re: NBA Free Agency Thread - Russell Westbrook traded to the Rockets for Chris Paul & picks

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Exceptions

Minimum

Full midlevel: $9.2 million

Biannual: $3.6 million

Trade: $2.7 million

Note: Using more than $5.7 of the midlevel or the biannual exception would hard cap Memphis at $138 million

Cap-space breakdown

The Timberwolves are considered one of those in-between teams -- not under the salary cap and not pressed against the luxury tax.

Trading the $19 million Jeff Teague contract would only leave Minnesota with $16 million in cap space (not counting the Tyus Jones hold).

Removing all the free-agent holds except for first-round pick Jarrett Culver and Jones leaves Minnesota with 10 players under contract and $117 million in salary.

While the team will have the $9.2 million midlevel and $3.6 million biannual exceptions available, using the full amount -- while filling out the roster with minimum contracts and retaining Jones -- would put the Wolves close to the luxury tax.

Minnesota would need to use part of the midlevel to sign second-round pick Jaylen Nowell to a contract longer than two seasons.

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When does Luol Deng get 50 mil from someone?

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Sources: Boston's showing interest in a 3-team sign-and-trade w/ Kyrie Irving (Nets), Kemba Walker (Celtics) and Terry Rozier (Hornets). Boston wants to create a full MLE and would likely need to surrender at least a first-round pick to Nets. So far, talks are exploratory.

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Math 501

Rozier/Kyrie combination would create a $32.7M trade exception that would allow BOS to take back Kemba and still have the full $9.3M midlevel exception available (they would be acting over the cap). Rozier would go to Charlotte in the trade exception created by Walker.

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