Jaylon Tyson's recent emergence for the Cleveland Cavaliers is a reminder of how financially beneficial it is for an NBA franchise to strike gold in the draft. You could almost hear Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman screaming with joy when Tyson dropped 39 points on the Philadelphia 76ers on Jan. 16.
Whenever an NBA player on a rookie contract becomes rotation-worthy, his GM exhales and smiles, knowing that some more cap flexibility has just been established. In the case of Tyson, he's a legit starting wing at this point.
That is especially wonderful news for a Cavs team navigating the dangerous badlands of the second apron.
Jaylon Tyson's emergence will help save Cavaliers from a financial mess
Were you paying attention when Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens sold off half of his championship roster this past offseason? That's what happens when having one of the NBA's richest salary sheets catches up to you. It's a destiny that Altman and the Cavs are headed for at full throttle.
Tyson's breakout provides some relief. The Cavs wing is owed just $3.5 million this season, followed by $3.7 million and $5.6 million team options in the next two campaigns.
Tyson is about to look like one of the league's most stunning bargains. That is especially true if his 44.0 3-point percentage stays anywhere close to where it's at.
By hitting big in the draft with Tyson, Cleveland can freely shop De'Andre Hunter and Max Strus, driving down their cap ceiling substantially. Hunter is costing the Cavs $48.2 million between this season and next; Strus, $32.6 million. Altman should be aggressively selling both guys yesterday.
While we're here, it's worth asking ... Is Altman really planning on forging ahead with the core four? If so, there's not much money left on the table for the rest of the roster, not unless Altman wants to continue drowning the franchise in luxury tax. This reiterates the importance of Tyson's recent play.
Moving forward, both Tyson and Sam Merrill's contracts are key for the Cavs. Merrill is another player who has established himself as a plus rotation piece on an affordable deal ($38 million over four years, including the current season).
Altman should be viewing the Cavs' roster as the core four, Tyson, Merrill, and a bunch of trade chips (or expiring contracts). He should also fully explore trading Darius Garland and/or Jarrett Allen, by the way (but that's a conversation for a different day).