The doldrums of the NBA offseason have arrived, but that doesn’t mean things are quiet. While the flurry of transactions from early July have made way to a staying pattern as the league waits for a resolution on the Damian Lillard and James Harden situations, the conversations haven’t simply died off.
Instead, the discourse shifts to the players still available in free agency. Christian Wood is a prolific scorer and floor-spacer at center. Kelly Oubre Jr. averaged 20 points per game last season and can play reasonable defense. Will Barton was a playoff starter just two seasons ago. Kendrick Nunn is a solid bounceback candidate.
P.J. Washington is still on the market
The biggest name still available, however, is P.J. Washington, the league’s last true restricted free agent who remains locked in negotiations with the Charlotte Hornets. He wants $20 million per season; the Hornets want to preserve future flexibility.
That’s likely why he’s being discussed as a potential sign-and-trade candidate by fans of the Cavaliers. We broke down earlier this week what the finances of such a deal would be, but let’s take it a step further today. What would a sign-and-trade for Washington look like? And should the Cavs make the deal if offered?
Let’s dive in and take a closer look.
Building a trade for P.J. Washington
To execute a sign-and-trade for a player, a team over the cap has to both include enough matching salary to satisfy CBA rules, while at the same time being careful not to exceed the first tax apron; adding a player via sign-and-trade hard caps you, and a team can’t exceed it for any reason. That’s not a major issue for the Cavs here, however, as they already hard-capped themselves using the MLE on Georges Niang and the BAE on Ty Jerome and have a fair amount of breathing room under the apron.
Where they don’t have the same breathing room is under the tax. If they want to maximize financial flexibility, they should try to trade two of their lower-middle-class salaries; Isaac Okoro and Dean Wade, for example, could allow them to reduce their own salary enough to add Washington and stay out of the tax entirely.
That move, however, would hurt the Cavs’ rotation in order to add Washington. That may be worth it, but if the Cavaliers are serious about sinning they should pursue options where they can maximize their current level of play, luxury tax or no. This deal would get them to enough salary to offer Washington something like a 4-year, $70 million contract:
Would this be enough salary for P.J. Washington? He is reportedly looking for $20 million per season, but there aren’t any teams with cap space left. A team could execute a sign-and-trade and sign him for $20 million per season, but that’s a lot of money on top of whatever assets they need to send Charlotte’s way. Given that his qualifying offer is $8.48 million and Charlotte isn’t interested in a lucrative deal, an average salary of $17.5 million may just get it done.
What about Charlotte; would this package work for them? It doesn’t give them much on-court value, with Ricky Rubio currently stepping away from basketball, but if Rubio does return he can be a capable veteran mentor to LaMelo Ball and the rest of their young core. They can afford to absorb his salary, which may get wiped out if he retires or is only partially-guaranteed for next season. Add in Damian Jones as center depth on an expiring deal; he’s a throw-in here.
They would be doing this for the picks, a pair of future second-rounders. They may have wanted a first for Washington, but at this stage in the game that’s likely to be forthcoming. They may get a better offer than this, but it’s a reasonable return for Charlotte on their free agent.
Should the Cavaliers make this trade?
What about the Cavaliers; does this trade make sense for them? The value is not exorbitant; while Rubio is beloved by the organization and his time away from basketball is fully supported, the combination of his uncertain future, age and play last season (admittedly in the first few months back from an ACL tear) make him a player Cleveland was not relying on for next year. Damian Jones is backup center flotsam. The two picks are valuable, but worth it to add a difference-maker.
Is P.J. Washington a difference-maker? Last year he averaged 15.7 points per game in a career-year, playing 32.6 minutes per contest. His increased volume eroded his efficiency a bit, as he hit a career-low 34.8 percent from deep, but his career mark of 36.6 percent is decent-enough for a big. He has plenty of touch inside and can finish well, even against larger players.
Washington has the combination of mobility and strength to operate as a switch big, able to slide to center in small-ball lineups and guard up to forwards. He isn’t a difference-maker on that end, but he isn’t a pushover either, and his versatility makes it easier to pair him with a rim protector or other elite defender.
He could become a three-headed big man monster for the Cavaliers, coming off the bench but playing the 4 with both Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. The switch possibilities with he and Mobley would be tantalizing. If he plays well, the Cavs could be more confident moving on from Jarrett Allen and trusting in the Mobley brothers at center and a combination of Washington, Georges Niang and Dean Wade at the 4.
The Cavs do sit at just 13 players before this deal, and would be at 12 after. How they could fill out the rest of the roster would also inform how this deal looks.
How could Cavaliers build the rest of their roster?
How the Cavaliers could build out the rest of the roster after trading for P.J. Washington is a factor in whether or not they should pull the trigger. Losing Ricky Rubio, either because he sits out the entire season, officially retires or is traded requires adding another guard to the mix.
George Hill is an ideal player to target. The Cavaliers don’t need more players to run the offense; even without Rubio they have Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell and Ty Jerome. Having a player well suited to playing off-ball like Hill would be a perfect fit. Hill is an elite shooter, can handle in secondary actions and plays solid defense; he’s a great veteran addition to replace Rubio.
That leaves Cleveland with two more roster spots. Danny Green is an obvious pick, both for his shooting and his experience. It’s possible he is still mobile enough to be a full-time rotation player, but even if he isn’t, he’s one of the best in league history at coming in cold and knocking down shots.
Finally, with Washington coming aboard but Damian Jones going out, the Cavs could use backup rim protection for when Jarrett Allen or Evan Mobley misses time. Isaiah Mobley may be the answer, but they could take a developmental flier on Neemias Queta; signing him to a full-roster contract rather than a two-way could allow them to pluck him away from Sacramento.
If not those players, perhaps the Cavs sign Kendrick Nunn, TJ Warren and Meyers Leonard. Or Sharife Cooper, Terence Davis and Christian Wood. There are plenty of options still on the market, which means trading two players to get back P.J. Washington is just that much more worth it. This is a solid deal worth making.
Grade: A-