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It's the whole BYC thing. If Blair is signed-and-traded with a contract that gives him at least a 120-percent raise from last season, then his outgoing salary for trade purposes is only half of what his actual salary is. So in this case, in order to take back Green's $3.5 Million, the Spurs need to send out $2.3 Million. But in order to get that much outgoing salary with Blair alone, his deal would have to start at twice that. So that would mean he'd need to make a little more than $4.5 Million.
The same thing is true for Neal as well.
http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q87
The 2011 CBA mostly eliminated BYC -- in fact, the term "Base Year Compensation" was removed from the agreement entirely. The rules formerly known as BYC now apply under just one cir stance -- during sign-and-trade transactions (see question number 89). If a team is over the cap and re-signs its Larry Bird or Early Bird free agent with a raise greater than 20%, in order to trade the player in a sign-and-trade arrangement, then the player's outgoing salary for trade purposes is either his previous salary or 50% of his new salary, whichever is greater. The team receiving the player always uses his new salary.
For example, a player made $5 million last season, is a Larry Bird free agent, and re-signs with his previous team (which is a taxpayer and therefore well over the cap) for $10 million. The signing is part of a sign-and-trade with another team, for that team's $10 million player. Since the conditions were satisfied the player's outgoing salary for trade purposes is $5 million. This trade would not be allowed, even though the players' new salaries match, since a taxpaying team cannot trade a $5 million player for a $10 million player. The highest salary this team could acquire in a sign-and-trade arrangement is $6.35 million1.
