Teams with expiring contracts, that are not making a playoff run, should be looking to extract some value from those expiring contracts, especially if they involve older players.
These older players should not be getting max contracts next UFA and are on expiring contracts this year and on a team not bound for the playoffs. They should be moved for any amount of value, even if it's as little as 10 points. (Unless the GM is planning on going to be deep in the tax next year, and able to pay their taxes this year.)
Are they worth more than 10 points? Almost certainly. But 10 points are worth more than 0 points. Once these players hit free agency, they are just as likely, if not more likely, to sign with another team. (For example, a team that did make the playoffs, the bulls.)
Let’s examine some players who are just as likely to re-sign with their current team as to join a new one, since they are just as likely to receive a higher contract from another team in the next unrestricted free agency:
The players who might have made sense to move:
Safi Fino-A-Laself: Now, the Lakers have an outside shot at making the playoffs, so I'm not sure if Safi fits the criteria. Also, Safi deserves some respect on his name, so for nostalgia's sake, I'm glad he wasn't traded.
Lenz Durrenberger
Saul King
E.J. Liddell
Trey Murphy III
Allie Quigley
These players are just as likely to stay with their team as to leave. Getting something for them is better than getting nothing. These are the type of players I was looking to acquire because their value should be cheap.
The notable exceptions to this are Charley Quick and Daniel Johnson. While I think there is a very real chance that Charley Quick is going to sign with another team despite a supermax offer, I, like the Trailblazers, would chance it, because the upside is so high. Daniel Johnson will likely receive a max contract from the Lakers and probably re-sign because of the Lakers' winning ways.
Comparing these players to AJ Blaze. AJ Blaze is still young enough to warrant a max contract deal. I'm sure multiple teams will offer him one. Since the Trailblazers moved on from Bricker and are starting a youth movement around Quick, a sign-and-trade with Blaze might make the most sense. (I personally wanted to see the Bricker, Blaze and Quick trio-together longer, at this point I would still be looking to build a win now team around Quick or ideally move him for a purple young player since he still has a number of prime years in him.)
Long enough?
@greepleairport
Since I needed the most help at PG, Safi and Murphy were the two that I looked at the hardest.