Will this be the year the team goes into the tax???

quote:

---

Will this be the year the team goes into the tax???

---

Depends on what our record will be near the deadline.

I think they try to do both. Something like Nance and Kira for Gafford shaves $3.5 million. Add whatever pick compensation needed, maybe Nance to third team.

I don’t think they trade Nance this year anyways due to his locker room culture and leadership.

Depends on how much the archdiocese needs access to legal fees…..

quote:

---

there is literally zero reason to go into the tax this year.

---

I'd say the likelihood of this is correct.

But there's always the change this team gets healthy(ok, is there that chance? lol) goes on a run and is a top 3 or so seed. If that's the case, we'd definitely want to be buyers at the deadline for an upgrade and pay the tax if needed.

Again, not that I expect that or think there's a great shot that we're that good, but it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility...or I guess it is since it does involve being healthy.

quote:

---

I would expect smaller moves like trading Kira and EJ for nothing and signing Ryan and JRE to NBA deals. Just my guess.

---

that would be ideal, but our glorious GM gave away a 1st round pick to sign a free agent, then spent all of our 2nd round picks to dump him last year, so we have no 2nd round picks to dump Kira and EJ, well, we have our 2024 2nd and 2030 second. It would be nice if we could just use the 2024 2nd to dump Kira and sign Matt Ryan. I would hope that's enough to dump Kira, just a single 2nd round pick.

The Pacers are the only team with cap space to fully absorb Kira and not send anything back out.

The teams that have TPE's that they could use and still stay under the tax are the Hawks and the Grizzlies, and i doubt the Hawks want to use part of their $23M TPE to just get a 2nd round pick and a player they will cut.

quote:

---

But there's always the change this team gets healthy(ok, is there that chance? lol) goes on a run and is a top 3 or so seed. If that's the case, we'd definitely want to be buyers at the deadline for an upgrade and pay the tax if needed.

---

give a feasible example of that.
If you add a player that is going to cost money and make us better, where is he getting his minutes if all you are doing is dumping Kira/Larry? Unless you're sending out Kira/JV, i don't see a scenario where we go into the tax for any reason, and even if you sent out Kira/JV, there's still no reason to go into the tax b/c you're not trading for a 5 that is making more than $18M. It would be beyond dumb to trade for say Myles Turner and go into the tax. Does he really make us that much better than JV, to give up assets and go into the tax?

quote:

---

there is literally zero reason to go into the tax this year.

---

This. With the repeater tax, and being a small market. Absolutely zero reason and must be avoided.

I think that it depends a bit on what Larry looks like when he comes back. If it's the same old Larry that we saw this season before the injury, then I think it makes sense to upgrade the center position.

But if Larry looks better, then I think we have everything we need already on the team. I'd want to see how this roster performs in a playoff series before making significant changes. So, in that case, we'd get under the tax.

Yeah I don’t even think that dude is a NBA player.