MAVS NEWS:

[loki]

I think if we're trying to get someone to pair with Kyrie in the backcourt to win now we should be keeping a close eye on how Boston operates moving forward.  They are in cap hell and basically have a lost season ahead of them.

PJ/Gafford is a perfect salary match for the contract that White just signed.  Do the Mavs look at something like PJ/Gafford for White + 2026 or 2027 FRP?  Helps them compete now and gives Kyrie a great defensive minded compliment in the backcourt while also gaining some draft capital for flexibility moving forward while giving Boston two competitive players who happen to be on expiring deals.

White is tempting if they stay in win-now mode, but he'll be 31 next year. I'd hate to give up PJ for him without seeing what he looks like next to Flagg. Gafford on the other hand feels like the odd man out on the current roster. I could get behind something like Gafford+Christie+LA 1st for White.

[StrandedOnBeauboisHill]

White is tempting if they stay in win-now mode, but he'll be 31 next year. I'd hate to give up PJ for him without seeing what he looks like next to Flagg. Gafford on the other hand feels like the odd man out on the current roster. I could get behind something like Gafford+Christie+LA 1st for White.

Ya definitely only a move you make if you're staying in win now mode (which is not my preference but feels like what we're going to get).

[StrandedOnBeauboisHill]

You'd also have to imagine that Kyrie, AD, Kidd, or Nico has some sort of relationship with him.  That said, I think he made $10 million last year and if he's going to take another haircut, you have to wonder what his desire is to ring chase which could rule us out.

I think CP3 is a great stop gap solution but don't yall think we should be looking for someone who will be able to play with Kyrie once he's back?  I have concerns about a Kyrie/CP3 backcourt pairing defensively is my only pause.

[cow]

I think CP3 is a great stop gap solution but don't yall think we should be looking for someone who will be able to play with Kyrie once he's back?  I have concerns about a Kyrie/CP3 backcourt pairing defensively is my only pause.

I think they could work together but with your defensive concerns, but my real goal would be for CP3 to eventually move into the backup role which gives you a floor general on the court for all 48 minutes.

[KillerLeft]

Regarding CP3...

I just keep coming back to one, simple thing: As long as this team is constructed the way it is, they NEED a pick and roll initiator. Like, it's mandatory. That is how the roster was designed to be played, and while AD/Flagg and others might point to the possibility of shifting slightly away from that, the pick and roll system they ran with Luka is really the only way a roster with Gafford, Lively or BOTH makes any sense. Further, if Gafford doesn't make sense on offense, what in the world are we even talking about with him? He FOR SURE doesn't make sense on defense!!!

All of that, and they literally have NO PICK AND ROLL INITIATOR. Seriously, Jaden Hardy might be the closest thing to that on the roster right now, unless you believe Exum is about to show up to camp with a plethora of two-dribble pull up counters coming off of screens to use as a means of solving various coverages. I do not hold out much hope for that. Kyrie, even when healthy, has never been a pick and roll guy, and never will. He's a 1-on-1 guy with the ball, and has become a pretty lethal off-ball movement guy, and those are the ways he has been used since coming here to Dallas. He hasn't even been a PG here, really.

I don't think CP3 would be my dream, ideal scenario, but it's a PLAUSIBLE scenario that I believe WOULD significantly help the team run offense competently coming out of camp and make them much more likely to be competitive, even if it's just for 15 minutes off the bench.

[KillerLeft]

What we need, I think, is a list of pick and roll PG targets who:

A) aren't already established building block stars, like Haliburton or Brunson (just as examples) and therefore not attainable at all

B) play at least passable defense (bc Nico Harrison)

C) are available for Gafford, PJW, Thompson, Marshall, or, in extreme pipe dream scenarios, a combination of some of those assets? That would have to be an expensive household name player, so probably not likely, but finding a guy equivalent to one of those guys is possible, I hope.

