The calendar reached July 7.
The Minnesota Timberwolves officially signed SGA's cousin, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, to a two-year, $9 million contract.
That same day, the Oklahoma Thunder successfully extended Anthony Davis on a three-year, $170 million deal just below the max.
After lengthy discussions, Presti finally managed to persuade AD to take a modest pay cut.
He could originally have signed a three-year, $185 million contract. But for the sake of the team's overall cap space, Oklahoma's competitiveness over the next two years, and the fairly stable life he currently enjoyed, AD ultimately agreed to take less.
That was definitely excellent news for Oklahoma City.
After all, they did not have many years left to enjoy the bargains their young players provided.
By the following season, Bane's rookie contract would be expiring.
Then, the season after that, Grimes and Cunningham's rookie contracts would be up...
Further down the line came Westbrook's next contract, along with the growing pressure of Barrett's rising salary.
Barring any surprises, the Thunder would have to lose at least one or two core rotation players from their current roster three years down the road.
Not because they did not want them, but because they simply would not have the money or cap space to keep them.
Behind their first-place record in the Western Conference lurked salary rules that gave Presti just as much of a headache.
Especially with the league officially announcing that summer that the hard cap—the luxury-tax apron—and second-apron rules would take effect the following season.
Once those rules came into force, teams like theirs, facing enormous pressure to re-sign players, would have even less room to maneuver.
There was no denying it: having too many good cards in your hand could be a headache too~~
Moving on to July 8.
DeMar DeRozan finally