We will see...like I said, promoting this season could possible hurt my long term plan. Taylor and Baum are still very raw and need 1 more season minimum to shore up their weaknesses. I would get eaten alive in DIII giving them significant playing time next year.
Shepherd will max around 25k and Mughal around 18k. My first batch of players (Mughal, Ricucci, Shepherd) were just to barely get me out of DIII. Didn't want any salary monsters, but rather versatile, well-rounded cogs. My lapse in training prevented that, but all three are still highly versatile and can play 3+ positions in DIV. By Season 22, a front court of Baum and Shepherd with Taylor off the bench *should* be able to propel me out of this league even without superb guard play.
All things considered, I am fairly dominant even with the second lowest starting 5 salary-wise in the league. My deep, versatile roster allows me to mix and match to take advantage of weaknesses. By the time the payrolls hits 170k in season 22, my advantage should be evident. If Bunny Humpers wasn't around, I am fairly confident I could buy either a serious C or SF and take the promotion this season. I certainly have the money to do it, but I just don't think its worth the risk right now.