D) Ideally, this is someone either the league has forgotten about because he's gotten stuck in a bad situation (like what they rescued PJW and Gafford from) or someone who hasn't quite come into their own yet, but is about to. It might be good to start with teams that have 2-3 competent pick and roll guards competing with each other, making them more available, because I'm pretty confident a team like that is going to need SOMETHING the Mavs currently have a lot of, lol. The Mavs are deep everywhere except PG.

[david75090]

Flagg is a point forward.

[KillerLeft]

Flagg is a point forward.

Agree that he has done that a lot. Agree that it's one potential way he can be used in the NBA. Maybe the probable way, eventually. 

I wonder if asking him to do that on a team actually trying to compete for a championship on day 1 might be a little too much, but if that's the way they decide to go, I'm 100% here for it. I just wonder if Harrison and especially Kidd will be. I think they're really, really gonna try to win, although it's possible that today's post-lottery reality has them rethinking EVERYTHING. I hope they're at least considering all angles.

[KillerLeft]

I'll say this: IF they think Flagg can run pick and roll with those bigs consistently and effectively enough to be the basis of a competitive NBA offense on day 1, and they're RIGHT??

This is going to be a lot of fun.

[StrandedOnBeauboisHill]

they literally have NO PICK AND ROLL INITIATOR. Seriously, Jaden Hardy might be the closest thing to that on the roster right now

This is the best way to communicate the current roster issues.  What a painful (and probably true) sentence.

[cow]

CP3 also fits in the AD/Kyrie window. Wouldn't cost assets save for what it would cost to clear enough space to sign him. The selling point is a competitive team that he will play meaningful minutes for before and after Kyrie comes back. By all accounts, he was great with the youngsters in his time at OKC.

[StrandedOnBeauboisHill]

I think the idea of Flagg running the offense is a down to road sort of dream which may or may not come true. I personally think his best comps are guys like Kawhi and Scottie Pippen because of the defense first mentality and high upside off-ball with the ability to do some on ball creation but if you're trying to win now then I think betting on the on ball creation aspect of his game is both 1) not great for the team's prospects this year and 2) probably not the best way to develop Flagg.

If we did a full rebuild then I would argue he should run the offense every possession to build that muscle up but if we want to win next year then we should make a safer play to go find an offense initiator and let Flagg play to his current strengths.

[KillerLeft]

Killer, I think Flagg becomes Luka without the ball sticking in this offense. Especially with Kyrie out, it makes sense for him to handle the ball a lot. He's so versatile so the opportunity for him to play so many positions and guard multiple positions is really exciting.

I missed this post when you made it, sorry - there's actually activity here today, so I'm rusty. 

I agree, but the question is: how long is the process of "becomes?"

Some people want them to do a tear down and build completely around Flagg right away. I don't think they will, and given the draft capital situation, I don't think they should, but I understand the logic because he's that type of talent, so not messing up the opportunity should be the primary goal. 

Some people want them to maintain the mission of winning now and sort of use Flagg in whatever way accommodates that mission most, which, in theory, might stunt his growth, though I think the chances of that are fairly low. 

Is the best compromise between the two approaches to try to win now WITH Flagg in the driver seat? And, is it possible he'll be good enough soon enough for that to work?

[cow]

 And, is it possible he'll be good enough soon enough for that to work?

No.  I think a lot of people were spoiled by how ready Luka was entering the league.  I don't think Flagg will be as bad as Dirk, but I don't think he'll be close to what Luka was either.  I agree with your sentiment of what the Mavs will do, but recent memory feels like the Mavs have never wanted to do a full rebuild and I'd like to kick that tire for once especially if OKC or SAS lands Giannis.  Hard to see us as a contender during Kyrie's/AD's window, but then again, I agree with the sentiment from Lowe's/Simmon's recent podcast, it feels like the eventual NBA champion is more often decided by who is the healthiest (that doesn't necessarily bode well for us either).

