David Pagnotta

Next season's cap is projected to go to $104 million, and the following year is projected to go to $113.5 million.

I keep saying projected because there's a good chance

that based on how revenues go over this season, that that may increase.

If that continues to increase and the numbers continue to go skyward, and with the prospect of the league expanding, which doesn't contribute to HRR, the expansion fees, but everything else does, the cap may jump significantly more

within a five-year period, within at least this next CBA.

So he may say, well, okay, I'm willing to commit long-term, but if I'm taking $16 million now, that's going to be equivalent to like $19 million in six or seven years.

So let's find a happy medium.

There's a possibility that that's part of the equation as well, and that's what his agent, Paul Theofanos, may be fighting for, to say, look, yeah, $16 million looks big now, but in a few years, not so much, given the caliber of player.

And if they believe...

him and the team believe he's going to be around a 100-point guy consistently.

Maybe it's 17 that they're pushing for.

No, no, I was agreeing with you.

I was agreeing with you.

I think so.

Some teams have reached out to say, hey, if you get to a point where you want to trade them, give us a call.

And I think Carolina is one of those teams.

So I think there's an appetite to do it.

It comes with an extension, kind of like I think they've learned that from the ranked in scenario where if you're trading for that caliber player, it's got to come with an extension.

So we'll see kind of, I mean, obviously where this unfolds first, they got to figure out if they can get a deal done.

If it's concluded that they can't, then I think Billy Guerin, their GM, and everybody in Minnesota has to go on the offensive in terms of trying to move this piece out.