Last Updated on February 7, 2024 10:45 pm by Mike Passador | Published: January 18, 2023

GM: Noah Magaro-George, @N_Magaro

Salary Cap: $95,373,564

Luxury Tax: $54,893,436

Cap Space: $28,281,436

GOAL: Continue to collect assets and utilize cap space. Don’t be afraid to eat bad contracts in order to acquire more assets

Priorities

• Would Jakob Poeltl agree to an extension? He’s eligible for four year $58 million extension, but unlike Myles Turner, he isn’t eligible to renegotiate and extend

o   His max extension would look like this:

• 2023-24: $12,950,400
• 2024-25: $13,986,432
• 2025-26: $15,022,464
• 2026-27: $16,058,496
• Total: 4/$58,017,792
• If you could get a premium asset at the trade deadline, then you can trade him. But this is his max extension he can sign, which it’s unlikely he’d take so you’d have to go into offseason with Poeltl as a free agent

• Projected to have $47 million in cap space this summer, but I would be willing to eat into that space at the cost of acquiring more assets, they’re early on in the rebuild

• Try moving veterans like Doug McDermott + Josh Richardson

Players to Dangle

Doug McDermott (2/$27.5)

o   Salary: $13,750,000

o   McDermott has guaranteed money next year, so if you can move him for an asset, you should. Players always have more value with an extra year on their contract than when they’re expiring

o   If you need to eat additional salary it’s okay, as long as you get some kind of asset compensation for it

Josh Richardson (1/$12.2)

o   Salary: $12,196,094

o   Salary matching isn’t an issue because of the amount of cap space San Antonio has

Jakob Poeltl (1/$9.4)

o   If Myles Turner is off the market, then Poeltl is the best big man available

o   While you can keep him with hopes of re-signing him, if you get offered a haul for him, don’t hesitate to pull the trigger

Zach Collins (2/$15 w/ NG in 2034-24)

o   Salary: $7,350,000

o   Collins could be a useful big man for another team, you should dangle him and see what you can get

*Gorgui Dieng (1/$1.8)

o   Any second round pick should do in a trade for him, or if you need to open up a roster spot, he’s first guy to be dumped

o  *Market must be weak as Dieng was cut and then brought back on a 10-day deal

Assets Owned

• 2023 1st
• 2023 CHA 1st (protected 1-16; lotto protected in 2024 and 2025, if not conveyed then turns into 2026 and 2027 2nds)
• 2024 1st
• 2025 1st
• 2025 CHI 1st (If CHI conveys 2023 1st to ORL or dont convey by 2024, then protected 1-10, if not conveyed 2025 1st protected 1-8, 2026 1st protected 1-8, 2027 1st protected 1-8, 2028 1st protected 1-8, and then it turns into a 2028 2nd)
• 2025 ATL 1st
• 2026 1st (swap rights with Atlanta)
• 2027 1st
• 2027 ATL 1st
• 2028 1st (swap rights with Boston; top 1 protected)
• 2029 1st
• 2023 2nd (top 55 protected)
• 2023 IND 2nd (top 55 protected)
• 2024 2nd
• 2024 LAL 2nd
• 2025 2nd
• 2025 CHI 2nd
• 2026 2nd (more favorable of own or the less favorable of IND and MIA)
• 2027 2nd
• 2027 2nd (least favorable of OKC, HOU, IND, & MIA)
• 2028 DEN 2nd (top 33 protected)
• 2028 2nd
• 2029 2nd

Mock Trades to Date (Feb 2 Deadline)

Raptors get their big men

TRADE: 

Magic receive: Gary Trent Jr., Juancho Hernangomez, Devonte’ Graham, and 2026 top-25 protected first (conveys to two seconds if it doesn’t convey)

Raptors receive: Bol Bol, Mo Bamba, 2023 ORL 2nd, Terrence Ross, and Doug McDermott

Spurs receive: Khem Birch, RJ Hampton, 2026 and 2028 TOR 2nd round picks

The Raptors were shopping Gary Trent Jr. heavily, and a team finally bit. Toronto finally gets a big man that they covet in Mo Bamba, as well as taking a flier on a much-improved Bol Bol. Toronto also receives Orlando’s 2023 2nd, which should fall around the pick 35-36 range. While Toronto took on Doug McDermott’s money for next year, they got off Khem Birch, and Mo Bamba has a non-guaranteed year next year, which I’d imagine the Raptors planned on utilizing when executing this trade. Bamba instantly becomes the best center on this roster and stops the bleeding from the Chris Boucher trade. Toronto did an excellent job doing their best Masai Ujuri impression and adding a bunch of long, rangy 6’9”-plus guys to their roster, while getting off Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr., two guys that don’t exactly fit that project. I imagine Toronto flipping Terrence Ross somewhere else for another asset. 

