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

GM: @jespvagberg

Salary Cap: $121,624,280

Luxury Tax: $28,642,720

GOAL: Move off veterans to acquire more assets, maybe even consolidate some of the younger guys for upgrades

Priorities

• Assess trade value of Terrence Ross & Gary Harris

o   Harris has a non guaranteed year next year, so you can always retain him next year, but Ross is a free agent, so it’s time to move him
o   I feel like Orlando’s FO set precedent of Ross for two seconds because that’s what they traded Fournier for to Boston at 2021 deadline.

• Gauge market for Mo Bamba, if you can get a first rounder for him, you should probably move him

• See what Jonathan Isaac’s trade value is?

• You have a projected $32 million in cap space this summer, try not eating into that unless you get a premium asset

Players to Dangle

Jonathan Isaac (3/$52.5 w/ partial guarantee in 2023-24 & NG in 2024-25)

o   Salary: $17,400,000

o   Can salary match up to $22,400,000

o   Given he hasn’t played much in the last four years, he actually may have some trade value due to the structure on his contract

o   Teams that need a dynamic defender may be sold on giving up an asset for him if he can prove he’s healthy prior to the deadline

Gary Harris (2/$26 w/ NG in 2023-24)

o   Salary: $13,000,000

o   Can salary match up to $18,000,000

o   He has a non gtd next year that would eat into your cap space if you pick it up next year, so highly consider trading him

Terrence Ross (1/$11.5)

o   Salary: $11,500,000

o   Can salary match up to $16,500,000

o   Orlando kind of set precedent when they traded Fournier to Boston for two seconds, that’s why they’ve been holding out for the FRP for the last few years

Mo Bamba (2/$20.6 w/ NG in 2023-24)

o   Salary: $10,300,000

o   Can salary match up to $15,300,000

o   Ditto for Gary Harris, Bamba has a NG year next year that would eat into their salary if they don’t trade him and pick it up

o   May be able to get a FRP for him

Cole Anthony (2/$9.2)

o   Salary: $3,613,680

o   Can salary match up to $6,423,940

o   I don’t think Orlando will actively be shopping Anthony, but if there’s a young asset they’d have to put in a deal it would probably be Anthony

o   Suggested trade: Cole Anthony, Mo Bamba, & draft compensation for Fred VanVleet

RJ Hampton (1/$2.4)

o   Salary: $2,412,840

o   Hampton has fallen out of favor, and if a team needs a young guard, he’s probably the first on their target list

Assets Owned

• 2023 1st
• 2023 CHI 1st (top 4 protected)
• 2024 1st
• 2025 1st
• 2025 DEN 1st (likely conveyed in 2026 or 2027, top five protected)
• 2026 1st
• 2027 1st
• 2028 1st
• 2029 1st
• 2023 2nd
• 2024 2nd
• 2025 2nd
• 2025 2nd (less favorable of BOS and MEM)
• 2026 2nd
• 2026 DET 2nd
• 2026 MIL 2nd
• 2027 2nd
• 2027 BOS 2nd
• 2028 2nd (most favorable of LAL & WAS)
• 2028 2nd
• 2028 BOS 2nd (protected 31-45)
• 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.

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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

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