When it comes to blockbusters with salary sacrifices, do you think GM’s structure the deal before or after they ask their superstars to be flexible with new contracts. Like, would DM use an agreement for CP3 to take less money for LeBron even if ultimately LeBron decided not to come here? If you’re confused, I am too but somewhere in there is a great discussion point.
If I understand you correctly, then Morey would tell CP3 to wait until we sign someone else and we will sign you at whatever figure you need. Same thing that happened with Parsons and Bosh. We would have signed Bosh to a max, then came back with Parsons bumping his salary to like 25 times what it was. HOWEVER! It should be noted that Parsons did not wait and forced Morey's hand and that's perfectly acceptable. Player wants his money, no shame in that. So when it comes to CP3 Morey will tell him the same and CP3 will get in Lebrons ear or Paul George or whoever else and tell them exactly how this will go down. Then Morey can sign Chris Paul to a higher contract because he has his Bird rights.
The difference is that Chris Paul will have approximately a $39M cap hold compared to Chandler Parsons who only had a marginal cap hold.
The only way we are getting LBJ is through trade. We are over the cap with no conceivable path to get under without gutting the team to the point where there is no reason to do the deal. CP3 can agree to a max and sign it later and it has no effect on our cap. His cap hold remains on the cap until he is signed to a new deal. GSW played your scenario where they created as much space as possible and asked KD to take a little less to sign another player. This offseason they did the same thing again and he agreed to about $10M less to help out with the luxury tax to keep the team together longer. A FA will remain on the team's books as the highest possible cap hold until the team resigns the player or renounces their rights.
