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JR Smith

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Extending the deadline at a cost of $500K is not a bad deal.

The luxury tax is at $132,627,000.

If we cut JR then we are at $123,734,282‬ with his guarantee.

Assuming we sign Garland, Windler, and Porter to their max rookie slots then it is $6,400,920 for Garland, $2,035,800 for Windler, and $1,936,440 for Porter.

That's $134,107,442‬ with no further moves, so we're in the tax if we just sign our rookies.

Now we have all season to move OUT of the tax. If you trade Clarkson for assets that total less than his salary, etc then you trim money off that.

We have five ending deals. I don't see them all getting flipped for future salary. I think maybe two will be. We could move other guys and swap out for fits on playoff teams. Let's say Denver would like to flip Plumlee for Tristan for a playoff run (they'd need to include one of their younger, low dollar assets in the deal to make it work) and they want to ship off a future draft pick or even a pick in the upcoming draft (which should fall in the 20s). In this case you could get a young asset that could grow like a Vanderbilt plus a late first while still maintaining cap flexibility AND saving money to get out of the tax.

If Orlando is in the mix, I could also see them moving Mozgov's deal for something that could help them in the short term for a run.

So if a great deal is there that makes it worth paying then you do it. I'd also love to try to get our picks back from NO in some way and could see Griff liking guys on our roster, especially since they could help grow a guy like Zion. So Tristan could be an option in a trade there for instance.

I don't expect Smith to be traded at this point, but I think Koby wanted to keep his options open.

I could also see a team with leftover cap space being intrigued by Clarkson's bench scoring ability. It's a question of if they'd part with good assets.

While I'm really against stretching a player, stretching JRs guaranteed amount makes alot of sense. Once we waive JR, it's dead money anyways. It makes sure we are out of the luxury tax and it's really a vet minimum salary cap hit over the next couple years. I think it positions us better for trades so we aren't seeking out salaries where we are taking back less and teams don't feel like they have position over us knowing we really want to get under the luxury tax. If we are below the tax to start, the 4 or 5 expirings we go to trade should get close to their max value.
 
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While I'm really against stretching a player, stretching JRs guaranteed amount makes alot of sense. Once we waive JR, it's dead money anyways. It makes sure we are out of the luxury tax and it's really a vet minimum salary cap hit over the next couple years. I think it positions us better for trades so we aren't seeking out salaries where we are taking back less and teams don't feel like the have position over us knowing we really want to get under the luxury tax. If we are below the tax to start, the 4 or 5 expirings we go to trade should get close to their max value.
The stretch is an option. That clears up $3M and gets you under the tax.

I have a feeling trades will be a mix of taking on future big money and swapping out a better fit for another expiring (and this also trades Bird Rights - so a team that likes Clarkson as a sixth man or thinks TT or Henson would be someone they may want to keep will have the option to do so).

There are other guys the Cavs may think of beyond this year. I have a feeling they may like Knight if he'll come back at a lower cost, etc.

The Cavs don't have the tax consideration next year if they trade 3 or 4 guys and take on salary, so the return doesn't have to be as dramatic as it would be for JR.
 
The stretch is an option. That clears up $3M and gets you under the tax.

I have a feeling trades will be a mix of taking on future big money and swapping out a better fit for another expiring (and this also trades Bird Rights - so a team that likes Clarkson as a sixth man or thinks TT or Henson would be someone they may want to keep will have the option to do so).

There are other guys the Cavs may think of beyond this year. I have a feeling they may like Knight if he'll come back at a lower cost, etc.

The Cavs don't have the tax consideration next year if they trade 3 or 4 guys and take on salary, so the return doesn't have to be as dramatic as it would be for JR.

I actually think we will be close to the luxury tax again in 2020-2021 especially when they resign Cedi. Koby seem to be perfectly willing to use all our expirings last year, I don't expect that to change. I think he will definitely trade TT, Clarkson, Knight, and Henson. I think the only question mark is Delly and if we get good vets back, I could see them moving him to then bring him back in the summer on a smaller long term contract.

The luxury tax is projected to be 141 million for 2020-2021. Take into account more rookies and Cedi's new contract, I could easily see us getting close to that. Maybe they take back an expiring in a future deal to let expire to then use that money to pay Cedi.
 
I actually think we will be close to the luxury tax again in 2020-2021 especially when they resign Cedi. Koby seem to be perfectly willing to use all our expirings last year, I don't expect that to change. I think he will definitely trade TT, Clarkson, Knight, and Henson. I think the only question mark is Delly and if we get good vets back, I could see them moving him to then bring him back in the summer on a smaller long term contract.

