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

Okay this does make sense...

Cavs Situation

• Teams are required to be under the 1st apron after the completion of a sign-and -trade in order for it to be legal.
• As it stands, Cavs are projected to be $7,762,479 over the 1st apron.
• For trades involving players with salaries between 19.6 and 29 million, the CBA allows teams to take back up to 7.5 million less. Allen makes 28 million in 26-27. If they send him out, the lowest Lebron could get is 20.5 million. This would put the Cavs at an estimated $13,260,279 over the 1st apron, with 14 roster spots. So, the trade would be illegal. The Cavs would have to clear out salary first.
• Shroeder makes 14.8 million in 26-27, and 15.5 million in 27-28, but only 4.35 million of his 27-28 salary is guaranteed. If they waive and stretch Shroeder, they would pay him 3.83 million per year for the next 5 years.
• After waiving and stretching Shroeder, the Cavs would still be over the 1st apron by about $912,021 if they were to do the Allen for Lebron trade.
• The projected Cav's 19th overall pick does not count as salary in a trade, but it does count as a 4.1 million cap hold. If they include it with Allen, it puts them 1.8 million under the 1st apron, thus making the trade legal.

Lakers Situation

• If the Lakers are planning to sign and trade Lebron, they would have to keep his 58.1 million cap hold on the books.
• Even with Rui and Kennard's cap holds on the roster, they would still be about 18.77 million under the 1st apron, which makes it legal for them to make the trade.
• If Lakers renounce Rui and Kennard, it would create about 14.58 million in cap room.
• Lakers could use the 14.58 million in cap room and the 9.42 million room exception to fill out their roster.
• Even with Reaves getting a max contract, and Hayes getting a raise to 10 million, Lakers are still 9.16 million under the 1st apron.
• If Lakers wanted to keep Rui or Kennard, they could do that too if they wanted. If they signed Rui for 15 million, they would become a team operating over the cap, and they could opt to use the full non-taxpayer MLE of 15.13 million on free agents. If they instead signed Kennard for say 10 million, they would have an extra 5 million to could sign somebody else with, and then the would still have that full non-taxpayer MLE of 15.13 million. They have options.
• Could also renounce Hayes, and then trade Lebron and Bronny for Allen, Ellis (starting at 20-21 million), and the 19th pick. Turn around and use the room exception for Hayes.
• Follow that up with trading Vanderbilt, #19, #23, and a 2031 1st for Herb Jones.

Rotation:

PG: Doncic (36) Smart (12)
SG: Reaves (36) Smart (12)
SF: Ellis (30) LaRavia (18)
PF: Jones (30) Thiero (18)
C: Allen (30) Hayes (18)

 

I think that's where Harden comes in. Maybe he declines the PO and re-signs on a multi-year deal that helps them get close to or under the 1st apron.

I do agree with a post I think you made in another thread that they'd be asking LeBron to fill the same role he hasn't been filling here. Probably wouldn't be as bad since they have Mobley instead of Ayton and Jaylon Tyson is a good energy guy. LeBron might also put in more night-to-night effort if it's a farewell tour too. Whatever, it won't be our problem anymore. I had really high hopes for LeBron this year, both on the court and from a basketball history, it's really cool him and Luka are on the same team perspective, but it hasn't panned out at all.

 

can't stand these fake comeback games

get ayton the f*** off this team. take redick too

 

If Luka goes back to Dallas, he'll be possibly bigger than Kobe in LA. Good luck kid...

 

Charlotte's Kon Knueppel reached yet another milestone in a remarkable rookie season for the No. 4 pick out of Duke.

The Hornets swingman broke Keegan Murray's NBA rookie record for 3-pointers, making his 207th on Thursday night against the Indiana Pacers. Knueppel connected on five 3s in the first half and then broke the record in the third quarter off an assist from Sion James, his former college teammate with the Blue Devils.

