Raptors Salary Cap Situation (and planning for the future)

[DanH]

Then my money is on JV backloaded.

Raps might not have much hope to sign KD but you have to believe they are going to have the ability to do it if the opportunity arose. Or any true max free agent for that matter.

Agreed, that's my expectation as well.

Though it should be noted they would have room for 7-9 year vet max, not the true max.

[mcHAPPY]

Depends a lot on whether JV's deal is flat or backloaded. Quick back of the napkin leaves us still with enough room for a Durant attempt if we let everyone else go and JV's deal is backloaded.

Then my money is on JV backloaded.

Raps might not have much hope to sign KD but you have to believe they are going to have the ability to do it if the opportunity arose. Or any true max free agent for that matter.

[DanH]

Depends a lot on whether JV's deal is flat or backloaded. Quick back of the napkin leaves us still with enough room for a Durant attempt if we let everyone else go and JV's deal is backloaded.

[TheWaterboy]

Since I've seen some talk and even a thread on the topic, here is what our 2016 summer looks like right now.

We have 9 players locked into contracts (KL, DC, CJ, PP, BB, BeBe, Bruno, Wright, Powell).

We also have two draft picks (for this calc I've assumed 20th and 10th overall picks).

We also have several free agents. DD, JV, Ross, Scola, JJ and de Colo. Only 4 spots for them right now.

Cap situation:

Keep all cap holds: 8M over cap
Waive JJ, Scola and Nando: 2.3M cap room
Also waive Ross: 11.2M in cap room
Also waive DD: 25.4M in cap room (enough for a max offer on Durant, for example)

If JV and/or Ross are extended those extensions eat into our cap room if they are bigger than their cap holds (11.7M and 8.9M respectively).

JV's new contract eats into our cap room/adds to the amount we are over the cap by about 4.3 million if it's 4 years at 16 million even - or about what we would get back from Derozan's cap hold, if for whatever reason he were to opt in for his final year, and we now have 10 players under contract plus two first rounders.next year.

Anything I'm missing (or completely wrong on) in this attempt at an update?

[SkywalkerAC]

If Ross were to be moved in a Markieff deal (along with Bebe), maybe picking Nando back up could be a good move. He's a solid shooting guard who can hit the 3 and could also act as a secondary creator along with CoJo off the bench.

I'm sure some would rather see Powell maybe get some run there but Nando could be a decently reliable backup 2-guard.

yeah, that's what I'm thinking. Nando can shoot. Now, I'm not sure what his contract in Europe looks like in terms of buy-out, but it is an option - there's a reason his rights were retained.

[JWash]

We have Nando's rights, we can sign him with the Early Bird exception.

If Ross were to be moved in a Markieff deal (along with Bebe), maybe picking Nando back up could be a good move. He's a solid shooting guard who can hit the 3 and could also act as a secondary creator along with CoJo off the bench.

I'm sure some would rather see Powell maybe get some run there but Nando could be a decently reliable backup 2-guard.

[DanH]

We have Nando's rights, we can sign him with the Early Bird exception.

[SkywalkerAC]

Can someone remind me whether we need to use cap space or an exception in order to sign Nando?

[SkywalkerAC]

Hard to trade for 12M+ player without giving up a starter or emptying the bench. Giving up a starter just means creating another hole

I don't see that much of a hole when trading Lowry, DeMar either for that matter. I mean, if they both play at a legit star-level all season, there'd be a bit of a hole created. But that's also the sacrifice you make when trying to trade/sign a superstar.

We've got Cory/Delon/(Nando) at the PG spot. We've got Ross/Powell/(Cory/Delon) at SG. I like DD/Lowry but I don't see trading either as creating a vacuum.

[Puffer]

One problem right now is that there aren't salaries that can go out without hurt the roster. Wonder why MU didn't make a few deals unguaranteed. Contracts like Salmons and Amir are useful in trades

That's one of the reasons you accumulate picks. They provide a lot of flexibility.

[raptors999]

Our contracts can be packaged together no problem.

Hard to trade for 12M+ player without giving up a starter or emptying the bench. Giving up a starter just means creating another hole

[SkywalkerAC]

One problem right now is that there aren't salaries that can go out without hurt the roster. Wonder why MU didn't make a few deals unguaranteed. Contracts like Salmons and Amir are useful in trades

Our contracts can be packaged together no problem.

[raptors999]

Or commence an over-the-cap strategy, trading with teams desperate to get large swaths of cap space, taking on salary in an era where it's reasonably safe to do so because we know where the cap is going. That is, we can can take on large amounts of salary in consolidation, even going into tax territory, knowing the cap-raises are going to keep us from being a repeater.

One problem right now is that there aren't salaries that can go out without hurt the roster. Wonder why MU didn't make a few deals unguaranteed. Contracts like Salmons and Amir are useful in trades

[SkywalkerAC]

2017 seem to be a better time for the Raptors to target free agent. Let team blow their load first then go after free agents when the cap jumps again. Also, if KD does leaves OKC there will be a clearance sale on that roster like the Trailblazers.

Or commence an over-the-cap strategy, trading with teams desperate to get large swaths of cap space, taking on salary in an era where it's reasonably safe to do so because we know where the cap is going. That is, we can can take on large amounts of salary in consolidation, even going into tax territory, knowing the cap-raises are going to keep us from being a repeater.

[DanH]

Very tough to trade guys into cap space. But yes it is a possibility. Far more likely though you set up a sign and trade with the other team, rather than find a third party to dump salaries. Teams tend to bend other teams over a barrel when they know they need space.