Counted in that flexibility is Joe Ingles, whom he acquired in a trade with Utah, even though the 34-year-old tore his ACL in January. Cronin says acquiring Ingles, whose contract expires after this season, was not necessarily a salary-cap saving move. Because the Blazers acquired him in a trade, they acquire his Bird rights, which means they go over the salary cap to sign him and don’t need a separate exception to do so.
“It was about the player; Joe is a good player,” Cronin said. “He has the unique mix of talent, skillset and mentality we are looking for.”