It is a money move, pure and simple. If not having Simons, who has been among the worst defensive players in basketball for several years, is the difference between winning and not winning a banner, I would be shocked. (I would be equally shocked if haunt Vuc even if just as an extra playable big man made that difference.) I grew to like him and would have been fine if they kept him this summer on a deal more commensurate with his value, but he is also fairly duplicative of Pritchard and his PT stands to be squeezed more when Tatum returns, this year or next. Neither brings multiple assets to the team, but at least Vuc fits more in a potential position of a need on a team with 7 and maybe soon 8 rotation perimeter players and 2 rotation bigs both of whom are essentially on minimum contracts.
But financially, it puts the team below the first apron, and saves about $21 million in luxury taxes, without impacting next season. The taxes are not my dollars so it is easy not to care but the hope would be that money saved in one year creates opportunities to spend it in a future year when they have fewer question marks on their ability to contend for a title.
