To add on to the other side of my last post....
The bright side of the young guys... Let's say the lottery benefits us (By the way, I still think we're losing the pick). But let's say we get lucky and take Brandon Ingram.
Russell, Ingram, Randle, Nance = $14.7mil.
And then we have a major coup, and sell top names to team up.
Let's say we go KD for $25.7mil, Whiteside for $21mil
You have Swaggy's release $2.2mil
Huertas, Black, Clarkson (Cap Holds) ~$5mil
#32 Pick = $845K
Lou WIll & Anthony Brown get traded for some sort of pick.
KD
Whiteside
Join
Russell
Ingram
Randle
Clarkson
Nance
Huertas
Black
We'd have $22mil in cap space after 2 more cap holds to say sign Nic Batum
Go into 2016-2017
Russell / Clarkson/ Huertas
Batum / Clarkson
KD / Ingram
Randle / Nance Jr.
Whiteside / Black
You then trade Clarkson mid-season or at the start of the offseason for a few picks because he's no longer cost controlled... Black, Huertas are gone after 2016-2017.
There is a TON of insurance on the team.
If Russell, Ingram, Nance & Randle all disappoint and are no better than fringe starters / role players. You could still add around a $15-17mil starter to Batum, KD & Whiteside, and then a final filler to close out the Starting 5 for 2017.
And still have a bench of Russell, Ingram, Randle & Nance.... Which would make for a dangerously deep team.
Hence why unless you really make out, trading all the young assets isn't the best move.