Post#1553 » by Jg41 » Mon Feb 24, 2025 4:10 pm
An attempt to flesh out the mechanics and consequences of acquiring KD this summer and what that could/would entail.
3 Team Trade:
PHO Receives: P. Washington / D. Gafford / N. Marshall / LAL ‘29 1st (Unprotected Via DAL) / DAL ‘31 1st (Unprotected)
DET Receives: C. Martin / J. Hardy / D. Powell / DAL ‘25 1st / Max Allowable Cash Considerations (Via DAL)
DAL Receives: K. Durant / M. Sasser / TOR ‘25 2nd (Via DET)
This probably requires Durant specifically requesting to come here because Phoenix could probably get better offers (at least volume wise in terms of draft capital) from Houston, San Antonio, OKC, etc., but you could argue that bolstering their front court with two defensive studs right around Booker’s age might be more appealing/sellable to the fan base than anything the other 3 teams might be able and willing to offer. Naji isn’t a slouch from a contract value standpoint as a rotational depth piece either. Additionally, Phoenix sheds over 17M in this deal, and with further maneuvering could find itself under the 2nd Apron if it so chooses. This is all before mentioning that Dallas is currently (and seemingly unavoidably) on track to have some of the most valuable picks in the league at the start of the next decade.
Detroit is most likely going to be without a first round pick in this year’s supposedly deep draft. Their front office has worked well with us in the (very recent) past and could be enticed by the prospect of acquiring Detroit native (and cost-controlled) Hardy to complement their talented young guard core. In addition to acquiring Jaden, in exchange for roughly 17M in cap space, they return Toronto’s ‘25 2nd to us for about 7M in cash, two hard-nosed vets, and the opportunity to jump 15-20 spots in this summer’s draft.
Dallas pursues this kind of structure in order to provide Phoenix with cap relief and also preserve its own ability to exceed the 1st apron when resigning Kyrie by sending out more cash than it takes back in return. When the dust settles, assuming Kyrie returns (and the team enjoys good health), we will be stacked 1-6. Dallas then needs to hope the roughly 5.6M TPMLE is enough to entice a guy like Capela to come in and provide (much needed) insurance for AD & Lively at the 5. Ideally, D. Exum, B. Williams, and K. Edwards can all be retained on minimum deals (the latter two for multiple non guaranteed years beyond 25-26), and hopefully Dallas can find a promising front court piece in the 30s in this year’s draft. After the top 6, Dante and Capela will have guaranteed roles in the rotation. I’d be interested to see the training camp battle between Prosper and Edwards for the 9th spot. Unfortunately, (albeit deservedly) Kyrie will likely get a blank check from Nico this summer. I think the number he’ll command will be 200M, and I suspect if he gets that, he’ll be a happy camper. Four years starting at 45M (48,333,333 / 51,666,667 / 55). Round out the roster with a vet min at the 5 and you’ll have just over 600k below the 2nd apron to play with for 10-days/post deadline buyouts. Depth will obviously be a concern (especially given age and injury history) but that’s what comes with a big 3 and 4 first ballot HOFers. Aside from getting KD, what makes this a win imo, is retaining Lively, Christie, and the ‘32 1st swap.
Rotation:
PG: Kyrie (35) / Exum (15) / B. Williams
SG: Christie (30) / Klay (25) / M. Sasser
SF: KD (35) / O. Prosper (15)
PF: AD (35) / K. Edwards (10) / 2nd Rd Pick
C: Lively (25) / Capela (15) / Vet Min
2025 Cap Hits:
K. Durant - 54,708,609
A. Davis - 54,126,380
K. Irving - 45,000,000
K. Thompson - 16,666,667
M. Christie - 7,714,286
C. Capela - 5,685,000
D. Lively - 5,253,360
O. Prosper - 3,007,080
M. Sasser - 2,886,720
D. Exum - 2,296,274
Vet Min C - 2,296,274
K. Edwards - 2,048,494
B. Williams - 2,048,494
2nd Rd Pick F - 1,272,870
J. McGee - 2,208,856
14 Players - Total Allocations: 207,219,364
