Here’s a great scenario on a number of fronts:
1. NOP miss the playoffs.
2. Davis becomes malcontent.
3. NOP decides to cash it in and blow it up, trading AD for Hayward and picks.
4. NOP, now looking to cash in assets and no longer pressed to lock up cap space with Cousins, decides to take a flyer on Bradley and takes back AB in exchange for Mirotic. Then we get to keep all of Udoh, Thabo, and Jerebko.
I think the great scenario fails at assumption #1. Based on remaining games, I think NO has a better chance at making the playoffs over Denver, LA Clippers, SA and maybe even OKC and Utah.
Here's a much simpler scenario.
1. NO Orleans makes the playoffs.
2. A first round exit convinces the Pelicans that Cousins-AD-Holiday is the Big3 they want.
3. NO does NOT want to pay the luxury tax and therefore, must offload Mirotic to a team that a) wants him and b) can absorb his salary without sending anything back other than picks or cheap prospects.
4. Jazz can do that by renouncing rights to Favors and declining options on two of: Sefolosha, Udoh and Jerbeko. Crowder and Mirotic make Jerebko and Thabo unnecessary. If Favors leaves, Jazz probably want to keep Udoh as the backup 5.
5. Utah sends NO the rights their 2018 pick and a future second for Mirotic.
Here's a quick look at what the salaries would be. And no, I'm not a capologist, so someone please correct my figures and assumptions if I'm wrong. But I do believe - at least under the prior CBA - that 13 roster spots need to be accounted for, which is why I put in a placeholder for 2. Not sure of the charge, but I guessed around ~1M each.
Gobert 22.7
Mitchell 3.1
Rubio 14.8
Crowder 7.3
Ingles 12.5
O'Neale 1.4
Bradley 1.7
Burks 11.5
Subtotal 75.1
Exum - RFA?? 10.0
Min Roster (2) 2.0
Udoh 3.4
Mirotic 12.5
Total (13) 103.0
