Trade & FA 2024-25:

[mvossman]

Yes! But, at great cost on the defensive end.

I do not believe this team is being designed to play that way, and if they do want to play that way for a stretch, I see no reason Hardy can’t grow to be just as effective in one of those three spots as Dinwiddie was.

I think the defensive cost was more about the other three players. Powell/Maxi, DFS, Bullock is not the same as Lively/Gafford, PJ, DJJ.  To be honest, I think Luka/Kyrie/Klay is more costly defensively than any two of Luka/Brunson/Din.

[RGP1981]

If that’s the case is everyone happy with the roster?

Luka | Exum
Irving | Grimes | Hardy
Klay | Naji | Omax
PJW | Marcus | Markieff
Lively | Gafford | Maxi | Powell

I'd be reasonably happy but I'm skeptical about its chances in a 7-game series against the Celtics or OKC.

There's 7 players in there who I expect to "do things" (Luka, Kyrie, PJW, Lively, Gafford, Klay, Grimes)... some doubtfuls who have to prove they can do things in the playoffs (Naji, Hardy).... and you probably can't count on the remainder to do anything in the playoffs due to age, injuries, inexperience or ineptness (Kleber, Exum, O-Max, Marcus, Markieff, Dwight).

The addition of just 1 of a particular player would change me from skeptical to positive about the team's chances against the best... Terance Mann. I'm being a stuck record... but I'm fixated on Mann for now, after hearing that LAC could trade him in a package for Miles Bridges... because when I look at the roster and the gaps it has or may potentially have, I think he fills most of the gaps very, very nicely. Strong and mobile defender, good all-around player, plays bigger than his 6'5"... he can fit alongside any combo of two players from Luka, Kyrie, Klay, Grimes, Hardy in 3-Guard lineups... and he can even step in to act as a temporary playmaker/scorer if Luka needs time off during the regular season to heal.

G: Irving............... Hardy
G: Grimes............. Klay
F: Luka................. Mann
F: PJW.................. Naji
C: Lively............... Gafford

Mavs will have 8 players they can count on, and it won't matter if Naji and Hardy don't have an impact.

+ Exum, Markieff, O-Max, Dwight (I'm not counting on these for much against teams like Celtics, Thunder)

[Smitty]

If they re-sign Morris, they have to waive Lawson, and then after signing Morris they have no money to sign anyone else.

If the Morris quote is reliable (and I wouldn't think there's any point for him to lie), they have no room to sign anyone else. No Lawson, no DSJ, they are done.

Thanks Gump. Do you think it’s possible that the numbers being reported for Klay and Naji are being rounded up and not exact? I find it hard to believe the Mavs would short themselves by ~$450K (assuming 1M cushion) from being able to fill a 15-man roster.

As for your Powell stretch waive post, do you actually think it’d take such a move? Doesn’t he easily fit into someone’s BAE or the many lower TPE’s 4-5M. Are you of the opinion that nobody would take him for air and he would HAVE TO be stretch waived?

[Chicagojk]

Crazy that DSJ is still only 26.

https://x.com/dalton_trigg/status/180864...10229?s=46

[SleepingHero]

I'd be reasonably happy but I'm skeptical about its chances in a 7-game series against the Celtics or OKC.

There's 7 players in there who I expect to "do things" (Luka, Kyrie, PJW, Lively, Gafford, Klay, Grimes)... some doubtfuls who have to prove they can do things in the playoffs (Naji, Hardy).... and you probably can't count on the remainder to do anything in the playoffs due to age, injuries, inexperience or ineptness (Kleber, Exum, O-Max, Marcus, Markieff, Dwight).

The addition of just 1 of a particular player would change me from skeptical to positive about the team's chances against the best... Terance Mann. I'm being a stuck record... but I'm fixated on Mann for now, after hearing that LAC could trade him in a package for Miles Bridges... because when I look at the roster and the gaps it has or may potentially have, I think he fills most of the gaps very, very nicely. Strong and mobile defender, good all-around player, plays bigger than his 6'5"... he can fit alongside any combo of two players from Luka, Kyrie, Klay, Grimes, Hardy in 3-Guard lineups... and he can even step in to act as a temporary playmaker/scorer if Luka needs time off during the regular season to heal.

