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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

I mean they played 5 G League guards as a lineup for half the game, of course they looked bad.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Yeah I checked. You can't add incentives in an extension unless they were already there. But you can remove them.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

They can if we want to but don't have to. I'll double check that but I'm pretty sure.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Also I've seen suggestions there is an option year. I'd be fine with a player option at this price, a team option would be a heck of a steal for the Raps, in my opinion.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Curious to see how they structured this. Since this is well below the league average salary, there are no concerns there, but they have the option to structure it with 8% raises, in which case Shead can't be traded for 6 months, or 5% raises, in which case he can be traded anytime.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Yeah this is good stuff. Impactful rotation player at a very reasonable price. Also clarifies any discussions with RJ, fewer moving pieces now.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

His year to year raise is capped at 5% for an extend and trade, so his first year salary will be higher.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Assuming for now it is a 56.1M salary next year, and a 58.9M player option the year after. His max next year was only 60.4M instead of 61.5M due to extend and trade rules limiting raises to 20%, but still a nice middle ground.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

9M below his max extension (about 4.5M each year assuming max raises), in return for a player option (which maybe means he does rolling opt-outs and re-signs depending on how his game ages). Helpful! I was certainly expecting the maximum.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Yeah, pretty sure he wasn't eligible for the 2nd round pick exception since they already signed him to a two-way deal (and so no longer had his draft rights).

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

But why would he sign it? He knew the team pretty much had to sign him. One guaranteed year is actually a pretty reasonable ask given the leverage.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

They had to sign him. If he didn’t sign, they weren’t going to be cap compliant.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Trade a minimum elsewhere, I’d suppose.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Bittle will get a spot, I'm quite sure. If anything this is a sign he might win an NBA spot still, with a two way as a fall back.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

I think they guaranteed him for this season.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

As expected. Pretty much necessary, cap wise.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Pretty sure we literally forfeit games because we can't field a legal roster. No idea what other penalties would come along with that but everyone would be real mad!

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

It’s not the tax, it’s the hard cap we are up against.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Yeah I only have them 2.15M under. Wonder where the disconnect is…

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Possible I have some math wrong or a salary source is wrong, and they can squeeze a vet min after two weeks. But based on what I have I don't think that's the case.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

I'll be curious what their approach is. The max allowed two weeks at 13 doesn't really buy them anything, last I did the math - still stuck with Bradley as the 14th guy at that point, can't fit a pro-rated vet minimum (~100k short) even after two weeks. And can't do the 10-day dance until January.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

I like it but I doubt we see very much of it. Graves and CMB are the obvious candidates to buy Scottie rest - and the other is Kawhi. Would be odd if we ran out a bench group that didn't buy rest for either of our stars.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Well, thank goodness that part's done. Training camp and pre-season will be much more fun with Kawhi officially in the fold, which I imagine will be announced shortly. No suspension is a very good outcome for the Raps and also means the deal goes through as agreed with no hiccups. Let's go.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

You have to choose between TJD and some other minimum salary. Could be DeMar. Could be Bittle.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

TJD is NG. Battle is guaranteed. 1st and 2nd year players count as the 2 year vet minimum for hard cap purposes unless they are signed with draft rights. The 2nd round exception rule doesn't help for the hard cap. We can upconvert Bradley, and fit either TJD or some other minimum salary. That's all.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

That post even says how they do it, waiving one or more of their NGs. Same way the Raps can waive TJD to sign some other vet minimum for their 13th guy.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

The same rule applies. They are under the hard cap. The Raptors have a higher cap hit when considering unlikely bonuses. Bittle counts as a veteran minimum since they didn’t draft him. So only Bradley will fit in that 14th spot, barring a trade for a similar 2nd round draftee.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Kawhi basically HAS to waive his entire trade kicker or else the Raps would be over the hard cap at the same time they activate it, so the deal wouldn't go through. At the moment they have room for Bradley because of his rookie minimum and one veteran minimum, whether that is DeMar, TJD or Bittle.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

FYI in your latest report today, Bittle would also count as a veteran minimum for hard cap and tax purposes even though he's a rookie. Only guys signed as draft picks don't count as at least 2-year veterans. Bradley is the only option right now, besides starting the season at 13 guys (or a trade).

