No one needs another story about potential Kevin Durant trades or why the Los Angeles Lakers are so desperate for Kyrie Irving. While we wait for these big dominoes to fall, I’ve challenged myself to write about the remainder of the offseason without mentioning the Brooklyn Nets or their disgruntled stars.
Here’s a look at some other teams with moves to make and some other situations that, a week-and-a-half into free agency, have yet to be resolved:
The cap-space teams
The Indiana Pacers have more than $26 million in cap space, and, they’re a logical landing spot for restricted free agent Deandre Ayton. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported on Monday that the deal could be imminent, but there has been no news since then.
If the Pacers are going to sign Ayton to a max offer sheet with a starting salary of $30.9 million, they need to clear some space. They could also potentially acquire Ayton in a sign-and-trade for Myles Turner. (As The Athletic’s John Hollinger noted, this swap works cap-wise as long as Ayton’s first-year salary is at least $26 million.)
Turner is 26 and on an $18 million expiring contract. Only four players blocked more shots last season, despite the fact that he only played in 42 games. He is coming off of a foot injury, but he’s also coming off the most efficient year of his career. If Indiana does not trade him for Ayton, will it trade Turner elsewhere?
The Pacers have an unfinished, unbalanced roster. There are a ton of guards, a bunch of bigs and a serious shortage of forwards and “big wing” types. The 29-year-old Buddy Hield, who is owed $21.2 million next season and $19.3 million in 2023-24, is another trade candidate.
Aside from Indiana, the only team rich in cap space is the San Antonio Spurs. Jakob Poeltl is a year older than Dejounte Murray and is on a $9.4 million expiring contract, so it’s easy to imagine him getting traded if the price is right. They could also, obviously, be a dumping ground for “bad” contracts in multi-team trades.
The Detroit Pistons have already used most of their space that way, but they still have more than $13 million left. They also have a few vets that could be moved either before the season or before the trade deadline. Are they really going to keep Nerlens Noel (owed $9.2 million, with a $9.7 million option for 2023-24) and Kelly Olynyk (owed $12.8 million in 2022-23, with a partially guaranteed salary…
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