I highly recommend that anyone interested in team building (which, according to the posts on here lately, is pretty much everyone) listen [to this podcast](https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9KR0dwWTF4dQ/episode/MDNhMmY5ZTEtYTZjMC00OWQwLWE3NWYtMzA0ODkyYWEwZTAw?ep=14) with Nate Duncan and Lary Coon (aka, the Salary Cap Godfather). They have a discussion about the new CBA and some of its most important new provisions.
Long story short, from trade restrictions to free agent restrictions to more honerous tax penalties, it’s going to make almost zero sense to be over the tax with the ways it will limit how you’re able to build your team.
I think this also makes it more likely we will keep the pick, as the most valuable thing in the NBA going forward (even more so than it is now) is going to be a young star who is still on his rookie contract. I think it also makes them even more likely to trade Ant, as they already have a ready replacement on a rookie contract (Shae) so they need to reallocate the money Ant is receiving to the wing position. Otherwise, they’ll never have a chance of staying within sight of the cap line while building a contender.
This is also why they’re likely hoping it’s Miller who falls to them, so that cheap rookie contract is for a wing, since they already have one on a guard.
My prediction is that they take Miller at #3 (really hoping Charlotte takes Scoot at #2 or someone trades up to do so) and then they flip Ant, Nas, and #23 for OG. They can tell Dame they got some immediate help, while still taking the upside offered with Miller and the 3rd pick. It also gives you some insurance in case OG walks after one year, as Miller could slide into his spot.
Next year’s lineup:
Dame/BAE/Mays
Matisse/Sharpe/Keon
OG/Miller/2nd rd
Grant/Trendon/Walker
Nurkic/MLE/Eubanks
They probably look to next year’s deadline to upgrade at the center spot.
Side note: I think Matisse works better with the starters, but Sharpe will play the majority of the minutes.
by howtallareyou-67