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Assuming Bradley gets the start, I’m excited to see him get another shot after a rough first two games. Playing with the better players may help him find his footing.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Nah, has to be someone who was drafted to qualify for that rule, and they have to be signed with those draft rights. So it's either Bradley, or they trade for someone like Bradley, or they shed salary in a trade.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

With a 500k guarantee a year out that's a pretty solid bet that he's a roster player next year, even with other two ways maybe getting a promotion and a draftee coming in. Excited to see how he looks.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

He was good. I enjoyed both of their centers. I'd have no issue if they gave them both a two way. Both have big questions re: NBA potential. Bittle might have a hard time with the speed, though he hung in pretty good in game 1, and Sharp needs to be able to score, though he's a defensive monster.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Honestly I still didn't think they involved him enough. He created most of his contribution in the margins. Which is super impressive. I'd like to see them get him even more involved as much as I want to see him playing off of CMB.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Bradley less so, but I also think he was better than his outcomes. Got to a decent spot on the floor a decent amount but didn't convert, was active defensively but got called for fouls. Was also stuck out there with some guys who I did not enjoy watching at all. We'll see how the rest of SL goes.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Really liked what we saw from Graves in game 1. Just everywhere, involved in everything. Makes things happen. Thought he got up quick and showed finish at the rim, the jumper looked good. Rebounding nose is obvious.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

The danger they seem to be looking to avoid is Kawhi’s contract getting voided. But as far as I can tell the actual punishment is just up to Silver, so I can’t see why he would do that if the Raps had traded for the guy.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Secondly, suspended player salaries do not get 50% taken off for hard caps purposes. That’s just for tax calculations. So even if the NBA managed to suspend Kawhi somehow, the Raps would be even more screwed with the hard cap (since they’d be without Kawhi).

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Hmm, reading the CBA I don’t see a provision where they can suspend Kawhi for this Aspiration stuff. Whether they deem it a section 1 or 2 violation. They can fine him a tiny amount, and they can void his contract, and they can do all sorts of stuff to the Clips.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Unclear. Generally suspended player salary comes off the books for tax purposes, but not sure how that applies to hard caps.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Yeah that's almost certainly where it ends. He's wanted to head back for a couple seasons now. Just wishcasting.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Ohhhh bring me JV as a backup C at the minimum to let the Raps rest Jak more. He deserves to come back and try to win a chip here, he was a huge part of that first chip season success before being traded for Gasol.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

"Start extension talks" is hilarious and obviously very important framing to his new agent.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Would likely be a case where they waive TJD to do so. Unless he could go on a two way deal.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Yeah they need 14. They can fit a rookie minimum, which would mean converting Bradley to an NBA deal instead of a 2 way. Or maybe there are trades they are pondering where they shed some salary. We’ll see.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Thanks to Blake who did some legwork here. So, with Martin counting as a two year vet like I thought, Raps currently don’t have hard cap room for 14 guys. So maybe they just signed Bradley to a two way to keep flexibility over the summer and will give him an NBA deal if no more trades materialize.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Funny enough if he was on a two year two way and they signed him to a minimum deal, it would carry over. It’s just because he hit FA. So we’re jammed for the hard cap unless more trades or they eventually sign Bradley to a NBA deal. Thanks, appreciate you tracking that down.

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

He can’t still be on rookie rights. Another team could have signed him, right? He was an RFA, I think. You don’t have to waive a guy for him to be a FA. Which is the wording I am hung up on - any minimum salary deal with a 0 or 1 year FA is supposed to get upscaled. I think…

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Was Alijah’s two way contract a two year contract? If so I think maybe I found a way. But if he was a FA this summer he should be upscaled…

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Daniel Hackett @dhackett1565.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Are you upscaling Martin to a 2 year vet min? I keep trying to find a CBA rule that would prevent that but I can’t seem to. I think Battle gets a tiny bump as well but it’s less impactful.

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