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I think now that the Cavs have opted to resign Merrill that something will have to give between likely Garland or Strus to get under 2nd Apron. I’m curious what other teams may be interested in Strus. Could they get an expiring similar to the Okoro trade that they can use the stretch provision over 5 years to get under the 2nd apron or can they get a useful SF option like DFS or LeBron.

4 ideas:

Strus for Vincent then stretch Vincent.

Strus, Porter, and a 2nd for DFS.

Stretch Ball to get under the second Apron. Trade Strus and Garland for LeBron and Bronny. Resign Jerome.

Trade Strus for Vincent, Stretch Vincent. Trade Ball, Garland, and Dean Wade for LeBron and Bronny.

Why exactly is CLE giving up 25yo talent for LeBron (who hasn't really played SF in at least five years, btw) and Bronny?

Exactly who do you believe the Cavaliers' front office work for?

I don't think the Cavs can take on LeBron since they're well above the 2nd apron. They'd almost certainly need a 3rd team to do so.

It's going to be a long summer for the minority of Cavs fans who want to see Garland traded at all costs.

The Cavs are well, well over the second apron and LBJ makes more than anyone on the roster. He made his decision when he opted in.

I still like the thought of Strus for Londale, Connaughton, or Vincent then either just cutting Londale or Stretching Connaughton or Vincent.

Would Garland even make sense next to Luka? Feels like Lakers would have to reflip Garland very soon.

If Lakers are trading with Cavs, we want Allen or Mobley in return

jbk1234 wrote:It's going to be a long summer for the minority of Cavs fans who want to see Garland traded at all costs.

The Cavs are well, well over the second apron and LBJ makes more than anyone on the roster. He made his decision when he opted in.

The other option would have been a sign and trade and that would be harder to execute. Unless you were expecting him to sign for the tax payer MLE, this is his move to keep all his options open, especially as he has a no trade clause.

Slava wrote:

jbk1234 wrote:It's going to be a long summer for the minority of Cavs fans who want to see Garland traded at all costs.

The Cavs are well, well over the second apron and LBJ makes more than anyone on the roster. He made his decision when he opted in.

The other option would have been a sign and trade and that would be harder to execute. Unless you were expecting him to sign for the tax payer MLE, this is his move to keep all his options open, especially as he has a no trade clause.

The reality is he can't even re-sign with a 2nd apron team after a buyout. He got that player option from the Lakers. He had every right to opt in. That said, I suspect that LBJ may have yet to have processed how limited his options are now, or for that matter, what his trade value might be at 41, while making over $50M+, to a team that doesn't have $50M in disposable contracts.

SlimShady83 wrote:If Lakers are trading with Cavs, we want Allen or Mobley in return

LBJ makes more than any single player on the Cavs roster. The Cavs are $22M over the second apron. They'd have to shed $23M in salaries just to be able to trade anyone for LBJ and they clearly went in the other direction.

jbk1234 wrote:

Slava wrote:

jbk1234 wrote:It's going to be a long summer for the minority of Cavs fans who want to see Garland traded at all costs.

The Cavs are well, well over the second apron and LBJ makes more than anyone on the roster. He made his decision when he opted in.

The other option would have been a sign and trade and that would be harder to execute. Unless you were expecting him to sign for the tax payer MLE, this is his move to keep all his options open, especially as he has a no trade clause.

The reality is he can't even re-sign with a 2nd apron team after a buyout. He got that player option from the Lakers. He had every right to opt in. That said, I suspect that LBJ may have yet to have processed how limited his options are now, or for that matter, what his trade value might be at 41, while making over $50M+, to a team that doesn't have $50M in disposable contracts.

If Cavs want him it's not that hard. Brooklyn sitting with capspace.

JMAC3 wrote:Would Garland even make sense next to Luka? Feels like Lakers would have to reflip Garland very soon.

If Garland were to be included in a Lebron trade(which would awful idea for the Cavaliers to do by the way), the Lakers would simply reroute him to a 3rd team for assets.

Lebron/Garland swap if Lebron were to a request a trade is highly unrealistic. Who's giving all that up for a 40 year old player? I don't see the Cavaliers even being make this trade anyway due to being 2nd apron team, even if they were dumb enough to agree to this and Lebron was also okay with it.

tidho wrote:Why exactly is CLE giving up 25yo talent for LeBron (who hasn't really played SF in at least five years, btw) and Bronny?

