RealGM

(Props to mhd for originally coming up with this)

To Washington: Gary Payton II

To Golden State: TPE ($9.13M)

Golden State also agrees to lower the protections on the 2030 1st owed from top-20 to top-14 (still converts to 2 2nds if it does not convey)

Why for Washington? Improves their chances of getting an actual 1st out of the Jordan Poole/CP3 deal, and all it costs them is eating one year of a sub-MLE contract. GP2 is a good locker room/vibes guy on top.

Why for Golden State? Clear enough room under the tax to re-sign Klay and use the full MLE. Warriors would have only ~$135M committed for next year after cutting CP3 (and could potentially drop another $7.5M by stretch waiving Looney) against a $171.3M tax line.

It feels like Washington should get some cash or a 2nd rounder as well. But seems like an easy yes for the Warriors and a creative way for Washington to try and squeeze out some future value.

Texas Chuck wrote:It feels like Washington should get some cash or a 2nd rounder as well. But seems like an easy yes for the Warriors and a creative way for Washington to try and squeeze out some future value.

That would probably be fine, though I'd prefer to send cash since we're somewhat short on 2nds at the moment. But it seemed like an easy-ish way to get both teams something they want without costing them much.

gswhoops wrote:

Texas Chuck wrote:It feels like Washington should get some cash or a 2nd rounder as well. But seems like an easy yes for the Warriors and a creative way for Washington to try and squeeze out some future value.

That would probably be fine, though I'd prefer to send cash since we're somewhat short on 2nds at the moment. But it seemed like an easy-ish way to get both teams something they want without costing them much.

Yeah cash probably does it honestly.

$9.13M seems a little steep. I'd at least want a SRP in the transaction as well if I was the owner paying the bill for this.

Of course, it's not my money so what do I care? From the perspective of a fan, I'm getting assets for nothing at all. The opportunity cost here is minimal since there aren't really that many avenues to convert cap room into picks this offseason.

I would wait until later in the offseason to make this deal though. I'd first want to make sure that there aren't better opportunities to convert that TPE in assets by being a 3rd party participant in some larger multi-team trade.

Thanks for the props gswhoops.

If the Wiz want to save the TPE, Payton could be part of a Kuzma trade if need be (where Kuzma is traded somewhere else other than GSW (Chicago, Sac, etc)).