(02-11-2026, 01:48 PM)RasheedsBigWhiteSpot Wrote: Let's say OKC's Clippers pick lands at 16. Would you swap the Lakers' pick for it straight up?  I'm assuming OKC is in both a financial and roster crunch and may want to roll present day assets to the future. 

I'd jump at anyone looking to move off of picks this year. 

Peat, Cenac, Yessoufou, Anderson or Burries could make for a nice secondary pick.

(02-11-2026, 09:58 AM)meistermatze Wrote: Sorry, you guys, I don’t want to be mean, but I think you’re missing the point here.

Of course, PJ is a very good NBA player and, in a vacuum, for example, a much better player than Dort.

But the NBA is all about fit. If you have Flagg, who plays 40+ minutes in big games, and you also have PJ, who does almost exactly the same things as Flagg, just mostly worse, when does he play? They don’t really complement each other, so their strengths are redundant and their weaknesses get exacerbated.

(02-11-2026, 02:45 PM)Chicagojk Wrote: As far as Cooper, he is easy to build around.   It is common GM speak to say you want smart and tough players.    Although it is true.    Cooper can make a lot of play styles work.   I think the Boston championship team and Cooper's Duke team are prime examples on the perfect build though.   Neither had true point guards but they had 4 guys one the court who could create.   They were physical and tall.    They could shoot.   I think the path is pretty straight forward.  Finding a Robin would help immensely though as you would have the foundation well on its way.

(02-11-2026, 02:45 PM)Chicagojk Wrote: PJ is a tough one.   He has been bad for a while.   I was off from the beginning of the season.  I didn't think we were a contender, but thought a healthy AD/Lively and a resigned Gafford/PJ would put this team on the right path.  That didn't happen and they are further away then I was anticipating.   On the other hand, Cooper has advanced so fast that the future can still be bright.

My bigger issues with PJ is he has looked lost trying to guard players on the perimeter.  That needs to change.    Can he fit with Flagg?  Not sure, but I think ideally he needs to play with at least three good creators and people who can spread the floor.  You really want to limit him dribbling or creating.  Same with shooting.  Limit to open shots.   He needs to be a super glue guy. I think he has that in him, but he needs to be able to defend on the perimeter.  Right now it looks like he is much more comfortable dropping back in the lane.   If he can be a 13 and 7 guy with good size and athleticism who can play solid defense, I think his contract is ok.    I just think we have not seen it much this year.  

As far as Cooper, he is easy to build around.   It is common GM speak to say you want smart and tough players.    Although it is true.    Cooper can make a lot of play styles work.   I think the Boston championship team and Cooper's Duke team are prime examples on the perfect build though.   Neither had true point guards but they had 4 guys one the court who could create.   They were physical and tall.    They could shoot.   I think the path is pretty straight forward.  Finding a Robin would help immensely though as you would have the foundation well on its way.

(02-11-2026, 02:25 PM)F Gump Wrote: I have mostly just observed the back-and-forth about PJW, as well as Naji and others, and their fit. But I think one major point is being misconstrued.

The idea re PJW and others not fitting with Flagg is based on the idea that the absence of Luka (and Kyrie) makes the team different, and therefore the pieces that were good around Luka are no longer good around Flagg. While that is true, the answer is not "so we need to get rid of PJW and all the others that need spacing and don't have it." Instead, the answer is to bring in more and better spacing-type ball handlers! 

Go find a new Luka (or of course the closest facsimile you can find) or 3!! That's the job, rather than selling all the good players for iffy picks.

Kyrie will be on the way. He's great at that. That will change things significantly, all by itself. The next thing is to use one of the big additions - I would suggest the lotto pick - to also add ANOTHER ball handler who provides shooting from distance while also creating offense. And maybe yet another with the MLE/TPE.

We all agree on the need for 3-and-D guys, and 2-way guys, to surround the guys who run the offense. But an offense needs a guy to command attention and open the floor for everyone else. 

Flagg himself will presumably get better at that. But he is not a great shooter yet. They need more of those shooter types in the creators.

