You’re right. That is the disconnect.
The clarification is that you’re counting the cap holds for Barnes, Huerter, and Vezenkov into that $220 mil. That’s $68.7 mil across those 3 players when they were making $44 mil the previous year. So if those players are traded for a player(s) that makes a similar amount as their 2025-26 amount (but expires 1 year later), it will be around the $44 mil amount (not the $68.7 mil amount) which then gives McNair the opportunity to make that “big” trade in the 2026 off-season without those tax apron restrictions kicking in.
Again, McNair is not backed up against the wall.