Spotrac: Krejci deal leaves ATL $1,786,723 under the tax line

[sturt]

Interesting to me b/c we have a TPE (two actually... Huerter deal for $3.2, and now apparently a TPE from this one in that same range) that could accommodate KJ Martin's $1,782,621 contract, then... leaving us about $4000 under the tax line.

 

Interesting to me b/c we have no 3rd unit PF now that Harkless is gone, and this is a front office and head coach that obviously loved having a utility knife player like Solo. KJ is an inch or two shorter than the shortest PFs, but he has a vertical leap that is superior to most. Me, I prefer him as a SF, but most of his minutes have been at the 4.

 

Still more interesting to me b/c, were we to cut Krejci, that would add $781,759 (ie, the non-guaranteed part of his contract) to the available space below the tax line, allowing a deal for a player making as much as $2,568,482.

 

Why would it be important to do that?

As many know, the vet minimum charged against your salary ledger for player with more than 2 year of service is limited to that 2-year number... and for this season, that 2-year number is $1,836,090.

Sooooooooo... to sign a minimum vet with 2 or more years of service would put us about $50,000 over the tax line if we didn't cut Krejci ahead of it.

 

Why would it be unimportant?

Because there's plenty of time between now and the trade deadline to re-position ourselves under the line again, given such a relatively small amount of money to shave off the ledger.

 

So, all that said, I'm amending my earlier (dug-in) position that there's not a lot of good reason to believe Krejci will remain on the roster--ie, since this front office almost certainly won't go into the season without a credible 3rd PF in the Solo tradition), and since they're stuck on 14 players instead of 15.

 

Why am I amending that?

Because Fields' comment that they were sticking at 14 was made, of course, when they were above the tax line.

As someone else posted today, situations change, and with those changes, so can GMs' perspectives.

And the big change noted here is... they have enough room to add a 15th player now w/o being scared of the tax line.

And with that, whether it's KJ or not, there are and will be still more PF options with less than 2 years of service once teams begin slicing down to their own 15. Interestingly, Chris Silva apparently has too much service time, so the guy I had as a previous odds-on-favorite might not be.

[NBASupes]

They will likely leave the spot open till the trade deadline and sign a player or a 2 way guy into a real deal

[sturt]

6 hours ago, NBASupes said:

They will likely leave the spot open till the trade deadline

Becausssssssse... ??? Based on.... ???

 

I can think of three reasons that's not likely...

1. 14 was only said to be better than 15 because they had a tax line concern... that concern has been eliminated.

2. This team has practically always carried 15 players in the Schlenk era.

3. This team has generally carried 6 bigs, though my idea of "big" is not Solomon Hill, so not strictly so from my point of view... but we could at least agree that there needs to be someone physically capable of filling the void if the first two PFs go down... or, more likely, that one or two bigs would get in foul trouble, which has ripple effects on the rotation, especially if one big happens to be sidelined for health reasons on a given night.

Now, last year, the "solution" when Solo got hurt was to envision Hunter could slide down to guard PFs. My impression was that they did that less and less as the season progressed, and that the theory proved less practical than hoped. (And I mean legitimate PFs as I say that, not small-ball PFs, which of course would routinely be SFs like Hunter.)

Maybe they want to try that again. Maybe. Hope not.

6 hours ago, NBASupes said:

2 way guy into a real deal

That's a legitimate option, true.

Maybe Culver impresses enough to earn a full deal.

But that still doesn't give any comfort where the bigs inventory is concerned.

And... unless you cut Krejci and gain the non-guaranteed portion of his contract, though, Schleilds can't avoid the tax line unless the player has less than 2 years of service (... which of course both of our current 2-ways have 2 yrs or more).

And... let's remember there's no actual value to signing a 2-way guy... ie, available for as many as 50 games... to a real deal except/unless you're wanting to have him for the post season, and then the pro-rated money he's going to get in that minimum contract is relatively minuscule anyhow.

So, don't get the reason they'd do that actually.

