The trade exception

[hoopsjock]

How about this for super crazy using both TPE's:

Portland gets Tobias Harris, Luol Deng, Austin Rivers (via TPE), Josh Hart (via TPE), 2018 Draft picks #12, 13, and a 2020 1st round pick from the Lakers (top-5 protected)

LAC gets CJ McCollum, Caleb Swanigan, #25 pick (from Lakers via Cleveland), more cap space this summer

LAL gets Boban Marjanovic, Jake Layman (who they'd decline the option on), tons more cap space

Portland would then try and package picks to move up a few spots like 13 and 24 for 9 (whatever it takes to move up a few spots). One of the picks take Mikal Bridges. The other one take the best player available still on the board regardless of position (hopefully a big guard in this scenario).

Dame, Rivers, Hart, Baldwin, Bridges, Turner, Harkless, Deng, Harris, Aminu, Collins, Nurkic, Leonard, PapaG, and whomever the other draft pick is. If you re-sign Davis you let PapaG go. We could probably trade Aminu easily too to create a roster spot since his contract is reasonable and only has one year left.

I'm not sure how much better this lineup is next year but the following summer you'd have almost $60 million in contracts with one year left on their deal for teams that want expiring contracts, 3 players on their rookie deals who were lottery picks, all our own future 1st rounders, and the Lakers 2020 1st rounder. Instead of having very little to offer in trades all of a sudden in just one year we have just about anything other teams could possibly want. Worst case scenario in the summer of 2020 we'd only have Lillard, Nurkic, Collins, the two rookies from the 2018 draft, and our picks from the 2019 and 2020 draft under contract. That would still be a really good core with the rookies from this year going into their 3rd year and at least enough cap space for a max free agent in a 2020 free agency class that could include Anthony Davis, Draymond Green, Hassan Whiteside, Harrison Barnes, Kevin Love, Jimmy Butler, Khris Middleton, and many others. Even though signing a big time free agent is highly unlikely the cap situation would be back to completely favorable at the expense of paying a heavy tax for two years. If some of the draft picks and/or Collins pops then that could be a really good team.

 

[hoopsjock]

I like that you will have pointed out people not understanding the CBA. It was mostly me last year. And now you do it too me..

Honest question: Is there any part of the CBA you don't know?

I have read the previous CBA several times. Was pretty comfortable with my knowledge of it but some of it is super confusing the way it is worded. I haven't had an opportunity to read the CBA from last year yet other than the major changes but for the most part a lot of it remained the same. I've always wanted to be a GM so I study every teams cap situation as well. I'm really not a conceited know it all, I just like to inform people when they post trades that won't work.

 

[Sarni]

Jeremy Lin is better than Napier
Danny Green is better than Pat C

Yeah so is Courtney Lee but none of them are even remotely close to making us competitive against the best teams.

 

[BonesJones]

I don't necessarily think that's true. If the Rockets have a chance at LeBron they are going to have to dump a bunch of people like a PJ Tucker at about $8 million or the 76ers will have to dump Bayless at $8.5 million. I know those aren't exactly great players but those are just two examples from the top of my head. Philly would probably include the 26th pick or give us TLC, Korkmaz, or Richaun Holmes with Bayless as incentive to take him. I'd probably take Bayless on for any of those.

I don't know, I just think there is room to be creative like this instead of just limiting it to a short list.

I just have a feeling Philadelphia might offer Fultz, Bayless, Saric and picks for Kawhi. They still have close to if not enough space to SIGN LeBron. That team would be better than Golden State.

 

[BonesJones]

I have read the previous CBA several times. Was pretty comfortable with my knowledge of it but some of it is super confusing the way it is worded. I haven't had an opportunity to read the CBA from last year yet other than the major changes but for the most part a lot of it remained the same. I've always wanted to be a GM so I study every teams cap situation as well. I'm really not a conceited know it all, I just like to inform people when they post trades that won't work.

I'm pretty much the same way, just haven't read it as much as you. I still wanna be a GM.

 

[BonesJones]

I really wish we figured out a way to send Nicholson somewhere else, maybe with a 2nd rounder attached. Our trade exception would've been worth $19.3M instead of $13M. That could've brought on the possibly of taking on someone like Joakim Noah or Luol Deng..

Knicks have the 9th pick, and they might attach it to Noah.

Other assets like Tobias Harris would've come into play.

There would've been many more possibilities.

 

[hoopsjock]

I really wish we figured out a way to send Nicholson somewhere else, maybe with a 2nd rounder attached. Our trade exception would've been worth $19.3M instead of $13M. That could've brought on the possibly of taking on someone like Joakim Noah or Luol Deng..

Knicks have the 9th pick, and they might attach it to Noah.

Other assets like Tobias Harris would've come into play.

There would've been many more possibilities.

Yeah, definitely have to be more creative this way. I'm sure if there was a team that wanted Nicholson it would've happened like that. It's still a huge trade exception though.

