(03-04-2025, 05:45 PM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: I get it.  It is depressing.  We made a bet on AD's health and that we could win with Kyrie as our only starter level creator.  We crapped out on both.  To make matters worse, the path forward isn't very inspiring:

You can't trade Kyrie this summer.  He's damaged and will be free at the end of 25/26 assuming he takes his PO.  Even by the TDL, he won't be back to full speed if he's playing at all.  Oh, and you have to use some asset to replace his role at some level.  SD and Exum are both free and you aren't in a great position to add anyone except by trade, the NTMLE or through the draft.

You probably can't trade AD this summer.  I assume they will shut him down and maybe even do surgery.  You will get pennies on the dollar if you try to trade him before he shows the world he can stay healthy for more than a day.

Klay has very little value.  Without Luka or Kyrie he's going to look more and more pedestrian.  The same probably applies to Martin, Christie and Naji, but at least they don't cost as much.

Your most exciting young player has a broken bone in his foot (the history of bigs with feet problems isn't great).

This summer is extension time for PJ and Gafford.  Do you do the extensions?  Do you trade them?  Do you keep them without extending?  That just seems like a great way to get "Brunsoned" again.  What makes that even more difficult is you probably can't sort out a plan for Kyrie and AD until the TDL or maybe the summer of 2027.  Dark times.

(03-04-2025, 06:58 PM)F Gump Wrote: I agree on the fact that other lottery picks get harder to gauge. 

Right now they would be in lottery slot 13, with 20 games to go. That's not much opportunity to change position. They are definitely not going to get to 9th or better, and they trail the teams sitting 10-11-12 (PHX, ATL, POR) right now by ~ 4 games. I'm figuring they land at no better than 11, and probably 12-13.

As for whether that's a place to get a player where you keep the pick, I have no clue. I'd guess yes, pick 13 in a good draft could offer good value, but it's the specific player that is there or not that would determine the answer. Mavs over the years have had limited success with picks outside the top 10 (with Lively being a fortunate exception), so there's that fact regarding value to consider.

One other relevant factor. I have mentioned that landing pick 1 creates issues with their finances (making a KD deal subject to doing things that seem very unlikely, and cost prohibitive), but there is a SIGNIFICANT salary diff between pick 1 and 13, from about $14M to about $5M. When you are dealing with 2nd Apron issues, a diff of $9M is going to change your landscape. Maybe they can just get Flagg at 13?!?!

(03-04-2025, 07:18 PM)cow Wrote: I think you could easily trade AD this summer, especially if some team like the Thunder fall short this year and are looking for a move that pushes them over the top.  I don't think this will happen though with Nico here, even though I hope it does.  And if it does happen by some fluke, you sell everything that isn't nailed to the floor.  

I feel bad for Klay and him deciding to come here.

(03-04-2025, 08:52 PM)HoosierDaddyKid Wrote: Nico may be gone before AD is.

(03-04-2025, 08:52 PM)HoosierDaddyKid Wrote: Nico isn't trading AD especially after giving up Luka for him. That would be sacrilege. I expect AD to be here for the foreseeable future to justify the trade, even though it was totally unjustified. Nico may be gone before AD is.

(03-04-2025, 10:22 PM)vfromlmf Wrote: I went to the airport to cheer for the Mavs after they lost to the Lakers in the WCF.

It was 1988.

Derek Harper
Ro Blackmon
Mark Aguirre
Sam Perkins
Sam Donaldson

Even the bench was LEGENDARY
Roy freaking Tarpley
Brad Davis
Detlef Schrimph

Sam Perkins wore a full length mink coat.

Those were Mavericks. They lost the series. But they were all legends and a huge part of my childhood and identity as a kid from Dallas. Think about that. That 8 man rotation never won a title but it didn’t matter. I cheered for them. I was 12 years old and they were like comic book hero’s.

Of course there were dark times ahead, before Fin, Nash, Dirk; but nothing like this. 

I’m sad for the kids. I’m sad for the Reunion Rowdies too. I’m sad for sports in Dallas.

There’s nothing more to see here.

Vfromlmf out.

(03-05-2025, 07:44 AM)Knutsen Wrote: We somehow became spoiled because Kyrie stayed healthy for a long time last season - even when the odds resulting of the prior years where against him being able to stay healthy through a long season and the playoffs. 

(03-05-2025, 07:44 AM)Knutsen Wrote: Only Bayern Munich left - feels like monogamy now… ;-)

(03-04-2025, 10:22 PM)vfromlmf Wrote: I went to the airport to cheer for the Mavs after they lost to the Lakers in the WCF.

It was 1988.

Derek Harper
Ro Blackmon
Mark Aguirre
Sam Perkins
Sam Donaldson

Even the bench was LEGENDARY
Roy freaking Tarpley
Brad Davis
Detlef Schrimph

Sam Perkins wore a full length mink coat.

Those were Mavericks. They lost the series. But they were all legends and a huge part of my childhood and identity as a kid from Dallas. Think about that. That 8 man rotation never won a title but it didn’t matter. I cheered for them. I was 12 years old and they were like comic book hero’s.

Of course there were dark times ahead, before Fin, Nash, Dirk; but nothing like this. 

I’m sad for the kids. I’m sad for the Reunion Rowdies too. I’m sad for sports in Dallas.

There’s nothing more to see here.

Vfromlmf out.

(03-04-2025, 06:58 PM)F Gump Wrote: One other relevant factor. I have mentioned that landing pick 1 creates issues with their finances (making a KD deal subject to doing things that seem very unlikely, and cost prohibitive), but there is a SIGNIFICANT salary diff between pick 1 and 13, from about $14M to about $5M. When you are dealing with 2nd Apron issues, a diff of $9M is going to change your landscape. Maybe they can just get Flagg at 13?!?!

(03-04-2025, 10:22 PM)vfromlmf Wrote: Sam Perkins wore a full length mink coat.