The point being, once you do that, the PJWs and Naji's suddenly are great again. No need to sell them for pennies on the dollar, just fix the other stuff by upgrading the shooting in general being brought by the creators. THAT is the much better solution, and gets you where you want to go.

(02-11-2026, 03:05 PM)mvossman Wrote: Its easy to say go get more offensive creators and get more shooters and then PJ will be great again.  The problem is they have limited assets to go add those pieces.  The best asset is a lottery pick which even if they hit may take a couple of years to get there.  After that they have a TPE and the full MLE.  There are limits to what they can do with that.  Kyrie should help some, but I'm not expecting him to be the same player when he gets back and even less so by the time this team is ready to contend.  This team traded away AD with no talent coming back.  Its going to take some time for them to get back to where we want.  That is why I think they should be very open to converting guys like PJ, Gafford, Klay and even Naji into assets or younger players where possible.

(02-11-2026, 02:57 PM)Smitty Wrote: Sounds like AJ Dybantsa music to me. Sign me up.  
Interesting though that you bring up no true point guards, and all 4 guys being physical and tall with Duke and Boston. So, would you be in favor of trading Kyrie for someone that better fits your ideal fit with Cooper?

(02-11-2026, 03:01 PM)Scott41theMavs Wrote: I like the Boston model.

Are you saying there's no more "P-Jail?"

(02-11-2026, 03:10 PM)DallasMaverick Wrote: So, what if Kyrie is the full version of himself?  The multi-all-star version?  The same level as he was before the injury?

Wouldn't the team be a contender, as constructed?

(02-11-2026, 03:10 PM)DallasMaverick Wrote: So, what if Kyrie is the full version of himself?  The multi-all-star version?  The same level as he was before the injury?

Wouldn't the team be a contender, as constructed?

(02-11-2026, 02:19 PM)RasheedsBigWhiteSpot Wrote: Another hypothetical:

Locked On Mavs was discussing Giannis' gushing love for all things JKidd, and that it would not be surprising to see him requesting to be in Dallas.

Let's say the Mavs landed at pick #4. Would you trade #4, the Lakers pick, GS pick and the 2031 1st plus PJ, Gafford Max, Naji, Klay (note: some of them could be flipped by MIL) for Giannis and Turner? 

Let's not get bogged down in cap numbers. This is merely a question of if you could have a core of Kyrie, Cooper, Giannis, Turner, Lively and use of the full MLE would you do it?  Or does this reek of jumping the gun and doing another Tingus Pingus trade? 

I initially lean towards saying no and just building a young core for the long haul. But then I think about the new CBA and that there is no such thing as dynasties anymore. Even OKC, which appears to be an unstoppable juggernaut for a decade, now appears questionable because they're not going to be able to afford to build around their big 3, who are dealing with injuries. Basically, IF you feel you can make a title run with the right players, I think you have to consider it.

Thanks. I'll now hang up and listen.

(02-11-2026, 02:19 PM)RasheedsBigWhiteSpot Wrote: Another hypothetical:

Locked On Mavs was discussing Giannis' gushing love for all things JKidd, and that it would not be surprising to see him requesting to be in Dallas.

Let's say the Mavs landed at pick #4. Would you trade #4, the Lakers pick, GS pick and the 2031 1st plus PJ, Gafford Max, Naji, Klay (note: some of them could be flipped by MIL) for Giannis and Turner? 

Let's not get bogged down in cap numbers. This is merely a question of if you could have a core of Kyrie, Cooper, Giannis, Turner, Lively and use of the full MLE would you do it?  Or does this reek of jumping the gun and doing another Tingus Pingus trade? 

I initially lean towards saying no and just building a young core for the long haul. But then I think about the new CBA and that there is no such thing as dynasties anymore. Even OKC, which appears to be an unstoppable juggernaut for a decade, now appears questionable because they're not going to be able to afford to build around their big 3, who are dealing with injuries. Basically, IF you feel you can make a title run with the right players, I think you have to consider it.

