What Players Could Be Available for the MLE?

[gswhoops]

Trying to come up with a list of realistic targets for guys to sign/trade for with the full MLE. For the trade guys looking mostly at teams at/over the apron or tax lines who might be looking to shed salary without any coming back. For the signings, mostly guesstimating at guys who probably demand more than the vet min but less than the full MLE, so there's a big range.

Please add thoughts/suggestions!

Trade
Sam Hauser, Boston
Royce O'Neale, Phoenix
Isaac Okoro, Cleveland
Dean Wade, Cleveland
Goga Bitadze, Orlando
Caleb Martin, Dallas
Naji Marshall, Dallas
Jarred Vanderbilt, LA Lakers
Maxi Kleber, LA Lakers
Gabe Vincent, LA Lakers
Matisse Thybulle, Portland
Kelly Olynyk, New Orleans
Brandon Clarke, Memphis
Jonas Valanciunas, Sacramento
Obi Toppin, Indiana

Sign
Brook Lopez
Clint Capela
Bruce Brown
Malcolm Brogdon
Tim Hardaway Jr.
D'Angelo Russell
Caris LeVert
Luke Kennard
Dennis Schroder
Steven Adams
Bobby Portis (PO)
Chris Boucher
Larry Nance Jr.
Chris Paul
Al Horford
Tre Jones
Gary Payton II
Kelly Oubre (PO)
Kevon Looney
Jevon Carter
Malik Beasley
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Jake LaRavia
Tyus Jones

[ReggiesKnicks]

Donte DiVincenzo

[gswhoops]

Donte DiVincenzo

I assume Minny would be looking for cap space plus assets for DDV, but his salary fits

[Godaddycurse]

Clarke
JV
Obi Toppin

for trade targets

[Mavrelous]

Naji Marshal -- I'd demand a 2nd or 2 for Marshall, but won't insist if it greases the wheel for a deal.
Caleb Martin -- looked terrible last year, like not NBA level talent, no idea what's going on with him.
Sam Hauser -- See Marshal.
Royce O'Neale -- negative value, much better than Caleb Martin, better than Vanderbilt, but too long and too big of a contract.
Isaac Okoro -- negative value but worth a flier .
Dean Wade -- see Marshal.
Goga Bitadze -- see Marshal.
Thybulle -- I'd demand a 2nd to eat his money
DDV -- see Marshal
None of the Lakers guys should be taken to MLE for free, they are negative value, maybe Vincent is neutral if you need a backup PG on short deal.

[Astaluego]

Thybulle/Vincent/Vandervilt

[oldncreaky]

Olynyk for trade

[timeaftertime]

I don't think it's that crazy to include Naz Reid on this list. He's got a $15 million dollar player option, but I could see him declining that to chase a multi-year deal. The problem is, only like three teams could potentially have the cap space to sign him for that number outright (Memphis, Detroit, and Brooklyn). Theoretically, the Wolves could just pay him, but he may be looking for a starting role and if Randle picks up his PO, he would still be behind Randle and Gobert. He's said he likes Minnesota, but I could also see him wanting a fresh start, particularly after a rough playoffs overall.

Again, it maybe isn't 100% or even "likely," but I think the right situation and team could sway him and I don't think anything is really "off the table" for the Wolves.

[gswhoops]

I don't think it's that crazy to include Naz Reid on this list. He's got a $15 million dollar player option, but I could see him declining that to chase a multi-year deal. The problem is, only like three teams could potentially have the cap space to sign him for that number outright (Memphis, Detroit, and Brooklyn). Theoretically, the Wolves could just pay him, but he may be looking for a starting role and if Randle picks up his PO, he would still be behind Randle and Gobert. He's said he likes Minnesota, but I could also see him wanting a fresh start, particularly after a rough playoffs overall.

Again, it maybe isn't 100% or even "likely," but I think the right situation and team could sway him and I don't think anything is really "off the table" for the Wolves.

I mean I would trip over myself to give Naz a one year MLE deal if his market collapses. He would be an ideal third guy in a Draymond/Butler frontcourt and he always kills us when we play Minnesota.

[jscott]

I don't think it's that crazy to include Naz Reid on this list. He's got a $15 million dollar player option, but I could see him declining that to chase a multi-year deal. The problem is, only like three teams could potentially have the cap space to sign him for that number outright (Memphis, Detroit, and Brooklyn). Theoretically, the Wolves could just pay him, but he may be looking for a starting role and if Randle picks up his PO, he would still be behind Randle and Gobert. He's said he likes Minnesota, but I could also see him wanting a fresh start, particularly after a rough playoffs overall.

Again, it maybe isn't 100% or even "likely," but I think the right situation and team could sway him and I don't think anything is really "off the table" for the Wolves.

I don’t see any way he’d leave Minnesota for the MLE. He can easily get more money from them, is beloved, his best friend Jaden McDaniels plays there, and the Wolves have been as successful as virtually any team the las couple years.

Why would he take less money to go to probably a worse situation?

[Texas Chuck]

I'm not sure we know what money he can get from Minnesota. Is Randle opting out? Isn't he more important to Minny than Naz? What about NAW? Do the new guys who struggled to raise the money to buy the team and who submitted financials to the league suggesting they won't be paying tax pony up to keep this team together?

Do they start to question the core of this team with how two years in a row the WCF went poorly and they didn't fight until the end?

I'm just not sold Minny just pays everyone or that Naz becomes top priority. I hope they do pay. Minny had a 20 year drought and it would be nice to keep this going a bit longer. But I think we have enough noise to say uh maybe not.

