Being cheap with Brook because of Brooks

Yeah hopefully we don’t let a few mil get in the way of locking this down. Signing Lopez is worth 5 wins right there.

 

Looks like they just want to offer 20, nothing to do with Brooks

 

This is a reach, they are trying to land all three.

 

Rockets could use the room exception for Brooks, or they could trade other players to clear money.

 

I think it’s fair and wouldn’t go much further. $25M tops

-35 years old
-Coming off $13M salary
-Vucevic just signed for $20M (3/60); Poeltl is expected to sign for similar
-I think Lopez would start but the Rockets are looking for someone to split time with Sengun. Now is that 50/50, 60/40, 70/30…
-Bucks have their own salaries to worry about

Spoiler

https://theathletic.com/4642658/2023/06/28/nba-free-agency-bucks-salary/

Here is the Bucks’ cap sheet heading into free agency.

Guaranteed salaries for next season — $114.78 million:
Giannis Antetokounmpo ($45.64 million)
Jrue Holiday ($36.51 million)
Bobby Portis ($11.71 million)
Pat Connaughton ($9.42 million)
Grayson Allen ($8.93 million)
MarJon Beauchamp ($2.57 million)

As covered above, the Bucks have $114.78 million in guaranteed contracts for six players and two second-round picks (Andre Jackson Jr. and Chris Livingston) that remain unsigned at the moment. Let’s push those second-round picks to the side for the moment because their contracts are even less than normal veteran minimums and this portion will focus on contract scenarios at the top of the roster and how it affects the space the Bucks could potentially have moving forward.

If Middleton accepts a four-year contract between $130 and $160 million with the maximum annual eight percent raises, it could help out the Bucks’ cap situation significantly compared to what would have been a $40.4 million player option next season.

Contract | 1st yr salary | 7-player salary cap total
4 yrs, $130M | $29.02M | $143.80M
4 yrs, $140M | $31.25M | $146.03M
4 yrs, $150M | $33.48M | $148.26M
4 yrs, $160M | $35.71M | $150.49M

To be clear, all of those contracts would take the Bucks over the $136 million salary cap, but at least it would give the team some financial wiggle room under the $165 million luxury tax line and lots of room below the $182.5 million second apron threshold. It is also possible that Middleton signs for a shorter time period than four seasons as well.

For example, if Middleton signed a four-year, $130 million contract and then the Bucks signed Lopez to a flat three-year, $60 million contract, the Bucks’ salary cap figure would be $163.80 million with eight signed players. In that scenario, they would have enough salary cap room to sign a player using the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5 million), another one of their players using Bird rights (like Jae Crowder or Jevon Carter) for up to $6 million, two players on minimum contracts and their two second-round draft picks to get to 14 players (enough to complete the roster) and still remain under the $182.5 million line for the second apron.

 

rockets are not looking to somebody to split time with sengun

rockets are looking for a great rim protector that can shoot the 3 and create space for sengun to operate

a myles turner type

or a brook lopez type

yes to play alongside sengun

and back him up when he is taking a breather

 

The more I think about it, the more I think Brook Lopez would come to do what Jabari wasn't YET able to do (make threes and help protect the rim).

He would take more minutes from Bari than from Alpi (unless Bari slides to the 3).

And Brook could mentor both of them.

Yes to Brook, no to Brooks.

 

Low ball offer that was Eric Gordon money.

 

trades incoming

and not just a few

 

Every time a GARM thread mentions Dillon Brooks a puppy cries.