Excellent point. All the more reason they need to make that move for Wiggins now. There just isn’t much else over the next two years that is worth going after. Even the few scheduled to hit free agency could be extended before they ever reach that point.
I'm not so sure Wiggins would be my #1 target when that ultimate target is not limited at all ..... Stone could go after any player in the league be that thru FA or via trade and he doesn't have to concern himself with matching salaries - Only satisfying the other teams wants in return. Wiggins is a good player that fit well with the needs in GS .... but he's paid as much or more than some true stars at $33.6m and that's probably why he would be made available. Not that any of the following are happening but .... Who knows. maybe Ja wants out of Memphis - Stone can make it happen. Giannis is tired of living in Milwaukee ... Stone has that salary and more open. Luka ... ANT ....LaMelo ?? Stone is only limited by availability .... and who knows what star might be next on the I want out list?
Now technically you can do both. You could aggregate trade all your salary matching and pick assets right now for a Donovan Mitchell for instance and still have the $ to sign Wiggins or Middleton next year once Wall is off the books. You’d need to give the Jazz KPJ to make the deal palatable as well as Brooklyn picks. Gordon, KPJ, KMJ, the Mavs castoffs and picks for Mitchell. Then you have an up and coming and exciting team to entice Middleton or Wiggins to be your SF. DM/TyTy Green/JC Wiggins/Eason Smith/Tate Sengun/Garuba I know a lot of people don’t like Mitchell he’s just the current disgruntled star example. My point is again you can swing a trade for a star and sign one you don’t have to choose.
My original point was that Wiggins is not going to be available next year, so they need to make their move now. And because Wiggins is not locked up long term, he might come at a lower price in trade than players like Gobert and Mitchell.
The only targets we know MIGHT be out there next year are Wiggins, Middleton, and Harden. Middleton may be a hard get with choosing between Houston and Bucks with Giannis. Why would he want to leave? If we could get Wiggins NOW and then still tank and maybe get Scoot or Wemby then it is quite possible a scenario where Harden looks for the ejection handle again. The players we need to pay in FA need to be wings. Wiggins and Harden fit the mold. With Ja and others reupping I just don't see the other viable FAs or trade targets that are going to emerge. I wanted to start a thread about this but would like people to come up with viable options. PS. Your analysis of the luxury tax cost to GSW is what I was arguing when proposing the Tucker/EGo trade to them even with Wood after the Harden trade.
