RealGM

UTA trades: 2025 1st (worst of UTA/MIN/CLE)
LAL trades: Gabe Vincent, 2025 LAC 2nd, 2027 LAL 1st (1-4 protection removed), 2030 LAL 2nd

Why UTA does it: it has been reported that Utah has not signed its rookies nor made the Juzang and Eubanks signings official. I think that points to the possibility that Utah does an R+E of Lauri, uses extra cap space to try and grab an asset, and then uses the room MLE to sign Eubanks and bird rights for Juzang. Here, Utah exercises that option and ensures that they get the 2027 LAL 1st and likely moves down 10-15 picks in the 2025 draft.

Why LAL does it: the Lakers create room under the apron to try and facilitate a trade and also add a pick to do so. My thought is this creates optionality to trade for someone like LaVine without having to be worried about navigating the apron.

I dont see how this helps us

Dont we want Gabe in a trade to match salaries?

If we can get a trade exception and maybe snag a guy like Okoro for about 11m if CLE wants the exception and a 2nd or so?

nzahir wrote:I dont see how this helps us

Dont we want Gabe in a trade to match salaries?

If we can get a trade exception and maybe snag a guy like Okoro for about 11m if CLE wants the exception and a 2nd or so?

LA is so close to the apron that they can't take back more than they send bc they are hard capped. It makes executing a trade really, really difficult in practice. But yah, several options, Okoro for the 2025 1st they get or 2nds might be one of them.

What is the prize here for Utah? Gabe Vincent?

I think LAL is too far over the first apron for this to really help them fully?

They can aggregate Vincent and a couple other guys right now. But after this trade, they would have to aggregate a different 11 million. Getting under the apron by a million or so doesn’t change the matching limitations they have.

It’s good value for LAL though IMO and they should do it.

Seems a lot of work for Utah and most likely for nothing, but if it works out it’s obviously worth it and Ainge looks like a genius in 36 months.

I think this requires the third team for LAL though. Even if it’s just bringing in an 8-10 million dollar expiring? They need to add talent and need salaries to do it.

babyjax13 wrote:

nzahir wrote:I dont see how this helps us

Dont we want Gabe in a trade to match salaries?

If we can get a trade exception and maybe snag a guy like Okoro for about 11m if CLE wants the exception and a 2nd or so?

LA is so close to the apron that they can't take back more than they send bc they are hard capped. It makes executing a trade really, really difficult in practice. But yah, several options, Okoro for the 2025 1st they get or 2nds might be one of them.

Yes we cant take back more in, but cant we still only take in 1.25x salaries?

Now what is the math to get a Lavine deal done?

Dlo and Rui? And if thats the deal btw, I expect back compensation from Chicago or a 3rd team

Rui cost us 3 2nds and since then he had 1 solid playoff run, and 1 meh to poor one (but 5 games). Hes young and the contract is fair-ish

Dlo is still a positive impact regular season guy

Lavine is a huge risk here. Higher upside, but a very bad contract, huge injury risk, and someone said this his athleticism dropping has maybe caused his jumper to get a bit worse as he gets less seperation and height now on the shot (I have no clue if that is even accurate btw, but I could see it with the injuries)

Other deal is Dlo+Vando+JHS+Hayes/Reddish for Lavine and some 2nds? (Does this work cap wise btw? I think it should if we can do 1.25x the salaries)

Only doing this if we can get Okoro for like 8-10m and some 2nds

Reaves, Lavine, Okoro, Bron, AD
??, Christie, Knecht, Rui, ???
Wood

Now we have the 2025 1st, 2029 1st, and 2031 1st

Try and get a cheap C, can use a 1st/2nds/swap
Sign a pg like Fultz or Graham for the vet min

jazzfan1971 wrote:What is the prize here for Utah? Gabe Vincent?

Getting the protections off the 2027 pick.

nzahir wrote:

babyjax13 wrote:

nzahir wrote:I dont see how this helps us

Dont we want Gabe in a trade to match salaries?

If we can get a trade exception and maybe snag a guy like Okoro for about 11m if CLE wants the exception and a 2nd or so?

LA is so close to the apron that they can't take back more than they send bc they are hard capped. It makes executing a trade really, really difficult in practice. But yah, several options, Okoro for the 2025 1st they get or 2nds might be one of them.

Yes we cant take back more in, but cant we still only take in 1.25x salaries?

Now what is the math to get a Lavine deal done?

