http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2700867-jimmy-butler-rumored-to-be-as-good-as-gone-from-bulls-after-this-season
Good news for us. Not only does this give us extra options at the draft and/or this summer, it probably lowers the market value on Butler a bit from the absurd asking price they have.
Question for our resident cap experts: is there any realistic way to trade for one of Butler or George at the draft AND stil have room to sign someone like Griffin this offseason? Let's say that Danny keeps Crowder off the table - how close would it bring us if we traded AB, the 2017 Brooklyn pick, the Memphis pick, and some other filler like the rights to Zizic/Yab or Rozier? That brings us somewhat close after we drop Zeller, KO, and the other non-guaranteed contracts, right?
Firstly, post 8000!
Secondly, yes, it is possible, but there are caveats. The first caveat is it really matters what pick we end up with. Letting all free agents walk/releasing non-guaranteed players and getting a top 4 pick does not leave us with maximum cap space. If Yab stays overseas (or is renounced), that gets us to the #3 pick and max cap space. Trade away Jackson, and we're #2. If it's #1, it takes even more effort (Rozier seems the best candidate for dumping in addition to the above).
Say you sign Griffin with the max. Then you can trade Bradley and the Nets pick (if it's a top two pick) for Butler or George (after the 30-day waiting period is up, so expect to see the Brooklyn pick signed July 1st). If the pick is #3 or #4, it's the same trade plus Rozier. You can add any future picks into the deal you want, since they don't have a cap hit this year.
But you have to do it in that order, since that lets you take on more in incoming salary than outgoing salary, after the cap space has been used on the free agent. If you do it backwards, and make the trade first, then you need at least as much
guaranteed outgoing 2017 salary as incoming, because otherwise you won't have room for the free agent, or will have to make greater salary dumps.
But I'm also going to question if it's the right thing to do. Say it's George you're acquiring -- presumably you're maxing both him and IT in 2018. Horford, Griffin/Hayward, George and IT will make a combined $121.6 million in 2018. The luxury tax is $125 million. The tax bill would be huge -- even if it were only minimum salary guys filling out the roster it's be over $15 million, and with the actual roster that exists, it could be well over $50 million. If it's Butler it's cheaper in 2018, but still not cheap, and well into luxury tax territory anyway.
But if ownership give Ainge a blank check for a few years, it would be possible to both acquire a max free agent and trade for Butler or George without giving up too much in the way of guys under contract.
Note: All figures assume the current cap and tax projections put it by the NBA of $102/$122 million in 2017, and $103/$125 million in 2018. Different actual cap numbers produce different outcomes.