 

[BonesJones]

Yeah, definitely have to be more creative this way. I'm sure if there was a team that wanted Nicholson it would've happened like that. It's still a huge trade exception though.

I mean, there were teams under the salary floor. Even if it took two 2nd round picks... we should've done it.

 

[hoopsjock]

I mean, there were teams under the salary floor. Even if it took two 2nd round picks... we should've done it.

Teams aren't going to waste cap space in July though. Heck, we had to pay Chicago to take Vonleh who was an expiring contract and still has some potential. There's no way teams were taking Nicholson on without a 1st attached.

 

[BonesJones]

Teams aren't going to waste cap space in July though. Heck, we had to pay Chicago to take Vonleh who was an expiring contract and still has some potential. There's no way teams were taking Nicholson on without a 1st attached.

It was late July, the free agent market was barren. There were teams with cap space that knew they weren't going to make another signing..

 

[Sarni]

I just have a feeling Philadelphia might offer Fultz, Bayless, Saric and picks for Kawhi. They still have close to if not enough space to SIGN LeBron. That team would be better than Golden State.

Simmons Redick Leonard James Embiid

Or

Simmons Leonard James Saric Embiid

Holy crap. This is borderline unbeatable.

 

[BonesJones]

Simmons Redick Leonard James Embiid

Or

Simmons Leonard James Saric Embiid

Holy crap. This is borderline unbeatable.

Actually, I was thinking:
LeBron
Kawhi
Covington
Simmons
Embiid

 

[hoopsjock]

It was late July, the free agent market was barren. There were teams with cap space that knew they weren't going to make another signing..

You're looking at it from a one off season perspective. Nicholson still had 3 years left on his deal at around $6-$7 million a year. No teams wanted to tie up money for three years for a couple of 2nd round picks.

 

[BonesJones]

You're looking at it from a one off season perspective. Nicholson still had 3 years left on his deal at around $6-$7 million a year. No teams wanted to tie up money for three years for a couple of 2nd round picks.

I guess, I would-be tried to get Brooklyn to keep him then (if they could've). A $19.3M TPE would be huge.

 

[hoopsjock]

I guess, I would-be tried to get Brooklyn to keep him then (if they could've). A $19.3M TPE would be huge.

Man, we're extremely lucky they were still willing to take him for just Nicholson. You are trying to be way too greedy. The only reason the trade worked is because we did take him back.

 

[Reep]

I just have a feeling Philadelphia might offer Fultz, Bayless, Saric and picks for Kawhi. They still have close to if not enough space to SIGN LeBron. That team would be better than Golden State.

I think Philly was the front runner before their playoff run. With their performance now they are only in a stronger position. They are in the perfect position to get Kawhi and/or LeBron. They have the best assets and they have the best remaining team after trading assets. I hope I'm wrong, but when I distance my self and look at it without bias, if I'm SA, I'm talking to Philly first.

 

[Lanny]

That's just a list of players making between 10 and 13 mil next season. What's confusing?

The confusion for me was that you initially were referring to talent that we might consider taking on. Then you posted players and their current salaries. I concluded that your list would be about talent we could take on and not talent that we already have.

Not a big deal by any stretch, but perhaps you could see someone wondering about your list. 'Confusing' is a term that is probably a bit too strong.

 

[hoopsjock]

Hypothetical....

Rockets need to dump contracts fast during free agency and knowing the Blazers have the big Trade Exception offer us PJ Tucker, Nene, and a 2019 2nd round pick (via Miami) do you consider it or is PJ Tucker not good enough to warrant the tax payment?

 

[blue9]

It's still a huge trade exception though.

It's a huge trade exception in that we'll pay HUGELY for mediocre talent if we use it. The only way the trade exception helps us is if we use it on dead-weight salary in order to obtain a draft pick...and then we have to pick the right player. Otherwise, using it on a rotation player will put us about where we currently are - a 1st or 2nd round team, depending on the matchup.

 

[Sarni]

Hypothetical....

Rockets need to dump contracts fast during free agency and knowing the Blazers have the big Trade Exception offer us PJ Tucker, Nene, and a 2019 2nd round pick (via Miami) do you consider it or is PJ Tucker not good enough to warrant the tax payment?

He isn’t good enough to warrant the tax but he’s a fine player.

 

[hoopsjock]

He isn’t good enough to warrant the tax but he’s a fine player.

Yeah, I agree. The only real thing he'd bring is a wing that is tough and physical which is probably not worth it.

 

[hoopsjock]

It's a huge trade exception in that we'll pay HUGELY for mediocre talent if we use it. The only way the trade exception helps us is if we use it on dead-weight salary in order to obtain a draft pick...and then we have to pick the right player. Otherwise, using it on a rotation player will put us about where we currently are - a 1st or 2nd round team, depending on the matchup.

Completely agree on using it to take on salary for a draft pick. I'd love for that to happen.