Surfing the New CBA - Weltman Comment and Target

[pepe1991]

i'm so sick and tired of pretending those $15M contracts are some cheap, throwaway contracts.
This line of thinking really got us in current situation where people think all Magic players are "cheap" and "tradable" yet nobody is being traded (we know for fact they couldn't make trade at deadline) and team has no money.

It's 10% of cap space that needs to have at least 14 men.


2025-26 , $15M a year is 115-ish highest paid player in nba.

Just when you see names who play for less you will figure it's not "cheap" money.
Avdija, Reaves, Herb Jones, Portis, Mitchel Robinson, Derrick Jones, TJ McConnell ,Donte DiVincenzo , Buddy Hield, Toppin, PJ Washington, Gafford, Max Strus, Aaron Wiggins etc.

Some of this guy play for less than $10M. Some of those guys are elite players and stars.


OKC's salary of some of supporting cast.

Caruso $9,8M this year, $18M next year
Dort $17M a year, $18,2 next
Isaiah Joe $13M this year, $12,3 next
Aaron Wiggins $10,5M this, $9,4 next
Kendrich Williams $6,7M this, $7,3 next year


Basically, Caruso, Dort , Joe, Wiggins and K.Will will cost OKC $65M next year. For 5 players.
Magic will pay KCP, Isaac, Cole $49,7 M. 3 players. Pretty much not a single one better than Dort nor Caruso.

[eyriq]

i'm so sick and tired of pretending those $15M contracts are some cheap, throwaway contracts.
This line of thinking really got us in current situation where people think all Magic players are "cheap" and "tradable" yet nobody is being traded (we know for fact they couldn't make trade at deadline) and team has no money.

It's 10% of cap space that needs to have at least 14 men.


2025-26 , $15M a year is 115-ish highest paid player in nba.

Just when you see names who play for less you will figure it's not "cheap" money.
Avdija, Reaves, Herb Jones, Portis, Mitchel Robinson, Derrick Jones, TJ McConnell ,Donte DiVincenzo , Buddy Hield, Toppin, PJ Washington, Gafford, Max Strus, Aaron Wiggins etc.

Some of this guy play for less than $10M. Some of those guys are elite players and stars.


OKC's salary of some of supporting cast.

Caruso $9,8M this year, $18M next year
Dort $17M a year, $18,2 next
Isaiah Joe $13M this year, $12,3 next
Aaron Wiggins $10,5M this, $9,4 next
Kendrich Williams $6,7M this, $7,3 next year


Basically, Caruso, Dort , Joe, Wiggins and K.Will will cost OKC $65M next year. For 5 players.
Magic will pay KCP, Isaac, Cole $49,7 M. 3 players. Pretty much not a single one better than Dort nor Caruso.

You make a good point. Below is the average of Cap% of League Cap across the league. This sums up to just under 121% of the cap, which is just below the tax line. You've got another 7-8 percentage points to play with before hitting the first apron. 10% of the cap is not a "cheap contract", it is what you pay a 5th starter or a high-end 6th man. Having two mid-level salaries on your roster is probably fine but they need to be critical role players.

1 29.63%
2 22.42%
3 16.81%
4 12.37%
5 9.29%
6 6.78%
7 5.29%
8 4.20%
9 2.97%
10 2.52%
11 2.34%
12 1.92%
13 1.54%
14 1.36%
15 1.05%

[cedric76]

i'm so sick and tired of pretending those $15M contracts are some cheap, throwaway contracts.
This line of thinking really got us in current situation where people think all Magic players are "cheap" and "tradable" yet nobody is being traded (we know for fact they couldn't make trade at deadline) and team has no money.

It's 10% of cap space that needs to have at least 14 men.


2025-26 , $15M a year is 115-ish highest paid player in nba.

Just when you see names who play for less you will figure it's not "cheap" money.
Avdija, Reaves, Herb Jones, Portis, Mitchel Robinson, Derrick Jones, TJ McConnell ,Donte DiVincenzo , Buddy Hield, Toppin, PJ Washington, Gafford, Max Strus, Aaron Wiggins etc.

Some of this guy play for less than $10M. Some of those guys are elite players and stars.


OKC's salary of some of supporting cast.

