Making a cut
By not making a trade, you’ve chosen to eat salary and cut a guaranteed contract. You can choose anybody on the roster but it’s likely coming down to Khyri Thomas, Svi Mykhailiuk or Thon Maker. All three could become restricted free agents at season’s end, so there won’t be a Josh Smith-type carry over by cutting them.
If you cut Thomas, here’s the roster you go to battle with:
PG – Reggie Jackson/Derrick Rose/Tim Frazier/Jordan Bone (two-way)
SG – Bruce Brown/Luke Kennard/Langston Galloway
SF – Tony Snell/Joe Johnson/Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk/Sekou Doumbouya/Louis King (two-way)
PF – Blake Griffin/Markieff Morris
C – Andre Drummond/Christian Wood/Thon Maker
If you cut Mykhailiuk, here’s the roster you go to battle with:
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PG – Reggie Jackson/Derrick Rose/Tim Frazier/Jordan Bone (two-way)
SG – Bruce Brown/Luke Kennard/Langston Galloway/Khyri Thomas
SF – Tony Snell/Joe Johnson/Sekou Doumbouya/Louis King (two-way)
PF – Blake Griffin/Markieff Morris
C – Andre Drummond/Christian Wood/Thon Maker
If you cut Maker, here’s the roster you go to battle with:
PG – Reggie Jackson/Derrick Rose/Tim Frazier/Jordan Bone (two-way)
SG – Bruce Brown/Luke Kennard/Langston Galloway/Khyri Thomas
SF – Tony Snell/Joe Johnson/Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk/Sekou Doumbouya/Louis King (two-way)
PF – Blake Griffin/Markieff Morris
C – Andre Drummond/Christian Wood
While your team has improved, on paper, a lot of things have to go right to improve in the win column. A record of 41-41 is probably still in play and it could be like a teeter-totter on an elementary school playground based on potential injury issues.
If you wish to start over, click here.
Hopefully this fun exercise sheds light on the difficulty of what the front office deals with, even if the timing isn’t realistic.