What happened: The Mavericks retain multiple exception routes to absorb Detroit's Marcus Sasser in a trade, but the exception generated by moving Jaden Hardy is now pegged at $2.9 million, smaller than earlier reported. The reduction comes because AJ Johnson was sent to Dallas in the same trade that moved Hardy out.

Why it matters: Sasser carries roughly a $5.2 million salary, so the trimmed Hardy exception cannot absorb him alone, revising an earlier reported $6 million figure. Dallas still has the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception and a $20.3 million trade exception from the Anthony Davis deal, keeping a Sasser acquisition very much on the table.

What to watch: Watch whether Dallas leans on the larger Davis exception or the mid-level to structure any Sasser deal this offseason.