Will it stop people from posting like they know how to gm

Not that many teams had TPE’s that could accommodate this trade without sending out salary. It’s 10 teams and most of them either are in very tight cap situations or aren’t really competing and probably weren’t all that interested.

Obviously the teams below the first apron could have moved for him. But really he makes the most sense for the Hawks out of the teams who could’ve made it work on OKC’s end.

Here’s the list if you’re interested:

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/transactions/trade-exceptions?utm_source=chatgpt.com

I mean yes he had a rough stretch of hoops to close his Thunder career - my comment is more that the financial impact of holding onto the IHarts, Carusos, Wiggins, Joes, Dorts, etc. that will likely be forced out within the next 3 years is insurmountable when you see the escalating nature of the tax. These guys will eventually have individual financial hits to the tune of 100+ M once Shai is on his supermax - not because of their contracts but because of the tax. The Thunder will essentially be attempting to backfill with rookies to try and continue their title contention for the foreseeable future. It’s a better position than most teams that have been second-apron victims thus far, but it’s certainly not desirable.

He’s a great depth piece but when you’re the Thunder and have 4 other guards you rather play over him… he’s a true luxury to have.

The Thunder’s ability to draft and develop talent makes me think they’ll have a replacement soon enough for him.

Still, in a vacuum you’d rather have him on your bench than not.

If it’s Wiggins vs nobody I would take Wiggins ¹⁰⁄₁₀ times. Would take him over plenty of somebodys as well.

You have a point for this season, but you never know what could happen next season. Guys might get injured, and Wiggins might’ve been able to step in and get you a solid 13PPG like he did last season. This year it was Jared McCain that stepped up, next year it might’ve been Wiggins.

Not the repeater penalty either as OKC didn’t pay luxury tax in the 25-26 season.

There seems to be lots of confusion over this. While the luxury tax is separate from the first and second apron, it also has its own thresholds which increase the total payment owed as the total team salary further exceeds the luxury tax line.

The luxury tax line for this season is just over \(200M total salary. Teams pay an additional \)1.50 in luxury tax payments per additional dollar of team salary over that line, up to \(5M over the luxury tax line (so roughly \)2.05M). Teams between \(5-10M above the tax line have to pay a \)1.75 tax per payroll dollar spent, and the tax per dollar continues to grow by 25 cents with each $5 million increment in payroll spent.

This is why shedding Aaron Wiggins’s ~\(9M salary can end up saving Clay Bennett almost \)60M total. I think it’s important to understand these mechanisms so you can judge when a team is making a move for basketball reasons as opposed to moves that save money for the owner.

Also important to note that, without further cost cutting moves, signing their draft picks will also cost OKC way more money in total payments this year compared to their stated rookie scale salaries.

Doesn’t the 2nd apron impact luxury tax?

Im not sure what to think of this “one” guy, he might be a real douche.

I think you always have to go for the option that gives you the best return of assets. If you’re scared that adding current Dort to the Lakers is what’s gonna get you bounced from the playoffs, you can’t be taken seriously as a real title contender.

Good lord, a Giannis/Bam/Dort offence would make the 2026 Magic look like the 2014 Spurs.

Brother. Where do you think Klutch is wanting that guy to go? Maybe a team that needs defense to support his biggest client?

If there are no other takers and they don’t want to lose dort for nothing. At least the lakers return a tpe and maybe a pick

If you’re scared of Dort, you’re not a championship contender

They can just let go of Dort and let him hit free agency without giving anything up. 

Dort would be a perfect cultural fit on the Heat

Wouldn’t it make sense to trade Dort, Chet and picks for Giannis? I think it would be a lower cap hit.

Jarred Vanderbilt

They could absorb his salary into cap space

Anybody on the team that’s not a James or a Doncic

Ayton and Smart have player options and Knecht has a team option if they want to reduce tax.

But OKC likely wants Rui and draft picks since we don’t have the ability to sign FA only sign and trade.

That’s their tax penalty, not their salary. They are over the 2nd apron still

They getting rookies, they gotta free up the roster I believe.

this is just what they pay for luxury tax. A combination of Dort and either Caruso or Harstein are going to be moved to get under the second apron.

If they want to keep Hartenstein and Caruso for 1 more year, then they should be fine after Dort and probably Isaiah Joe or Nikola Topic

Just Shai and Chet are 100 mil a year

Wallace is going to start… Dort is going.

Wallace is a defender he is not a ball handler and pg type so what good reason you have?

I’m happy for Wiggins. And with Mitchell and McCain leap-frogging him, and the step up that Joe took this year, there just wasn’t a pathway to playing time for dude.

I’m also happy that Presti is finding ways to work his magic with the cap situation to keep us contending

But yeah, the first meaningful piece of the championship core leaving is sad

“Well except for majidLuv…and who gives a shit.”

Right lol relax, he just salary dumped a guy

I like topic and i genuinely feel bad for the kid. He’s had insanely rough luck.

But he’s 2-3 years behind on development on a team where there’s not much room for him to develop. I would not be shocked if he gets moved

Topic can’t ever get on the floor and OKC can’t afford to pay guys to just exist anymore.

I’d much rather keep Joe than Topic.

He’s barely played, but he seems to be of the Josh Giddey archetype. Great passer and ball handler, but not elite on the defensive end, which just doesn’t fit with our team. With Shai, J-Dub, Ajay Mitchell and Jared McCain, we already have enough ball handling (when healthy).

I mean they looked like they were about to take down the #1 seed after upsetting the Hornets. No Franz injury and I think they get by the Cavs, too. Hardly a “didn’t pan out at all” take.

It works in the NFL. It just means average players won’t get to demand a max contract.

Then why does trading Wiggins now save OKC money?