G: Irving............... Hardy
G: Grimes............. Klay
F: Luka................. Mann
F: PJW.................. Naji
C: Lively............... Gafford

Mavs will have 8 players they can count on, and it won't matter if Naji and Hardy don't have an impact.

+ Exum, Markieff, O-Max, Dwight (I'm not counting on these for much against teams like Celtics, Thunder)

1) Klay isn't coming off the bench

2) The Clippers aren't trading Mann for Kleber when they're desperate to field a competitive roster.

3) That's why they're trying to get Miles Bridges for Mann, who by all accounts, is much better than Kleber 

4) You've taken away minutes from Grimes/Hardy/Klay with this trade. How do you expect them all to get any sort of time in a playoff series if Mann is supposed to be getting 20-25mpg?

5) You've also taken away realistically the last expendable piece for the Clippers to get a player that can somewhat replicate what PG13 brought. They want DeRozan, they want Bridges. 

6) Their fans already said this idea is BS and that they overwhelming need to keep Mann for all the reasons you've provided. Plus they aren't too keen on trading for a wife beater.

[Smitty]

Crazy that DSJ is still only 26.

https://x.com/dalton_trigg/status/180864...10229?s=46

To me, there would be no weakness on this team if they added DSJ AND Marcus. With the earlier DSJ report and the more resent Marcus one. I think there’s a possibility one of them could join but not both. Of the two, which do you prefer?

Luka | Exum
Kyrie | Hardy
Klay | Grimes
PJW | Naji | Omax
Lively | Gafford | Maxi | Powell


I’m starting to get on board with sending out Powell for air. I have nothing against Powell but if I’m being honest I’d play just about anyone on the roster at 5 before him.. Him being sent for air DOES allow you to add two. Edit: Actually you can add three. So the Morris bros and DSJ or Powell is the question.

[Chicagojk]

To me, there would be no weakness on this team if they added DSJ AND Marcus. With the earlier DSJ report and the more resent Marcus one. I think there’s a possibility one of them could join but not both. Of the two, which do you prefer?

Luka | Exum
Kyrie | Hardy
Klay | Grimes
PJW | Naji | Omax
Lively | Gafford | Maxi | Powell


I’m starting to get on board with sending out Powell for air. I have nothing against Powell but if I’m being honest I’d play just about anyone on the roster at 5 before him.. Him being sent for air DOES allow you to add two. Edit: Actually you can add three. So the Morris bros and DSJ or Powell is the question.

I am really not sure how I want to use the last spot (or two spots).  I expect if no more trades happen, Dallas is patient and deliberate.    I actually thought Marcus Morris had some moments in Cleveland as a buy out candidate.    He is better than his brother.   I just don't know if there is any benefit of having both of them on your roster.   We are a little thin at PF and an injury to PJ would hurt.    I am leaning to go away from Marcus though.  

I am not sure what to think of DSJ either.   Dallas is fine if everyone is healthy.   One injury though and it gets a little dicey.  Two injuries/rest days it gets really ugly trying to run our offense.   Dallas has Brandon Williams in summer league after picking him up as a two way.    If he is eligible for a two way again, it will be interesting to see if he is someone they can trust on an emergency basis during the regular season.  

I would lean to DSJ.  Sort of fits the same age as the DJJ gamble.   Young but not too young.  Not really young, but not old.   Has played on mostly bad teams.   I just feel like DSJ may have better opportunities for minutes elsewhere.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

Pretty sure Hardy will get his chance. I like going into the season with this current team and then reassess before the trade deadline. You can see if Hardy steps up, if Omax becomes a rotation player, if Maxi is healthy, etc before making your next move.

One thing I like about Nico is he watches the team, sees the biggest weakness, and addresses it directly. He's not too caught up in a philosophy or system. We need a second ball handler. Boom Kyrie. We need length and defense. Boom PJ and Gafford. We need shooting. Boom Klay. (we'll just forget about Javale McGee)

[DanSchwartzgan]

Now that my mandatory period of mourning over Josh Green is over, I’m not sure I have too much to add to what has been said (kidding on the mourning thing….kind of).  I do think it will be interesting to see how Josh does in Charlotte.  There will be things about his game I will miss.  I’m not sure that Grimes is better than him, but $4mm is better than $12mm and that is a key factor in everything else that happened.  

