2018 Free Agency Thread
Posted: Wed Jul 5, 2017 8:54 pm
I've seen some comments either in the Porter thread or the trade thread about 2018, and how Porter's contract may or may not affect the hunt for Demarcus Cousins who low key I've thought was a much more realistic target than Kevin Durant. So maybe we can start discussing that here since it's clear Ernie is done with the 2017 offseason.
This is extremely rough math, but I think I'm close. I may be off a few thousand on Porter and Meeks' contract numbers, but as of now we have $126 million in salaries.
As of now, the salary cap is set to $103 million with the luxury tax line being $125 million so we'd be over the tax assuming no moves are made beforehand.
Expiring contracts: Marcin Gortat ($13.56), Markieff Morris ($8.60), John Wall*
Team options: Chris McCullough ($2.2), Kelly Oubre (3.2)
Player options: Jason Smith ($5.4)
*I didn't put Wall's salary because I'm assuming he's going to extend his contract. For all the talk about being underpaid, I doubt he'll say no to a salary that pays him at $35 mil per year Year 1.
I wouldn't pick up McCullough's option unless it's to trade him to make salaries match (more on that in a minute). I also think b/c Smith will turn 32 next March, he's looking at one more contract and it makes sense to opt out rather than go into free agency at 33.
That puts our salaries at $118 million. Because Cousins falls into the 7-9 range, his max is 30% of the salary cap so that's about $30.9 million starting Year 1 (assuming a $103 million cap). There's no realistic way to get Cousins in free agency. We wouldn't be far enough under the cap to offer him the max and that's with trading Mahinmi, Morris, and Gortat.
My guess, and this is what I think the Wizards might do: dump Gortat into a team's space. He's still effective, so I doubt it would require the Wiz to give up a pick. It would shock me if the Wiz have to attach a first rounder to it, I can see a future 2nd rounder being sent out though.
Trade Otto, McCullough, and Satoransky for DeMarcus Cousins in a sign and trade. Salaries would be just about even.
Starting 5: Wall/Beal/Oubre/Cousins/Mahinmi.
Bench: Morris, Meeks, hopefully 2017 1st rounder
You'd have the full MLE to shore up the backup point guard position, small forward, and center.
Thoughts?
This is extremely rough math, but I think I'm close. I may be off a few thousand on Porter and Meeks' contract numbers, but as of now we have $126 million in salaries.
As of now, the salary cap is set to $103 million with the luxury tax line being $125 million so we'd be over the tax assuming no moves are made beforehand.
Expiring contracts: Marcin Gortat ($13.56), Markieff Morris ($8.60), John Wall*
Team options: Chris McCullough ($2.2), Kelly Oubre (3.2)
Player options: Jason Smith ($5.4)
*I didn't put Wall's salary because I'm assuming he's going to extend his contract. For all the talk about being underpaid, I doubt he'll say no to a salary that pays him at $35 mil per year Year 1.
I wouldn't pick up McCullough's option unless it's to trade him to make salaries match (more on that in a minute). I also think b/c Smith will turn 32 next March, he's looking at one more contract and it makes sense to opt out rather than go into free agency at 33.
That puts our salaries at $118 million. Because Cousins falls into the 7-9 range, his max is 30% of the salary cap so that's about $30.9 million starting Year 1 (assuming a $103 million cap). There's no realistic way to get Cousins in free agency. We wouldn't be far enough under the cap to offer him the max and that's with trading Mahinmi, Morris, and Gortat.
My guess, and this is what I think the Wizards might do: dump Gortat into a team's space. He's still effective, so I doubt it would require the Wiz to give up a pick. It would shock me if the Wiz have to attach a first rounder to it, I can see a future 2nd rounder being sent out though.
Trade Otto, McCullough, and Satoransky for DeMarcus Cousins in a sign and trade. Salaries would be just about even.
Starting 5: Wall/Beal/Oubre/Cousins/Mahinmi.
Bench: Morris, Meeks, hopefully 2017 1st rounder
You'd have the full MLE to shore up the backup point guard position, small forward, and center.
Thoughts?