Going from the $23.3 million Hunter makes this season to the combined $16.4 million from Schroder ($14.1 million) and Ellis ($2.3 million) cuts about $7 million in salary.
Per Sam Vecenie, this will save the Cavs somewhere in the neighborhood of $45 million to $50 million in luxury tax penalties.
It doesn't take the Cavs out of the second apron completely, but it gives them big-time financial savings.
Cavs Roster
G: Darius Garland, Dennis Schroder
G: Donovan Mitchell, Sam Merrill
F: Jaylon Tyson, Keon Ellis
F: Evan Mobley, Lonzo Ball
C: Jarrett Allen, Dean Wade
Small (pint sized) bench. 4 guards and one combo big in D Wade. One small guard. Two smallish SGs. One good size combo guard.
Lonzo is not a PF. You also don't have Strus, Porter, Tomlin, or Nance listed. Heck even Bryant is a regular rotation bug guythis year (10mpg over 34 games - basically same as Proctor who also wasn't listed). Also, I get Strus is injured, but they do expect him back somewhat soon.
Cavs have too many ok players. They need to consolidate the end of the roster and shrink the rotation while dripping salary. Which of course is the opposite of this trade. They just shaved money and I expect them to do that again.
I forgot about Strus. He should be in there.
* I thought about Proctor but didn't think he'd factor into things with the number of superior guards ahead of him in the depth chart.
* Nance & Thoams Bryant. I didn't include Thomas Bryant because I feel near 100% of the big men minutes should go to E Mobley, J Allen, Dean Wade. I see Thomas Bryant as a 3rd stringer (13th in minutes for Cavs this year). Same with Nance. I left out Nance because he hasn't played much and he is always injured (14th in minutes for Cavs this year). Same for Tomlin. He looks a regular season soak-up-minutes type of player who won't be trusted in the playoffs. All 3rd stringers.
* I had Lonzo at SF at first. I thought he might do a better job for CLE there than at PG. He played well for CHI last season alongside all their ball-handlers. I think it might help Lonzo that Schroder has come in. Then slid him to PF because CLE has so many SGs. And that was without Max Strus who I forgot.
I would try Lonzo as PF in small ball units and SF in normal units. I think those lineups could work well. J Allen or E Mobley at C. Lonzo at big forward in a running lineup. Four out pace and space. I would have Lonzo or Jaylon Tyson at PF in those type of lineups. They are the biggest body players they have on the perimeter. Lonzo a good rebounder too.
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I feel sorry for Keon Ellis. I was hoping he'd get an opportunity to play somewhere but I'd expect both Merrill and Strus are ahead of K Ellis in the depth chart due to their superior shooting ability.
3 shooting guards there and they are all stuck behind Donovan Mitchell. 2 PGs in D Garland and Schroder so limited opportunity to play D Mitchell at PG.
Cleveland are going to be playing a lot of small ball groups on the perimeter - 3 guard configurations. It is not just going to be the small backcourt. They are going to be small at SF too (whenever J Tyson isn't on the floor). So Tyson plays 28mpg so for 116 out of 136 minutes per game PG-SG-SF they are going to be undersized defensively.
Topic: NBA Season 2025-26 (Read 249440 times)