How Much $$$ Should Jazz Throw at Austin Reaves?

[Handlogten's Heros]

Would that push the Lakers into the Tax does anyone know?

No they won't hit the tax. It will push them over the cap. It will likely crush them in 2 years when Reaves cap number goes to like 35M... if they still have Lebron.

It will just cost them the space they kept lying about using. The smart decision is to operate over the cap. Sign Rui and Reaves... DLo if he is dirt cheap... and maybe retain Beasley as a sign and trade chip. That will give them the full MLE to play with.

 

[NUMBERICA]

No they won't hit the tax. It will push them over the cap. It will likely crush them in 2 years when Reaves cap number goes to like 35M... if they still have Lebron.

It will just cost them the space they kept lying about using. The smart decision is to operate over the cap. Sign Rui and Reaves... DLo if he is dirt cheap... and maybe retain Beasley as a sign and trade chip. That will give them the full MLE to play with.

What if Dlo isn’t dirt cheap, though? Cuz I don’t think he would be.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

What if Dlo isn’t dirt cheap, though? Cuz I don’t think he would be.

Then he walks and they won't miss him all that much.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

I just hate watching DLo play. He can be good in stretches, sometimes very good, but his bad is bad and hes boring to watch.

 

[NUMBERICA]

Then he walks and they won't miss him all that much.

And then just nothing? The Lakers just re-sign Hachimura and Reaves?

I don’t see them half-assing Lebron’s last years. If they were just gonna go out and get the best players for their assets without consideration of cap space, they wouldn’t have gone out of their way to grab essentially all expiring contracts.

We’ll see what happens. But I can’t see them essentially standing pat or coming back with arguably less than how they finished this season.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

And then just nothing? The Lakers just re-sign Hachimura and Reaves?

I don’t see them half-assing Lebron’s last years. If they were just gonna go out and get the best players for their assets without consideration of cap space, they wouldn’t have gone out of their way to grab essentially all expiring contracts.

We’ll see what happens. But I can’t see them essentially standing pat or coming back with arguably less than how they finished this season.

If Russell isn’t an asset you don’t keep him around. They can retain the guys they like from this year… operate over the cap and they have a full MLE and maybe a BAE available. Plus they have their pick this year… they could also retain Beasleys deal as trade tinder.

Not sure what to tell you… they can’t sign Kyrie unless he takes like a 30% discount and they want to waive rights to everyone except Reaves… also need to salary dump Vando (would be easy). I don’t see that all happening so retaining their guys and hunting with the exceptions is likely their best route… then comes the potential trade deadline deal.

 

[Coach Ellis]

Worst case is you miss out on someone you actually have a chance to sign

The problem the Jazz have is that last year, they had tons of high quality assets they wanted to move - Gobert, Mitchell, O’Neale, Bogdanovic, Beverley and eventually, Conley, Beasley, NAW and Vanderbilt.

Outside of their pile of draft picks - which I think they’ll want to use in a big deal for an established star down the road - their best asset this year is their cap space. They can go big game hunting, but they’re not outbidding anyone for a star of the open market. They can trade for someone into their space and get an asset, but they pretty much have to do that before free agency starts. If they try to make offers to Reaves and Rui, they lose out on that possibility. I’m pretty sure they’d sign a huge offer sheet - if we came out and offered one. But I’m pretty sure the Lakers match.

If Im DA, I shop out cap space - from now until free agency opens up. If nothing happens, I make an offer for both Reaves and Rui and force the Lakers to match. Outside of that, my targets are guys like Troy Brown, Jr. and Yuta Watanabe. Probably just kick the FA can to next year and clear the decks before that.

 

[hgb]

Worst case is you miss out on someone you actually have a chance to sign

Or end up having Rui and/or Reaves on terrible contracts.

 

[Thee Idiotic Minivan K]

I think the lakers match any price.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Just an FYI… Kyrie would need to take like 60M less over 4 years to get to LA. I think it’s a leverage play and he stays in Dallas. It honestly might be easier for Lebron and Kyrie to unite in Dallas with Luka. James likely just throwing of the retirement thing as part of his doc that he’s making… but who knows… maybe he goes to ring chase and join a super team as the second banana.

 

[HeatCheck]

Just an FYI… Kyrie would need to take like 60M less over 4 years to get to LA. I think it’s a leverage play and he stays in Dallas. It honestly might be easier for Lebron and Kyrie to unite in Dallas with Luka. James likely just throwing of the retirement thing as part of his doc that he’s making… but who knows… maybe he goes to ring chase and join a super team as the second banana.

Sadly I can see Lebron ending up in Dallas with Kyrie and Doncic but it likely wouldn't happen until the '24 offseason when he can just walk in FA. He obviously wants to play with stars. AD actually stayed somewhat healthy during the postseason but that is an anomoly with him at this point. Lebron and AD just take up too much of their cap for them to make a significant addition this offseason unless Kyrie decides to take a big paycut. When the Nets tried offering him a smaller than max deal that sent him off the deep end though. Cuban is definitely going to offer the max and don't see Kyrie turning that down.

As for Reaves it's going to be nearly impossible to get him out of LA due to the Arenas rule. Even if he gets a ridiculous contract he will only count for like $12 mil on their cap for next season with the balloon payments in subsequent years but Lebron and potentially AD could very well be off their payroll by that point. Apparently the Rockets have a ton of capspace and huge interest in Reaves this offseason too. Lakers made a huge mistake letting home grown Caruso walk and highly doubt they make the same mistake with Reaves who I believe is the better, younger all around player.

 

[Tremendous Upside]

The Lakers arent going to let a white star go. That's a money printing machine. I'd just let someone else go through the effort of tying cap money up.

Now Reaves is a star??

He's a guy who's been playing with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. I wouldn't want to be the team that overpays for him and then has to pray he looks anything like he did on the Lakers.