The $270 million dollar question

[PhilBlackson]

Paul George will be a Clipper. Grew up a fan of the Clips, now his dream will come true

Really?! He grew up a Clipper fan???

Yes. Grew up watching both teams but liked the Clippers more. Has said so in interviews. He was really mad Clippers didn't draft him.

Huh...I'm just shocked because every time I read any discussions about him wanting to play LA they never mention the Clippers n I would have just thought they'd at least speculate him going there especially when you previously had a couple of pieces there and Jerry West but it's always about the Lakers.

I'd rather see him become a Clipper because of how spoiled the Lakers' franchise has been but was just genuinely surprised he was one because he would have grown up during the Shaq/Kobe era.

[Illmatic12]

Salaries of most productive TOP4 team's players of 2017-18 season:

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER:
$28,530,608 Russell Westbrook
$26,243,760 Carmelo Anthony
$22,471,910 Steven Adams
$19,508,958 Paul George___
$96,755,236 OVERALL

DENVER NUGGETS:
$3,355,320 Jamal Murray
$2,550,055 Gary Harris
$2,441,400 Trey Lyles
$1,471,382 Nikola Jokic___
$9,818,157 OVERALL

Jokic is the best value in the NBA!

Looks good now but the Nuggets cap sheet is about to balloon pretty fast . Jokic is unrestricted FA this summer (bc he was a 2nd round pick) and will command the max. Harris’ number jumps up to ~$17 mil and then they have to pay Murray, Lyles soon. They’re gonna have some decisions to make if they wanna stay competitive out West

[PhilBlackson]

Salaries of most productive TOP4 team's players of 2017-18 season:

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER:
$28,530,608 Russell Westbrook
$26,243,760 Carmelo Anthony
$22,471,910 Steven Adams
$19,508,958 Paul George___
$96,755,236 OVERALL

DENVER NUGGETS:
$3,355,320 Jamal Murray
$2,550,055 Gary Harris
$2,441,400 Trey Lyles
$1,471,382 Nikola Jokic___
$9,818,157 OVERALL

Jokic is the best value in the NBA!

Looks good now but the Nuggets cap sheet is about to balloon pretty fast . Jokic is unrestricted FA this summer (bc he was a 2nd round pick) and will command the max. Harris’ number jumps up to ~$17 mil and then they have to pay Murray, Lyles soon. They’re gonna have some decisions to make if they wanna stay competitive out West

They're going to pay Jokic & Murray....Lyles is obviously the odd man out.

[lvckv]

I can't find the article now but a few days ago I read someone suggest that the Thunder could suggest to Carmelo that instead of a one-year player option, they do something like 3 years, $45 million. More security for him and he stays on a winning team (potentially contending given they were second in the league since Dec 1st) instead of going someplace else and who knows what $ offer.

That would take them pretty close to the luxury tax line. Then they offload those Patterson, Abrines, Singler contracts before re-signing PG. They wouldn't get under the line but they could end up within $5-15m of it.

So that would be about $12-40m extra money, which adds up to a lot less than this crazy $270m.



On the other hand, if Melo takes the player option then they can sign PG anyway and try to deal Melo as an expiring at the deadline. Bit of an ask at $24m but still... Because tax payments are based on what the team's payroll on the final day of the regular season.

Or they could deal some of their mid-level guys at this deadline - Patterson, Abrines, Singler. That would make it 2 years in a row under the tax, and it would put off worrying about a repeater tax until 2020-21.

[Warriorfan]

Not paying the luxury tax 2 yrs in a row is a huge deal to avoid the repeater.

Losing about 9 million is big ask but not impossible. If you can trade Roberson who is not on a bad deal to a tanking team insurance would pay the salary

[dautjazz]

They shoulda kept harden. KD. Westbrook. That's money well spent. 270 for this current collection, is not worth it.

If that 3 worked out, could of become the GOAT team, but who knows, Harden and Westbrook may not have worked out that well together.

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[dautjazz]

This just makes not wanting to pay harden a little bit more all that much worse. Cheap at the wrong time. They had 3 mvps* and dpoy all at once.















*Hardens mvp not yet finalised.

Power of foresight. I felt the max was overpaying at the time, remember, he was playing Manu role, nothing wrong with that but throwing max money at a guy coming off your bench is tough.

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[jbk1234]

I think people are overreacting. It's a one year loss. A big loss but just a one off. Once Melo comes off that contract, he's officially in ring chaser territory and the Thunder are out of the tax. I'm not buying the notion that they watch PG walk out the door because of a one year loss.

[LakersLegacy]

I think people are overreacting. It's a one year loss. A big loss but just a one off. Once Melo comes off that contract, he's officially in ring chaser territory and the Thunder are out of the tax. I'm not buying the notion that they watch PG walk out the door because of a one year loss.

Of course they have to resign PG13.

WB amd PG are worth the money. Adams and Melo are overpaid. Roberson is the easiest guy to move and may be expendable due the luxury tax and hefty repeater tax penalties.

The solution is the Thunder need cheap rookie contracts and cheap role players. The challenge is how do the Thunder get there without a draft pick in 2018 and a draft pick in 2020.

Any ideas. Maybe the Thunder could move Roberson or Adams to a team that doesn’t realize the Thunder are so strapped.

[MelosSoreWrist]

Jerry West.

Not to mention despite all the big names on the Lakers their core is still inferior.

People sleeping on the ability of what the Clippers can do. If I am them, I'd only look to trade Lou Will and Deandre (preferably keep Deandre since I cant see any team give a 1st and expirings for him) if they can get 1st round picks attached to expiring contracts. Fire Doc, maybe his son opts out for long term security after a nice year.

Go into next year with Tobias/Beverly and enough cap to sign Paul George.