[StrandedOnBeauboisHill]

No.  I think a lot of people were spoiled by how ready Luka was entering the league.  I don't think Flagg will be as bad as Dirk, but I don't think he'll be close to what Luka was either.  I agree with your sentiment of what the Mavs will do, but recent memory feels like the Mavs have never wanted to do a full rebuild and I'd like to kick that tire for once especially if OKC or SAS lands Giannis.  Hard to see us as a contender during Kyrie's/AD's window, but then again, I agree with the sentiment from Lowe's/Simmon's recent podcast, it feels like the eventual NBA champion is more often decided by who is the healthiest (that doesn't necessarily bode well for us either).

You would think the way they went about Luka's early years and not treating it as a proper rebuild would have helped them learn their lesson but I have a strong feeling they won't.

Totally agree this is a good time to kind of sit the West out for the next 5 years or so depending on what happens with Giannis.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

Would definitely take CP3 although I'd love to identify a younger PG like killerleft mentioned. It's a massive, glaring need right now. Not just pick and roll either. We were having to hand AD the ball at the three point line to post up because there's no one on the roster to run/organize the offense.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

[NBA on ESPN] "The Mavericks will be pursuing a point guard, whether that's in the trade market, in free agency." @ShamsCharania on how the Mavs plan to build around their potential "Big 3" ?

[cow]

You would think the way they went about Luka's early years and not treating it as a proper rebuild would have helped them learn their lesson but I have a strong feeling they won't.

Totally agree this is a good time to kind of sit the West out for the next 5 years or so depending on what happens with Giannis.

To be charitable to Nico, he wasn't part of the KP decision and the team didn't have the type of talent we have in Kyrie/AD.  Still doesn't mean he couldn't learn from it. If there was another player I loved at #3 in this draft, I'd be talking to Daryl about his interest in AD.

[KillerLeft]

No.  I think a lot of people were spoiled by how ready Luka was entering the league.  I don't think Flagg will be as bad as Dirk, but I don't think he'll be close to what Luka was either.  I agree with your sentiment of what the Mavs will do, but recent memory feels like the Mavs have never wanted to do a full rebuild and I'd like to kick that tire for once especially if OKC or SAS lands Giannis.  Hard to see us as a contender during Kyrie's/AD's window, but then again, I agree with the sentiment from Lowe's/Simmon's recent podcast, it feels like the eventual NBA champion is more often decided by who is the healthiest (that doesn't necessarily bode well for us either).

Flagg is one of the rare youngsters I actually follow before they get to the league. I have no love for college basketball, in general, but in his case I've been following him a little since high school, and I REALLY got interested after watching him hold his own (understatement) against the olympic team. 

I agree he won't be as offensively polished as Luka right away, and frankly, he might never be as polished on that end, but I think his offense is likely to be better than Luka's DEFENSE almost right away, so in a well-rounded way, I actually hold out some hope for him making a winning impact out of the gate. And, it's important to remember that there is a LOT of talent on this team right now. This is nothing like the team that drafted Luka. Yeah, AD and Kyrie are old and on the tail end of everything, but just as a thought process, in two years both will still be younger than KD is NOW. It's not insane to imagine Cooper Flagg being a top 10, top 5 guy by then, is it? 

Plus, everyone not named Davis, Irving or Thompson on this roster IS pretty young still, and it's plausible than any of them could be here long enough to get Flagg and the Mavs past the draft capital waste years, I think. 

Speaking of draft capital, I find myself in rare agreement with Skin about that. What little they CAN trade now I'd have no issues moving with the goal of being good, personally. The only truly potentially valuable piece of draft capital they have is that future Lakers pick, and I'd try to hold onto THAT, but everything else...swaps, draft night deals, etc, between now and the days they can control their destiny again? I say go for it.

[KillerLeft]

[NBA on ESPN] "The Mavericks will be pursuing a point guard, whether that's in the trade market, in free agency." @ShamsCharania on how the Mavs plan to build around their potential "Big 3" ?

Gafford is gone, I think. That sounds like they're thinking ambitiously at that position, so just in terms of salary structure I think Gafford and/or PJW have to be outgoing. Maybe both. 

This summer just got way more fun for me. I'm so stoked to not be totally dead inside regarding the Mavs, finally.