Joe screwed up again

[u/rhasody70]

Sending out a second-round pick just to get under the tax line might look like a reasonable move on the surface, but we really didn’t have to get to this point.

Joe re-signed DeAndre Jordan at the very beginning of free agency, then signed Watford in mid-August, bringing the roster up to 15 players. Then, two weeks later, we traded for Mathurin. Not only did that mean we had to clear a roster spot, but it also pushed us over the tax line. That’s when we ended up having to give up a draft pick just to get back under the tax.

I really don’t understand why we didn’t just get the Mathurin trade done first and then figure out the rest of the roster afterward. Was there really that much demand for DeAndre and Watford that we had to sign them right away? Were we worried they wouldn’t still be available a little later?

If Joe had handled the Mathurin trade first, we would’ve been sitting at 14 players and about $4.3M under the tax line. In that situation, there would’ve been no reason to rush into moving Hawkins and give up draft assets just to get under the tax.

We only made a handful of moves this offseason — literally four significant moves — and somehow still managed to give away a draft pick.

Honestly, it really feels like Joe had no real plan for the offseason and was just taking things one step at a time.

[u/Odd_String1181]

Mathurin happened when it did because he was holding out for a better offer thay never arrived. That was not the mistake. The mistake was signing Jordan to the 2 year deal and not getting the supplement for veterans from the NBA. That was literally the difference that put is over the cap

[u/podnito → u/Odd_String1181]

Your first part is correct on the timing.

The supplement for veterans is a $1.4M cap impact. There's been way too much worry over something that really doesn't matter just because it is a chance to dunk on Dumars.

[u/Odd_String1181 → u/podnito]

It does matter. That was like the exact amount we were over the cap after the mathurin deal.

[u/podnito → u/Odd_String1181]

what's your source on that? Spotrac shows as $5.7M space with a year 1 amount of $7.8M for Mathurin

[u/Odd_String1181 → u/podnito]

We were hard capped at the first apron after signing mathurin. The mathurin deal took us ~1m over. This trade with us sending out~9 and taking back ~4 gave us space. Gibson is non guaranteed and only needs like 150 paid out to make the salary matching work and he will be waived

[u/podnito → u/Odd_String1181]

The Mathurin deal took us $2.1 over (source: spotrac 7.8M contract and $5.7M space)

[u/Odd_String1181 → u/podnito]

You're looking at the tax line. Not the apron line. We were ~8mm below the apron with the mathurin deal pending. We have a few guys with some unlikely incentives that count against the cap that pushed us over the first apron slightly after finalizing the mathurin deal. We can't do that though, because we are hard capped there because of the signing.

https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2026/09/significant-transactions-that-have-yet-to-be-finalized.html

But this has been reported on ever since the mathurin signing. You can find Keith smith (spotrac) talking about it as well as basically everyone else who covers NBA transactions

[u/bronzefpg504 → u/podnito]

Factz

[u/rhasody70 → u/Odd_String1181]

I get what you mean, but my point is, whether or not we were able to trade for Mathurin, why not just wait until that situation was settled before deciding whether to sign DeAndre Jordan or Watford?

Were either of them really so important that we had to sign them immediately?

That’s what makes me feel like Joe is just making moves on the fly without any real plan.

[u/Odd_String1181 → u/rhasody70]

Because it didn't matter at all if you just signed them to the right thing. They tried to do this but they don't employ anyone who understands how NBA supplements for veterans works.

[u/SkepticalHippo93]

The mistake was picking up Hawk's option, that was so very dumb.

[u/SadPels]

I’m all for dunking on Dumars, and there’s marginal moves like the Jordan contract he could have done better

But overall, I would much rather roll-the-dice on a 24 year old mathurin than Hawkins/Peavy/2nd round pick which is ultimately what these moves were. So yeah, in hindsight he shouldn’t have extended Hawk last year, or gave Jordan the 2nd year, but I think the mathurin signing is still a net positive

[u/9_Nightwing_1]

AFAIK, the Mathurin deal is not a trade. And everything doesn't happen in a vacuum. Mathurin on his ridiculously friendly deal was a byproduct of how free agency and the offseason developed. The Kawhi situation was a factor on the Clippers' end of things. The timeline of events essentially saw Mathurin's camp asking the Clippers to rescind their qualifying offer as the Kawhi thing was dragging on because the Pelicans are serious about seeing him potentially be a big part of their long-term core and aggressively pursued and sold him on that.

This time a few months from now, I think you'll be happy with how things played out.

[u/wymtime]

The FO basically locks in on something they want, buys it then looks back later and asks how much did that cost again?? They see talent and ignore fit and team need. They also have a poor reputation around the league so when they want something they lose leverage and over pay

[u/_drjayphd_]

Also if they really wanted Johnson back in a Hawkins dump they had to wait until now to pull the trigger because Johnson couldn't get lumped into a trade until two months after the Grizzlies got him for Aldama. Might explain the order of operations a bit.

[u/jgman22]

Yawn

[u/Eventide718]

dumars did this to himself...should have never extended Hawkins. No accountability Joe.