As everyone is well aware, OKC needs to cut down on salary to get under the second apron. There's a lot going on here, and because Fanspo is buns, some picks, exceptions, and players could not be traded or applied. The shown trades and those that couldn't be articulated through Fanspo will be explained below. The last thing to note is that this currently doesn't work as a trade because OKC are still in the second apron, but with some club options declined and the Aaron Wiggins trade, they would be under. Without further ado, let's go over this.
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Starting with the Thunder.
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LOSSES
The biggest piece moved in this trade is IHart to the Raptors. Whilst he is a valuable asset, 28M for a backup big is pricey. Nonetheless, his value could be justified if not for the 2025 and 2026 selections of Sorber and Mara, respectively. IHart is currently better than both of them, but not enough to justify the cost of his salary to a team trying to cut salary and round out its roster.
Isaiah Joe is sent to the Houston Rockets in this deal. Just like IHart, he is a valuable piece on a championship-winning team, but when a team has NINE GUARDS AND DRAFTED A TENTH IN BENNET STIRTZ, his 11M cap hit suddenly cannot be justified. In the playoffs this year, Joe only logged 11 minutes and 4.8 points per night. When that production can be achieved at far less than 11M with McCain, Ajay, and Stirtz, I struggle to see the reason to keep him on the roster.
Nikola Topic has effectively played no minutes for Oklahoma, at no fault of his own. Whilst I'm sure they still believe in his potential, he is going into year three, and didn't get the two prior seasons to develop as his peers did. He needs playing time more than ever to be able to develop, and just like Joe, I struggle to see him getting any minutes at all in a rotation as deep as this. When you need to cut salary, even though it hurts to see, you cut your ninth guard in the rotation and wish him well.
As mentioned prior, Aaron Wiggins has already been traded. On top of that, by declining Kenrich Williams, these roster changes allow them to dodge the second apron.
ADDITIONS
The biggest addition for the Thunder is RJ Barrett, a bucket-getter wing who excels at driving to the rim and can score at all three levels. Whilst RJ is known for his defensive inefficiencies, he has been able to clean up that part of his game in Toronto, where he is now only a slight minus on defense. In an even better defense like OKC, having someone like RJ to come off the bench for 15-20 minutes a night to get a bucket in place off JDub, he'll have no problems at all. The Thunder need wing depth. RJ can definitely provide that.
I'm ngl, Scottie Pippen Jr is just salary filler so the Grizzlies can take on Gradey. I'm honestly not sure what upside or value he brings to OKC, so yeah.
Last, but not least, three more seconds. Just add to that stockpile, baby. I can envision Sam Presti just swimming around in all these draft picks like Scrooge McDuck. Simply biblical levels of greed.
CAP
With the losses of IHart, Joe, Topic, and Kenrich (and the already completed trade of Wiggins), and the additions of RJ and Wells, the Thunder shed 29 531 462 in salary, narrowly dodging the second apron by approximately 1 million. And without having to decline Dort's team option!
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Next up, the Raptors.
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LOSSES
The loss of RJ hurts. I mean, come on, he's a hometown guy who wants to play for Toronto. He's a bucket-getter, playoff riser, and clearly loves the team. Losing him would hurt, and trying to replace his offensive value is no easy challenge, but when provided the opportunity to massively upgrade at center, I think you have to take it.
Gradey is off to the Grizzlies. Shame it didn't work out. He's sent out with the 2025 TPE. Next.
ADDITIONS
The doom and despair of Poeltl starting is over! Hooray! IHart is a huge upgrade on Poeltl, and whilst he isn't in the upper echelon of centers in this league, he's still definitely up there. He'll certainly want a costly extension, but the Raptors can worry about that later. Just be happy you don't need to rely on your 6'7" rookie to play starting minutes at the center position anymore.
And it was so nice, they did it twice. What's better than one center? Two. Capela is egregiously overpaid for a third-choice center, but to make the money work, he had to be sent somewhere, so why not Toronto? Overnight, the Raptors' biggest weakness turns into a strength. Now, I do recognize Poeltl's contract is still atrocious, but this would provide him the opportunity to raise his value off the bench, become a neutral or, God help me, positive asset, and be traded at the deadline. Win-win for everyone involved.
AJ Johnson is a basketball player. However, I'm beginning to doubt that. He's salary filler.
Finally, the Raptors gain a second-round pick for their troubles. Sweet.
CAP
With the losses of RJ and Gradey, and the additions of IHart, Capela, and AJ, the Raptors gain 2 024 538 in cap. This still keeps them under the first apron and tax. No sweat!
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Next up, the Rockets.
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LOSSES
The only player traded away here is Houston's third choice center, Clint Capela. He certainly provided value for the Rockets this season with the absence of Adams, but given his cap hit and the possibility of drafting a 3C or signing one in free agency, his loss is not too taxing.
The only other things traded away are two late second-round picks to OKC. For what they're getting and given what Wiggins went for, this seems more than fair.
ADDITIONS
The Rockets need reliable shooting and, more specifically, floor spacing off the bench, whilst not being a defensive liability. Reed Sheppard against the Lakers kinda epitomizes my point here. Isaiah Joe provides all of that in spades. He is someone you can trust to play 20 minutes a night off the bench in the playoffs. He would be a welcome addition in Houston.
CAP
With the loss of Capela, and the addition of Joe, the Rockets gain 4 288 006 in cap. This still keeps them under the first apron and tax. No sweat!
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Next up, the Mavericks.
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LOSSES
AJ Johnson. Oh no.
The only other things traded away are two late second-round picks to OKC and Toronto. A worthy thing to gamble given Topic's upside.
ADDITIONS
Nikola Topic, baby. The Mavs' guard depth is brutal. The Mavs young guard depth is even worse. Taking the gamble of sending out a guy who'll be out of the league soon and two late seconds for an uber-talented guard with starter potential seems like a no-brainer to me.
CAP
With the loss of AJ, and the addition of Topic, the Mavericks gain 2 192 640 in cap. This still keeps them under the first apron and tax. No sweat!
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Finally, the Grizzlies.
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LOSSES
The only player traded away is Scotty Pippen Jr. I'm not going to pretend like he's some worthless player. But given all the mouths to feed in Memphis, I don't feel as though he's a particularly big loss, especially given he's already 26.
ADDITIONS
They get Gradey traded to them with the 2025 TPE. They could use some more forwards on their roster, so why not, I guess. Gradey gives me the impression that he just needs more playing time in a new environment to blossom. Memphis can provide that.
CAP
With the loss of Scotty, and the addition of Gradey, the Grizzlies actually shed approximately 300 thousand! Told you the Grizzlies would want to do this. The cap and its exceptions work in mysterious ways!