that situation. 
I'm still just trying to wrap my head around this past trade deadline and the lack of added future salary. Such a weird situation. After re-signing THJ, we really don't gain that much spending power by going under the cap compared to just using the exceptions. 
Basically just replacing Richardson with a MLE level guy unless we find another way to shuffle salaries

So I see a couple of scenarios where we keep KP, re-sign THJ, operating under the cap, and still significantly improve the team.  I don't look at JRich opting in as a significant problem.  I think JRich at that amount for a single year is probably a small asset.  We could probably trade him into a team with cap space for a second.  He could also potentially be part of either of the following trades.

First option is trade Brunson for S&T of Ball.  I would prefer to do this without sending out Brunson (like an opted in JRich plus a couple of seconds) but not sure that will get it done.  It would also put a squeeze on the THJ contract.  If you send out Brunson and sign Ball to 4/100 (which is an overpay) then you could start THJ at 14 (which would be 16 AAV).  You might have to burn a second to dump Burke to make the numbers work, but you could probably get it done.  Then you have the room to beef up the bench.

Second option is trade Maxi for S&T of Collins at the max (also an overpay).  It would be nice if we could send enough to Atlanta to salary match (JRich opting in would help with this) but maybe that does not work out.  Then you would still have 15 to sign THJ and the room for bench help.

In my mind, these are the two best options to mostly run it back but still improve the team.  The NO trade would have to operate under the cap because they are not looking to take on a lot of salary.  I think the biggest impediment to that trade is whether Ball wants to come here.  The Collins trade is more about Atlanta and what they want to do.  If they have continued success in playoffs, they may not let him go.