Most of the 29 trades completed so far this offseason by NBA teams have been made with financial considerations in mind. In some cases, those considerations were obvious -- when the Timberwolves sent Wendell Moore to Detroit, the Nuggets dealt Reggie Jackson to Charlotte, or the Grizzlies traded Ziaire Williams to Brooklyn, saving money was the primary motivating factor.
For other trades, cap savings were just one part of the equation. For example, Portland's July deal with the Wizards was primarily about acquiring Deni Avdija, but by including Malcolm Brogdon in their package for Avdija, the Trail Blazers were able to duck out of luxury tax territory. The same is true of the Hawks in the Dejounte Murray trade, which reduced their team salary for 2024/25 and helped them sneak below the tax line.
While some teams have already made their cost-cutting moves for '24/25, there are others who are worth keeping an eye on this fall and winter. Based on their proximity to the luxury tax line or the tax aprons, they look like potential candidates to pursue deals that would shed some salary.
Let's take a closer look at some of those teams...
Cost Cutting rules for tax aprons.
Teams over the new “first apron” are not allowed to use a pre-existing trade exception and also take back additional salary in a trade.
The restrictions for a team over the “second apron” increase, including the inability to aggregate contracts sent out and trade cash in a deal.
Clippers are in a tough spot. They can’t attach a first round pick to PJ Tucker to dump him. I still say they should have forced Tucker on the team trading for Paul George, but no, the Clippers let him walk away for nothing !!
Lawrence Frank should be fired over just that lol. Clippers could have had reasonable serviceable players and as many as three of them from the Warriors.
Wiggins, Moody, maybe Gary Payton or Kevon Looney or someone else plus 2 pics. But no. He walks away for nothing. Zilch.