 

I make it a point, of course, never to say what the front office will do, but rather only to say what the front office has indicated they'll do (either explicitly or implicitly)... or... what I think they should do, assuming they have the opportunity to do it.

They should trade for KJ, in my opinion... he fits with their idea of a back-end PF, and at the same time, he's a legitimate young combo forward... and if there's a desire to keep Krejci rather than cut Krejci, I can't imagine there's a better option that can also squeeze into that space under the tax line than Kenyon Martin, Jr.

[sturt]

Not if but when?

 

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

 

 

 

[sturt]

The video of the above...

 

 

[sturt]

Gave a look at all the players who would fit within the $1,786,723 space, and there's really only one other team that's looking at a roster crunch that, short of a trade, has a big that's likely to left off the 15-man, and that's Philly. With the Montrezl signing, Charles Bassey's an almost certain cut.

https://phillysportsnetwork.com/2022/09/27/charles-bassey-sixers-3/

 

Of course, I'm pro-beef, so I'd opt for Bassey over Martin, but given recent history, seems more likely that the powers that be would be more interested in Solomon Hill-sized Martin.

Either one probably costs you a 2nd by all accounts. You could wait to see if Bassey's released and avoid that cost, but it would surprise almost no one to see him dealt to a team thin in the frontcourt.

[theheroatl]

I'd rather have flexibility than Mo tank his value to far negative. It was already pretty close to zero by the fact we send a 2nd with him.

My guess is he would have rode the bench like we all predicted. We definitely will sign some utility guy PF that comes up between now and the trade deadline.

[sturt]

4 hours ago, theheroatl said:

We definitely will sign some utility guy PF that comes up between now and the trade deadline.

I suppose the Middle East trip is going to inherently make it less likely that we see any resolution in the next days.

I also suppose they want to have a little time at least to assess whether they want to keep Krejci.

If they don't, then that opens up the option to sign a free agent with 2+ years of service...

But if they go that route, they also are limited to 14 players for as long as the tax line is considered a red line.

Is there a free agent so valuable that you'd rather have him and him only, than have Krejci + Martin or Krejci + Bassey?

Some eyes will center on Melo in this list. And I can't believe I'm saying this, but sure, there is an argument for considering 38 yr old Melo. Others will center on Markieff Morris. @Spud2nique's apparently focus on Sap. Mine gravitate toward 25 yr old Eric Paschall.

And none of those come at the cost of a 2nd round pick, of course, like Martin or Bassey would. What they do cost you is the Krejci, and barring a trade, any chance of having a 15th player at all.

 

So... again again, barring a Justin trade, which I still think should be strongly considered, but whether a viable deal could be struck seems questionable... the choices effectively boil down to this...

 

a) Krejci + Martin (or Bassey) for a 2nd rounder (Caveat being that it's within the universe of possibility that you could wait out Philly, and see them eventually release Bassey, and then sign him w/o giving up a 2nd... but the risk obviously is that they trade him to someone else, and if not that, that he would sign with someone else that can offer him more likelihood of minutes. No chance whatsoever, though, that HOU releases Martin.)

 

b) Melo (or Morris or Sap or Paschall) for Krejci

 

c) Krejci... just Krejci and nothing else until maybe the trade deadline

 

@NBASupes suggested above that they will choose "c"... not sure that he's advocating for "c" so much as just predicting that that's what will happen.

He might be right, but if so, I remain clueless how "c" helps us.

There's no benefit I can conceive to standing pat even for the first half of the season... again, any more than there's some benefit to a baseball team being satisfied to run with 25 players instead of 26 until their trading deadline... why would you do that?

"Flexibility" was the term used when we were over the tax line, but what's the point of that when you're already under it?

"Well, what if we discover a void that needs to be addressed in February?"

I hear you.

But how does it put you in any worse position to do that having chosen "a" or "b" now?

Not seeing it.

 

And as I stare at "a" and "b", I think I'm honestly content with either one.

On the one hand, for a team that has a 2 year window for capitalizing on the DJM addition, I prefer a veteran player.

