2020-2021 ROSTER TALK: Archived

[DanSchwartzgan]

out - Kristaps Porzingis;

fill out roster with over-the-cap exceptions

Mark wants flexibility without a legitimate 2nd superstar on the roster;  

Here are the numbers to illustrate the financial difference between this plan and doing a KP deal as an under the cap team.  Under the cap, you would try to design a deal where the other team sent back as close to the $25.2mm minimum returning salary as possible in a deal for KP or $34.5mm in a deal for KP and JRich.   The latter deal would add $8.7mm to cap space if we were trying to operate under the cap and sign FA's.

If we are bringing back THJ as an over the cap team (that doesn't want to offer long term deals to summer FA's), then trade targets can return dramatically more salary in the current season.  Instead of $34.5mm returning for KP/JRich, you can bring back $54.18mm (or $53.5mm for KP/Powell).  Now, part of the return for the trade partner is the ability to lower 21/22 salary.  

Returning to Boston as an example, they can trade us Horford, Smart, Thompson and Grant Williams (Duffy).  You can add a minor contract if you want R. Williams (also Duffy) or Nesmith (Schwartz) or want to substitute Powell for JRich.  Boston saves about $10mm in these various iterations, which may be enough to retain Fournier and stay under the LT line.  Dallas gets a short term answer at center with Horford partially guaranteed next year and Thompson expiring.  They get a smart JRich replacement for at least a year and a promising kid.  Not the best off-season, but something like this is what we may be looking at if Cuban is trying to maintain flexibility for that second star later.