With the Lauri Markkanen situation resolved, the Paris Olympics in the books, and NBA training camps still about a month-and-a-half away, we're entering the quietest portion of the 2024 offseason.
However, that doesn't mean there's nothing worth discussing.
Here are a few of the summer subplots I've been keeping an eye on, ranging from how Guerschon Yabusele's buyout with Real Madrid impacts a potential move to the NBA to the new ways in which teams are negotiating draft-pick swap rights in trades.
How Guerschon Yabusele's buyout works
A former NBA first-round pick who has been out of the league since 2019, Yabusele had an impressive showing for the French national team during the Olympics and suggested on social media after the Games that he'd welcome another opportunity stateside. However, reporting from Marc Stein indicated that Yabusele's buyout with Real Madrid is worth $2.5MM.
At least one report has stated Yabusele would be responsible for paying the majority of that $2.5MM buyout, while another has suggested an NBA team that signs him would be on the hook for the full amount. The truth depends on your perspective. Here's how it works:
I don’t think there’s a problem here to be solved. Fans that care about draft picks four years in the future will dive into the minutiae. More casual/less obsessed fans don’t care one way or the other. Ultimately, as Luke says, the current practice lubricates trades which benefits the league.
Or does it? If you’re thinking of the casual fan, wouldn’t you move to make trades more difficult through something like eliminating convoluted swaps? Players staying with teams longer means casual fans develop stronger attachments. Less trade lubricant also reduces tanking, making the average game more competitive and thus more interesting.