The more I think about the Toronto trade, the more I love it. If you treat it as a straight salary dump by TOR, a lot of things become clear.
A). This is the nightmare scenario for The Group. Toronto, by trading DD, and with Lowry expiring next summer, is indicating a rebuild, starting in 2019. They may not even be all that interested in re-signing him unless they make the Finals, an order of magnitude improvement. If The Group pulls any kind of , they will find themselves fielding only 4/$139m offers.
B) Because of the rebuild, there is no way that TOR entertains offers to flip Kawhitter this season to the LAL. The only realistic salary ballast is Deng, and he’s under contract until 2020. Toronto will want no part of that, having started the rebuild/cap clear ball rolling already by shipping out DD. All of those players who Magic so cleverly signed to one year deals would have to give their permission for a trade, and ohow many do you think want to go from LA to a crash and burn in Toronto?
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. It’s almost like the “keep him and let him walk” scenario, except we get a young asset and a rental 20 point scorer for probably two seasons.
C). It’s cold, and far away from his family’s two bases of operations: LA and NJ.