He finished with 28 points in the 133-109 win, with his 8 3s (on 12 attempts) tying his career high and landing just one shy of tying the NBA rookie record. He leads the NBA with 209 3s.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/48048750/hornets-kon-knueppel-sets-rookie-3-point-record-207th

 

all this factor in keon ellis's cap hold for cleveland? it's small (~4m, which is why i would have traded a first for him), but when you're playing this close to those cutoffs, it matters.

i honestly think lebron's going there for a huge discount, too. they could just blow past the second apron by retaining ellis and then sign lebron to a vet min.

their salary sits at 216 with harden at 42 on the PO. even if he takes a haircut down to 30 (i could see it if they give him years, would be a mistake, but i could see it), that still has you at 204, which is 6 shy of the apron. but ellis's cap hold takes you almost there.

why lose allen to pay lebron more when he's probably coming for whatever you have, anyway?

now, if they really just don't think the mobley/allen thing makes sense, maybe they'd be interested in just moving off him and creating a TE they could use to bring in a quality backup center. people would hate it, but if all we did was not bring back lebron and ayton and bring in allen, i think our team is actually better next year, lol.

people hate rui, but one of our best lineups this year was smart/luka/reaves/rui/ayton. just switch jarrett allen for ayton there and imagine how much better it is.

i'd also argue that the chemistry issues here are lebron and ayton centered. i don't really see anyone else who's unhappy, tbh. allen's a grade-A vibes guy, who does all the dirty work/little things and doesn't complain. i said at the deadline i would have given up a lot of the space to get him, and i still feel the same way.

 

If we could somehow do this S&T for Allen and then also bring in Watson...man a Luka/Austin/Watson/Allen core is pretty nice. And Rui slotting into that 4 spot wouldn't be bad at all. No idea if we could actually pull that off.

As a side note on Watson - my understanding is he's more of a 3 that can guard down a position. He's not really someone you want to put on the bigger wings like a Kawhi or a Tatum.

 

i doubt it's possible, but if we could get allen and watson, we're a contender, imo.

problem is the only path to allen would be via giving cleveland big salary relief, and that takes away the path to watson (the threat of big RFA deal leading to s&T into space).

like mayyybee you could get cleveland to take vando (whom they could stretch waive if they wished) and knecht and a 1st, which would leave us just enough room left to send another first for S&T'd watson.

in terms of guarding big wings, i think you just hope thiero is ready to play next year (also there will be wing defenders where our pick is this year). laravia's not bad at it, either.

but:

allen/hayes
luka/thiero
watson/laravia
reaves/kennard (or other FA via room exception)
smart/bufkin

is a pretty good start. the pg spot with just smart/bufkin worries me a bit, but you can probably find a vet like tyus jones or something who needs a job and sees an opportunity.

i don't know...maybe i'm overselling it, lol.

 

I think it could be possible, but it would take away leverage, because after getting Allen, we would no longer be able to threaten a large offer sheet to Watson. We would have to send out contracts either to Denver, or two a third team in salary dumps. That complicated things.

 

you'd need what i said above: cleveland would have to take back salary from us for allen. if lebron didn't clearly hate ayton, i'd say an opted-in ayton and knecht (plus a lotto-protected 1st) should be totally fair value for cleveland, but i think that's not happening.

 

If the chance to land Allen is there, you have to take it IMO. Watson is a long shot.

 

I agree. I think finding the long-term solution at center is the most important of the three starter slots to fill. I think a good defensive center is ultimately more impactful than good perimeter defenders.

 

Right. Start with securing the center position if possible and then go from there.

 

If you pay Austin Reaves the max, you will doom your franchise even if the uselessness of the Buss clan and Dinkus Pelikus are gone.

With that, I doubt Reaves gets the max from the Lakers. I just don’t see a competent executive from the Mark Walter brain trust not knowing that’s a major error.

5-year 150 million would be my offer to him. That would be it and the Lakers would need to surround him and Luka with athletes to make it a legit contender. Especially if you can’t get Giannis. Lots of work to do in a few months….

 

Good information. I thought it was 20.9. So, it changes things a bit. Also,190% would make Keon's cap hold around 4.4 million, and Jaxon's around 6.5. So Jaxon might get renounced.

 

Keon who?

 

Clark

 

i posted hastily early and mistyped--i didn't realize nba league average salary was only 11.9m this year. bummer.