As I pointed out a few weeks ago, I think Green was signed a year ago with this possibility in mind.  It isn’t an accident that his salary fits snugly into the NT MLE.  That may be why he seemed off almost immediately after signing.  He knew his time here probably had an expiration date.  Note:  It isn’t certain yet if Charlotte will operate over or under the cap.  So, he may or may not actually go into the NT MLE for Charlotte as he might also go into their space.  Either way, this was good cap management and flexibility on the part of the Mav’s and it started a year ago.

We are done.  I don’t see the point of continuing to plot out ‘one more move’.  We do this every summer and every summer that one more move doesn’t happen (and if it did, we’d still want one more move as we are never satisfied).  There is some money left over that isn’t enough for a 15th player (great job by FG in all the explanations and sharing his cap sheet).  My belief is this extra money was flexibility for someone other than Thompson.  There is about $1.5mm of extra space after Player 14 and the cushion.  So, Dallas could have traded Green for someone making up to the low/mid $17mm range had Thompson not happened.  Given the kind of player they ultimately got, I think Bogdan might have been in play.

I love the O that we now have.  Thompson vs. THJ is massive.  I think an undersold piece of this is Marshall’s ability to dribble and pass.  I think he will be dramatically better than DJJ at this (and arguably worse at other things).  I really don’t know how teams will stop Luka/Kyrie/Thompson/PJ/Lively.  We now can keep two superior offensive players on the floor at all times.  I’ll be curious to watch the effectiveness (mainly on D) of what I’ll call the “Big 3 minutes” versus the minutes when one of Luka, Kyrie or Thompson are sitting.

Most of the D comes off the bench between Gafford, Maxi, Marshall and Grimes.  It isn’t the same as it was before, but I suspect it will work.  Top 3-4 Offense and Top 10 D is a formula for success.  Boston and OKC look FANTASTIC on paper.  But, we won’t play those games on paper.  Just get there healthy and stay on the other side of the bracket from OKC.  We improved our offense a bunch (the biggest issue in the finals) and I don’t think we hurt our D by much.

If Grimes pans out, I think we are really strong 9 deep.  Exum was very good in the regular season also.  I’m really not sure what happens with Hardy if Grimes is good to go.  We have time with OMax to get him some developmental minutes.  But, it feels like there is probably only one rotation slot to be shared between Grimes, Hardy and Exum.  Hardy/Exum are nice to have when the stars inevitably miss time.  If no one emerges from this group of three guards, that seems to me to be something we might look to upgrade next summer as we’d have RFA rights (to S&T possibly) on Grimes and Hardy and/or we’d have 2025 to pair with some outgoing salary.  I’m actually more interested in seeing that OMax gets some developmental minutes behind Maxi than I am about arguing PT for Grimes, Hardy and Exum.  I feel good that somewhere amongst those 3 we have an answer.  Maybe Marshall would get the minutes behind PJ (if Maxi is out), but I’d be giving OMax a small role 82 times next season to see what you have there.

In Nico I believe!

[KillerLeft]

Welcome back, Mr. Schwartzgen!

[KillerLeft]

I have never been a DeRoazn guy like some of you are, but I recognize his place in NBA history and I’m starting to feel pretty bad for him. Chicago’s goal is to be out of the tax this year (which is the right goal), and they’re like $13 million away from the tax line.

Basically, they can’t sign and trade him somewhere (which I’m sure they’d love to do for him) because they can’t move freaking Zach LaVine. DeRozan is really in a bad spot right now. He REALLY might end up having to take the MLE.

[Mavs2021]

I have never been a DeRoazn guy like some of you are, but I recognize his place in NBA history and I’m starting to feel pretty bad for him. Chicago’s goal is to be out of the tax this year (which is the right goal), and they’re like $13 million away from the tax line.

Basically, they can’t sign and trade him somewhere (which I’m sure they’d love to do for him) because they can’t move freaking Zach LaVine. DeRozan is really in a bad spot right now. He REALLY might end up having to take the MLE.

