Minnesota Sports Forum

Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Mon Jun 22, 2026 10:23 pm Clearly this trade was all about financial flexibility. This deal drops our payroll by $33.3 million and saves an addition $1 million moving our pick from the first to second round. So this deal gives the Wolves massive payroll relief of over $34 million or a $33 million trade exception of they choose to use it

The cap relief is so big that it will allow the Wolves to use the full $15 million Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception (MLE) and the $5.5 million Bi-Annual Exception (BAE) rather than the taxpayer MLE of $6 million. That’s huge. The Wolves can now sign a free agent at the full MLE, and maybe even squeeze in a second FA at the BAE level, before using Bird rights to re-sign Ayo at around $20 million without going over the 2nd apron.

An alternative path would be using the $33.3 million trade exception to use in a deal to acquire a high-priced veteran without trading Rudy, Jaden or Naz. Could the trade target be Fox? Ja Morant? Kevin Durant? I see those three as high-priced vets their respective teams would probably like to unload for financial reasons. Maybe TSJ and our two second round picks this year along with our 2033 1st for one of those three. I hope not, but that sort of deal for one of those three seems plausible.

Monster wrote: ↑Mon Jun 22, 2026 10:19 pm

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Mon Jun 22, 2026 10:17 pm

D-Loser25 wrote: ↑Mon Jun 22, 2026 10:05 pm

Agreed! It’s a good move to get off of a player we had to send out. Sometimes casual fans just hear a big name and assume it should bring something more, but this is a good move for sure.

It definitely helps that we didn't have to take a contract back that would have likely been another flawed player with certain expectations about playing time, etc. BUT what does Connelly do with these exceptions? That's where a verdict will be rendered I guess.

I've never been so excited about trading a good player I actually liked for nothing!!!

Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Mon Jun 22, 2026 10:23 pm Clearly this trade was all about financial flexibility. This deal drops our payroll by $33.3 million and saves an addition $1 million moving our pick from the first to second round. So this deal gives the Wolves massive payroll relief of over $34 million or a $33 million trade exception of they choose to use it

The cap relief is so big that it will allow the Wolves to use the full $15 million Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception (MLE) and the $5.5 million Bi-Annual Exception (BAE) rather than the taxpayer MLE of $6 million. That’s huge. The Wolves can now sign a free agent at the full MLE, and maybe even squeeze in a second FA at the BAE level, before using Bird rights to re-sign Ayo at around $20 million without going over the 2nd apron.

An alternative path would be using the $33.3 million trade exception in a deal to acquire a high-priced veteran without trading Rudy, Jaden or Naz. Could the trade target be Fox? Ja Morant? Kevin Durant? I see those three as high-priced vets their respective teams would probably like to unload for financial reasons. Maybe TSJ and our two second round picks this year along with our 2033 1st for one of those three. I hope not, but that sort of deal for one of those three seems plausible.

Monster wrote: ↑Mon Jun 22, 2026 10:32 pm For the Cap experts out there can the Wolves now take back players that are sign and traded into a trade exception?

AussieWolf3 wrote: ↑Mon Jun 22, 2026 10:32 pm I always preferred to trade Randle for cap flexibility --- wasn't that the whole reason they had to trade Kat in the first place!!??---
Having said that, what the hell do these exceptions mean? What do they actually give the Wolves?

D-Loser25 wrote: ↑Mon Jun 22, 2026 10:30 pm

Monster wrote: ↑Mon Jun 22, 2026 10:19 pm

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Mon Jun 22, 2026 10:17 pm

It definitely helps that we didn't have to take a contract back that would have likely been another flawed player with certain expectations about playing time, etc. BUT what does Connelly do with these exceptions? That's where a verdict will be rendered I guess.

I've never been so excited about trading a good player I actually liked for nothing!!!

Same. Good player, seems like a good guy overall (minus the mood swings), decent contract, but very happy to see him gone lol

60WinTim wrote: ↑Mon Jun 22, 2026 10:29 pm And our only two stretch bigs now are NAZ and ....... Rocco!