Trade & FA 2024-25:

[audiosway]

The thing I keep coming back to when I look at the roster is that the Mavs are going into the year with three potential free agents, all expected to be in the rotation (at the least the regular season rotation), and are already a tax team at the first Apron. Also, if Kyrie has another good year he will absolutely want to negotiate a new deal, and can opt of his last year, I believe. Neither the Mavs nor Kyrie will want him playing on a one-year expiring the season after this one - that player option is basically just there to protect him from injury. They have probably already started thinking about an extension.

Add that all up, and there is a 0% chance that Exum, Hardy AND Grimes are all Mavericks after this season, imo. It might even be too much to hope to keep two of them. Surely, they see this situation coming. The question is, what will they do about it? If Hardy is not in your plans, as in basically guaranteed a fairly juicy rotation role (I hope he is, I think he's ready to contribute), then I think keeping him here after the deadline, or possibly even to start the season, would be a pretty big mistake. He's not some insanely hot asset or anything, but he is more valuable than he will be at the deadline if he's not playing, and teams no longer get the full season to look at him with their rosters before deciding how much they can pay in a rookie extension.

Kind of the same situation with Grimes, only Dallas is the team who's planning to use the full season "to look at him with their roster before deciding how much they can pay in an extension"...or, if they even want to keep him.

I suppose Exum is cheap and easy come, easy go. Out of all of them, I can see him as someone they'd be comfortable just walking away for nothing, and I could also see him being the most likely to accept a very team-friendly deal to return.

I'd bet they're thinking about this stuff totally differently than we are.

I agree with most of this. I think Grimes will end up being the one kept. I could see Exum sticking around on a small contract. I think Hardy is likely to be gone. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets moved at the TDL. Not sure that I see him as a long term fit necessarily and he will likely require more than the Mavs are willing to pay at this moment. I could be wrong but we'll see.

Grimes, however, is the perfect type of player to fit with Luka and this team. I think he's a fan favorite before January.