jmmagicfan

I like Cole the person, but I am not a huge fan of his game; though in fairness, I blame the coaching staff for part of the way he played. I think he will be a better player with different coaching.

Exactly. Unless you’re specifically looking for the rehab facility access.

This is actually a win-win. The team brings him back as a sixth man later in the season and saves money; he is guaranteed money the whole year and has team resources for his continuing rehabilitation and recovery.

I’m not sure I understand what you’re thinking here. Dame still gets his money as per his contract, doesn’t have to stay/rehab in Milwaukee, but can spend it at home in Portland with his family. It is only “stretched” on the expense (team) side for salary cap purposes. It strikes me as more of a win-win that you do for a player you respect. It’s kind of a cash vs. accrual accounting thing.

We are already way over the salary cap of $154.6M, so I don’t believe declining Moe and Caleb would benefit us at all. When you decline, you lose rights unless they are a Restricted Free Agent who then become Unrestricted but you retain some exceptions. Neither of them are restricted, so that doesn’t apply. That means you would only have the mid-level exception and possibly veteran exceptions to fill your roster. If you are already over the cap declining an option doesn’t give you that money back to spend elsewhere. Caleb is already cheaper than the veteran minimums. Based on his years in the league, we would actually have to pay him more to sign him after.

I believe if we decline his option, then there is no cap hold and we lose his bird rights. If you check out the attached, you will see that Harris and CoJo are no longer listed at all once their options were declined. We might be able to exercise the option, and then renegotiate after we’re into the “next season” in a week or so, to get back under the first apron, but that doesn’t necessarily help with free agency. https://www.spotrac.com/nba/orlando-magic/cap

If our goal is to stay use the mid-level, but stay under the 1sr apron, then we really only have two possible options: 1) trade Jett Howard for a cheaper player and/or future draft pick(s), or 2) waive Moe (and replace him with a veteran minimum contract?) Option 2a) keep Moe, but renegotiate this year’s salary down, by giving him an extension of some sort? (Not sure if/how that would work with the CBA) Either option might open up a roster spot, but limits our options to fill it.

+1000 if the forum was still letting me upvote!

Based on a $154,647,000 cap, here’s what the mid-level and bi-annual exceptions would look like in 2025/26: Mid-Level Exception Year Standard MLE Taxpayer MLE Room MLE 2025/26 $14,104,000 $5,685,000 $8,781,000 2026/27 $14,809,200 $5,969,250 $9,220,050 2027/28 $15,514,400 $9,659,100 2028/29 $16,219,600 – – Total $60,647,200 $11,654,250 $27,660,150 The standard mid-level exception is available to over-the-cap teams who haven’t dipped below the cap to use room and whose team salary remains below the first tax apron. It can run for up to four years, https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2024/08/mid-level-bi-annual-projections-for-2025-26.html#:~:text=Based on a %24154%2C647%2C000 cap%2C here’s what the,team salary remains below the first tax apron.

The way I read it is that the tax line doesn’t apply to the mid-level at all. It’s if you are over the cap but under the 1st apron, you get the full $14.1M mid-level; and if you’re between the first and second aprons you only get the $5.685M mid-level. The cap-holds help determine where you are in relation to the aprons, and that is an additional $7M; which includes Jase’s maximum salary based on his draft position, and the holds for Queen and McClung. That would put us at $197M, where the first apron is about $195M. I am 99% sure that if you decline Moe’s option, then anything you re-sign him for afterwards counts against the mid-level “pool”. Even though it is counter intuitive, it actually makes more sense to keep him, even if it’s only so you have it as an expiring contract at the trade deadline.

Actually, I don’t think we “have” to decline Moe; but we do have to decline one or both of Queen/McClung, which should get us under the 1st apron and unlock the full mid-level. Remember however, because he is a second round pick without a guarantee, I believe anything we give Penda comes out of that MLE money.

I am of two minds about this. On the one hand, most of these signings are for 2-way contracts, so they have now locked them up. That’s good if they prove their value, but it’s tied your spot up if they aren’t. Unless it’s really easy to dump a two-way, that seems like you’re closing options.

I’m hoping we bring in at least a couple of the following undrafted players to compete for a roster/2-way spot: Hunter Sallis Eric Dixon Ryan Nembhard Vladislav Goldin

Jett Howard, #46, and next year’s Det/Mil 2nd round pick for DaQuan Jeffries and #33. I’d probably settle for #34, partly to clear Jett’s salary, but I can see Fleming, Raynaud and Kalkbrenner being the first three picks tonight, so you wouldn’t necessarily get any of them.

So, on to the 2nd round. If we manage a trade to move up, I would love to see us pick up Fleming or Raynaud. If not, then here are my “hopes”: #46 - If either falls, Chaz Lanier or Koby Brea; if not then Kam Jones, Johni Broome, Javon Small, or Rocco Zikarsky #57 - Vladislav Goldin, Eric Dixon, Micah Peavy, or Ryan Nembhard. I think that you take whoever you think is the Best Player Available regardless of position or fit in the second half of the second round.