On the other, I see enough already, in addition to the upside, with either Bassey and Martin... especially Martin because he's played 1000 minutes in both of his seasons so far... that there's added value because you'd have either one on the cheap for 2 seasons, not just 1. (Krejci is icing... albeit just a thin layer... pun intended... on that cake.)

 

[Gray Mule]

As of now, because of the trip, I don't expect any dealing for the next week.  Krejci is not the only Hawk player that might be involved in a trade.  He might stay with Atlanta while another player is traded.  Who?  I haven't a clue.  Just be aware, it's possible.

We all see the last trade as getting under the tax deadline.  Fine.  But, what if it wasn't?  What if the deal was to obtain Krejci?  Gasp!  Hadn't thought of that!  Couldn't possibly be, could it?  Well, we all see what happened.  We think we know all the reasons, but, do we?  Something else to consider.

Hunter and Johnson, both listed as SF, in fact, may slide over to PF for a little while.  Collins and Kaminsky are our current big boys, playing PF.   Agent 0017 is learning to shoot from beyond 2 ft., therefore he's a possibility.  Hawks might be a little short handed but not in any way desperate.

Still under construction!

[sturt]

12 minutes ago, Gray Mule said:

What if the deal was to obtain Krejci?  Gasp!  Hadn't thought of that!  Couldn't possibly be, could it?  Well, we all see what happened.  We think we know all the reasons, but, do we?  Something else to consider.

Gray, you're welcome to your speculation of course, as we all are... but if you're willing to trust someone who has been openly and often perusing the OKC roster for opportunities for trades all off-season...

There's no chance that we made this trade for Krejci. None. He was, according to any OKC writer you read, the first on the cut list in getting down to 15 from 18... meaning... if we wanted the player, he was going to be available in free agency.

This deal was exclusively a money deal. Okay, let's be polite and say it was 98% a money deal.

Want more? The head coach was flat-footed when asked about the player after he was acquired, not even apparently aware that the player has primarily been a PG so far in his NBA time... said he honestly didn't remember seeing Krejci play against the Hawks last year... which isn't something you say, of course, if you're part of the braintrust of a team and you were targeting Krejci the player, and not Generic Player's contract.

So, 99% probably is closer to it.

The kid is a nice kid. He has some talent. And indeed, he very well might have become a more lucrative asset had he not had the injuries keeping him off the floor. Time even could prove that we lucked into one of those unexpected big-time jackpots that do happen (but so so so rarely).

For now, it is what it is... pretty close to 100% that it didn't matter what player came with the contract, Schlields was all-in on dipping under the tax line.

 

That said.... what's next ?

There should be an "a" or "b" shoe to drop.

Will it?

Or is there some hidden purpose in "c" being the choice?

[JayBirdHawk]

9 minutes ago, Gray Mule said:

As of now, because of the trip, I don't expect any dealing for the next week.  

I would agree. Additionally, a lot of our bench wing rotation in my opinion hinges on the health of Bogi's knee and when he's available to return and play without restrictions. It will be interesting to see if he's a full participant in any of the Abu Dhabi practices. I would be surprised if he plays in either of the preseason games there.

SG: Bogi, Martin, Krejci
SF: J. Holiday, Griffin

We'll have these first 2 preseason games to see what these 4 can give us. 

If Nate is creative, we can see lineups with Murray at SG for the bench unit as well as JJ at SF.

[sturt]

15 minutes ago, Gray Mule said:

Hunter and Johnson, both listed as SF, in fact, may slide over to PF for a little while.  Collins and Kaminsky are our current big boys, playing PF.   Agent 0017 is learning to shoot from beyond 2 ft., therefore he's a possibility.  Hawks might be a little short handed but not in any way desperate.

In your opinion, should Falcons fans be content with having a 52 man roster, while the other teams have 53?

See, I don't think it's a matter of desperation. I think it's a matter of simply not shorting yourself... why would you do that? What purpose is served?

There sometimes are reasons why an NBA team will choose to run with 14, but that's because there are financial consequences to running with 15.

There is no financial consequence to adding a 15th player here.

