2025-26 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

Oh wait, if it's that low, shouldn't it be 20.9 then? I thought the salary was times 190% only if they make less than league average?

 

I like Claxton more than Allen. He's much more bouncy. Fits that Gafford/Lively archetype much better imo.

Vanderbilt + 26 1st + 31 1st + 33 2nd for Claxton. We end up with cap room to get Watson. Or a combination of Grimes + Wade, or something like that.

 

Cole Anthony???

 

Now the Basketball move would be to waive Bronny and sign Cole Anthony.

 

lol, i really feel like i looked all this up months ago and came to the conclusion that reaves's cap hold should be 21m.

pincus saying otherwise got me questioning myself, as he makes his living doing this stuff.

but my reading was that reaves was likely a 150% case being over league average.

i then confused myself thinking i had it reversed (if you're league average, then it's 190).

i'd like to see someone come clear on it. the cap space number that reputed sources keep trotting out for us seem like the 21m number is the right one. but this ain't my job.

this site may have it wrong, but i think i posted this before:



reaves would be ABOVE league average if my number on league average is right. that said, i always thought mle was pegged to "league average" in some way, and reaves is then below that number.

this difference is non-trivial for us, though, imo.

though, opposed to ramona's likely take, i'm pretty sure rob has known the actual rule the whole time.

 

Players estimated to fall in the ~$30M–$40M salary range (Spotrac base salary data):

• Ja Morant – approx $39.4 M (Memphis Grizzlies)
  
  
• OG Anunoby – approx $39.6 M (New York Knicks)
• Darius Garland – approx $39.4 M (Cleveland Cavaliers)
  
  
• James Harden – approx $39.4 M (Cleveland Cavaliers)
  
  
• Zion Williamson – approx $39.4 M (New Orleans Pelicans)
  
  
• Brandon Ingram – approx $36.0 M (New Orleans Pelicans)
  
  
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – approx $35.9 M (Oklahoma City Thunder)
  
  
• Michael Porter Jr. – approx $35.9 M (Denver Nuggets)
  
  
• Donovan Mitchell – approx $35.4 M (Cleveland Cavaliers)
  
  
• LaMelo Ball – approx $35.1 M (Charlotte Hornets)
  
  
• Tyrese Maxey – approx $35.1 M (Philadelphia 76ers)
  ;
• De’Aaron Fox – approx $34.85 M (San Antonio Spurs)
  

I used AI. I tried using Spotrac to source. Fox, SGA, Maxey are all going to be making more money moving forward next season; Mitchell is due to reup soon and Morant is elgible for extension this summer. Porter is locked in; Ingram is for a bit. Garland is a FA in 2028. Zion is fat. All I got on him.

OG is interesting. His contract increases year after year, and he'll be 31 after it concludes. Either way, I posted this to just to show an example of the players making $30 - 40 million. This is the tier Austin will likely be in. There's probably more, but I don't want to look.

 

This OKC team pissing me off. Wish Jokic brothers would have been there and mauled OKC. Sh** getting out of hand. Bad enough they foul every play, and now this? F*** them.

Still want Dort after this as a trade target? LOL. Had to ask to get this on topic. Sorry mods.

 

Dorts a b****. Nobody wants it with Jokic. Jokic would’ve f***ed Williams up.

 

I always liked Jokic

 

dort's play was absolute trash and jokic would probably beat the a** of the entire okc team at once.

that said, i think dort was trying to retaliate for jokic bullying his guys (looks like jokic gave a random shove to chet after that play was already over, and this is definitely a thing jokic does constantly).

would have been better if dort just shoved him instead of the weird tripping maneuver.

 

Meh..f*** Denver....a little overblown minor altercation...whoopee doo. That's a play on back in the day. Jokic always throws cheap shots to other people backs. He injured AD like that once..so f*** him.

 

yeah, that was my point. jokic definitely takes cheap shots on guys on the regular. i think he does it to gain a psychological advantage. so giving him one back is fine by me. but just shove him in the course of a play like he does everyone else.

 

Don't remember the AD one?

F*** it. Let everybody play dirty.

LOL.

 

It was a regular season game, he pushed him in the back, AD went out with back spasms for a couple of weeks.

 

Our roster construction is looking pretty bleak at the moment. This is what our offseason looks like:

Luka: 49.8m
Reaves: 26.5m CAPHOLD (this could be 20.9m instead but Pincus quoted the larger number)
Vando: 12.4m
Ayton: 8.1m PLAYER OPTION
Jake: 6m
Smart: 5.4m PLAYER OPTION
Hayes: 4.9m CAPHOLD
Knecht 4.2m
Kobe Bufkin: 2.5m TEAM OPTION
Bronny: 2.3m
Adou: 2.1m
1x Incomplete Roster Charge: 1.4m
----
Total: 125.6m

Other Cap Holds:

Kennard: 13.2m CAPHOLD
Rui: 27.4m CAPHOLD

The cap is set at 166m - so we'd have about 40m in cap space assuming we let Rui & Kennard walk for nothing - if we resign either that number drops.

At 40m, we have space for either two mid tier free agent players, one large RFA signing (like Watson) or we could bring a player (or two) into our cap space via trade for a team that needs to cut salary (example: OKC). If everyone picks up their options:

x / Smart / Bronny
Reaves / Knecht / Bufkin
Luka / LaRavia /
x / Vando / Adou
Ayton / Hayes

That's not a particularly strong team.

I don't mind trying to continue to develop Bronny, Bufkin & Adou. I personally don't want Ayton back and I'd like to get rid of Knecht - these guys aren't winning players and are dead weight and free up 12.3m. I'd take Rui back for that sub 15m and Kennard for the TPMLE.

But I don't see how we can secure 3 starting players and an extra bench piece or two in one offseason.

 

Udonis, this isn't a championship team. Nowhere near it. 1st rounds exit looming, my guy.

 

We shall see...