The luxury tax is projected to be 141 million for 2020-2021. Take into account more rookies and Cedi's new contract, I could easily see us getting close to that. Maybe they take back an expiring in a future deal to let expire to then use that money to pay Cedi.

I think we'll be at least $20M below that. My guess is our expirings will be traded for some future salary, but also some other expirings that come with other assets that can be used.

My guess is that Koby will want to get extra assets in the draft next year for assurance just in case the Cavs surprise and that pick conveys. I don't expect that nor do the Cavs, but you never know.

I don't think all of the expirings will be traded for cap relief.
 
I guess what I wonder about this JR business a the following: are the cavs in the repeater tax? If they are, are they really going to get an offer for JR that justifies paying a punitive tax. Wouldn’t it be more sensible to cut him and limit their liabilities?

Once you look at the boon of assets Memphis receives to eat one year of Iguodala's contract, you understand why the Cavs held onto JR's contract. Very few teams throw around unprotected after Curry and Klay pass their primes.

As it has turned out, the Smith contract was a few million off for that deal, and other potential deals didn't pan out. If you want to throw on your Captain Hindsight hat, the best deal on the table was the draft day move for #13 and James Johnson's awful contract. I was a little surprised they didn't take that one with Langford still on the board, but it was a prophetic statement about how highly they valued getting under the repeater tax this season.
 
Once you look at the boon of assets Memphis receives to eat one year of Iguodala's contract, you understand why the Cavs held onto JR's contract. Very few teams throw around unprotected after Curry and Klay pass their primes.

As it has turned out, the Smith contract was a few million off for that deal, and other potential deals didn't pan out. If you want to throw on your Captain Hindsight hat, the best deal on the table was the draft day move for #13 and James Johnson's awful contract. I was a little surprised they didn't take that one with Langford still on the board, but it was a prophetic statement about how highly they valued getting under the repeater tax this season.

Didn't think it was common knowledge that #13 and JJ were on the table. Hell, I didn't think that was even common knowledge in s34. But since it is now, is it fair to be a little salty? Made those moves last year to get the #26 pick, when we could've gotten a competent wing and the #13 pick instead. I'm not even complaining about Windler, just think Langford has a much higher ceiling.
 
Didn't think it was common knowledge that #13 and JJ were on the table. Hell, I didn't think that was even common knowledge in s34. But since it is now, is it fair to be a little salty? Made those moves last year to get the #26 pick, when we could've gotten a competent wing and the #13 pick instead. I'm not even complaining about Windler, just think Langford has a much higher ceiling.

I know we shouldn't be drafting for fit but after taking Garland, the front office seemed committing to a small backcourt of Sexton and Garland. Langford just didn't seem to fit in with what they were building because I think he is purely a SG. I don't think he has the frame to play SF for long periods with how the NBA is trending.

I just don't think the value at #13 lined up with the cost going forward. KPJ at #30 I think gives us very close to the same value as Langford at #13, just without the luxury tax payment going forward. Also KPJ just seem more solidly build and could take on SFs on the NBA level full time if needed.

I do think if Culver, Hunter, Reddish, or even Hachimura were there at #13, I think Koby pulls the trigger. Those 4 made sense in terms of roster building.
 
We will release him and get nothing.
 
Didn't think it was common knowledge that #13 and JJ were on the table. Hell, I didn't think that was even common knowledge in s34. But since it is now, is it fair to be a little salty? Made those moves last year to get the #26 pick, when we could've gotten a competent wing and the #13 pick instead. I'm not even complaining about Windler, just think Langford has a much higher ceiling.

James Johnson's contract is an abomination against basketball, and always was one. In Toronto, he had established himself as a 15-20 minute defensive specialist in his prime. Then Riley threw him longterm starter money at the very end of his prime.

Just awful roster management.
 
James Johnson's contract is an abomination against basketball, and always was one. In Toronto, he had established himself as a 15-20 minute defensive specialist in his prime. Then Riley threw him longterm starter money at the very end of his prime.

Just awful roster management.

And he's still a better wing than anyone on our roster.
 
And he's still a better wing than anyone on our roster.

From what I can tell, injuries have robbed him of that positional flexibility the past two years. That's why Miami was desperate to move his contract.
 
I assume we are willing to take on ending money for JRs contract, I doubt it makes sense to take on 2020-21 money as well. We can use our expiring contracts for that without hurting ourselves in both seasons.
 
Magic stretched Timofey Mozgov and waived him. I thought Magic were a good team to flip JR too. Wonder if we really just handed JR and extra 500k for the sake of giving him 500k.
 

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