I’m not going to say it’s impossible for such a deal to get done, because it’s subject a bit to what Ayton gets paid, but I am going to say it’s highly, highly, highly unlikely. Suppose Ayton was getting paid $20 million in year 1, which would be pretty low relative to what he’s likely seeking. If the Nets made this trade of Harris and Thomas, they would be subject to the hard cap while only being ~$6 million under it, with just six players on their roster. In other words, to field the minimum roster, they would also have to trade Seth Curry and pretty much sign only minimum salary guys to replace him. And against Ayton couldn’t get much more than $20 million in his first year.
It’s technically possible, but not happening.