What would you have done as GM that would have gotten you an A+ this off-season?

[KillerLeft]

My GM approach:

Acquire Talented Tradeable Assets (Plan ATTA)



This means:

1) Never sign a contract that you know will not be immediately tradeable in either a neutral or positive way. 

2) Never do a trade where you know your net assets come out negative. Aim for positive asset building trades, but at least do neutral asset building trades. 



The ones that got away:

1) Richaun Holmes (4 yrs/$55M) -- my number one disappointment, would have paid up to 4 yrs/$70M


2) Evan Fournier (4 yrs/$78M) -- would have preferred him to THJ as he can do more playmaking and is a year younger, would have paid 4 yrs/$90M



3) Alex Caruso (4 yrs/$37M) -- would have paid up to 4 yrs/$50M


Guys who seemed locked into their destination (so I won't fault the Mavs), but I would have paid them more:


1) John Collins (5 yrs/$125M) -- not sure he was leaving as he took a discount (starts at $21.5M, could have been $28M), would have paid 4 yrs/$115M


2) Lonzo Ball (4 yrs/$85M) -- seems his heart was set on CHI, would have paid 4 yrs/$90M



I am only disappointed in the Mavs not getting Holmes, Fournier, and Caruso. Those are the only guys I would have graded the Mavs higher for getting.

Overall the Mavs did the most important things so far this offseason:

1) Get rid of the weak link (JR): done.

2) Sign Tradeable Contracts (THJ, WCS, RB & SB) that fit and will help the team win: done.

3) Take on no negative assets: done. 

Grade: B

I'm with this logic. I think it's astute. 

I don't know that I agree with all of your conclusions when applying it. I think it's debatable whether your proposed contract for Holmes (or Caruso, honestly) will actually end up abiding by your number 1 rule. 

With Holmes, I believe (but can't prove) from reading that they did make a run at Holmes. My takeaway on him is that either A) he didn't want to be here and should be in your "locked into their destination (or at least not Mavs)" category, B) the Mavs don't think he abides by your rule #1, even on the deal he got, or C) they simply didn't like him enough to abandon the over the cap approach and use space on him. I could be misreading the situation, but that's how I feel right now. 

Fournier, I can see your point. And, you're fair enough to make it clear that he's basically in the same tier as THJ, but that you like Fournier better. You might be right about that, but for me, the idea that THJ has been here and part of the turnaround (so far) and that both he and the team wanted to stay together carries quite a bit of weight.