I think the reality is that this will happen more and more often. Veterans will have a pretty big drop off at the end of their career. You make your money from the end of your rookie contract till age 33-34. Then you´ll have to accept that you´ll earn from minimum to MLE, maybe slightly more like Klay Thompson. Teams will have to cut the costs under the 1st and 2nd apron somewhere.

Look at us. We are in a great position right now, because we got so many great contracts. Unfortunately they are all up sooner than later. I´m also very curious about Kyrie´s happy place, IF/WHEN he opts out in 12 months and the Mavs are faced with the same dilemma as the Clippers were this year with PG 13. Kyrie will be 33 years old. Do you want to give him a 130/3 extension on top of Luka´s super max extension. And let´s not forget the extensions for Hardy, Grimes, Washington, Gafford and we all know the Lively 100M+ extension is also looming. These new rules will be brutal.

[BPo001]

can we drop the idea of trading Powell? It’s clear they want him here. He’s a good locker room guy who knows the scheme inside and out. I’d be willing to bet he played a big part in Lively and Gafford development in the pick and roll with Luka telling them how he prefers to play the PnR.

[Smitty]

can we drop the idea of trading Powell? It’s clear they want him here. He’s a good locker room guy who knows the scheme inside and out. I’d be willing to bet he played a big part in Lively and Gafford development in the pick and roll with Luka telling them how he prefers to play the PnR.

I don’t think anyone *wants* to trade him. We were just talking through things. Nico has no ties to Powell and has turned over the roster. The only two that remain outside of Luka are Maxi and Powell.

[Chicagojk]

I saw Bobby Marks hint of an eventual sign and trade for Okoro. There were rumors prior to the draft that Cleveland were fans of Cam Johnson. I wonder if that could be a part of this. I would think Johnson would have a bigger return though.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Shams Charania
14m ago
Shams Charania
·
Senior Insider, NBA


Aftermath of the Mikal Bridges-Bojan Bogdanovic trade
The Knicks are signing-and-trading Shake Milton as part of Mikal Bridges-Bojan Bogdanovic trade to the Nets, who will also send Keita Bates-Diop to New York, according to league sources.

Milton will sign a three-year, $9 million contract with over minimum in year one and two non-guaranteed years.

The Knicks will also add Mamadi Diakite to the Bridges trade, league sources told The Athletic's Fred Katz. Knicks have to add salary to the deal in order to avoid being capped at the first apron.

[mvossman]

I get that we are probably done making moves, but this feels like the third year in a row where we could really use an offensive initiator for when Luka or Brunson/Kyrie are out. It seems like the offense is a mess anytime one of those guys is not on the court (with shirt exception of the WCF run with Din) and it feels like the third time in a row that has not been addressed.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

John Hollinger
38m ago
John Hollinger
·
Senior Writer, NBA


Knicks will be hard-capped
The Knicks will be hard-capped at the second apron rather than the first as a result of Shake Milton's and Mamadi Diakite's inclusion in the Mikal Bridges deal.

Sign-and-trades must be for at least three years, which is why Milton's contract is structured the way it is. Taking back Keita Bates-Diop's $2.7 million cap hit for this season makes the deal cost-neutral for the Nets; Bates-Diop's contract goes into a minimum exception and thus doesn't affect New York's salary matching on the Bridges trade.

New York is now $14 million from the second-apron hard cap after adding in a rookie minimum deal for second-rounder Tyler Kolek. New York can still use its taxpayer midlevel exception of $5.168 million and has at least two roster spots to fill. Bates-Diop, incidentally, is a useful combo forward who could likely plug right into a back-end rotation role for the Knicks.

Also, an early Merry Christmas to Diakite, who will get roughly half his salary guaranteed to make this trade work, a windfall of about $1 million.

[Smitty]

   

[Chicagojk]

Listening to the latest Zach Lowe podcast that dropped yesterday. First section they talk Mavs.

Sort of a throw away comment but when talking about the grab bag bench pieces he said he think Omax may get a chance this year. May just be guessing but he said a few podcasts ago that he spent a lot of time around Dallas members during the finals.