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SOLVED! How Raptors can sign Kevin Durant without gutting roster

By Brian Boake

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Like an earworm, the idea of the Toronto Raptors signing Kevin Durant wouldn’t leave my brain. To scratch the virtual itch, I’ve needed to hack through reams of NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement [CBA] verbiage (do lawyers get paid by the pound?), but I think I’ve arrived at a conclusion which makes sense.

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A quick reset: OKC Thunder superstar Durant becomes an Unrestricted Free Agent [UFA] on July 1, 2016. The ’16-’17 season’s salary cap is projected to be $89M, a historically huge leap from this year’s $70M. I’m allocating $30M to KD, a 50% raise from his current contract. [20-second timeout: Paying him that amount violates the CBA, as it’s too great a percentage of our team’s cap. There are ways to dance around this restriction, starting with paying him less in his first year, then spiking the subsequent ones. If I explore every CBA nuance, this post will never end. I’m comfortable asserting a solution can be found.]  Assuming he’s not plagued with foot issues, that’s almost a bargain for a player of his accomplishments. We have $42M allocated to six players (Kyle Lowry, Cory Joseph, DeMarre Carroll, Patterson, Delon Wright, Norman Powell), which means without trading those people we’ve “spent” $72M after signing KD. There’s also guaranteed salaries for first-round draft selections. The Raps have two next year, and (potentially) two in 2017. Could cheap rookies and sophomores be part of the solution?

Mar 16, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (left) and guard Russell Westbrook (0) and forward Perry Jones (right) react on the bench during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Everyone else’s contract has conditions, and several of those are sticky. DeMar DeRozan will want a raise, and we need him on board. Let’s pay him $13M to play alongside KD. Now we’re at $85M, and we don’t have 10 players on the team. We don’t have a centre at this point either, as I expect Jonas Valanciunas will decline his qualifying offer and demand a raise. He would almost certainly receive an offer sheet from someone else, which the Raps would have to match or lose him. Lucas Nogueira or Bismack Biyombo? Small ball, here we come.

Problems, problems. We need to chip away at this matter. Steve Novak was donated to the Utah Jazz because they were under the salary cap and could absorb him without the need to match salaries. We could move Patterson’s $6M in the same way, perhaps to the Lakers, who should be miles under the cap and happy to send back draft picks and D-Leaguers. Terrence Ross is certainly a viable trade candidate, though he’s cheaper at $4.7M and thus not so relevant to this discussion. Biyombo has a $3M player option; I’d guess he’ll exercise it. If he does, wave him goodbye.

Here’s the roster at the end of next season, based on the assumption Raptors GM Masai Ujiri believes he has a serious chance at signing Durant:

Point Guards – Lowry, Joseph, Wright [$21M]

Shooting Guards – DeRozan, Powell [$14M]

Small Forwards – Carroll, Caboclo [$16M]

Power Forwards – open (Ronald Roberts and Michale Kyser, answer the phone – it’s your future calling) [$2M]

Centre – Nogueira [$2M]

That’s $55M. Add KD’s $30M, and we’re at $85M. If we assume the Raptors have taken back some cost from the Lakers, and must leave room (“cap holds”) to sign their draft selections, we’re bumping our heads against the salary cap. Mission Accomplished.

On the bubble – JV, Ross [$11M]

Gone – James Johnson, Patterson, Luis Scola, Biyombo

I’m heartened by the fact so many free-agents decisions are being made at lightning speed these days. The Raps can quickly find out where they stand with KD. If he’s a no-go, all the cap space cleared can be used to grab lesser free agents, including those I’ve listed as “Gone”. JV’s (presumed $10M) offer sheet becomes matchable.

The Raptors are in an enviable position. They can create the cap space necessary to sign Durant without blowing up the roster.

If Durant does become a Raptor, how will the team play? We’ll take a look at that topic soon.

Next: Can Raptors truly afford Durant?

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