ArthurVandelay wrote:dagger wrote:AkelaLoneWolf wrote:Marcus Smart is a guy we should go after. We need a strong veteran voice in the locker room. Even if that is temporary. Can trade for him plus frp for brown.
I've thought of that, Memphis has significant tax issues to work with to keep pending RFAs LaRavia and Aldama, both of whom are having their best seasons, with some upside left. Aldama in particular is becoming a key big man reserve. However, Smart has two more years after this season at $20m each, so while he is a good player, a good influence as you say, one FRP is not sufficient for taking up $40m in salary. Memphis' 2025 FRP would currently be around #25. Other iterations of a trade for Brown to Memphis might work, for example Brandon Clarke as retained salary - he also has two more seasons after this one, but at a smaller number ($12.5m per season) and he fits a front-court need. Then, add in either expiring money (Kennard) or an RFA (LaRavia) because in the latter case, the Raptors would almost certainly have the tax space to match a likely offer for LaRavia, who is 23 and was a first rounder in 2022. There are multiple scenarios with the Grizzlies that would work.
They have $27m in tax room to keep those guys. They don’t need to dump Smart.
Yeah, Aldama would be a reasonable pickup for us with the MLE, but Memphis can match that and let Laravia go, or maybe even keep both. And Laravia's minutes can go to Vince Williams JR and GG Jackson in the future. Somehow Jaren Jackson makes only 23M next year? Their cap sheet is somehow not that bad, going forward, incredible GM work there really. I guess Rich Cho is the #2 there? He should probably get another crack at GMing somewhere if the Kaminsky pick was an MJ directive.
