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

[Jason Terry]

Until I read soog's post of his plan for the offseason, I thought his OP was just a bear-poke rhetorical question. This thread actually turned into a pretty good conversation.

My take on the initial question is that it's an existentially impossible question to answer. I have been consistent in saying that the key move this summer - more important than anything else conceivable - was to get out from under KP. So, to understand what the best possible offseason would have been, I have to know what each of the other 29 teams would have given us, if anything, in trade for KP, because my foundational offseason move would have been to take the best of those. I cannot believe that that deal would require spending an asset like Brunson, DFS, or our distantly-available FRP. It would likely involve some smaller, mini-albatross contracts coming back, but hopefully at least one starter-worthy player.

I understand that the Mavs are holding their nose right now at whatever that best package is. I understand that they are betting that KP can improve, either for the sake of being kept (continued living on the edge, ugh) or for generating higher trade value. I think that's an insanely dangerous game to be fooling around with for this team. We're talking about a player who 1) has had two devastating injuries - the first putting him out for a far longer time, but the second, minor as it is on paper, being far more damaging to his on-court performance, 2) is of a physical build of player whose careers tend not to last long due to the tendencies toward such injuries, 3) was most damaged this past season in that the once most-valued aspect of his game was in essence inverted - he became as colossal of a liability as he once was a near-star in terms of his defensive anchoring and rim protection, 4) to bet on him increasing in value entails the all-in premise that #3 is a *temporary* result of his second injury when common sense would seem to dictate rather conclusively that it's almost certainly a *permanent* result of that injury (let me be clear here - if that defensive bottom-out isn't a temporary fluke, then his trade value WILL NOT INCREASE AT ALL beyond the baby steps taken as his contract gets shorter - ***if*** he can stay injury-free), 5) then you get into his locker room persona as a prima donna, 6) then you get into the reports of our generational franchise cornerstone, who gets along jollily with just about everyone, doesn't like him at all. Oh, and if he suffers another major injury this coming season (history indicates about 50% chance), he turns into 2.5 years of dead cap in our generational talent's likely decade-long prime. 

I actually believe that KP could probably turn the defensive issues around with some good sports psychology and going back to throwing himself around with abandon. That likely raises his trade value in the short term, but also greatly increases the chances of a career-ruining injury. Better time that opportunistic trade *just* right!!!

My bottom line is, unless I'm wrong and the very best deal the Mavs could have gotten from the other 29 teams involved the Mavs having to send one of their three big assets just to get out from under KP's contract, then it was a dangerous and rather catastrophic mistake not to move him. They might still do so, but I think this past week was likely their best chance. He's not likely to gain in value over the course of the rest of the offseason.

Ergo, since I'm presuming KP gone, of course my second move, perhaps first chronologically, is to money-whip Holmes so that you land the man. Idgas about his contract being a burden; he's worth it to us with Luka. Probably talking $17M first year to get it done.

I have tooted my horn that THJ is not a starter for this team since the season ended. I get that he walked away from bigger offers, but he's still overpaid for the role he ought to have. We did not acquire another playmaker. THJ meets LukaMavs needs as a shooter, but he isn't good enough at creating his own shot, and he isn't good enough at defense. Welp, he's a starter (or a guy playing starter minutes off the bench) for the foreseeable future.

I will say that it's hard to argue against the THJ signing based on what we've seen since, and Mavs2021's point - very, very few players want to come here. You have to snag the ones who do. Even so, if the Mavs could have gotten Fournier (slightly worse defense but slightly better playmaking) or especially Norman Powell (significantly better D and playmaking), I think that would have been the better route to go.

I think the Bullock signing, and perhaps the SB signing, were quite good in terms of improving the talent level and fit of the roster. I used to say we had two decent starters (Luka and DFS). I'm willing to promote THJ with a gulp (perhaps playing next to Bullock improves his defense), and Bullock is good enough. KP is a placeholder until traded or hurt. I think not finding a way to get a real center is going to bite us. Right now it looks like WCS is our best real center, unless KP magically gets at least half of his defensive mojo back (imagine cow's face right now). And we already rue the day on Mills, but he likely wouldn't have come for what he went to the Nets for. I don't think the MBT worked hard enough to address the playmaking issue for sure, and Dragic is looking a lot like Danny Green 2.0. If not Dragic19 2.0. 

If we don't make any further moves, we have a slightly better roster - at least until KP gets hurt. D+ for me, but could of course increase with a surprisingly good further move.

KP is the elephant in the room, but i think your expectations are too high on getting a trade done so soon. 

The way i saw it was we need to bring in as much talent as possible first. Make our signings and trades. THEN once we are all done we move on to trade KP.......that way we know where we stand as far as roster construction. It’s why I’ve been such a fan of Markkanen even though the fit is awkward perhaps. He has talent and we need young talent. We still have another move to make prior to KP. 

As far as the return in a KP trade i see 2 possible directions. 1) trade his contract mostly straight up for the best player(Tobi Harris, Turner, McCollum etc) or 2) wait even longer(TDL or next summer) and trade his contract along with assets for a legit superstar 

Next summer we can trade 3 FRP’s if we wanted. Something like KP + our best contract + 3 FRP’s for Dame, Jokic, Simmons or Beal after they demand a trade 

My money has been on Jokic for awhile. One more year of Luka and Jokic falling short while watching all these other teams and players game the system joining up together and i think they find a way to force the issue. 

Overall point is that a KP trade is franchise changing and we can’t afford to mess it up twice. Patience is best