Sources: Butler still Moreys MAIN target this summer/MDAs seat getting hot

Cannot trade for a sign and trade player without invoking the hard cap. Not an option

 

Actually hard cap is the MOST LIKELY option....... especially if Butler opts in and is traded here. K?

 

Butler isn’t coming here...he can get a 5 year max from Philly who took Toronto to 7 games with a limited Embiid or a 4 year max on the open market

no one can honestly believe he’d opt-in, especially to come play for this organization with the summer we’re currently having...I’d be shocked

 

Morey did specifically say they don’t want to be hard capped next year

 

He should say that. Who wants to ever be hard capped Everybody hates the hard cap. They don't want it. They don't want to pay the tax either. .. ever.

It's a meaningless statement. Does not change the fact that for this team at this time the most likely scenario is the hard cap.

I'm not saying we absolutely will transact with a hard cap. If the right deal comes along for a superstar that busts us up to the hard cap number then we're probably won't. But the odds of us landing a max guy through trade in order to avoid the hard cap imposed by a sign- and- trade transaction.... are not good once you get past a Butler (and Durant) opt in and trade.

Just work through the numbers. And look at the scenarios. Any sign- and- trade is an automatic hard cap. So what deals are out there that we can do that won't hard cap us but drive our salaries above 138 million?

We are currently at a little over 125 million in salaries including the non guaranteeds which have no salary matching trade value. And we're at a little over 115 million in guaranteed salaries.

Plus we've got birds rights on Shump (the most intriguing of our possible outgoing salaries for trade purposes).

Keep our tradeable salaries in mind
Capela - 14.8 million
Gordon - 14 million
Nene - 3.8 million
4 minimum salary non guaranteed deals that would have to be guaranteed in order to be of trade value for salary matching (harty, Clark, chiozza, and Frazier)-1.4 million each
Shump in a sign and trade.

So if Butler opts in and we trade for him (using some combination of the above... ) then where are we?

If we use one of capela/ Gordon plus Nene we're only increasing salary by 500k to 1.2 million). If we send out both capela/ Gordon (highly unlikely) and take back another player with Butler that's a max increase of 7 million. Puts us at roughly 132 million with our tax exception available.... one or both of Rivers/ house gone.


Now go beyond Butler (and kd) opt in and look at our salary combinations and players we could trade for while not being hard capped.

Here's what i expect to happen barring a kd opt in and trade or a lebron or AD trade here (unlikely):

Morey will attempt to structure trades and signings to stay at or under the hard cap without actually being hard capped. He'd love to get to the deadline with the option to either go hard cap or no hard cap. Because it keeps all the doors open.

But if he can't do that without losing key guys like Rivers/House, and if he can retain Rivers/ House with a hard cap then I fully expect he'll commit to the hard cap this summer. But he'll do it creatively. He'll execute sign and trades or plain trades that generate more trade exceptions with the possibility of having a larger trade exception available for use all the way through next summer. And then after he gets his trade exceptions he'll sign Rivers and House to previously agreed to deals.

This is the most likely scenario when you work through the possibilities concerning our actual tradeable salaries.....sans Harden, Paul, and PJ.

 

Butler is going to be a Laker or a Clipper.

 

Thanks.

 

Only the Sixers can pay him more, and given he'd be automatically extended by the Rockets, the money is almost identical. I did the calculations in an earlier thread. Once you factor in taxes, what he would make over 5 years in PHI vs HOU is a difference of less than $4m.

As far as winning, they took Philly to 7 games with him. We took Warriors to 7 and 6 games without him. Both excellent options in terms of winning.

Houston is neither a run away choice or a non-choice. It's worth investing time and money into trying to get him. I think he is definitely going the opt-in and trade route, but I think the Lakers and Clippers have a real chance. You constantly hear about how he loves that LA lifestyle.

 

You underrate the risk and money, the critical thing.
Totally agree, he is coming sometime, but starting salary at 33 million.

 

So glad to see @Codman back here and doing well!!

As always appreciate the ears and discussion.

I am not surprised on Butler's mindset in terms of dealing with players. The NO BS. So that is why I am not worried about his fit in Houston. The key will be if the 76ers offer him the max. I think Butler can get that, but then it will come down to where he wants to play and role and teammates.

Really appreciated your comment on CP3. Because we are all wondering the true extend of how he is feeling vis-a-vis Harden after Game 6.

Really hope Morey hits a home run this summer with roster additions. High ceiling player and a playoff-worthy bench lineup.

 

Even if the Rockets wanted to trade for Kevin Love, to match his salary you are going to have to use BOTH Capela and Gordon. To not use one of those guys I guess you would need a 3rd team. I don't see a realistic pathway that makes both talent and dollars sense.

As for hard capping, the main reason you would not want to hard cap is the flexibility to get a 3rd star. If you already GOT the 3rd star like Butler, maybe the team is ok with hard capping in that case. I just don't know what it would look like in terms of having room to add bench pieces.

One thing we know, Morey knows his cap sheet down to the last penny. Just look how he got out of the LT this season.

 

You mean 2nd star. CP3 is done playing at that level.

 

I have maintained for a while that CP3 is best suited to being a 3rd star. (like Bosh was in Miami). Harden needs a 1B player next to him. CP3 still has a ceiling that he can reach. He just can't do it consistently. Eric Gordon was like the 1B to Harden in these playoffs. He was good, but not good enough.

 

Is trading Gordon and Capela for Love and signing DJ to play center a real upgrade though.

 

I don't think so. I am not against Love per se. But he isn't high on my list.

 

love and DJ in the playoffs out on the perimeter against GS would put drexler's BBQ outta business

 

Yep, in the end if we can't get an all star caliber player i really think the best move might be keep everyone and jsut add a single good player that can really fill a need here, which is a 4 able to play the 5 in a small ball unit, JaMaychal Green looks really perfect all things considered, but it's going to be super hard to get him imo...really sucks Memphis screwed us at the deadline.

 

76ers give up basically 4 first rounders for Harris bird right.. why didn’t morey give up 1 First for Ja green bird right..?

 

i wanted that guy since 2 seasons ago

 

Prefer Taurean Prince/Dedmon for Clint, keeping EGordon.

Or Clint/EGo for Aaron Gordon, Wes Iwundu and Khem Birch.

Do not trust Love's fragile body and psyche. Never mind the poor switch D.