Challenge: Get the Clippers a really good PF/C with their assets

[HadAnEffectHere]

Clipper assets/salary filler:

Option to swap 2029 pick if Clippers pick ends up in the top 3 (extinguished otherwise)
2030 pick
Option to swap 2031 pick
2030 second
2031 second
Norman Powell (19.2m owed next year, 20.5 owed the year after)
PJ Tucker (11.5m owed next year)
Bones Hyland (4.16m owed next year)
Amir Coffey (3.94m owed next year)
Terance Mann (11.7m owed next year, obviously they would prefer not to trade him)

Any trade that does not dump a lot of salary should be assumed to be a trade made by a second apron team (it's hard for the Clippers to stay below the second apron without a huge salary cut from Paul George and dumping Powell or Tucker) and thus the Clippers must take in less total salary than the highest salary they sent out (most likely either Norman Powell at 19.2m or PJ Tucker 11.5m)

Is there any path?

[MessiahUjiri]

I can see the Bulls (Vucevic) and Hawks (Capela) being potential trade partners.

But both teams have to decide a path first. Right now they’re kind of in limbo.

[HornetJail]

three teamer involving Capela->NOP, Valanciunas->LAC, Tucker+Bones+pick->ATL? or cut out NOP and just take Capela for yourself

[HadAnEffectHere]

I would assume the Clippers would want a very mobile center who can play with Zubac for like 16 MPG.

The Clippers have no PFs on the roster other than Kawhi so definitely not Valanciunas, Vuc, or Capela.

Capela and Vuc also make more money than Powell so those deals probably wouldn't be cap legal.

[gswhoops]

Other than Mann, none of those players are “assets”

You’re basically looking at overpaid vets that a team would move for cap space

[Colbinii]

I can see the Bulls (Vucevic) and Hawks (Capela) being potential trade partners.

But both teams have to decide a path first. Right now they’re kind of in limbo.

I like both of these players as potential targets, as well as Valanciunas.

[ChettheJet]

I think Clippers could make a one year run with Vucevic, his two year deal. The Bulls managed pretty well the few games he and Andre Drummond started, big rebounds in one game. So starting with Zubac and splitting the bench time at the 5 could work.

There's just nobody coming from LAC that the Bulls could use. NO NOT Norman Powell, the Bulls have too many guards now. White and Dosunmu just signed team friendly contracts. Carter and Caruso under contract, Terry on a rookie contract, Bitim looking like a contributor. Then next year Lavine will return, only maybe traded, and not to be completely ruled out Lonzo Ball.

Find a 3rd team looking to move some PF's

[Mike lorenzo]

Tucker/Powell(to 3 team) for J.Collins

[HadAnEffectHere]

Okay, so here's a cap breakdown for the Clippers (remember, the second apron is set at 134.4% of the cap)

Core guys: Kawhi+Zubac+Mann (51.4%) of the cap

Paul George has a player option for 34.6% of the cap that he will probably take unless he gets a multi year contract offer starting at >=30% of the cap so we should assume his cap hit will be between 30% to 35% of the cap.

James Harden demanded a trade because he felt disrespected by low offers from the 76ers so we should probably assume he will get 25% of the cap to start in a multi year deal (and this is still a lot less than he wants, obviously)

This pushes the Clippers' salary breakdown to 106.4% to 111.4% of the cap with just their starting lineup.

Norman Powell makes 13.2% of the cap, PJ Tucker makes makes 8.2% of the cap. If trades involving those two do not get salary relief, this pushes the Clippers to 127.8% to 132.8% of the cap. League minimums are around 2% of the cap, so not dumping salary on Tucker or Powell pushes the Clippers above the second apron.

This means that the Clippers either have to dump money in a trade to get under the second apron, or they can only take in less total money than the highest paid player they're giving up in a trade.

Valanciunas makes less than Norman Powell and would therefore be cap legal. Capela and Vuc make more than Norman Powell and would not be cap legal unless the Clippers used picks to dump PJ Tucker for cap space and then filled the rest of the roster with league minimums.

(Also, Valanciunas, Capela, and Vuc are... all worse than Zubac and can't play with Zubac? I don't get these options at all)

[PistolPeteJR]

Okay, so here's a cap breakdown for the Clippers (remember, the second apron is set at 134.4% of the cap)

Core guys: Kawhi+Zubac+Mann (51.4%) of the cap

Paul George has a player option for 34.6% of the cap that he will probably take unless he gets a multi year contract offer starting at >=30% of the cap so we should assume his cap hit will be between 30% to 35% of the cap.

James Harden demanded a trade because he felt disrespected by low offers from the 76ers so we should probably assume he will get 25% of the cap to start in a multi year deal (and this is still a lot less than he wants, obviously)

This pushes the Clippers' salary breakdown to 106.4% to 111.4% of the cap with just their starting lineup.