Exactly who do you believe the Cavaliers' front office work for?

I guess he think see the Cavaliers Front Office as another Nico Harrison.

zimpy27 wrote:

jbk1234 wrote:

Slava wrote:The other option would have been a sign and trade and that would be harder to execute. Unless you were expecting him to sign for the tax payer MLE, this is his move to keep all his options open, especially as he has a no trade clause.

The reality is he can't even re-sign with a 2nd apron team after a buyout. He got that player option from the Lakers. He had every right to opt in. That said, I suspect that LBJ may have yet to have processed how limited his options are now, or for that matter, what his trade value might be at 41, while making over $50M+, to a team that doesn't have $50M in disposable contracts.

If Cavs want him it's not that hard. Brooklyn sitting with capspace.

Of course it is. The Cavs would have to send out at least $75 M in contracts and they don’t have $75M in contracts they'd be comfortable giving up.

jbk1234 wrote:

zimpy27 wrote:

jbk1234 wrote:
The reality is he can't even re-sign with a 2nd apron team after a buyout. He got that player option from the Lakers. He had every right to opt in. That said, I suspect that LBJ may have yet to have processed how limited his options are now, or for that matter, what his trade value might be at 41, while making over $50M+, to a team that doesn't have $50M in disposable contracts.

If Cavs want him it's not that hard. Brooklyn sitting with capspace.

Of course it is. The Cavs would have to send out at least $75 M in contracts and they don’t have $75M in contracts they'd be comfortable giving up.

Lakers get Garland, Strus
Nets get Hunter
Cavs get LeBron, FRP, swaps

zimpy27 wrote:

jbk1234 wrote:

zimpy27 wrote:
If Cavs want him it's not that hard. Brooklyn sitting with capspace.

Of course it is. The Cavs would have to send out at least $75 M in contracts and they don’t have $75M in contracts they'd be comfortable giving up.

Lakers get Garland, Strus
Nets get Hunter
Cavs get LeBron, FRP, swaps

Yeah, the Cavs aren't going to do that, but it's illegal. Giving away Hunter doesn't get us under the second apron. The Cavs still couldn't consolidate.

Without even getting into compensation, Garland would have to go to Brooklyn, and the Lakers would have to take back Strus, Hunter, and probably Merrill or Ball.

jbk1234 wrote:

zimpy27 wrote:

jbk1234 wrote:
Of course it is. The Cavs would have to send out at least $75 M in contracts and they don’t have $75M in contracts they'd be comfortable giving up.

Lakers get Garland, Strus
Nets get Hunter
Cavs get LeBron, FRP, swaps

Yeah, the Cavs aren't going to do that, but it's illegal. Giving away Hunter doesn't get us under the second apron. The Cavs still couldn't consolidate.

Without even getting into compensation, Garland would have to go to Brooklyn, and the Lakers would have to take back Strus, Hunter, and probably Merrill or Ball.

Ball (10), Mitchell (46), LeBron (53), Mobley (46), Allen (20)
Merrill (8), Wade (7), TaxMLE (6), 2xVetMin (4)
Porter (2), Bronny (2), Tyson (2), VetMin (2)

That is just below 2nd apron for 14 players.
Could change a VetMin to a rookie minimum with 15th guy being a buyout or upgrading 2-way midseason.

zimpy27 wrote:

jbk1234 wrote:

zimpy27 wrote:
Lakers get Garland, Strus
Nets get Hunter
Cavs get LeBron, FRP, swaps

Yeah, the Cavs aren't going to do that, but it's illegal. Giving away Hunter doesn't get us under the second apron. The Cavs still couldn't consolidate.

Without even getting into compensation, Garland would have to go to Brooklyn, and the Lakers would have to take back Strus, Hunter, and probably Merrill or Ball.

Ball (10), Mitchell (46), LeBron (53), Mobley (46), Allen (20)
Merrill (8), Wade (7), TaxMLE (6), 2xVetMin (4)
Porter (2), Bronny (2), Tyson (2), VetMin (2)

That is just below 2nd apron for 14 players.
Could change a VetMin to a rookie minimum with 15th guy being a buyout or upgrading 2-way midseason.

If you don't round down on all these salaries it doesn't work. The Cavs have $400k in dead salary to Rubio. They also made a commitment to give Proctor an NBA contract.

However, even if there's a way to duck under, the net effect after would be to be hard capped at the 2nd apron. I'll be shocked if that's something the Cavs are interested in.