Thanks. I'll now hang up and listen.

(02-11-2026, 03:01 PM)Scott41theMavs Wrote: Are you saying there's no more "P-Jail?"

(02-11-2026, 04:32 PM)F Gump Wrote: Interesting question. Thanks.

I have been intrigued by Giannis-to-Dallas in conjunction with trying to find an avenue forward for an AD trade, and I like AD a lot.

But I don't think I would do this trade. 

I think the Mavs are better off to build around Flagg as Giannis #2, and that rather than have 2 of them who have somewhat the same approach, they should build around CF the same way that MIL built around Giannis. They aren't exactly the same player, and their strengths are a bit different, but similar enough imo.

Going for that means having 3-and-D guys, as much spacing as possible, and you need a versatile center (Lopez) AND a significantly talented 2-way PG who can shoot, defend, handle the offense, etc (Jrue). 

Thinking of it in that way brings it all into focus for me, that the main guy to find right now for CF would be his own "Jrue." That should be their the primary goal. That not only helps CF grow his game, but also makes the 3-and-D guys and various wings way more effective. They do not yet have the Lopez-type center (3-and-D, basically) but those guys seem to be made available from time to time, often at a very modest cost, and if the Mavs are patient and diligent one will come along. In the meantime, work with what they have, of course. 

So I wouldn't do this trade. But I would try to build a Giannis team.

(02-11-2026, 03:15 PM)Chicagojk Wrote: Dybansta would work.   Peterson would be a perfect fit with the current roster.   Boozer is a tougher fit, but sign me up for him too.

I expect Kyrie isn't going anywhere.  I want to see how he looks after injury.   I am hoping Kyrie and the flexibility of Coop will make Kyrie an exception.  BTW I am fine if Nembhard eventually develops into a backup 4'10 point guard too.  With Kyrie though, are we looking 2 years out...or can he play at a high level or 3 or more years.  That is tbd imo.

(02-11-2026, 03:05 PM)mvossman Wrote: Its easy to say go get more offensive creators and get more shooters and then PJ will be great again.  The problem is they have limited assets to go add those pieces.

(02-11-2026, 04:59 PM)Smitty Wrote: I agree with your opinion of the top 3 prospects. For Kyrie, I listened to a podcast, can’t remember which one, but the point made was that a team built around Flagg doesn’t necessarily have to be one where the second best player is at Guard, but that the Guard still needs to be a high level guy. I lean towards agreeing with that also. If your second best player is also a Wing/Forward. Say, Dybantsa, Boozer, Wilson, Ament, depending on where they pick and how they stack it. There’s a world in which I think just having a high level guy at Guard is just fine. I don’t think that’s Kyrie 3 years from now, but that would be the guy to get next if you’re thinking more long-term Flagg building.

(02-11-2026, 05:03 PM)F Gump Wrote: Yes, they have limited assets, and that guy is hard to find and obtain. But that's the guy you need. I am convinced the answer is not to sell off all the good players you have, who are not as effective without that guy, because that selloff solves NOTHING --making that your chosen path still leaves you without the engine to drive your offense, and you also end up without the other talent you need. 

It doesn't necessarily need to be a guy who is an all-star or who is labeled as being "on the same timeline" by those who obsess about such things. 

I mentioned Jrue. He was gettable. MIL got him. Made a massive difference. He was NOT young (he was 30) and not on the same timeline as Giannis. But he filled that need. MIL was starting to sink a bit. He's not the guy for DAL because he is aging out and can't stay healthy, but there are others to target in trade IF you can't get that guy another way.

Another name from the past would be Dennis Johnson to BOS, age 29 and not the same player he once was. But he played both ends and he could run an offense and shoot. BOS was starting to sink a bit and even with all their talent, they needed that guy to run the show. He made a massive difference. 

These guys are out there. It will cost you something to get him, and some will cost more than others. That's NBA life, so be it. But IMO getting that guy should be the priority task, rather than trying to get rid of guys because they don't play as well as before without a talented guy running the offense.