RealGM

Milwaukee and Portland balancing things up

Bucks in Reath
Portland in Connaughton

Why Bucks? They sacrifice Pat to add a 3rd C, skip the 2nd apron and create a 5 mil space below it to use the tax-MLE for their last spot. I’m looking at Trent Jr at this case who has played with Dame in Portland.

Why Blazers? They move their 4th C for some veteran help in the wing from a familiar face. Pat is also a proven NBA playoffs facilitator and nice guy for the locker rooms.

There is 0% chance Portland adds this much salary for Connaughton.

This puts them over the tax.

You need to look for team more comfortable adding salary, the bottom 6 teams on this list make the most sense
https://www.spotrac.com/nba/cap/_/year/2024/sort/cap_active/dir/desc

Which makes draft day for the Buck very odd choice, considering they could've dine it then (for example, PatC/#23 for Kispert), but I'm sure they have other plans...

Malapropism wrote:There is 0% chance Portland adds this much salary for Connaughton.

This puts them over the tax.

Just did the math and you are right, but it will only be for 60K with 15 players after they sign Clingan and waive Walker. Pretty easy to fix this.

slos wrote:

Malapropism wrote:There is 0% chance Portland adds this much salary for Connaughton.

This puts them over the tax.

Just did the math and you are right, but it will only be for 60K with 15 players after they sign Clingan and waive Walker. Pretty easy to fix this.

Portland doesn’t want to waive Walker.

FWIW they wouldn’t do this even if both players made the same amount. Portland has less use for Pat than Duop.

Also being that close to the tax line makes future moves more difficult. They might do this for a young player that has a future with the team. They certainly won’t for Connaughton.

They are in no position to take on salary unless its for a long term piece.

Malapropism wrote:

slos wrote:

Malapropism wrote:There is 0% chance Portland adds this much salary for Connaughton.

This puts them over the tax.

Just did the math and you are right, but it will only be for 60K with 15 players after they sign Clingan and waive Walker. Pretty easy to fix this.

Portland doesn’t want to waive Walker.

FWIW they wouldn’t do this even if both players made the same amount. Portland has less use for Pat than Duop.

Also being that close to the tax line makes future moves more difficult. They might do this for a young player that has a future with the team. They certainly won’t for Connaughton.

Exactly, this will not happen as it makes zero sense for Portland

slos wrote:

Malapropism wrote:There is 0% chance Portland adds this much salary for Connaughton.

This puts them over the tax.

Just did the math and you are right, but it will only be for 60K with 15 players after they sign Clingan and waive Walker. Pretty easy to fix this.

$60k is insanely close that doesn’t provide any flexibility to replace players or fill injury spots. It’s too close for a 10 day. A rebuilding team like Portland won’t let themselves get that close to the tax.

I’m also missing where Portland is getting draft pick compensation for taking on so much additional salary.

Scoot McGroot wrote:

slos wrote:

Malapropism wrote:There is 0% chance Portland adds this much salary for Connaughton.

This puts them over the tax.

Just did the math and you are right, but it will only be for 60K with 15 players after they sign Clingan and waive Walker. Pretty easy to fix this.

$60k is insanely close that doesn’t provide any flexibility to replace players or fill injury spots. It’s too close for a 10 day. A rebuilding team like Portland won’t let themselves get that close to the tax.

I’m also missing where Portland is getting draft pick compensation for taking on so much additional salary.

Plus forced to waive Walker who we want to keep.

No reason for POR to consider this.

Reath is available for assets that POR might actually want.

The Blazers drafted Connaughton and he asked to be traded. A third team would need to be added, with either a young prospect or 2nd round pick coming back to Portland.