Dlo and Rui? And if thats the deal btw, I expect back compensation from Chicago or a 3rd team

Rui cost us 3 2nds and since then he had 1 solid playoff run, and 1 meh to poor one (but 5 games). Hes young and the contract is fair-ish

Dlo is still a positive impact regular season guy

Lavine is a huge risk here. Higher upside, but a very bad contract, huge injury risk, and someone said this his athleticism dropping has maybe caused his jumper to get a bit worse as he gets less seperation and height now on the shot (I have no clue if that is even accurate btw, but I could see it with the injuries)

Other deal is Dlo+Vando+JHS+Hayes/Reddish for Lavine and some 2nds? (Does this work cap wise btw? I think it should if we can do 1.25x the salaries)

Only doing this if we can get Okoro for like 8-10m and some 2nds

Reaves, Lavine, Okoro, Bron, AD
??, Christie, Knecht, Rui, ???
Wood

Now we have the 2025 1st, 2029 1st, and 2031 1st

Try and get a cheap C, can use a 1st/2nds/swap
Sign a pg like Fultz or Graham for the vet min

The trouble with Chicago is that they are $7 million above the luxury tax for a terrible team. They'll want to reduce payroll in any LaVine trade, but the Lakers can't facilitate that as-is because they are hard capped at 45k below the second apron. If they can get rid of some salary they can aggregate and help Chicago reduce payroll. The Lakers need to aggregate $34,425,552 for the 120% match rules, so Russell + Vanderbilt + Hayes + Reddish would be enough to match salary AND it would pull Chicago out of the tax.

EDIT: my understanding was wrong, LA would have to not send out more than they bring in, but they can aggregate salaries. Right now they can't aggregate salaries. So, this trade could open up a Jerami Grant trade, for example, but probably not LaVine.

jayjaysee wrote:I think LAL is too far over the first apron for this to really help them fully?

They can aggregate Vincent and a couple other guys right now. But after this trade, they would have to aggregate a different 11 million. Getting under the apron by a million or so doesn’t change the matching limitations they have.

It’s good value for LAL though IMO and they should do it.

Seems a lot of work for Utah and most likely for nothing, but if it works out it’s obviously worth it and Ainge looks like a genius in 36 months.

I think this requires the third team for LAL though. Even if it’s just bringing in an 8-10 million dollar expiring? They need to add talent and need salaries to do it.

They are hard capped at the second apron, no? So they should still be able to aggregate salary to get above the first apron? Or am I misunderstanding ... again

EDIT:
okay, so the Lakers can aggregate to 100%, so they have to match (outgoing) the salary of LaVine, but they can't take back more than they send out. I think this deal could make a Jerami Grant trade possible (right now they can't aggregate at all), but not LaVine.

babyjax13 wrote:

jayjaysee wrote:I think LAL is too far over the first apron for this to really help them fully?

They can aggregate Vincent and a couple other guys right now. But after this trade, they would have to aggregate a different 11 million. Getting under the apron by a million or so doesn’t change the matching limitations they have.

It’s good value for LAL though IMO and they should do it.

Seems a lot of work for Utah and most likely for nothing, but if it works out it’s obviously worth it and Ainge looks like a genius in 36 months.

I think this requires the third team for LAL though. Even if it’s just bringing in an 8-10 million dollar expiring? They need to add talent and need salaries to do it.

They are hard capped at the second apron, no? So they should still be able to aggregate salary to get above the first apron? Or am I misunderstanding ... again

EDIT:
okay, so the Lakers can aggregate to 100%, so they have to match (outgoing) the salary of LaVine, but they can't take back more than they send out. I think this deal could make a Jerami Grant trade possible (right now they can't aggregate at all), but not LaVine.

IIRC - LBJ took just enough under the max to keep the under the second apron (to take away the excuse of being able to aggregate talent? Or just being nice to them and not punishing them with second apron penalties)

babyjax13 wrote:UTA trades: 2025 1st (worst of UTA/MIN/CLE)
LAL trades: Gabe Vincent, 2025 LAC 2nd, 2027 LAL 1st (1-4 protection removed), 2030 LAL 2nd

Why UTA does it: it has been reported that Utah has not signed its rookies nor made the Juzang and Eubanks signings official. I think that points to the possibility that Utah does an R+E of Lauri, uses extra cap space to try and grab an asset, and then uses the room MLE to sign Eubanks and bird rights for Juzang. Here, Utah exercises that option and ensures that they get the 2027 LAL 1st and likely moves down 10-15 picks in the 2025 draft.

Why LAL does it: the Lakers create room under the apron to try and facilitate a trade and also add a pick to do so. My thought is this creates optionality to trade for someone like LaVine without having to be worried about navigating the apron.

This would have to wait until after Lauri's R+E. If he gets the max raise — another $24MM, perhaps on a declining deal — then, based on Smitty's available cap room numbers, I don't see that the Jazz will have room to absorb Vincent's salary completely. Maybe I'm looking at it wrong.