2025 Season Cap Space - Possible Free Agent Targets

[Jammer]

2025 Season Salary Cap is forecast to be 141 Million with a Minimum Team Salary of 127 Million.

26,580,000 John Collins
18,150,000 Collin Sexton
18,044,544 Lauri Markkanen
14,092,577 Jordan Clarkson
5,848,366 Taylor Hendricks
4,084,265 Keyonte George
2,965,920 Walker Kessler
2,571,030 Brice Sensabaugh
2,660,000 Omer Yurtseven (Fully Unguaranteed, but likely retained)
400,000 guarantee for Luka Samanic even if not retained

Total of above is 95,396,702 for 9 players (without bringing back Samanic)

Free Agents
Kris Dunn
Talen Horton-Tucker
Luka Samanic
Kira Lewis
Otto Porter, Jr.

Draft Picks (at 120% of scale for 1rst Round Picks)
5,485,080 for #10 Pick (if Atlanta or Houston overtakes)
2,538,240 #28 Pick (possible OKC position)
1,200,000 estimate for #32 pick

With 3 draft picks (if Houston or Atlanta overtakes), total is $104,620,022 for 12 players.

Must have 14 players minimum. 141,000,000 - 104,620,022 means you have room of 36,379,978 to sign 2 players.
Even to get to minimum team salary of 127M you need to spend 22,379,978 on 2 players.

Possible Unrestricted Free Agent Options
Kris Dunn (bring him back, overpay for 2 years)
Isaiah Hartenstein (overpay on 2 or 3 year contract)
Jalen Smith (Indiana)
Caleb Martin (Miami)
Kelly Oubre (Jordan Clarkson II without the assists and 2 1/4 inches taller)

Might pay to throw a bundle of money at Hartenstein (he turns 26 in May) and see if the Knicks have the stomach to commit to that level of salary with Anunoby looking for close to $40M to start (figure Anunoby has to get at least 30M in Year 1). You could even give Hartenstein a declining contract like Clarkson got.

[HadAnEffectHere]

I would love to sign Hartenstein just to bury Walker Kessler further on the bench. Literally no minutes available for him, very nice.

Cap space will be used to renegotiate and extend Lauri Markkanen unless we trade him (this will use up $18-$20m). If we trade Markkanen, we will use the cap space on taking back bad contracts for picks (eg, Norman Powell and PJ Tucker and three second round picks for cap space)

[Jammer]

I would love to sign Hartenstein just to bury Walker Kessler further on the bench. Literally no minutes available for him, very nice.

Cap space will be used to renegotiate and extend Lauri Markkanen unless we trade him (this will use up $18-$20m). If we trade Markkanen, we will use the cap space on taking back bad contracts for picks (eg, Norman Powell and PJ Tucker and three second round picks for cap space)

Whenver Kessler doesn't play, or is off the court, your Defense is non-existent. Hartenstein would address the "what the hell happens when Kessler isn't available or on the court."

[HadAnEffectHere]

I would love to sign Hartenstein just to bury Walker Kessler further on the bench. Literally no minutes available for him, very nice.

Cap space will be used to renegotiate and extend Lauri Markkanen unless we trade him (this will use up $18-$20m). If we trade Markkanen, we will use the cap space on taking back bad contracts for picks (eg, Norman Powell and PJ Tucker and three second round picks for cap space)

Whenver Kessler doesn't play, or is off the court, your Defense is non-existent. Hartenstein would address the "what the hell happens when Kessler isn't available or on the court."

The issue is that John Collins is a center and he cannot play PF at all.

The reason our defense is so bad is in large part because Collins is one of the worst defensive centers in the NBA.

If we signed Hartenstein, he would be a backup center to Collins and Kessler would be a backup center to Hartenstein. None of these guys can play together.

[Jammer]

I would love to sign Hartenstein just to bury Walker Kessler further on the bench. Literally no minutes available for him, very nice.

Cap space will be used to renegotiate and extend Lauri Markkanen unless we trade him (this will use up $18-$20m). If we trade Markkanen, we will use the cap space on taking back bad contracts for picks (eg, Norman Powell and PJ Tucker and three second round picks for cap space)

Whenver Kessler doesn't play, or is off the court, your Defense is non-existent. Hartenstein would address the "what the hell happens when Kessler isn't available or on the court."

The issue is that John Collins is a center and he cannot play PF at all.

The reason our defense is so bad is in large part because Collins is one of the worst defensive centers in the NBA.

If we signed Hartenstein, he would be a backup center to Collins and Kessler would be a backup center to Hartenstein. None of these guys can play together.

I agree with your comments regarding Collins. I still like Hartenstein.

[Jammer]

I would love to sign Hartenstein just to bury Walker Kessler further on the bench. Literally no minutes available for him, very nice.

Cap space will be used to renegotiate and extend Lauri Markkanen unless we trade him (this will use up $18-$20m). If we trade Markkanen, we will use the cap space on taking back bad contracts for picks (eg, Norman Powell and PJ Tucker and three second round picks for cap space)

Trading Markkanen for Powell, Tucker and 3 2nd Round Picks is a Puke Trade from Utah's perspective. Would never happen.

If you're taking a bad contract, you either have to get a position of need or draft compensation.

Taking on Wiggins remaining 3 years and $84.7M would be interesting if you swap out Collins. Thing is, don't think Golden State would want Collins. Wiggins is 29 (3 1/2 years older than Collins, but is a true SF, especially defensively). If you could do a 3 way with Collins outgoing, Wiggins incoming and something going to Golden State that might be roster balancing. Maybe if Collins went to Dallas and Dallas sent Tim Hardaway (1 year remaining at 16.19M) plus another player making around 2M might move on from Collins and get a position of greater need (defensively Wiggins would help, plus he can post up, drive, and 2-3 out of every 7 games shoot from the outside).

[HadAnEffectHere]

I would love to sign Hartenstein just to bury Walker Kessler further on the bench. Literally no minutes available for him, very nice.

Cap space will be used to renegotiate and extend Lauri Markkanen unless we trade him (this will use up $18-$20m). If we trade Markkanen, we will use the cap space on taking back bad contracts for picks (eg, Norman Powell and PJ Tucker and three second round picks for cap space)

Trading Markkanen for Powell, Tucker and 3 2nd Round Picks is a Puke Trade from Utah's perspective. Would never happen.

If you're taking a bad contract, you either have to get a position of need or draft compensation.

Taking on Wiggins remaining 3 years and $84.7M would be interesting if you got swap out Collins. Thing is, don't think Golden State would want Collins. Wiggins is 29 (3 1/2 years older than Collins, but is a true SF, especially defensively). If you could do a 3 way with Collins outgoing, Wiggins incoming and something going to Golden State that might be roster balancing. Maybe if Collins went to Dallas and Dallas sent Tim Hardaway (1 year remaining at 16.19M) plus another player making around 2M might move on from Collins and get a position of greater need (defensively Wiggins would help, plus he can post up, drive, and 2-3 out of every 7 games shoot from the outside).

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I'm talking about trading Markkanen for stuff and then using the rest of the cap space to eat bad contracts. Norman Powell, PJ Tucker and the picks would be for pure cap space to get the Clippers under the second apron.

What a really strange discussion.