We’re in a strange lull today and tomorrow. The draft is completed, and NBA free agency kicks off on Sunday. In the meantime teams can make trades, as we’ve already seen this morning, as the Mavericks sent Tim Hardaway Jr. to Detroit, and teams can re-sign their own players, as we saw the Toronto Raptors extend Immanuel Quickley.
The big question for Kings fans is whether yesterday’s trade was simply a cost-cutting move, or if it was a move to set up something else. The Kings shed salary yesterday, which opens up a few options. First, and I want to clear this up because there was confusion in yesterday’s comments section, this trade open up the full Mid-Level Exception for the Kings. Before cutting this salary, the Kings technically had the full Non-Taxpayer MLE available to them, but using it would have hard-capped the team at the first apron (I confirmed these details with Spotrac’s Keith Smith). So before this trade, the Kings were realistically limited to the Taxpayer MLE.
So with yesterday’s trade, the Kings now have room to use the full MLE of around $12.9 million, rather than the Tax MLE of $5.2 million. Another thing worth noting is that under the new CBA, teams can actually use the MLE in trades, rather than just being able to use it to sign free agents.
As we wait for free agency to begin, one major storyline hanging over the league is Paul George’s contract option. PG is widely seen as the crucial domino for free agency, as his decision will determine what a lot of other teams do. George has the option to opt-into his current deal for a final year at $48.8 million, and has a 6/29 deadline for that decision. If he opts in, it will likely mean he’s opting in to be traded somewhere. Whatever happens with George will impact the market for many other wing options that have been discussed in connection with the Kings, such as Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, and Cam Johnson.
Use this thread to discuss any ongoing NBA news today, as I expect we’ll continue to see some deals as teams prepare for free agency, and we’ll get separate posts up for any Kings-specific news.
