Stone declined FVV's 44.9M team option and re-signed him at 25M/year. Without that extension, we'd be at 173-175M instead of 198-200M, well below the first apron with room to maneuver. That's 25M to sign actual shooting/guard depth, make deadline moves and not be handcuffed near the apron with zero flexibility. Instead, Stone chose to pay 25M to a 32-year-old who's now out for the season, AND paid 12.7M to DFS who's not healthy to begin with and can't contribute properly based on his contract size. That's 37.7M committed to players not contributing in our championship window with KD. Elite GMs don't box themselves in like this.
In short I can see majority of the complainers here have limited understanding of the salary cap and/or have intense bias against Stone. Is Stone the best GM? No. I think he is a top 5-10 GM though and definitely far from "subpar".
Thars not how salary cap works brother. You can only sign people at the salary cap not the apron. After the cap you can have exceptions the MLe and the LLE up to the apron. We are able to sign FVV because we extended him, if he was a free agent he would only get 14M max since thats the only cap room we have. Learn the salary cap before you waste everyone's time. All that posting is just nonsense. ."Elite GMs dont box themselves like this" What I can see you make up your mind first and then invent reasons for it. An elite poster would make sure he understands the situation first instead of pulling **** outta his ass.
Fair point on the cap mechanics. My bad on that specific argument. But let's refocus: my critique isn't about cap rules, it's about Stone's recent decision-making: Summer 2025: Extended FVV instead of moving on. Signed an injured DFS at $12.7M who needed ankle surgery. Result: $37.7M to unavailable players during KD's championship window. No flexibility. Same record as last year despite upgrading to a HOF player. The cap rules are what they are. Elite GMs don't put themselves in positions where injuries crater their window. OKC loses key players, still #1 seed. We lose FVV, our entire season gets derailed. Add in: no adjustments after playoff exposure, returning a valuable pick, poor contract management. This is not about cap illiteracy. That's questioning roster construction choices Stone made THIS offseason.
None were of these teams were desperate to make these trades. They were not hellbent on dumping 4.5 mil lmao We just decided to do nothing its as simple as that
You keep bringing up FVV and DFS now that they are injured. Thats called hindsight 20/20 right? The cap situation is important because that is the lens we move in. Lets look at the situation. Rox have 14M in capspace. So they can move on from FVV and sign a new pg, OR extend FVV. Now you just traded for Kevin Durant and you want to contend. Given that, do you sign FVV or do you get a new pg? You said earlier look at process not results. So assuming Stone didnt know FVV would be injured for entire season why does getting the 14M pg better than resigning FVV who has a market value of 25M. Can you explain that to me? Like you are blaming Stone because FVV got injured and we wasted 1 yr of Durant when FVV was signed to help Durant contend. **** happens not sure what you expect from Stone. Injuries are part of the game and injuries do crater your window. Look at Celtics they arent contenders anymore now that Tatum is injured and everyone says they are elite GM. OKC doesnt have a season ending injury to anybody so they arent in the same position, if SGA got a season ending injury they would take a significant blow. Rox have 2 season ending injuries FVV who is their pg and Adams who is their center and reason for rebounding dominance. OKC missed a month from chet big whoop lmao. If they lose SGA for the season ok we can talk.
we can still trade them lmao And yes fvv can be traded too. Harden had a ntc and a competent gm was able to find a situation he was happy to go to. Fvv was ****ing ass even when he did play
Harden can still play and he got traded to a contender. In fact Harden was the one who wanted a trade. FVV cant play which contender will take him? You make zero sense trade players for players amirite
Feel like I listed like 8 players we could trade him for already. Why would he have to go to a contender? Hes getting paid to do nothing
Because he has a no trade clause you cant trade him without his consent. Why would he wanna go to a losing team? Those 8 players you listed why would their team want FVV who cant even play? Cavs will trade all star Darius Garland for FVV out for the season? Trade players for players
A competent gm would have fvv long gone by now. Cp3 his ass if hes being a b**** about his contract. Stop letting him join the team. Stop inviting his ass onto the local broadcast a competent gm wouldnt even have us in this situation with fvv. Who the **** gives a bad guard an implied ntc? When we are the ones who deserve an iou for paying this bum 50 million a year
Stone didnt give him an ntc thats why its called an implied NTC. The league rules gave him an NTC. Even if FVV is gone and you send him home you still need to pay him his 25M. Thats why its called a contract.
Fair point but you're framing the choice incorrectly. The question isn't just "who's better?" It's "what roster construction gives us the best title chance?" Re-signing FVV at $25M meant us having zero backup plan (we went 11-11 without him last year if I remember correctly), all eggs in one 32-year-old basket who missed 22 games in 24-25. We could have used the remaining space for depth/shooting and moves that don't collapse the roster when injuries hit. On your OKC/Celtics point: You're actually proving MY argument. Celtics are 41-20, 2nd in East WITHOUT Tatum. That's elite depth. We're struggling without FVV because Stone didn't build adequate backup plans. Great GMs build rosters that withstand injuries. Stone bet everything on FVV staying healthy. That's the foresight failure, not hindsight.
No **** he gave him that contract knowing the league rules and cba lol Or are we suppose to be believe that came as a surprise too As if thats not what we are already doing with him right now. Hes sitting home stuffing his fat ass while we desperately need improvements
So he traded his own bad draft pick, that he then over paid with a contract for KD --- but you want me to give him credit for trading what amounted to the #2 pick in a draft and a#10 pick in a draft for a 37 year old? I am fine with the KD trade, he is a lot of fun to watch --- but if we are going that route, then he should be criticized for drafting Green and then over paying him, and then throwing in a #10 pick in the 2025 draft. I don't think the majority of his contracts are all that good or bad to be honest. I think most of his contracts are "fine". FVV and DFS are overpaid. He overpaid Jalen Green and got lucky Oleidipo did not take the deal he offered. The Smith deal is solid- KD is about what would be expected. What contracts does he have that you think are special? Again - he traded value for the picks in 2027 and 2029, and arguably - the Nets picks are better. Okay? The Lakers knew DFS had serious issues .... and his deal was mediocre even if healthy. FVV cannot create at all. I don't think either of them are horrendous - but I don't think they are special either. I want you to think long and hard if you want to go down this route with me when it comes to the salary cap and who isn't and isn't biased. Also - learn reading comprehension, I said Stone is not terrible - he just isn't great either.
We only have 14M capspace right? So you are saying we sign both this new guard and his backup for 14M and that would be better than FVV? Lets use actual numbers because you use rhetoric with no basis to reality. For the Celtics they do have elite depth thats why they are second but my point is doesnt the Tatum injury derail their title chances? They can get 2nd seed but nobody expects them to win a ring right? How is that them withstanding injuries but Rockets aren't withstanding injuries in the same scenario? Last year Celtics were first seed now they are 2nd, Last year Rockets were 2nd seed now they are third. Do you understand? If Stone bet everything on FVV they wouldnt be 3rd seed right now. Thats the opposite of betting everything on FVV. They arent contenders, but neither are Celtics and you just said they are elite.
I listed 8 players name for name we can trade for As if we cant just put this **** on ****ing trademachine right now lol. You really think we cant make salary work between fvv, dfs, adams?
Yes we cant make it work since salaries dont match. Harden Garland Dosumo Coby Mccain Schroder Ellis These teams that traded wanna cut salary you cant send them salary back. Dosumo for example Bulls traded him to save money now you saying we send them salary back lol wtf..
