I wouldn't be surprised if this is a move to have a large contract to move for Beal in a S&T next offseason. Smart and Horford would get close to what Beal's next deal would start at I think.
Assuming the Wizards move on from Beal, I bet they'll go into full rebuild mode. Why would a tanking/rebuilding team want Smart? In any case, we wouldn't need Smart's salary to make the deal work. Here are the numbers:
Beal's max will start at $40,525,450 (=35% of the cap).
Horford's expiring ($26,500,000) + Romeo ($5,634,257) + BOS 2022 first (let's say #16 once again: $3,311,040) would be more than enough salary to net us Beal via a sign and trade. Fwiw, we'd have to wait 30 days till after we sign our rookie in order to finalize the trade.
So you’re saying we can have a lineup of…
Smart-Beal-Brown-Tatum-Timelord backed up by a bench of Pritchard-Nesmith-Vet Min x2?
That looks like a championship-level starting lineup on paper!
We've been assuming that our #1 goal is to sign Beal via cap space. In fact, I bet we'd rather acquire him via a sign and trade. Problem is, we'd become hard capped at the apron. Had we re-signed Fournier for $19.5 mil/year, it would have been way more difficult to finalize a sign and trade for Beal. We'd either have to force the Wiz to take Fournier, or we'd have to let both Smart and Timelord walk. Perhaps this is part of the reason why we were unwilling to match NY's offer. Again, if the Wiz move on from Beal, chances are they'll go into full rebuild mode. Don't see why a tanking/rebuilding team would be interested in Fournier.
Yes, let’s assume first that our main goal is trying to get Beal. I’m going to be upfront and say I don’t grasp what “hard capped at the apron” means. I assume it means it kills our flexibility to sign guys with the MLE, thus leaving the team with only vet mins.
I fully agree that the Wiz won’t want a long-term Fournier but how does a Fournier signing impact a Horford (expiring)+Langford+picks in a Beal? Aren’t those separate transactions?
The Luxury Tax Apron is usually set about $6,000,000 above the Luxury Tax Line. If a team uses their Bi-Annual, Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level, or Sign-and-Trade they will be considered to be "hard capped at the apron". This means they must keep their payroll below the Luxury Tax Apron for the duration of that season. The projected number for the Tax Apron in 2022/23 is $151,000,000. If we complete a sign and trade for Beal, our payroll can never exceed $151,000,000 till the end of the 2022/23 season.
Regarding your second question:
Let's assume that we re-signed Fournier for 4 years/78 million. His estimated salary for 2022/23 would have been $19,046,512. Let's also assume the Wizards sign and trade Beal to the C's for Horford + Romeo + BOS 2022 first. Our payroll in 2022/23 would have looked like this:
1. Beal $40,525,450
2. Tatum $30,351,780
3. Brown $26,669,643
4. Fournier $19,046,512
5. Nesmith $3,804,360
6. Pritchard $2,239,200
7. vet min $1,719,247
8. vet min $1,719,247
9. vet min $1,719,247
10. vet min $1,719,247
11. vet min $1,719,247
12. vet min $1,719,247
13. vet min $1,719,247
14. vet min $1,719,247
15. vet min $1,719,247
dead salary
Jackson $92,857
total: $138,203,025
Projected Luxury Tax Apron: $151,000,000
Under no circumstances would we have been allowed to surpass the Tax Apron. This means we wouldn't have had enough room to re-sign Smart. Possibly Timelord as well depending on how we'd fill out the rest of our roster.
Given that we didn't re-sign Fournier, it's way easier to keep Smart in case we complete a sign and trade for Beal.
If your numbers are correct, and I assume they are, I don't want to check them, then I think the team could easily keep Timelord as well as their first round pick.
First, Smart's number would be less than Fournier's. That opens another $2-3 million of cap space.
And, unless RWilliams shows he can play a full schedule at more than 24 MPG, his market should probably be around $12-13 million or less, especially less, if he is only playing 45-50 games next season due to his hip/leg issues.
And if the first rounder should be in the 18-22 area, so affordable as well.
Smart/Pritchard
Beal/Langford
Brown/Nesmith
Tatum
Timelord
Plus maybe Yam if he is on a dirt cheap second round deal and a 1st round pick. Then 5 vet mins.
I would be good with that for year 1 of the Wing Trio. The next year you add an MLE guy, make some trades and THAT team could easily be a favorite to win it all if Tatum becomes MVP caliber, Brown turns into All-NBA caliber, if Beal is Beal and if the young guys show development over the next two years.