For Orlando, they get a legit shooter that they desperately need. Mo Bamba is not currently in the rotation and they re-signed him likely with the intention of flipping him for a first-round pick. While the first they got is highly protected and is likely to convey into two seconds, they get Trent with the expectation of being willing to pay him. I don’t love the fact that they took back Devonte’ Graham’s money, but his contract isn’t an albatross either so I think they could move him at some point before that contract is over. Orlando came into this exercise with potential to have up to $32.8 million in cap space (per Spotrac) and Graham cuts into that, as does Trent if they plan on re-signing him. 

For the Spurs, they got two second-round picks and a flier on RJ Hampton for Doug McDermott. Meanwhile, San Antonio came into this exercise with a projected $47 million in cap space this summer, and while Birch eats into some of that, McDermott’s deal goes off their books and they further increase that cap space.

Knicks, Cavs, and Spurs exchange wings

TRADE:

Knicks receive Caris LeVert

Cavaliers receive Josh Richardson

Spurs receive Evan Fournier, Dallas’ 2023 1st (top-10 protected), Golden State’s 2024 2nd (via Cleveland; top-55 protected) and the rights to Luke Travers

This trade makes sense for all three teams in a sense. While Caris LeVert is the superior player between himself and Josh Richardson nowadays, Cleveland made subsequent moves that made this trade make a lot more sense. Cleveland is desperate for consistent wings who can defend and shoot. The issue with LeVert is that he’s a wing who’s best with the ball in his hands, and between Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell, LeVert has become an afterthought in the offense. While Richardson plays a much more complementary role for the Cavaliers than LeVert does, he reminds me a bit of Isaac Okoro in the aspect of he’s able to defend, but can’t really shoot. Again, Cleveland adds multiple other wings in subsequent trades to their roster, so please hold judgment for now. 

For the Knicks, they appear to be getting the best player in the deal with Caris LeVert. He slots in nicely as a sixth man behind RJ Barrett, and he’s a guy who Tom Thibodeau can rely on to play heavy minutes in case of injury. Additionally, the Knicks traded the Mavs’ 2023 first to the Spurs to take on the remaining $18.5 million in Evan Fournier’s money next year. LeVert is a free agent after this summer, so acquiring his Bird Rights will give the Knicks the ability to re-sign him if they so choose. But because the Knicks also got off of Hartenstein and Toppin’s money as well as Fournier, they could theoretically get to over $30 million in cap space if they renounce Caris LeVert, Coby White, and all their team options and non-guaranteed deals.

For the Spurs, they’re doing what a tanking team should be doing. They have ample cap space to acquire bad salary in order to accumulate assets. Here, they take on Fournier’s deal next year and acquire another first for their services, as well as acquiring another potential second round pick and the rights to an international draft and stash. While Fournier’s money is seen as a net negative, he has a team option in 2024-25 that the team can decline and open up ample cap space next summer. Given they’ve already gotten off Doug McDermott’s $13,750,000 guaranteed deal next year, they can still have up to $45-$50 million in cap space depending on how they handle Jakob Poeltl’s contract this summer. 

Knicks clear money

Knicks trade Derrick Rose to the Spurs for Khem Birch

For the Spurs, they’re going to have an ample amount of cap space this summer, and opened up even more when they traded Doug McDermott. However, Khem Birch was on the books for next year. By flipping Birch’s guaranteed 2023-24 salary to the Knicks for Derrick Rose’s non guarantee, it opens up close to an additional $7 million in cap space. For the Knicks, they had already traded Isaiah Hartenstein away, so Birch would compete with newly acquired Xavier Tillman and Jericho Sims as the backup to Mitch Robinson. Birch’s contract is also relatively easy to move so if the Knicks need the cap flexibility this summer (they aren’t projected to be a cap space team), then he can easily be moved again.

Jazz clear money and a roster spot

Jazz trade Nickeil Alexander-Walker and the Knicks 2023 2nd to the Spurs for cash considerations; Spurs waive Stanley Johnson

This is a subsequent move to Utah acquiring Gabe Vincent, as they were already at 15 roster spots. Here, they give the Spurs a second-round pick in order to take on Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s contract. San Antonio does a great job acquiring an asset by utilizing their cap space, and Utah gets off his money. Easy business. 

• About the Author
• Latest Posts

Steven Bagell

Steven is SportsEthos’ NBA Front Office Expert and host of the Bird Rights Podcast, where he discusses the salary cap and front office aspect of the league. Steven is also well rounded fantasy sports player and is well versed in fantasy basketball, football, and baseball

• Bird Rights: EMERGENCY POD: Bradley Beal Traded to Phoenix Suns with Corban Ford
• Bird Rights: New CBA Overview with Sam Quinn
• Bird Rights: Knicks Talk and NBA Playoff Predictions with Chris Lebron