So how do the Knicks acquire Burks without including Fournier?
We need to find a third team with an appropriate sized salary to facilitate Malachi Flynn for Player X and then immediately re-trade Player X for Burks. I keep seeing this scenario so I decided to look into it more closely to figure out the specifics as to how it would be possible.
Non-taxpaying teams have a third matching tier for outgoing salary under $6,533,334 that allows for 175 percent matching plus $100,000. For instance, a franchise would need to send out at least $3.4 million to reach a salary of $6 million.
Flynn makes $3,873,024. That means we could receive a salary back for him as high as $6,877,792, (which is = to 1.75 x $3,873,024 + $100,000).
According to hoopshype, there are only a few players in that salary range with little to no value on expiring deals. Otto Porter ($6.3 million), who just got traded to the Jazz a few minutes ago, is one of them.
Alec Burks makes $10,489,600.
-Otto Porter: $6,300,000 x 1.75 + $100,000 = $11,125,000. Burks makes LESS than that so it would be doable.
Step 1:
Knicks Trade: Malachi Flynn, 2nd round pick
Jazz Trade: Otto Porter Jr.
Wouldn’t the Jazz be happy to save $2.5 million for a player they were probably going to buy out anyway? Perhaps the Knicks throw in a 2nd round pick to sweeten the deal.
Step 2:
Knicks Trade: Otto Porter Jr + two future 2nd round picks
Pistons Trade: Alec Burks
Step 3:
Knicks Trade: Evan Fournier, Pistons First Round Pick (Top 18 protected in 2024, Top 13 protected in 2025, Top 11 protected in 2026, Top 9 protected in 2027, converts to a 2nd rounder after that)
Pistons Trade: Bojan Bogdanovic
