Minnesota Sports Forum

In his Ayo presser, TC touched briefly on ownership willing to pay the money to make moves to improve the team. However, he did mention the importance of managing the aprons, and the Luxury Repeater Tax. A team becomes a repeater when they pay the luxury tax 3 out of the 4 previous years. This will be year two of paying the luxury tax for the Wolves. Which means they will be a repeater if they pay the luxury tax in either of the next two years. So, I think the Wolves will look to get below the luxury tax starting next year.

The #1 and #2 priorities this offseason will be re-signing Ayo and Bones. And it will be vet minimums to fill out the roster. However, the re-signing of Ayo will surely put the Wolves over the luxury tax by several million. I think we will see one of our core guys traded in the offseason in order to avoid the luxury tax. The likely candidates are the guys who are only under team control for one more year: Rudy has a player option after next year, Julius has a player option after next year, and Donte is an expiring contract, although he is extension eligible.

I don't think Rudy is going anywhere. He is too important to the defensive identity of the team, and I doubt the market is there because he requires such a long runway to adapt to a new team. Julius is also important to the team, providing playmaking and the ability to play bully-ball on the offensive end. And while Donte has been really solid, his spot is the more replaceable with Bones, Ayo, Clark and Shannon on the roster. He's also the easiest contract to move. I suspect this could be Donte's final year in a Wolves uniform.

Any other thoughts on how the Wolves get under the luxury tax? (or maybe you think they are willing to bite the bullet on the tax money?)

Only 7 teams are over right now. The Wolves are at $192,648,763 ($4,753,763), $4,753,763 total tax.
The Clippers are only $900k over.
Calculation: Tax is calculated based on a team's total salary as of the last day of the regular season.

Doesn't look like there is a way to get under this season, or are there incentives that are counted only if they are achieved?

Right now for next season, we have 8 guys guaranteed to be under contract. Ant, Gobert, Julius, Naz, Jaden, Donte, Beringer, Shannon Jr. for 188 million. The tax line is 190. Staying under that mark is nearly impossible. And then there is Ayo and his extension probably at 15-18 million i would assume. Even if we traded Donte awaynfor draft capital, retained Ayo, just to fill out the roster with minimums, we would go over it. Not even factoring in Jaylen Clark at all. So we would have to either trade Donte and not re-sign Ayo. Or keep both and trade away Julius to a cap space team while only bringing back a small portion of his salary in return via player/s. Or take back more for Julius but still less and also either trade Donte or not re-sign Ayo. Quite the conundrum.