For assets Detroit 1st (14-18), Clippers 1st (12-16), Dekker, whatever they get from moving Lou Will.

Option 1. Lebron tells Cleveland hes going to LA, he opts in and does a CP3 style trade with Gallo, Dekker, Clippers 1st going to the Cavs. Otherwise they find another taker for that same package for cap space. Sign Lebron.

Option 2. John Wall moves. They trade Gallo, Beverly, Boban, Lac or Det 1st for Wall. Possibly routing Gallo and some compensation to a 3rd team with something else coming back to Wizards.

Resign Jordan.

Jordan
Tobias
George
Wall

4 core pieces between 25-29 years old.

Or

Jordan
Tobias
Lebron
George/Wade
Beverly/Milos

With Boban, Johnson, Det or Clippers 1st to move for another addition.

This team is better than the current Cavs and the closest thing we have to beating the Warriors.

Not saying either of these will definitely happen, just saying the Clippers have a multi billion dollar owner, A brilliant mind in Jerry West, space to work, assets to deal and are in LA.

Gallinari is a bad contract. He makes $21.6 and $22.6 the next two seasons. So essentially you are asking to trade a bad contract, a mid 1st rounder, and possibly some expirings for LeBron or Wall.

Cavs wont do that. Lose LeBron while capping themselves out for mid st rounder. Ugh.

Wizards might do it if they change their mind about Wall and think he is grossly overpaid (like LAC and Blake).

[Dupp]

This just makes not wanting to pay harden a little bit more all that much worse. Cheap at the wrong time. They had 3 mvps* and dpoy all at once.















*Hardens mvp not yet finalised.

Power of foresight. I felt the max was overpaying at the time, remember, he was playing Manu role, nothing wrong with that but throwing max money at a guy coming off your bench is tough.

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Was it the max though? And iirc in the end the parting was over only around 200k per in the end

[brewbucks]

They shoulda kept harden. KD. Westbrook. That's money well spent. 270 for this current collection, is not worth it.

They had the superteam before the superteam.

[TyCobb]

OP give credit where it's due... this wasn't your own work. Shout out to Eric Pincus.

[Bertrob]

Well Melo is definitely not in their future plans

[LakersSoul]

Well Melo is definitely not in their future plans

Yeah but no team is taking on Melo and his $28million. Melo is not opting out either.

[Alonzo_Morning]

Well Melo is definitely not in their future plans

Yeah but no team is taking on Melo and his $28million. Melo is not opting out either.

Maybe if Presti asks super nicely

[DanTown8587]

There is a far more interesting question and it's what Golden State does to field a team in say two years.

[heatwillbeback]

The supermax is going to really mess teams up. When you are looking at 35 million (40 for Harden?) you have absolutely no room for error.

And OKC made errors- Melo is declining and not worth his money and Adams is a very good (but overpaid) player.

[LakersSoul]

Well Melo is definitely not in their future plans

Yeah but no team is taking on Melo and his $28million. Melo is not opting out either.

Maybe if Presti asks super nicely

What is Presti and OKC doing?

Is the injury to Andre really disrupting OKC? They were on a roll winning 8 in a row. Now, they have lost 3 in a row to Washington, Denver, and NO. They sit in 5th spot in the playoff picture and their future prospects do not look great. They look like a top 4-7 team in the west and possibly win their opening playoff series only at best.

I dont know how OKC can handle a top 4-7 team coupled with luxury tax and possibly the repeat offender tax in a small market. In hindsight, the PG and Melo trades are looking a bit confusing. They traded younger player for two older and more offensive minded players that need the ball in their hands. This is not what Presti and OKC had envisioned. Right now in 5th place, I just dont see them continuing this path by re-signing PG to $30 million dollar even if they get the chance. Will they continue to pay luxury tax and repeat offender tax for 5th place? Can they afford it?

Like the Clippers, they might make a quick turnaround move, unloading some vets. First let PG go for 1-2 assets. Then the year after, they remove/buyout Melo. Then they can start building again with Westbrook and Adams as their top 2 guys which sucks but they will avoid a big chunk of the luxury and repeat taxes after one year. It will piss Westbrook off but its the right move for OKC as they just dont have the horses to fight Houston or GSW or the taxes.

[Alonzo_Morning]

Yeah but no team is taking on Melo and his $28million. Melo is not opting out either.

Maybe if Presti asks super nicely

What is Presti and OKC doing?

Is the injury to Andre really disrupting OKC? They were on a roll winning 8 in a row. Now, they have lost 3 in a row to Washington, Denver, and NO. They sit in 5th spot in the playoff picture and their future prospects do not look great. They look like a top 4-7 team in the west and possibly win their opening playoff series only at best.

I dont know how OKC can handle a top 4-7 team coupled with luxury tax and possibly the repeat offender tax in a small market. In hindsight, the PG and Melo trades are looking a bit confusing. They traded younger player for two older and more offensive minded players that need the ball in their hands. This is not what Presti and OKC had envisioned. Right now in 5th place, I just dont see them continuing this path by re-signing PG to $30 million dollar even if they get the chance. Will they continue to pay luxury tax and repeat offender tax for 5th place? Can they afford it?

Like the Clippers, they might make a quick turnaround move, unloading some vets. First let PG go for 1-2 assets. Then the year after, they remove/buyout Melo. Then they can start building again with Westbrook and Adams as their top 2 guys which sucks but they will avoid a big chunk of the luxury and repeat taxes after one year. It will piss Westbrook off but its the right move for OKC as they just dont have the horses to fight Houston or GSW or the taxes.

Well they have a week to deal PG. Gonna have to work quickly.

Trading for a non-expiring Melo really was pretty stinky move then and it smells much worse every day that goes by