How the Cavaliers can complete perfect offseason in bold new trade proposal
Part One: Dump Salary
In order to complete an Okoro-for-Johnson swap, the Cavaliers can complete two separate transactions simultaneously. Still, both trades must be fully legal on their own to work. Since Johnson's incoming salary is roughly $11 million higher than Okoro's qualifying offer, the Cavs must cut at least roughly $6 million before they complete the sign-and-trade. Thus, in the first part, the Cavaliers send the Nets an expiring salary and a hefty sum of their remaining draft compensation.
In this first part, Cleveland drops salary by handing the Nets Caris LeVert's expiring $16.6 million contract and a wealth of second-round draft picks.
Okoro S&T part one
On its own, the Cavaliers lose this trade before it is even officially announced. Convincing the Nets to take on the extra salary, though, is a bold request by Cleveland nonetheless. Although LeVert had some stake in Brooklyn after his first few seasons in the NBA with the Nets, the leadership from his tenure has all left. In total, dumping LeVert's salary to Brooklyn is primarily a move to alleviate Johnson's hefty salary from their cap sheets next summer.
With both LeVert and Simmons on expiring contracts and Dennis Schroeder on the move, the Nets would enter next summer with more than $50 million off their books.
The Nets also receive sharpshooter Sam Merrill. Since the Cavaliers lack first-round assets to offer Brooklyn within this decade, they sell high on Merrill's value after his recent breakout season. Merrill is on a veteran minimum contract, but he makes just enough to keep the Cavs below the luxury tax and still have room to add Johnson.
For the Cavaliers, they find an ideal backup point guard in Schroeder. While Schroeder is not always viewed as an elite secondary point guard, trusting him to lead the second unit in a small role is worth the risk of Schroeder falling into a dry spell. His $13 million deal helps the Cavaliers afford the second and more important piece, and he would still be a trustworthy veteran guard.
In the second part, the Cavaliers complete the crux of the deal.