Norman Powell makes 13.2% of the cap, PJ Tucker makes makes 8.2% of the cap. If trades involving those two do not get salary relief, this pushes the Clippers to 127.8% to 132.8% of the cap. League minimums are around 2% of the cap, so not dumping salary on Tucker or Powell pushes the Clippers above the second apron.

This means that the Clippers either have to dump money in a trade to get under the second apron, or they can only take in less total money than the highest paid player they're giving up in a trade.

Valanciunas makes less than Norman Powell and would therefore be cap legal. Capela and Vuc make more than Norman Powell and would not be cap legal unless the Clippers used picks to dump PJ Tucker for cap space and then filled the rest of the roster with league minimums.

(Also, Valanciunas, Capela, and Vuc are... all worse than Zubac and can't play with Zubac? I don't get these options at all)

I agree that those guys can't play with Zubac. Some in the thread were saying that center would split minutes with Zubac instead, so from that perspective, fine, but that's not the point of the thread, as you're alluding to, which I agree with.

That said, I don't necessarily think Zubac is better than those three guys. For instance, Vuc and JV give the Clippers more spacing, which is very valuable to them. Sure, Zubac is a better rim protector. Different skillsets is my point. I'd rather have Zubac over Capela though, but I don't think the difference between them is super crazy.

[HadAnEffectHere]

John Collins also makes more than Powell and wouldn't be cap legal without dumping Tucker (and may not be cap legal even then)

[gswhoops]

Wendell Carter Jr. seems like he fits most of the criteria here, but it would probably have to be a 3 team deal where someone is turning Norm + picks into a youngish wing that fits alongside Franz/Paolo.

EDIT: maybe something with the Hawks and Dejounte Murray?

[QMemphis]

Grant would be ideal, but Kuzma more likely

Powell 2030 1st and 2nds for Kuzma

[HadAnEffectHere]

Grant would be ideal, but Kuzma more likely

Powell 2030 1st and 2nds for Kuzma

Not cap legal.

They need to get a player who makes less than 19.2m

[OxAndFox]

Are any of the centers being mentioned even better than Zubac?
I wonder if GSW decided to move in a different direction they would trade Dray to the Clippers?

[QMemphis]

Grant would be ideal, but Kuzma more likely

Powell 2030 1st and 2nds for Kuzma

Not cap legal.

They need to get a player who makes less than 19.2m

Gotcha would have to add the swaps in and Tucker then move Powell for about 3 smaller contracts.

[Scoot McGroot]

Grant would be ideal, but Kuzma more likely

Powell 2030 1st and 2nds for Kuzma

Not cap legal.

They need to get a player who makes less than 19.2m

Gotcha would have to add the swaps in and Tucker then move Powell for about 3 smaller contracts.

This summer adds a lot of new rules for teams over the first and second apron. For LA to be over the 2nd apron, they won't be allowed to "aggregate" salaries in trade, which means they can't just combine Powell and Tucker to take back more salary than either could take back on their own. And, they won't be able to trade Powell's $19.24m salary this summer for anyone making a penny more. So even if they add in a Tucker, they can't take back Kuzma, because that would require "aggregating" Powell and Tucker together, which would then hardcap the Clippers at the 2nd apron, which would leave them with only $15m or so to re-sign Harden, or $64m or so to potentially re-sign PG13 and Harden.

[shrink]

Other than Mann, none of those players are “assets”

You’re basically looking at overpaid vets that a team would move for cap space

Yes, and I would add that the value of the pick compensation is reduced as well.

The Clippers are a team that has already shown they can draw free agent superstars, is set in a destination city, and has one of the NBA’s richest owners who has shown an unquestioned ability to spend on the team. When you look at distant pick swaps, what is the likelyhood that their pick is more valuable than most teams’ own pick, and would be worth anything? A 1st always has value, but a likely late 1st has substantially less value than an average 1st, and obviously, late 2nds have very little value.

I think the best method for the Clippers to find a PF/C upgrade is hoping to have a star player request a trade there, which is something we can’t predict on the trade board. Our standard “Here are our assets, what can we get for them in a fair trade?” approach that works for most teams, might not be the best avenue for a special team like LAC. Paying that player though, with aggregation rules, may be the stumbling block, unless they are moving on from one of their big salary players.

[gswhoops]

I wonder if GSW decided to move in a different direction they would trade Dray to the Clippers?

No. Not for anything you’d realistically offer anyway.

And you still have the same salary aggregation/hard cap issues because Dray makes more than Powell.

[165bows]

Should have grabbed Xavier Tillman.