And the alternative ("b") is effectively to replace your 14th player now... Krejci... with a higher caliber vet such as a Melo, or Morris, etc.

 

[Gray Mule]

Soon, very soon the regular season begins and all NBA teams will be at 15 players or less.  In addition, most all NBA teams will have 2 additional young players on 2-way contracts, headed for the G League.  This means there will be bunches of G League players available to pick from in addition to all those players who were not on any NBA team's roster.

As we saw the Falcons sign some players that did not make another NFL roster. If the Hawks wish to add another player, this seems to be the ideal time.  Unlike baseball's minor leagues, all G League players except those on a 2-way contract, are free to sign with any NBA team.  Another option.

Seeing is believing.  Do you believe what you see?  Sometimes, I do.  Not always.

[JayBirdHawk]

1 hour ago, sturt said:

the choices effectively boil down to this...

 

a) Krejci + Martin (or Bassey) for a 2nd rounder

b) Melo (or Morris or Sap or Paschall) for Krejci

c) Krejci... just Krejci and nothing else until maybe the trade deadline

d). Release Trent Forrest from his 2way and sign him to an E10. Release Krejci from his NBA contract and sign him to a 2way. Hawks reduce payroll to sign a vet min via FA, sign a released player or make a trade that will keep us under the tax.

[sturt]

54 minutes ago, sturt said:

I suppose the Middle East trip is going to inherently make it less likely that we see any resolution in the next days.

On this much we all seem to agree.

7 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Additionally, a lot of our bench wing rotation in my opinion hinges on the health of Bogi's knee and when he's available to return and play without restrictions. It will be interesting to see if he's a full participant in any of the Abu Dhabi practices. I would be surprised if he plays in either of the preseason games there.

And we agree on all of that, as well, I would think.

8 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

SG: Bogi, Martin, Krejci
SF: J. Holiday, Griffin

We'll have these first 2 preseason games to see what these 4 can give us.

I'd add Culver to those 4, actually. In fact, it might be the case that Culver's going to get every chance to emerge as the stop-gap until BogBog's 100%. Well, maybe not every chance. That would, instead, apply to AJ, who hopefully can displace Justin as soon as possible. But don't think there's a lot of reason here-and-now to anticipate AJ will be able to capitalize on the chances he gets... Culver, on the other hand and obviously, has the seasoning and has shown himself capable of playing at a high level... just not often enough.

Will be interesting to see how much time they play Krejci... one would think quite a bit.

 

Regardless, though there may be a pause in the discussion for a week, the decision on a, b or c is coming one way or another.

And on the other hand, there's an legit argument that even if the Hawks are playing halfway across the world, for 28 other teams that's not the case, and the early bird gets the proverbial worm... you snooze you lose... cannot totally set aside the topic if you're Schlields.

 

[JayBirdHawk]

6 minutes ago, sturt said:

I'd add Culver to those 4, actually. In fact, it might be the case that Culver's going to get every chance to emerge as the stop-gap until BogBog's 100%

Good call. I seem to forget him. At least for preseason and if he's still on a 2way by the start of the season, he'll get minutes that won't count towards the 50 games until the GLeague officially starts.

[sturt]

11 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

d). Release Trent Forrest from his 2way and sign him to an E10. Release Krejci from his NBA contract and sign him to a 2way. Hawks reduce payroll to sign a vet min via FA, sign a released player or make a trade that will keep us under the tax.

How is that any different from "B"... ?

I mean, we both know that once you cut Krejci, he may or may not re-sign with you... he may have better offers, and certainly might back home in Europe.

 

 

 

 

[sturt]

4 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

he'll get minutes that won't count towards the 50 games until the GLeague officially starts.

There's a factoid I didn't know. Hmmm.

[JayBirdHawk]

2 minutes ago, sturt said:

How is that any different from "B"... ?

Why don't you tell me? 

I'm sure I laid out a very specific plan/idea.

Just now, sturt said:

There's a factoid I didn't know. Hmmm.

If my memory serves me correctly....just something I seem to have remembered.