Trade & FA 2024-25:

[SleepingHero]

I stand by what I said, and think the Mavs executed it just right -- " if you have a team that is one player [or so] away from being top tier and a threat to win a title over the next few years,  AND YOU HAVE IDENTIFIED AND CAN GET THAT PLAYER, then you use whatever assets it takes." That's what the Mavs did, and I think it was definitely the right approach. You'd prefer they kept the cupboard full for later?

Well there are two prongs here.

I do not disagree at all with your approach of "if you have a team that is one player [or so] away from being top tier and a threat to win a title over the next few years,  AND YOU HAVE IDENTIFIED AND CAN GET THAT PLAYER, then you use whatever assets it takes." 

GM's can't/shouldn't be afraid of risks. Like Nico said when they made the Kyrie trade, he was more worried about the risk if he didn't do it. So I agree with this mindset, but now in this new CBA, I think the risk assessment for trades should kill ones we were previously okay with, given the punitive downsides of a mistake.


The KP trade for instance is one I think the Mavs would have never done in this new CBA (*if given the chance and ignoring the new trade rules). Allotting 35% of your cap to a guy who plays in 60% of his games and doesn't really work with Luka is an immovable albatross that definitely would have killed this team if it was made in 2024. Zach Lavine is a good example. 


I also recognize I am looking back on the KP trade with hindsight. At the time I loved the trade, loved the risk, and loved KP the player. I was still an ardent defender of him right before he was traded. But looking back, it was pretty clear it was an overpay of massive proportions and it set the team on the brink of blowing it up (coupled with the mismanagement of Brunson). I would have never made the trade knowing then what I know now. Though that type of hindsight is worthless because if Donnie was that worried about those risks he should've never made the trade in the first place.


So yes, your mindset is correct. But I also think trades now are going to be run through a much more stringent risk assessment filter now that will prevent many trades that GM's were once comfortable to accept under the old CBA.