Dallas Mavericks - They absorb two bad contracts in exchange for draft capital and one promising young player (McCain). The Embiid and Williams contracts will come off the books before Flagg’s max rookie extension kicks in, and they can use the additional money to fill out the roster around Flagg. Meanwhile, the four first-round picks will help them to build a young cost-controlled core around Cooper in the upcoming years. McCain adds another shooter to the roster who can space the floor with Cooper. The Mavs are also able to unload three undesirable contracts (Exum, Russell, and Martin), free up a little extra cap space next summer with Terry's expiring deal, and open up a roster spot that they can use to sign Ryan Nembhard.

Chicago Bulls - They get the best player in the trade (AD) and unload their worst contract. The price is two first-round picks and two second-round picks. Pairing AD with Vucevic should help both players, as AD can play his preferred 4 spot with a spacing big, and Vucevic will benefit from AD as a help-side defender in the post. They’re able to hang on to Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu in the trade, allowing them to either sign those players to long-term contracts or include them in other trades. Absorbing Caleb Martin’s salary isn’t ideal, but he is $34 million cheaper over the remainder of his deal than Patrick Williams.

Philadelphia 76ers - They unload arguably the worst contract in the NBA (Embiid), and replace Embiid with a younger, more affordable, and healthier Daniel Gafford. The majority of the contracts they bring back are expiring, allowing them to create cap space for future deals and save over $100 million over the next three years. They have to send Dallas two first-round picks and Jared McCain to make this happen, but it opens up new possibilities for a 76ers team that can be built around Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. Exum will immediately be released, while Russell, Huerter, and Collins can provide veteran depth for the rest of the season.