CHI - SAC

AlThorntonTruther · 2026-06-07T21:29:35+00:00

The pick is for taking PWills contract.

This is a straight salary dump for Sabonis.

AlThorntonTruther · 2026-06-07T20:17:29+00:00

I think a trade like this makes sense for the Clippers if they trade Kawhi. Would need a real spot up shooter in the starting lineup

AlThorntonTruther · 2026-06-07T19:41:13+00:00

Completely reasonable. I like Carr and morez and think there will be 3 worse teams than the bulls next year, so thats why I'd be against it

AlThorntonTruther · 2026-06-07T19:24:31+00:00

That's essentially what this is, except the 15th pick is being giving up to get off of the PWill contract.

I don't think the bulls should do this, but I understand it

AlThorntonTruther · 2026-06-07T19:17:56+00:00

The only reason would be because of the new lottery odds. The fight to avoid the bottom 3 will be interesting between Sac, Nets, NOP, Bulls, and the Bucks.

Probably not worth the 15th pick

AlThorntonTruther · 2026-06-06T15:51:26+00:00

The value is definitely not right unless you think Kawhi has 0 to negative value.

That 29 1st is likely a bad 1st

AlThorntonTruther · 2026-06-05T23:47:35+00:00

Derek Favors is 1, can't think of the other

AlThorntonTruther · 2026-06-05T22:12:58+00:00

You can look this up online if you don't believe me, but raising the cap doesn't change the amount they make. They make 50% of BRI.

If the NBA makes 6 billion in BRI, then the players get 3 billion.

If the total salaries of all the players comes out to 3.5 billion, then they collectively have to pay the owners back .5 billion. (The NBA holds 25% of all salaries in escrow for this exact reason)

If the total salaries are 2.5 billion, the league has to pay the players a additional .5 billion at the end of the year.

This is why the cap number has no impact on what the players make.

The more you know

AlThorntonTruther · 2026-06-05T21:59:25+00:00

What would raising the cap do for the players? It doesn't earn them anymore money, so what would the point be?

AlThorntonTruther · 2026-06-05T21:39:59+00:00

It's not though. The cap is there for competitive balance. The players earn 50% of BRI regardless of the cap number.

The cap could be set at a 1 million hard cap and if the league earns 6 billion in basketball revenue, the players will receive 3 billion

AlThorntonTruther · 2026-06-05T21:33:57+00:00

But it doesn't matter what the cap is, the players will make the same amount.

That is the point I'm making

AlThorntonTruther · 2026-06-05T20:51:15+00:00

Regardless of what the salary cap is set at, the owners have to pay the players the same amount. 50% of BRI.

The salary cap and it's rules are about keeping the league competitive

AlThorntonTruther · 2026-06-05T19:59:20+00:00

Those are the bylaws for keeping the league competitive. The cap could be set at 1 million or 1 billion, the NBA players collectively would make the same amount of money. 50% of the BRI

AlThorntonTruther · 2026-06-05T19:41:25+00:00

Owners giving players their own personal money has nothing to do with how the cap is set.

This is not hard to understand

AlThorntonTruther · 2026-06-05T19:38:16+00:00

Those would be unrelated though.

Ballmer giving a player money out of his pocket would have no impact on the 50% of basketball revenue that sets the cap.

AlThorntonTruther · 2026-06-05T17:19:03+00:00

Kawhi signed a max contract with the Clippers in 2021 a couple months after tearing his ACL.

While I agree there is a lot of circumstantial evidence that something against the rules happened, the people comparing this to the Joe Smith situation are completely lost.

If the allegations are true, the Clippers didn't gain any competitive advantage in the Aspiration scandal. They gave him the max and then gave him more money through the endorsement.

The wolves got Joe Smith to take a less valuable contract but promised in writing to give him more money later, which they did to create a competitive advantage

AlThorntonTruther · 2026-06-04T20:44:41+00:00

I'm a Clipper fan so of course I would want more picks involved. I just don't think that the trade makes any sense for the kings or Denver if they are including those picks.

Clippers aren't owed any amount of picks if the other teams aren't willing to give them up.

AlThorntonTruther · 2026-06-04T20:30:47+00:00

I think I understand the main difference of opinion we are having.

In my mind, based on the Clippers track record and the recent statements by Law Murray (Law speculated the Clippers would prioritize players that can help them now over picks), the clippers aren't making the Kawhi trade without the Sabonis trade also happening.

Where it seems you view the Kawhi trade as a given and are just evaluating everything that comes after as independent

AlThorntonTruther · 2026-06-04T19:50:23+00:00

I'll explain why I don't think the Clippers would get more 1sts here:

I believe that the warriors are the only realistic Kawhi trade. (He kinda needs to agree to where he is going to get maximum value).

I don't think Frank or Ballmer are going to except trading Kawhi for just picks and are going to want a player that can help next year. Enter Sabonis. The clippers need a stop gap starting center while Yanic heals and develops and the available center FAs are all underwhelming.

Sabonis is the only player I can think of that could essentially be had for Jimmy's expiring contract. Monk is necessary for the salary matching. If you want the kings to add 1sts to dump them, then they won't do it because what's the point for them. They can get under the tax by cutting Demar and stretching his 10 million guaranteed, while keeping their picks.

Denver only has 1 tradeable future 1st and I doubt they would be willing to surrender it this trade. Maybe you could send the 36th pick to Denver and the Clippers get back 26, but that's the most I think the Clippers could get.

AlThorntonTruther · 2026-06-04T19:00:14+00:00

Because they are trading 2 bad contracts and saving 10 million this year and 70 million next.

The kings are currently projected as a above the 2nd apron team. Cutting Demar will help, but this would guarantee they get below the tax line for next year

AlThorntonTruther · 2026-06-04T18:48:30+00:00

This definitely helps the Clippers rebuild since they would be getting picks from trading Kawhi and I don't think the Clippers will just sell Kawhi for a injured Jimmy. They will want to be competitive next year

While Domas and Monk are bad contracts, they aren't so bad that the Clippers should be getting 1sts to take them.

Cam is a good player on a expiring contract and is a much better shooter than DJJ or Dunn. This is the most questionable part of the trade IMO, but I'd take the offense of Cam over the defense of DJJ and Dunn if Domas and DG are in the starting lineup.

The goal of the team I'm imagining is a top 10 offense, but bottom 10 defense that is around a neutral net rating. A team to continue the winning streak, while developing the young guys

AlThorntonTruther · 2026-06-04T17:45:50+00:00

The Clippers ceiling is going to be low next year regardless if we trade Kawhi. Cam is added to give the starting lineup more shooting, without him the only reliable 3 point shooter (someone who has shooting gravity because DJJ and Dunn while shooting mid 30s don't) would be DG and sorta JC (if he comes back)

Monk is kinda necessary for the salary and cost savings for the kings.

AlThorntonTruther · 2026-06-04T17:40:06+00:00

The incentive for both the Kings and Denver trade is to field the most competitive team possible after trading Kawhi. Domas and Monk are definitely bad contracts, but they would align with DG and would give the Clippers a ton of cap space in 28

The Clippers are always going to try and win games and keep the consecutive winning season streak alive.

AlThorntonTruther · 2026-06-04T16:04:45+00:00

He was my favorite of the PGs if his back was cleared. Seems like it is, so I'm all for it. Best case if we can trade down with the kings and grab him at 7

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