Caruso $9,8M this year, $18M next year
Dort $17M a year, $18,2 next
Isaiah Joe $13M this year, $12,3 next
Aaron Wiggins $10,5M this, $9,4 next
Kendrich Williams $6,7M this, $7,3 next year


Basically, Caruso, Dort , Joe, Wiggins and K.Will will cost OKC $65M next year. For 5 players.
Magic will pay KCP, Isaac, Cole $49,7 M. 3 players. Pretty much not a single one better than Dort nor Caruso.

You make a good point. Below is the average of Cap% of League Cap across the league. This sums up to just under 121% of the cap, which is just below the tax line. You've got another 7-8 percentage points to play with before hitting the first apron. 10% of the cap is not a "cheap contract", it is what you pay a 5th starter or a high-end 6th man. Having two mid-level salaries on your roster is probably fine but they need to be critical role players.

1 29.63%
2 22.42%
3 16.81%
4 12.37%
5 9.29%
6 6.78%
7 5.29%
8 4.20%
9 2.97%
10 2.52%
11 2.34%
12 1.92%
13 1.54%
14 1.36%
15 1.05%

What pepe doesn't get is that those 15 to 20 M range contracts are great tradable assets

You need those contracts to make trades.

Locking core players on long term contracts is key to avoid the 2nd apron.

A 15M per year contract will represent around 7% in 2028/2029

[VFX]

i'm so sick and tired of pretending those $15M contracts are some cheap, throwaway contracts.
This line of thinking really got us in current situation where people think all Magic players are "cheap" and "tradable" yet nobody is being traded (we know for fact they couldn't make trade at deadline) and team has no money.

It's 10% of cap space that needs to have at least 14 men.


2025-26 , $15M a year is 115-ish highest paid player in nba.

Just when you see names who play for less you will figure it's not "cheap" money.
Avdija, Reaves, Herb Jones, Portis, Mitchel Robinson, Derrick Jones, TJ McConnell ,Donte DiVincenzo , Buddy Hield, Toppin, PJ Washington, Gafford, Max Strus, Aaron Wiggins etc.

Some of this guy play for less than $10M. Some of those guys are elite players and stars.


OKC's salary of some of supporting cast.

Caruso $9,8M this year, $18M next year
Dort $17M a year, $18,2 next
Isaiah Joe $13M this year, $12,3 next
Aaron Wiggins $10,5M this, $9,4 next
Kendrich Williams $6,7M this, $7,3 next year


Basically, Caruso, Dort , Joe, Wiggins and K.Will will cost OKC $65M next year. For 5 players.
Magic will pay KCP, Isaac, Cole $49,7 M. 3 players. Pretty much not a single one better than Dort nor Caruso.

You make a good point. Below is the average of Cap% of League Cap across the league. This sums up to just under 121% of the cap, which is just below the tax line. You've got another 7-8 percentage points to play with before hitting the first apron. 10% of the cap is not a "cheap contract", it is what you pay a 5th starter or a high-end 6th man. Having two mid-level salaries on your roster is probably fine but they need to be critical role players.

1 29.63%
2 22.42%
3 16.81%
4 12.37%
5 9.29%
6 6.78%
7 5.29%
8 4.20%
9 2.97%
10 2.52%
11 2.34%
12 1.92%
13 1.54%
14 1.36%
15 1.05%

What pepe doesn't get is that those 15 to 20 M range contracts are great tradable assets

You need those contracts to make trades.

Locking core players on long term contracts is key to avoid the 2nd apron.

A 15M per year contract will represent around 7% in 2028/2029

This is all theoretical until a trade is actually made years down the line.

Orlando's prerogative is to get better now, this offseason... and those contracts that were handed out are not "attractive trade assets" this year unless you attach picks to them.

Thats the issue that people are being disingenuous about when talking about $15m being cheap.

[cedric76]

Nice pièce on Orlando financial situation by Keith smith from spotrac

https://www.spotrac.com/news/_/id/2835/orlando-magic-2025-offseason-preview

[MartinsIzAfraud]

Nice pièce on Orlando financial situation by Keith smith from spotrac

https://www.spotrac.com/news/_/id/2835/orlando-magic-2025-offseason-preview

A lot of the same viewpoints we’ve talked about. It’s time