[gswhoops]

I don't think it's that crazy to include Naz Reid on this list. He's got a $15 million dollar player option, but I could see him declining that to chase a multi-year deal. The problem is, only like three teams could potentially have the cap space to sign him for that number outright (Memphis, Detroit, and Brooklyn). Theoretically, the Wolves could just pay him, but he may be looking for a starting role and if Randle picks up his PO, he would still be behind Randle and Gobert. He's said he likes Minnesota, but I could also see him wanting a fresh start, particularly after a rough playoffs overall.

Again, it maybe isn't 100% or even "likely," but I think the right situation and team could sway him and I don't think anything is really "off the table" for the Wolves.

I don’t see any way he’d leave Minnesota for the MLE. He can easily get more money from them, is beloved, his best friend Jaden McDaniels plays there, and the Wolves have been as successful as virtually any team the las couple years.

Why would he take less money to go to probably a worse situation?

The only way I can see it is if Minnesota does something that hard caps them at the second apron and they're literally not allowed to re-sign him, or Minnesota lowballs him so aggressively that he refuses to go back on principle. Neither of which seem particularly likely.

[jscott]

I'm not sure we know what money he can get from Minnesota. Is Randle opting out? Isn't he more important to Minny than Naz? What about NAW? Do the new guys who struggled to raise the money to buy the team and who submitted financials to the league suggesting they won't be paying tax pony up to keep this team together?

Do they start to question the core of this team with how two years in a row the WCF went poorly and they didn't fight until the end?

I'm just not sold Minny just pays everyone or that Naz becomes top priority. I hope they do pay. Minny had a 20 year drought and it would be nice to keep this going a bit longer. But I think we have enough noise to say uh maybe not.

I think NAW is gone. TSJ and Clark can fill his minutes/role.

Randle is a question mark but even if he opts in you can easily pay Naz more than MLE money to stick around. I just don’t see it.

Likewise, the talk of crushing payroll and “barely” being able to pay for the team, they added Michael Bloomberg to the ownership mix. They have plenty of money and are looking to privately finance a new arena.

You don’t do that and cut payroll. You need to keep the excitement going and Naz is a huge part of that excitement.

[psman2]

Santi Aldama should be on the sign list. Unless the Nets overpay him I think MLE is the top of his market.

[Mamba4Goat]

I'm not sure we know what money he can get from Minnesota. Is Randle opting out? Isn't he more important to Minny than Naz? What about NAW? Do the new guys who struggled to raise the money to buy the team and who submitted financials to the league suggesting they won't be paying tax pony up to keep this team together?

Do they start to question the core of this team with how two years in a row the WCF went poorly and they didn't fight until the end?

I'm just not sold Minny just pays everyone or that Naz becomes top priority. I hope they do pay. Minny had a 20 year drought and it would be nice to keep this going a bit longer. But I think we have enough noise to say uh maybe not.

I’d comfortably bet on there being better odds of every PF/C on the roster being traded/let walk than Naz Reid. He’s almost certainly priority #1 and if he demands to start, odds are they probably find a way to make it work. Connelly has shown he’s not afraid to make a big move and the KAT trade was largely done to afford Naz.

[gswhoops]

Santi Aldama should be on the sign list. Unless the Nets overpay him I think MLE is the top of his market.

He's restricted, right? I have to imagine Memphis matches a MLE level offer pretty easily.

[psman2]

Santi Aldama should be on the sign list. Unless the Nets overpay him I think MLE is the top of his market.

He's restricted, right? I have to imagine Memphis matches a MLE level offer pretty easily.

Restricted...yes....Easy...no. Depends on if we found a way to move off of Clarke and Konchar salary 1st. I think he is a fine rotation big and fits with Edey but not someone I would cry about if we had to move on from him. In a perfect world we would like to keep him but that is not our priority this offseason.

[nate33]

The Wizards have acquired a ton of pretty good young forwards (Bilal, Kyshawn George, Champagnie) since resigning Kispert and Saddiq Bey to sub-MLE deals. And they may draft another.

At this point, both Kispert and Bey look pretty redundant and I think the Wizards would happily unload one of those guys into someone's MLE if possible.

The Wizards wouldn't give up any assets to make that deal happen though as the Wizards aren't in any salary cap crisis.

[psman2]

The Wizards have acquired a ton of pretty good young forwards (Bilal, Kyshawn George, Champagnie) since resigning Kispert and Saddiq Bey to sub-MLE deals. And they may draft another.

At this point, both Kispert and Bey look pretty redundant and I think the Wizards would happily unload one of those guys into someone's MLE if possible.

The Wizards wouldn't give up any assets to make that deal happen though as the Wizards aren't in any salary cap crisis.

I don't see anyone just eating the Kispet deal unless incentivized. Bey on a smaller deal might get a look but coming off an injury might get no interest until later in the season if he proves healthy.

[nate33]

The Wizards have acquired a ton of pretty good young forwards (Bilal, Kyshawn George, Champagnie) since resigning Kispert and Saddiq Bey to sub-MLE deals. And they may draft another.

At this point, both Kispert and Bey look pretty redundant and I think the Wizards would happily unload one of those guys into someone's MLE if possible.

The Wizards wouldn't give up any assets to make that deal happen though as the Wizards aren't in any salary cap crisis.

I don't see anyone just eating the Kispet deal unless incentivized. Bey on a smaller deal might get a look but coming off an injury might get no interest until later in the season if he proves healthy.

You may be right. As I said, this isn't an urgent thing from the Wizards perspective. I'm just adding to the list of names of players that could be available.