So they get salary cap relief by trading away Crabbe and waiving Nicholson. What does this mean in terms of potentially getting Melo or Kyrie? This would open up the possibility of them keeping Meyers if no one wants to take on that contract and getting Ryno.. But I don't understand the appeal of that.
As they say, most any contract is trade-able. With the exception of your perpetually walking wounded like Chandler Parsons or Nikola Pekovic and such.
It makes a 3 team trade with Portland and NY easier if Portland has interest in Ryno, but if Portland steadfastly refuses to take on Ryno it makes it almost dead that we can get Melo for Ryno. Basically leaves PHX as the last potential facilitator.
So what am I missing - why is everyone saying Portland HAS to have another move coming or else this doesn't make sense? They just got rid of Crabbe's horrible contract($19,332,500 | $18,500,000 | $18,500,000(PO)) & they'll stretch Nicholson, who was scheduled to make ($6,362,998 | $6,637,002 | $6,911,007(PO)) the next 3 years. Portland will see their current luxury tax bill drop from $48.3M to $4.4M with the Allen Crabbe trade to Brooklyn. The Trail Blazers now have $122.2M in salary and are $2.9M below the luxury tax. The Trail Blazers currently project to save $60M in salary and taxes for 2017-18. I don't think they're dying to add that salary & luxury tax back.
Straight swap or any picks? Portland had to do something or else lose a LOT of money via the luxury tax. If it's a straight player for player then it's not bad of a trade for either. Brooklyn liked Crabbe and need to spend on youth anyways without picks Portland had to save money and even tho Crabbe is an OK talent his contract was a sever burden.
This is a huge deal for Portland. Forbes says their 2016 operating inc (before taxes) was less than the amount they just saved so it turns next yr from a loss to a profit.
Wow...in all the Melo threads, did no one actually point out this Crabbe deadline. Since Portland matched a Nets offer last year, they can't trade him to the Nets for a year, even with his consent. Steele either heard of the deadline for the Crabbe trade happening, or figured it out that Crabbe couldn't be moved to the Nets until today (maybe from the EPSN Trade machine telling him), and is making a bold prediction that it would all happen around the deadline. @BimaThug did you pick up on a Crabbe deadline for trading him to the Nets might be part of the pause factor of the Melo trade
BTW, I think Portland was always involved because they needed to change up the roster and slash some cost to save money. I think this helps and they DONT have to deal from a bad leverage point of facing the luxury tax. They probably wanted assets for taking Ryan and shipping hark and Meyers but Morey likely used the luxury tax leverage. This helps there cause because I don't think they are against a 3way trade and acquiring Ryan because it makes them better. Taking on Ryan and say a 2nd or cash for hark and Meyers is beneficial as it makes them better and sheds another .5m and trades 2(3 total with Crabbe) bad contracts for 1 that is serviceable.
